British Cycling President, Brian Cookson has spelt out the organisation’s aims for a professional British Cycling road team. The first is no surprise, a British team to contest the 2010 Tour de France, there has even been talk of getting in for 2009. Getting to the Tour is one thing, winning it is quite another which is why Cookson, speaking to the Reuters News Agency, reckons it will take the team 10 years to achieve that. The stunning performance of the country’s cyclists at the Beijing Olympics, where eight gold medals were won, has sparked a wave of interest and moves are under way to form a professional road cycling team capable of challenging in the major tours. "There is a very strong possibility that there will be a British team in the 2010 Tour de France," Cookson, who has helped to turn around a struggling sport in his 11 years as president, told Reuters on Thursday. "It’s not a done deal yet but we want a fully professional team for the 2010 season competing in the highest level tours. That that would obviously include the Tour de France. "We are ranked the number one nation in cycling because of all the Olympic success but we will never be truly number one until we have cracked road racing as well. We have never reached the heights of a Tour de France contender. "There is a real will to get this off the ground. I said a while back that we would have a Tour winner within 25 years, now I say 10 and we’ll have a major contender in five." Cookson said British Cycling’s highly-respected performance director Dave Brailsford had made the formation of a professional road team a priority in the next two years. He said potential partners for the British team, which would feature mainly home-grown riders, had been identified although the current economic climate made funding the five-million-pound per year project more difficult. "We are not just talking about the Tour de France, it’s about all the other major Tours and road classics," Cookson said. "We are looking at what we would need to do and to put in place to make it work. "Although we are in troubled times and it may not be as easy as it would have been a year ago…on the back of the Olympic success I think we have a very good chance of pulling this off." Britain’s current top Tour rider, Mark Cavendish, winner of four stages on this year’s Tour de France (as well as four at the Giro), would ideally be in any British team, said Cookson. However, he admits that securing his services would not be easy. "It’s complex because people like Mark are already performing at the very highest level and are under contract with existing teams," Cookson said. "Until we have a team we don’t know what we can offer him. "But the main things is we want a structure where talented road cyclists can compete in the highest level tours and the most difficult road races. "We want to offer our riders a chance to go all the way through, not take them part of the way and then have to farm them off to pro teams on the continent or America."
British Cycling aims to win Tour de France in 10 years
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@Rendel Harris you've painted a rather alluring picture of social harmony there, but unfortunately you've got my name wrong. I'm Jack, not Nigel. However, to return the compliment, I must think of a story for you. I imagine you sat outside a pub, real ale and pipe propped on the adjacent table, in a similar fashion to Nigel Farage at his populist best. You turn to your wife. "You know what dear? I think I've been a bit harsh in my time. I've shunned the politeness and wisdom of others for too long and want to change my ways.* "There there Rendel", says Mrs Harris. "You're not a bad old stick, it's just living in London that's emptied your soul of kindness and compassion. I've found a lovely new place where we can settle down in our later years. It's on a leafy cul de sac, surrounded by friendly neighbours and smiling faces. There's a guy a couple of doors down, a remarkable man. As well as his towering intellect and rapier wit, he's also a keen cyclist, holding severa local KOMs. Don't be perturbed dear - he'll ride with anyone provided they show other road users the kindness and courtesy they deserve." Rendel turned emotionally, voice shaking. "Oh my dear, thank you for this second chance", and with that the rest of the pub goers turned and applauded the couple, throwing garlands of petals in their wake. The end.
As a Councillor, Edward needs to be paying some attention to all that parking obstructing visibility and manoeuvres at the junction, and sorting out those radii.
Ed Hill was chucked out by Reform in 2025, though TBF to him it was about how to run it rather than ideology I think. He is now reportedly closer to Advance UK, which is distinctly more extreme than Reform. I'd call this Alan Amos style attention seeking.
Emily, thank you for such an insightful piece. I’m a man, but I enjoy watching the women’s races, possibly more than the men’s. The racing is so much closer, we rarely know who’s going to win. You painted a wonderful picture of how a true champion is able to ‘rise above’ setbacks and distractions, and focus their energy on the task in hand. ‘All’s fair in live and war -and sport, but always good to hear riders expressing their admiration for their competitors
@Nigel Garage ...and then everyone applauded my courtesy and I waved courteously to all the people who were courteously throwing flowers and cheering and courteously waving flags that said "Nigel is the best!"
The picture from street view clearly shows give way lines from the roads to the green painted cycle/pedestrian lane. The road user should give way (or must...) to the user of the green lane. This would of course apply to any cyclist on the roadway.
If I recall there is a cave or two along the route - perhaps they were sheltering from the heat in one of those having taken it for a Golf bunker?
“So if there’s a cyclist travelling down the cycle path at the moment, from this position I can’t see them because my blind spots are too big on the left hand side of the vehicle”, claims Hill. Well, there's your problem, right there...🙄
First impression from the headline that he's likely a twit. Then the detail he was expelled from Reform makes you suspect that failing even their low bar requirements he really is. Then he clearly explains his vehicle is unsafe for the highway because he can't see to give way when turning. Any collision he now has should have that video run out explaining he drove a vehicle he knew to be unsafe. Advice for motorists; instead of thinking that pedestrians and cyclists are low risk 100kg objects, imagine them as a 300 Tonne trains that will crush you and your vehicle if you cross into their paths. You'd give way to the train, so you equally can to the others.
I've had a brief look on Facebook, and Ed Hill (who now appears to be affiliated with Advance UK) seems to have taken some useful road safety improvements under his remit, including an initiative to help local pedestrians on unpaved roads, where the wider council won't help due to planning failures. Regarding the cycle path, I think this is linked to a wider misunderstanding about giving way at junctions and I'm afraid I cannot agree with Mr Hill's conclusion. Regardless of the suitability of the cycle path, vehicles should give way at the junction to both pedestrians crossing and cyclists. It seems to be a poorly understood rule among motorists where some believe they have priority at junctions like this, where they certainly do not. I once had a similar issue myself, while leisurely walking to Waitrose to buy some lunchtime fripperies. A driver beeped their horn as I crossed the junction, despite me having priority, and was shocked and apologetic when I explained I had priority. A polite conversation later, the driver departed, educated and updated on the rules of the road.
1 thought on “British Cycling aims to win Tour de France in 10 years”
Tour win in 10
Sounds great, and if Brailsford and co say they are going to do it you wouldn’t bet against it, but isn’t aiming for the Tour going to take some of the focus away from winning a sackful of track golds at 2012 – which is how British cycling earn their money these days?