British Cycling Membership Soars As Success Rolls On
British Cycling’s membership has increased by more than 30,000 since Bradley Wiggins crossed the line as winner of the Tour de France as part of last year’s golden summer for the sport in the UK.
British Cycling CEO Ian Drake, writing exclusively for sportindustry.biz as part of the #BTSIA Post-Match Interview series, praised an ‘army of volunteers at both regional and club level upon whom the sport relies heavily’ for its ongoing success, which saw it recognised in May as Sport Governing Body of the Year at the BT Sport Industry Awards.
Drake insists that success has continued. ‘Some suspected that 2013 could be a year in which sport took a step back after London 2012,’ he said. ‘However, I am proud to say that is not the case for cycling.’
‘In terms of elite performance, Chris Froome followed Bradley Wiggins’ lead by becoming the second consecutive British winner of the Tour de France, while Rachel Atherton, Becky James and Liam Philips have all become world champions across their respective disciplines of mountain bike, track and BMX.
‘These performances are inspiring the next generation and we are working to deliver more major international cycling events than ever before to leave a lasting legacy of increased participation across all forms of the sport.’
To win the Sport Governing Body of the Year Award, sponsored by the Daily Telegraph, governing bodies must deliver across a range of criteria including elite performance, ethics, community investment, leadership and commercial success. Entries are open now.
