Shane Sutton is a polarising figure, with as many admirers as detractors.
The 58-year-old has been key in the careers of umpteen cyclists, from Sir Bradley Wiggins to Laura Trott, and was head coach when Britain won eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games and four years later in London.
A brash, straight-talking Australian, many would brand him a brilliant coach, others an abrasive character.
But the allegations of discrimination from Jess Varnish and Darren Kenny, the 10-time Paralympic champion, attracted unwanted attention with 100 days to go to the Rio Olympic Games and led to his resignation as British Cycling technical director.
Victoria Pendleton and Nicole Cooke, who won Olympic gold medals under Sutton's charge, supported Varnish and backed her comments on sexism and bullying.
The reported comments are subject to an independent investigation which saw Sutton suspended. He denies all the allegations.
Sutton won a gold medal for Australia in the 1978 Commonwealth Games and rode the 1987 Tour de France for ANC-Halfords.
He won the 1990 Milk Race - a predecessor of the Tour of Britain - and settled in Britain, working for Welsh Cycling and then British Cycling.
Sutton was head coach under Sir Dave Brailsford as Britain grew from cycling obscurity to the dominant nation on the track, sweeping the boards at the annual Track World Championships and taking the velodrome by storm at the 2008 Olympics, where Sir Chris Hoy won three gold medals.
He also worked for Team Sky and was a key mentor for Wiggins, who in 2012 became the first British winner of the Tour de France.
Sutton and Wiggins were knocked off their bikes in separate incidents within hours of each other in November 2012.
Sutton suffered bruising and bleeding on the brain and a fractured cheekbone, but was back at work at the Track World Cup in Glasgow a week later.
He quietly left Team Sky later that year, his personality clashing with that of others.
When Brailsford left his role as British Cycling performance director in April 2014, Sutton assumed the role as head honcho.
Brailsford and Sutton worked well together and to great success.
But many who believe in Sutton's capabilities as a coach questioned his management credentials.
He was often the go-to man in a crisis and many would laud his man-management across the disciplines - from track, to road, to BMX.
If a rider needed personal attention, a shoulder to cry on or a shake of the shoulders, often it was Sutton who would administer it.
When Britain failed to win a gold medal at the 2015 Track World Championships in France in the worst display since 2001, Sutton rebuked his charges.
He turned performances around and March's Track World Championships in London saw confidence and optimism restored ahead of the Rio Olympics.
However, on Wednesday he stepped down, insisting it was "in the best interests of British Cycling".
Source: PA-WIRE
