Ten years after the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Yorkshire, road racing in Britain is in crisis. We examine two strands of that state of affairs...
We start by interviewing British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton, who has announced a rescue plan for the men's and women's national tours. Dutton explains how the newly formed British Cycling Events will set about saving these two emblematic races, but admits that they may not be as substantial as they previously were, in the short term at least. He also provides an update on the Tour de France's mooted UK start in 2026...
Next we turn to Brexit... While the British government insists that leaving the European Union is going swimmingly, there's plenty of evidence of the negative effect Britain's decision has had on many facets of life. Cited as one of the reasons for the collapse in the UK's elite road scene, we examine the specifics of Brexit's impact, speaking to the former Tour of Britain organisers, the Dave Rayner Fund that helps aspiring Brits find club teams in Europe, and to Bingoal-WB new pro Tom Portsmouth, who's spent three years dealing with its complexities.
Our final story takes us, once again, into elite racing's political netherworld, and specifically the SafeR (SafeRoadcycling) initiative that was established last year by the sport's key stakeholders to making racing safer. Everyone agrees it's needed, but no one can agree on who should run it. Almost inevitably, Visma Lease a Bike are at the centre of this storm.
From there, we move swiftly into the latest knockings from the One Cycling saga, and explain why it may happen soon... or maybe in the long term... or even not at all...