The South African former pro rider set up his cycling team in 2007. As MTN Qhubeka they became the first-ever African registered team to ride the Tour de France.
He talks about the challenges of putting together a team from scratch - and the steep learning curve he faced moving from cycling to managing.
After a successful stint on the world stage, a combination of financial and sponsorship problems lead to the team, which by then had gone through multiple name changes, being disbanded in 2021.
Doug Ryder has now put a new team together – we catch up with him at the Q36.5 Pro Cycling HQ in the Netherlands.
Produced and presented by Matthew Kenyon
(Image: Doug Ryder. Credit: BBC)