Based on the Government’s latest advice and guidance on the developing situation around Coronavirus/COVID19, British Cycling has suspended all of its sanctioned, cycling activities, initially until April 30.
This includes (but is not limited to):
- Competitive events at all levels
- Non-competitive, registered events (eg sportives, reliability trials)
- Recreational rides (throughout our suite of programmes including HSBC UK Breeze, HSBC UK Guided Rides, HSBC UK Ride Social, Let’s Ride Pop-up)
- All educational courses or activities (eg coaching courses, Ride Leader courses, commissaire courses)
The decision has been taken based on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s caution against unnecessary travel and contact with others, to take the necessary steps to protect the health and wellbeing of riders, officials, volunteers and spectators, and alleviate the risk of an additional burden on the emergency services at what is a hugely testing time.
We would strongly encourage all levels of the cycling community to join with British Cycling and the rest of the country in doing all we can to halt the spread of the virus in the midst of what is an unprecedented situation, however we recognise that this news will be disappointing, and potentially worrying, for some.
British Cycling chief executive Julie Harrington said: “This was not a decision taken lightly and it is one we have taken in close cooperation with our colleagues at Scottish Cycling and Welsh Cycling.
“We fully understand and appreciate the financial, social and community impact that this suspension could have, and we are working now to ensure that cycling is in the best possible health once the suspension can be lifted.
“As I’m sure everyone can appreciate, these are truly unprecedented circumstances, and while we will be doing all we can to retain a sense of normality and continuity, it may take some time to return to full capacity as an organisation and as a sport once this situation has been resolved.
“We will continue to update our members with more information, and will be doing everything within our power to support those who have contributed to the rich cycling culture that this country boasts.”
For the latest position from Scottish Cycling, please click here. For the latest position from Welsh Cycling, please click here.
What does this mean for…
Event organisers:
- Those organisers whose events were due to take place before April 30 will have their events manually cancelled by British Cycling via the Event Management System. Further information will be made available in due course
- British Cycling will work alongside these event organisers on the refund process for entered riders
- British Cycling will work alongside organisers to identify a way to progress the race calendar once Government advice permits racing to recommence
- Those organisers whose events are due to take place after April 30 are advised that British Cycling will issue further advice as and when Government guidance progresses. We appreciate that organisers will be making their own contingency plans, and may need to cancel events post-April 30 to provide certainty
- Further information for event organisers can be found here in an FAQ section.
Clubs:
- Our recommendation to clubs is that no organised activity (including rides, training, coaching, events) should take place during this period, in line with government advice on social gatherings on non-essential travel
- We are directing British Cycling staff to suspend their organised activity with clubs and groups
- You can still go out on your bike – we just recommend that you follow the latest advice with regards to hygiene and social distancing. More information in the links at the bottom of this article
Ride Leaders/Breeze Champions
- Any British Cycling-sanctioned ride which was due to take place prior to April 30 cannot now go ahead, and will be cancelled by British Cycling
- We would urge Ride Leaders/Breeze Champions to ensure that any level of organised activity they choose to undertake away from British Cycling-sanctioned rides is in line with Government advice. Please see links below for further guidance. We will be in communication with the relevant authorities to seek additional advice on your behalf
Participants:
- Any participant who had paid to enter an event before April 30 will be issued with a refund in due course. We are working alongside event organisers to ensure that this process is as efficient as possible
- Our guidance to professional riders and those on the World Class Programme is that they can continue to train, including group activity
Education courses:
- Any course scheduled by British Cycling to take place prior to April 30 will not now go ahead. British Cycling will arrange refunds where applicable in due course and will look to reschedule once Government advice permits activity to recommence
- Mountain Bike Leadership (MTBL) courses are delivered by independent providers and we encourage any learners booked on an MTBL course with a specific provider to contact them directly to understand if their course is going ahead as scheduled. As per the statement above, British Cycling recommends the suspension of any activity taking place in the period up to April 30 that involves non essential travel or social contact in line with government advice
UCI BMX Supercross World Cup ticket buyers:
- Those who had purchased tickets for the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup event in Manchester over the weekend of April 18 and 19 will be issued with a full refund in due course. We are working alongside Ticketmaster to ensure that this process is as efficient as possible
If you need to contact British Cycling you should only telephone if you do not have access to email, lines are likely to busy and you may experience a longer wait time than usual. More information click here.
Keeping active remains important and so long as you follow the relevant guidance with regards to social distancing and hygiene, you can still go out on your bike. We will continue to follow and assess Government advice, and you can do the same via the following links:
