The founder of lastminute.com who steered it through the dotcom crash and its takeover by Travelocity stepped aside from the day-to-day running of the business today.

The proposed takeover of online travel group lastminute.com marks another stage in a tumultuous roller-coaster ride for the company and its founders, Martha Lane Fox and Brent Hoberman.

Lastminute.com chief Brent Hoberman today shrugged off his company’s big financial losses and said his business was in good shape for 2005.