British Cycling marks a year of progress on Task Force recommendations, but questions remain
British Cycling’s “One Year On” update on the Elite Road Task Force promises progress but highlights limited action, with only five recommendations actively underway. While some steps, such as a National Circuit Series leader’s jersey, are welcome, the update falls short of the “immediate progress” promised in 2023
British Cycling has published a “One Year On” update on the implementation of the Elite Road Task Force’s recommendations, offering insight into progress made since the report was first released in January 2024. While some positive steps have been taken, key challenges remain, and significant questions have emerged about the clarity, depth, and transparency of the update.
This update comes against a troubling backdrop for elite domestic road racing. The calendar continues to shrink, with the Ryedale Grand Prix, Dudley Grand Prix, and Beverley Grand Prix among the races lost for 2024. The end of the year also saw the closure of the UK’s final two UCI Continental men’s teams, Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing, as well as the elite development team Project1. These developments underscore the urgent need for British Cycling to deliver meaningful reforms to safeguard the sport’s future.
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Claimed areas of progress
The update highlights several areas where British Cycling claims progress has been made, supported by its partnership with Lloyds, which it says will enable it to continue an investment of £180,000 into the domestic road and circuit series for 2025. These areas of progress include:
New events: Two new races in the southwest have been added for 2025, one each for the National Circuit Series and the National Road Series, addressing the geographic imbalance highlighted by the task force.
Cost reductions for organisers: British Cycling has removed the £100 registration fee for National Series events, easing financial pressures on organisers.
Rebranding efforts: A refreshed look for the National Series and National Championships will include digital marketing assets for organisers.
National Circuit Series leader’s jersey: A new leader’s jersey, supported by Alé, will be introduced for 2025, providing additional exposure for leading riders and teams.
Support for organisers: Online learning modules for new event organisers are being developed, and updates to the National Road Organisers’ Guide are in progress.
While the removal of registration fees is a positive step, The British Continental understands that the £180,000 investment is a continuation of existing funding for the National Series but does not represent any additional investment beyond what British Cycling provided in 2024. We have asked the governing body for a breakdown of how this £180,000 was spent in 2024.
The introduction of a National Circuit Series leader’s jersey is a welcome step and is something The British Continental advocated for in August 2023 as part of a broader set of suggestions to improve the National Circuit Series. This aligns with the task force’s aim to enhance the visibility of the sport and foster greater audience engagement.
The addition of two new events in the southwest are presented as progress aligned with the task force’s recommendations, but closer scrutiny suggests this may not be the case. According to our sources, the races were reportedly driven by local organisers, with British Cycling’s role limited to approving the application.
This raises questions about how much credit British Cycling can take for these developments. It highlights the ongoing reliance on local organisers and volunteers to sustain the domestic racing calendar—a point that underscores the need for more substantial, systemic support.
Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Does the update deliver immediate progress and revitalisation?
When the task force was announced in August 2023, it was described as a means to support the revival of deliver of the elite domestic road racing scene, with British Cycling’s CEO Jon Dutton OBE promising “immediate progress”. However, the latest update raises doubts about whether these ambitions are being met.
Of the 36 recommendations listed, only five are marked as “current”, indicating active progress. The majority remain unimplemented or deferred.
One year on, the only recommendation marked as complete—ensuring the Tour of Britain and its women’s equivalent ran in 2024—was not aimed at addressing elite road racing at the National Series level, the core focus of the task force.
Rather than a sense of revitalisation, the update conveys a picture of incremental and limited progress, falling short of the “immediate progress” promised in 2023. This is further compounded by the continued loss of key races and teams, which undermines the task force’s goal to reinvigorate the domestic racing calendar.
Furthermore, while it is welcome that British Cycling has now published the full list of recommendations, something we called for in our September 2024 assessment, an initial review suggests that at least two recommendations are omitted in the update, and some have been reworded, leaving the update feeling incomplete and inconsistent. We have asked British Cycling to explain why these omissions or wording changes were made.
British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton emphasised the “challenging circumstances” facing the domestic road racing scene and called for collective action. While his acknowledgment of the difficulties is important, the lack of measurable outcomes and the limited progress reported risk further alienating stakeholders. The British Continental’s September 2024 assessment described progress as “stuck in neutral,” and this update does little to dispel that impression.
Conclusion
British Cycling’s “One Year On” update highlights some areas of progress but falls short of delivering the immediate revitalisation that the task force originally promised. With the majority of recommendations still unimplemented and many key races and teams disappearing from the calendar, the elite domestic road racing scene remains at a critical juncture. Without greater transparency decisive action, and clear commitments to new investment, British Cycling risks falling further behind on its stated ambition to reinvigorate domestic road racing.
This article provides our initial take on the update. A fuller assessment of British Cycling’s progress against the task force recommendations will follow in due course.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
British Cycling has published a “One Year On” update on the implementation of the Elite Road Task Force’s recommendations, offering insight into progress made since the report was first released in January 2024. While some positive steps have been taken, key challenges remain, and significant questions have emerged about the clarity, depth, and transparency of the update.
This update comes against a troubling backdrop for elite domestic road racing. The calendar continues to shrink, with the Ryedale Grand Prix, Dudley Grand Prix, and Beverley Grand Prix among the races lost for 2024. The end of the year also saw the closure of the UK’s final two UCI Continental men’s teams, Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing, as well as the elite development team Project1. These developments underscore the urgent need for British Cycling to deliver meaningful reforms to safeguard the sport’s future.
Claimed areas of progress
The update highlights several areas where British Cycling claims progress has been made, supported by its partnership with Lloyds, which it says will enable it to continue an investment of £180,000 into the domestic road and circuit series for 2025. These areas of progress include:
While the removal of registration fees is a positive step, The British Continental understands that the £180,000 investment is a continuation of existing funding for the National Series but does not represent any additional investment beyond what British Cycling provided in 2024. We have asked the governing body for a breakdown of how this £180,000 was spent in 2024.
The introduction of a National Circuit Series leader’s jersey is a welcome step and is something The British Continental advocated for in August 2023 as part of a broader set of suggestions to improve the National Circuit Series. This aligns with the task force’s aim to enhance the visibility of the sport and foster greater audience engagement.
The addition of two new events in the southwest are presented as progress aligned with the task force’s recommendations, but closer scrutiny suggests this may not be the case. According to our sources, the races were reportedly driven by local organisers, with British Cycling’s role limited to approving the application.
This raises questions about how much credit British Cycling can take for these developments. It highlights the ongoing reliance on local organisers and volunteers to sustain the domestic racing calendar—a point that underscores the need for more substantial, systemic support.
Does the update deliver immediate progress and revitalisation?
When the task force was announced in August 2023, it was described as a means to support the revival of deliver of the elite domestic road racing scene, with British Cycling’s CEO Jon Dutton OBE promising “immediate progress”. However, the latest update raises doubts about whether these ambitions are being met.
Rather than a sense of revitalisation, the update conveys a picture of incremental and limited progress, falling short of the “immediate progress” promised in 2023. This is further compounded by the continued loss of key races and teams, which undermines the task force’s goal to reinvigorate the domestic racing calendar.
Furthermore, while it is welcome that British Cycling has now published the full list of recommendations, something we called for in our September 2024 assessment, an initial review suggests that at least two recommendations are omitted in the update, and some have been reworded, leaving the update feeling incomplete and inconsistent. We have asked British Cycling to explain why these omissions or wording changes were made.
British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton emphasised the “challenging circumstances” facing the domestic road racing scene and called for collective action. While his acknowledgment of the difficulties is important, the lack of measurable outcomes and the limited progress reported risk further alienating stakeholders. The British Continental’s September 2024 assessment described progress as “stuck in neutral,” and this update does little to dispel that impression.
Conclusion
British Cycling’s “One Year On” update highlights some areas of progress but falls short of delivering the immediate revitalisation that the task force originally promised. With the majority of recommendations still unimplemented and many key races and teams disappearing from the calendar, the elite domestic road racing scene remains at a critical juncture. Without greater transparency decisive action, and clear commitments to new investment, British Cycling risks falling further behind on its stated ambition to reinvigorate domestic road racing.
This article provides our initial take on the update. A fuller assessment of British Cycling’s progress against the task force recommendations will follow in due course.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
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