Team Sky have said they will make a decision on the survival of the team before the 2019 Tour de France, giving team manager Dave Brailsford and his staff just six months to find a new backer for the British WorldTour team. In an open letter to fans, the team confirmed that 2019 would be the set-up´s last season as Team Sky. It appears that Team Sky riders and staff were told the news at dinner on Tuesday evening, with Sky announcing the end of its involvement in professional cycling early on Wednesday morning. `This news has only just been announced; we can´t predict what will happen from 2020 and there are no guarantees. Whatever happens, we will make sure there is clarity one way or the other about the future of the Team before the Tour de France next July,` the Team Sky letter reads.ADVERTISEMENT Sky has undergone a number of major corporate changes over the past year, sparking a review of its sponsorship plans. In December 2017, Disney bought a large portion of Rupert Murdoch`s 21st Century Fox company, which included a 39 per cent stake in Sky. Murdoch had hoped to buy the larger controlling share of the company, but was outbid by US media giant Comcast in October. James Murdoch, who has played a key role in Team Sky´s funding, is expected to leave the company. Sky positioned its cycling sponsorship as part of what it calls its `Bigger Picture` work, which `focuses on the positive impact Sky can have in local communities and the wider world.` Last year, Sky announced a new partnership with the England & Wales Cricket Board, including a commitment to grow participation among children and at the grass roots. Sky said that cricket rather than cycling `will form a central part of Sky´s Bigger Picture activity in the coming years.` Sky to end sponsorship after 2019 Team Sky set 2019 Tour de France as deadline to find new sponsors Team Sky created `brilliant sponsor template` but may struggle to find replacement Chris Froome: We are not ...
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