- British Cycling
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British Cycling
BC
Sport Cycle racing Formation date 1959 Affiliation UCI Regional affiliation UEC Headquarters National Cycling Centre, Stuart Street (off the A6010 Alan Turing Way), Bradford, Manchester President Mr Brian Cookson OBE Official website www.britishcycling.org.uk 
British Cycling (formerly the British Cycling Federation) is the national governing body for cycle racing in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It represents Britain at the world body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and selects national teams, including the Great Britain (GB) Cycling Team for races in Britain and abroad. It is based at the National Cycling Centre, which is based opposite the ground of Manchester City, on the site of the 2002 Commonwealth Games. It is just off the Route 60 of the National Cycle Network.
Contents
History
The British Cycling Federation (BCF) was formed in 1959 at the end of an administrative dispute within the sport. The governing body since 1878 had been the National Cyclists Union (NCU).[n 1] The legality of cyclists on the road had not been established and the NCU worried that all cycling could be affected by police concerns about racing.[1] The cycling historian Bernard Thompson said: "Events organised by clubs in the 1880s, although taking place on quiet country roads, were constantly interrupted by the police. Often horse-mounted policemen charged at racers and threw sticks into their wheels."[2] The race organiser and writer, Chas Messenger, said: "Thousands of cyclists were convicted or fined for dangerous riding, many on mere suspicion and unsupported evidence."[1]
The NCU banned all racing on the road and insisted clubs use velodromes.[1] A rebel organisation, eventually known as the Road Time Trials Council, began running races of individuals competing against the clock at dawn and in secrecy, to avoid police attention. The NCU eventually accepted the RTTC and the two organisations ran the sport between them, the RTTC interested only in time-trialling and the NCU administering track races and representing Britain at meetings of the UCI.
Infighting was sparked by the UCI's decision that world road championships from 1933 would be not individual contests but competitions in which riders started together. The NCU had never been against such races but insisted that in Britain they were on roads closed to traffic, such as airfields and motor-racing courses. It now had to select riders not on their talent against the clock but in a bunch. Selection races were held at Donington Park and Brooklands. Among the riders were some, like Percy Stallard, who believed races ought to be run on the open road. He organised a race from Llangollen to Wolverhampton, in 1942.[3] The NCU suspended Stallard and others and they formed the British League of Racing Cyclists.[4] It and the NCU fought each other until they merged in 1959.
The British Cycling Federation
The merged organisation became the British Cycling Federation. It accepted racing on the open road[4] and controlled all competitive cycling other than time-trialling, which remained with the RTTC. Cyclo-cross was administered by the British Cyclo-Cross Association, which was linked to the BCF. The BCF was recognised by the UCI. The first officials were perceived to be drawn largely from the NCU and there was bitterness among supporters of the former BLRC that they had been betrayed.[3]
The BCF had offices in central London. The first were in the headquarters of the Sports Council in Park Crescent, near Hyde Park. They then moved to Kettering, Northamptonshire, and finally to the velodrome in Manchester.
The British Cycling Federation was renamed simply British Cycling after it merged with the British Cyclo-Cross Association, the British Mountain Bike Federation, the English BMX Association and the British Cycle Speedway Council. Each is now a commission within the BCF.
Field of influence
British Cycling administers road racing, track cycling, cyclo-cross, BMX, mountain biking (including trials riding), cycle speedway, and in Scotland, road time trials. The main exception is road time trials in England and Wales, which are administered by Cycling Time Trials, the current name of the Road Time Trials Council. Only road time-trials in England and Wales remain outside British Cycling, but Cycling Time Trials works with British Cycling to organise the time-trial national championships.
BSkyB began sponsorship of British Cycling on 24 July 2008.
International dominance
From 2001 to the present day, British cycling has greatly improved its standing in world track cycling and are considered the dominant force now in cycling. At the 2004 Athens Olympics cycling events, Great Britain came third in the medal table. From 2004 to 2009, it came top of the medals tally for three out of six UCI Track Cycling World Championships. The team is noted for its distinctive high performance equipment. British Cycling continues to work with NASA, McLaren Group and many other organisations to improve track speeds. The team is so secretive about its suits, it completely destroys each suit after a championships to prevent the technology being copied by other nations.[citation needed] In the late 2000s, the team consisted of such notable riders as Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Bradley Wiggins, and Rebecca Romero.
This success has continued in road racing with riders such as Nicole Cooke and Mark Cavendish. British cycling has also formend a professional cycling team with BSkyB as the main sponsor and Bradly Wiggins as the team leader and David Brailsford as the manager. Team Sky is registered as a Pro Tour team.
Downhill mountain biking also witnessed British success with Steve Peat becoming the Nissan UCI Downhill World Champion, and also becoming the most successful downhill racer ever with seventeen World Cup wins.
General
Cycling clubs or teams affiliate to British Cycling to race in British Cycling events. Adult road racing licences are graded by excellence, from fourth and lowest to first and élite. There are licences for under-18s and for women.
International performances have improved since British Cycling began receiving money from the National Lottery funding in the late 1990s. It won three golds in the 2002 world track championships and four in 2005. Britain won nine of 18 gold medals at the 2008 world track championships. In September 2004, British Cycling helped organise the Tour of Britain, a five-day race finishing in London.
International affiliation
British Cycling is a member of the European Cycling Union, the UCI and the British Olympic Association.
Regional bodies
Nation or territory Regional body 
Englandno regional governing body 
ScotlandScottish Cycling 
WalesWelsh Cycling 
Isle of ManIsle of Man Cycling Association 
GibraltarGibraltar Cycling Association In Scotland and Wales, British Cycling operates with regional bodies: Scottish Cycling (Scottish Cyclists' Union) and Welsh Cycling (Welsh Cycling Union). Scotland and Wales run national teams.
There is no regional body for England. England is not recognised as a region by the UCI, and there is no English cycling team outside the Commonwealth Games. For those occasions, British Cycling selects and supports the England team. Cycling is represented on the Isle of Man by the Isle of Man Cycling Association.
Cycling in Northern Ireland is organised under Cycling Ulster, part of the all-Ireland governing body Cycling Ireland. Until 2006, a rival governing body existed, the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation. It was affiliated to British Cycling, causing friction between the British body and the international federation, the UCI.
British overseas territories
British Cycling represents the cycling associations of British overseas territories in the UCI, if they are not themselves UCI members.
The Gibraltar Cycling Association is the regional governing body for Gibraltar.
Great Britain Cycling Team Olympic Programmes
Olympic Podium Programme[5]
Riders in this programme are expected to be seasoned world-class performers with a track record of success at the highest level. Athletes are full-time on the programme and generally based near the team's Manchester HQ. Athletes may also be members of professional (trade) teams, receiving additional support from the programme.
Olympic Academy Programme[6]
Riders aged typically 18 to 23 and exceptional athletes with the clear potential to become world-class performers. The programme aims to add the final technical polish, whilst building up training loads to those likely to be experienced by the senior elite athletes.
Olympic Development Programme[7]
Riders aged typically 16 to 18, who are already experienced and focused on a career in professional cycling. The programme aims to add technical experience, including experience of preparing for major (junior) championships, plus conditioning. Athletes are typically still in education and focus on intense training camps, whilst still living at home.
Olympic Talent Team[8]
A regionally based programme aimed at finding talented young riders, typically aged 14–16 and preparing them for transition to the higher programmes.
Paralympic Team[9]
Athletes competing in four disability categories, primarily in Track, Road Race and Time Trial disciplines.
British Cycling Hall of Fame
On 17 December 2009, the names of fifty riders to be inducted into the British Cycling Hall of Fame were announced. The newly established hall of fame was created as part of British Cycling's 50th anniversary celebrations.[10]
Notes
- ^ The NCU took over control of cycling from the Amateur Athletics Association. It was originally called the Bicycle Union. It became the NCU in 1883.
References
- ^ a b c Messenger, Chas (1998). Ride and be Damned. Harpenden: Pedal Publishing. ISBN 9780953409600, p2
- ^ Alpaca to Skinsuit, Bernard Thompson, Geerings of Ashford, UK, ISBN 0-9513042-0-8
- ^ a b ABCC, "Shot and Shell days" by Ramin Minovi. A review of Ride and be Damned: Chas Messenger. Pedal Publishing 1998.
- ^ a b Dave's Bike Spot, History of British Cycling.
- ^ Podium Programme
- ^ Academy Programme
- ^ Development Programme
- ^ Talent Programme
- ^ Paralympic
- ^ "50 Cycling Heroes Named in British Cycling's Hall of Fame". British Cycling. 2009-12-17. http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/sport/article/bc20091216-Hall-of-fame-fifty.
External links
Video clips
Categories:- Cycle racing in the United Kingdom
- Sports governing bodies of the United Kingdom
- Cycle racing organisations
- Sport in British dependencies
- Organizations established in 1959
- Organisations based in Manchester
- 1959 establishments in the United Kingdom
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