Women Target On Course, Says British Cycling
British Cycling has claimed it is on track to achieve its target of getting one million more women cycling by 2020, with over 100,000 women participating in programmes this year.
The Women’s Cycling Strategy was launched in March by the sport’s national governing body – who claimed the Sport Governing Body of the Year, sponsored by The Daily Telegraph, at the BT Sport Industry Awards 2013 – to build on interest in the aftermath of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Chief executive Ian Drake told BBC Sport: ‘There is also a real appetite for women to get into racing or to try personal challenge rides.’
‘In the six months since we launched our strategy we’ve made some great progress and our plan to get one million more women cycling over the next seven years is firmly on track.’
‘So far this year, 24,000 women have taken part in British Cycling sportives and our female member base has increased by 19% since we launched our strategy.’
In its six-month update, British Cycling said 37,000 women have taken part in traffic-free cycle rides in 2013, adding that over a third of the total attendees were women.
Earlier this month, the Women’s Tour of Britain was given equal status as the men’s race by world cycling’s governing body, the UCI, for its launch in 2014 – making it one of the highest-rated women’s races in the world and therefore able to attract top riders.
Secretary of state for culture, media and sport Maria Miller added: ‘With great role models such as Laura Trott and Becky James, an increase in women’s races, a Women’s Tour announced and more female coaches coming through, the sport is in a great position to keep up this momentum.’
