Tinkoff (cycling team)
Saxo–Tinkoff & Tinkoff–Saxo: 2012
### Saxo–Tinkoff \& Tinkoff–Saxo: 2012

#### 2012

On 25 June 2012 it was announced that the Russian Tinkoff Bank would join the team as co\-sponsors for the rest of the 2012 season and through to the end of 2013\. Saxo Bank also renewed their sponsorship through 2013, with the team's name thus becoming Team Saxo Bank\-Tinkoff Bank.

Alberto Contador returned from his doping suspension and won the General classification of the [2012 Vuelta a España](/wiki/2012_Vuelta_a_Espa%C3%B1a "2012 Vuelta a España") This marked the first overall Grand Tour win since Andy Schleck's retroactive victory of the [2010 Tour de France](/wiki/2010_Tour_de_France "2010 Tour de France").

#### 2013

Following the 2013 season Oleg Tinkov purchased the team from manager Bjarne Riis with the team renamed Tinkoff\-Saxo.

#### 2014

In March, the team announced the signing of Colombian rider [Edward Beltrán](/wiki/Edward_Beltr%C3%A1n "Edward Beltrán") on a 2\-year contract, Beltran was promoted from Tinkoff\-Saxo's affiliate amateur team, Nankang–Fondriest,

#### 2015

[thumb\|[Alberto Contador](/wiki/Alberto_Contador "Alberto Contador") won the [2015 Giro d'Italia](/wiki/2015_Giro_d%27Italia "2015 Giro d'Italia") for the team.](/wiki/File:Giro_2015_contador.jpg "Giro 2015 contador.jpg")
For the 2015 season the team announced the major signing of [Peter Sagan](/wiki/Peter_Sagan "Peter Sagan") on a three\-year contract, as well as: [Pavel Brutt](/wiki/Pavel_Brutt "Pavel Brutt"), [Ivan Basso](/wiki/Ivan_Basso "Ivan Basso"). and [Robert Kišerlovski](/wiki/Robert_Ki%C5%A1erlovski "Robert Kišerlovski").

In March 2015 the team confirmed that Riis had been removed from active duty due to differences between Riis and Tinkov. Media reports had initially indicated that Riis had been suspended when he did not appear at the [2015 Milan–San Remo](/wiki/2015_Milan%E2%80%93San_Remo "2015 Milan–San Remo") as planned, and that this was due to a disappointing start to the season for the team. Later that month it was announced that Riis' contract had been terminated with the agreement of both parties. Subsequently the team revealed its new management structure, with Riis' former duties being carried out by new general manager Stefano Feltrin and [Steven de Jongh](/wiki/Steven_de_Jongh "Steven de Jongh"), who was promoted to the role of head sport director.

In a December 2015 interview, Tinkov announced that he would sell the team at the end of the 2016 season, citing on the one hand a business decision to redirect Tinkoff Bank's marketing budget from sports sponsorship to TV advertising from 2017, and on the other a lack of support from other teams from his proposed reforms to the sport's business model.

#### 2016

In February 2016 Tinkov said that although he was "happy to talk to any buyer", he expected that the most likely outcome for the team would be its disbanding at the end of the year. However in July 2016 he said that he was planning to return to the sport after "a few seasons off", once [Chris Froome](/wiki/Chris_Froome "Chris Froome") retires from competition, with the aim of winning the Tour de France.


Who was appointed as the new general manager and head sport director of the team after Bjarne Riis' departure?