Rohan Dennis opened up about his decision to part ways with Bahrain-Merida in a podcast with new teammates Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe.

After being terminated from his Bahrain-Merida contract in September, Dennis signed with Team Ineos in December, and is looking to overcome a difficult time in his career with the 2020 Olympics as his goal.

On Thomas' podcast Watts Occurring, Dennis discussed his shocking decision to leave the Bahrain-Merida team on the eve of the July Tour de France time trial.

"Ultimately, being there was not good for me," he told Thomas and Lowe.

"I was struggling emotionally and eventually it was affecting my family life. It was only getting worse, so I had to figure out what was best for my family."

"There was a lot more going on behind the scenes, but it was ...... It didn't get to the point where I was absolutely depressed, but if I hadn't backed out right then and there, it probably would have gone badly."

Dennis never raced again for Bahrain-Merida and spent the 10 weeks after the Tour de France preparing to defend his world time trial title. During that time, he withdrew from social media and sought help. He returned to competition at the World Championships and won his second individual rainbow jersey on the road.

"It was a bit of a mental battle. I took a lot of information off the internet. Maybe I read too much into it," he said of his post-Tour reaction.

"I wanted to know what was going on and where I stood in the cycling world. At first, a lot of ...... Journalist ...... I laughed about everything. We couldn't fight back because it was all about keeping quiet. We agreed to keep quiet and settle things behind closed doors, but some things leaked out."

Dennis' stunning victory at the World Championships was a very emotional victory for the Australians.

"It was a good moment. I had my son and my wife at the finish and it felt special. It was really special."

The move to Team Ineos came after lengthy negotiations. Dennis believes that Team Ineos and its attention to marginal benefits will give him the best environment to grow and succeed in the future.

"I started talking to you very late. You are also my manager. It was officially decided on December 6, but we had agreed on it around October. There were a few others, but honestly, this was the best fit. I think it is the place that best supports my Olympic and time trial aspirations."