Following the passing of Her Majesty The Queen yesterday afternoon, the Royal Household has today published guidance for the period of National Mourning, which will continue until the end of the day of the State Funeral.
You can read the full guidance from the Royal Household here. A shortened summary for event organisers, volunteers and other stakeholders in the sport can be found below.
Events and activities during the period of National Mourning
The Royal Household has advised that there is no obligation to cancel or postpone events during the period of National Mourning, and this extends to all planned cycle-sport events, club and community activity. Therefore the decision to proceed with events or activities is at the discretion of individual organisers, volunteers, local authorities and landowners.
As a mark of respect, and in keeping with the tone of National Mourning, organisers may wish to hold a period of silence and/or play the National Anthem at the start of events, and those present may wish to wear black armbands.
We would strongly advise all event organisers and volunteers to check with facility operators, local authorities and landowners - where relevant - on any changes to their own operations during the period of National Mourning.
Riders competing internationally during the period of National Mourning may also wish to wear black armbands. This will be the case for all riders representing the Great Britain Cycling Team during this time.
Events and activities on the day of the State Funeral
British Cycling sincerely apologises for the guidance issued on Tuesday afternoon relating to cycling during the State Funeral. We understand that the decision on whether to cycle during that time is one for individuals and clubs to take for themselves, and we’re sorry that we got it wrong on this occasion. You can find our revised guidance below.
At British Cycling we fought incredibly hard during the pandemic to protect the right to cycle, and we recognise the frustration and disappointment that Tuesday’s statement caused. We greatly value the support of our members and the wider cycling community and would like to thank and apologise to all who reached out to share their concerns with us on this occasion.
Updated guidance:
As a mark of respect to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, British Cycling’s guidance is that no domestic events should take place on the day of the State Funeral, Monday 19 September.
In line with guidance from the Royal Household, any clubs planning rides on the day of the State Funeral may want to consider adjusting their route or ride timings so they do not clash with those of the funeral service and associated processions. However, they are under no obligation to do so.
As the day of the State Funeral has been designated as a national bank holiday, in line with many other employers British Cycling will close for the day.
Beaumont Trophy and Curlew Cup
Due to the re-allocation of police resources this weekend in preparation for the State Funeral, the Curlew Cup and Beaumont Trophy – which were scheduled to take place on Sunday – have been postponed.
The two races, which are the final rounds of the men’s and women’s National Road Series respectively, will now take place on Sunday 9 October.
Contact us
If you require further support in this period, we would encourage you to contact your Cycle Sport Developer. Alternatively our central Events team can be contacted at events@britishcycling.org.uk, and our Clubs team can be contacted at clubs@britishcycling.org.uk.
