Governing body

British Cycling loses 11,000 members, but governing body insists 2024/5 still a “positive year” with first financial surplus in five years

The financial surplus is largely a result of £2.8m in sponsorship and rights fees, with Lloyds Bank stepping in as the new lead partner, alongside £1.1m in partnership income, much of it generated by the Tour of Britain

“Let the man race!” Pro cyclist and his mad aero bike disqualified from Tour of Holland over “upside down” seatpost – but team say “he’s been racing with it for years”

Parkhotel Valkenburg have appealed the UCI’s decision to disqualify Jan-Willem van Schip, arguing that the seatpost is registered with the governing body and was approved by the race jury

Pro cyclist kicked off race in China after backlash over pig emojis in Strava post

Burgos Burpellet BH said the inclusion of a Chinese flag and pig emoji on Mario Aparicio's Strava post was a reference to his stage-winning teammate but Chinese social media users branded the emojis as "derogatory".

SRAM wins legal challenge to suspend “harmful” gear restriction trial – but UCI hits back by claiming “riders’ safety does not appear to be a shared objective”

The governing body says it will appeal the decision by the Belgian Competition Authority to suspend the planned trial at nest week’s Tour of Guangxi, prompting EF boss Jonathan Vaughters to accuse the UCI of failing to prioritise genuine safety concerns

UCI “puzzled” by SRAM’s restricted gearing legal fight

After SRAM filed legal action against the governing body, the UCI criticises "obvious inaccuracies" in the case.

SRAM launches legal action against UCI over “fundamentally unfair” gear restriction trial, accusing governing body of inflicting “reputational harm” and “stifling innovation” – without “any safety justification”

The component manufacturer, the only brand set to be affected by the trial, claims the protocol “penalises and discourages innovation, and puts our riders and teams at a competitive disadvantage”

Former UCI president Brian Cookson calls for ban on nation states in cycling team names – as Tour de France Barcelona start in doubt over Israel-Premier Tech protests

Cookson believes such a rule change, which would also affect UAE Team Emirates and Bahrain-Victorious, would represent a “quick, partial, and undoubtedly imperfect way of moving things forward”

British Cycling sorry for “accidentally censoring” Three Cocks village from bike race, and blames balls-up on “overly sensitive” website filters

New web system touted so British Cycling's "technology doesn't override common sense in future", but Daily Mail rants about "woke cycling chiefs"

“Cycling is close to its Ayrton Senna moment”: Dan Bigham says “we will have blood on our hands if Pogačar or Van der Poel have a life-changing injury”, branding UCI gear restriction trial a distraction

The Red Bull-Bora head of engineering claims restricting gears will have no impact on race speeds, while calling for race-relevant helmet standards and real safety changes

UCI claims riders’ own mistakes are “most common cause” of crashes and outlines plan to trial gear ratio limit, but remains silent on controversial 40cm handlebar proposal

Visma-Lease a Bike boss was one of the few who criticised the UCI’s latest press release, which claimed rider mistakes, attributing to 29% of the reasons for crashes, as the “main contributing factor”

UCI issues “further clarification” on new tech rules including controversial 40cm handlebar width… by printing the same changes again, with some diagrams

The governing body says the changes were made following “extensive consultation” with riders, teams, and organisers, and claims the unpopular 40cm bar rule will allow “all athletes” to compete on “high-performance and safe” equipment

“Cycling faces a crucial turning point”: Thousands sign petition urging UCI to rethink unpopular new 40cm bar rule

Critics argue limiting all riders to 40cm bars "does not account for variety in body types" and may "inadvertently place riders at risk of injury"

Is this the end for TT-style helmets in road races? UCI announces new limits on handlebar width, rim height, and fork width, and promises helmet review in equipment safety overhaul

The governing body also says it has unanimously rejected the One Cycling project’s inclusion in the WorldTour, after confirming its race calendar for the next three seasons

20mph in all urban areas, a ban on pavement parking and cycling in the national curriculum: cycling and walking groups call for “most radical reforms to road safety since mandatory seat belts” ahead of Government’s Road Safety Strategy

A new report commissioned by The Bikeability Trust and Living Streets also says lack of awareness over Highway Code changes are leading to "conflict" on Britain's roads, but are confident the Government will act on some of their recommendations

British Cycling investigating death of rider at London circuit race

Cyclist dies following incident at Lee Valley VeloPark race last month

British Cycling unveils “bold” four-year strategy to get people riding bikes – but road safety expert blasts failure to “tackle danger for cyclists”

The governing body aims to reinforce Britain’s position as a “world-leading cycling nation” while also tackling health and social inequalities by ensuring “everyone has the opportunity to ride a bike”

British Cycling “killing off” sport and harming smaller events, says organiser of cancelled race after risk assessor demanded “huge, last-minute” £4,000 safety changes

Organisers say the costs and logistical challenges facing the Active Fakenham crits, which form part of a wider running and cycling festival and involve all-day road closures, have made it “impossible” to be held this year

UCI confirms imminent ban on carbon monoxide rebreathing “outside a medical facility”, citing health reasons

The ban on using commercially available CO rebreathing systems will begin from 10 February, with the UCI claiming repeated inhalation "can result in acute and chronic health problems". The ban is independent of world anti-doping regulations

“What happens when you take on Shell as a sponsor”: Cyclists blame “nauseating greenwashing” deal as British Cycling membership drops by 15,000 in under two years

The national governing body also posted its third consecutive loss amid “severe economic headwinds” – as its CEO emphasised the “urgent” need to modernise and increase commercial prospects, while insisting there’s no “overnight fix”

UK Sport warned British Cycling that Shell sponsorship deal could expose them to “legal and reputational risk”, reveals FOI request

The letter was sent to former British Cycling CEO Brian Facer just days before the Shell sponsorship was announced, with UK Sport’s board members expressing “considerable concern” about the deal

“A step in the right direction or a nice bit of greenwashing?” Shell-backed British Cycling aiming to halve carbon emissions in six years and achieve net zero by 2035 – as governing body says partnership with oil giant is key to “positive progress”

The national governing body’s first long-term sustainability strategy also aims to support organisers to deliver sustainable events and to encourage more people to swap their car for a bike for short journeys

“When British Cycling teamed up with Shell, many of us puked our bodies inside out”: Cyclists praise climate activists’ guerilla ad campaign as Shell slams “misleading” billboards

According to Shell, Brandalism’s striking “hacked” billboards “completely mischaracterise the nature of our partnership with British Cycling”, while British Cycling itself insists its partnership with the oil giant makes a “positive impact”

“I feel a real responsibility to get this right”: Former Ineos manager Rod Ellingworth named as new Tour of Britain race director

The 51-year-old, who left the British squad in November, will take on the new role as part of British Cycling’s commitment to deliver the men’s and women’s races in 2024

Emily Bridges accuses Rishi Sunak of “normalising violence against trans people”, as she prepares for British Cycling legal challenge

Bridges claims British Cycling’s decision to ban transgender women from female events “violated” her human rights, but conceded that “elite sport is over for me”

All cyclists must adhere to 20mph speed limits during time trials in Britain – as governing body cites safety concerns and risk of causing “public outrage”

New guidance issued by Cycling Time Trials also aims to prevent riders gaining an “unfair advantage”, and says that any course with a 20mph section should be avoided if a suitable alternative is available

Lance Armstrong’s old boss launches scathing attack on “selfie king” David Lappartient, as UCI president also criticised for using phone while cycling for Pogačar clip

Johan Bruyneel claimed Lappartient is only interested in being “seen alongside important and influential figures”, and is simply using cycling to further his political ambitions

Former pro cyclist banned for life by Cycling Canada for sexual misconduct and grooming a minor

Alex Amiri has been banned from participating in cycling activities “in any capacity”, including as an athlete, coach, or spectator, after breaching “various” sections of Cycling Canada’s code of conduct

UCI insurer pays six-figure settlement over British cyclist’s heatstroke death at Gran Fondo World Championships

Barry Covington collapsed while competing at the 2017 event in the south of France, the Gran Fondo taking place during a 39°C heatwave and participants later complaining about a shortage of water and poorly manned feed stops

New gambling-based pro keirin series classified as a “forbidden event” by UCI, as participating riders threatened with sanctions

The DerbyWheel tour, a globalised version of the Korean and Japanese keirin model that encourages viewers to bet on the races, is set to launch in early 2024

UCI set to clamp down on “extreme” turned-in brake levers

The governing body says the position adopted by an increasing number of riders in recent years “limits braking capacity”, with new regulations set to be introduced in 2025