This year has been a monumental year for British Cycling - from recreation to racing. Our riders’ prowess on the world stage has been nothing short of extraordinary and these performances remind us that everyone’s journey starts somewhere.
From pump tracks to skate parks, from velodromes to trail centres or the many miles of tarmac covered, it all begins with those first few pedal strokes.
We wanted to reflect on all the fantastic achievements during 2024 which have been made possible thanks to the whole cycling community.
GB success across the pathway
With 33 medals won at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, 27 rainbow jerseys and 87 medals brought home from world championships across disciplines, our riders delivered extraordinary success.
These performances have inspired thousands and have enabled us to connect and engage with new audiences. An astounding 82% of all Olympic and Paralympic medals in the past two decades have come from pathway-linked riders, with the pathway celebrating its 20th year during 2024.
Inspired? Find out more about our pathway
World-class event delivery
The triumphant delivery of the Lloyds Tour of Britain races saw 10 stages of world-class cycling, unscripted drama and some incredible home-grown talent on display. The 2024 edition laid the foundations for full parity between the men and women’s races, whilst showcasing the stunning diversity of Britain’s landscapes and culture.
We also delivered a creative development programme to support the dreams of people who have learning disabilities, and those in mental health recovery.
Working together, for good
We’ve continued to do things differently this year. Whether that’s our cutting-edge technology to develop the Paris track bike, innovative new membership products, or launching a major events vision that will bring significant social impact to the communities we touch.
The launch of a game-changing new partnership with our lead partner Lloyds, as well as global sports and events company IMG, plus an eclectic mix of other brands has supercharged our ambition and is helping to bring the joy of cycling to more people, every day.
Places to Ride sees over 150 facilities supported
This year we celebrated the impact of our Places to Ride programme, the biggest government investment into community cycling facilities the country has ever seen.
The £15 million funding has helped support over 150 places where people can safely enjoy cycling, whilst addressing inequalities in participation and creating new opportunities for under-represented groups.
Riding towards net zero
We published our first long-term environmental sustainability strategy, which includes ambitious targets to achieve net zero by 2035 and to halve our carbon emissions by 2030.
As part of this, our new initiative, Accelerate - The Sustainable Events Fund, was launched to reduce the environmental footprint of cycling events across the country and engage our communities on collective action.
No limits for Limitless
British Cycling’s flagship disability programme, made possible by our partner Shell UK, has seen over 3,500 disabled people get involved in cycling since the launch in February 2023. There are currently 65 Limitless Champion Clubs and 17 Limitless Focus Clubs operating across the country.
Milestones hit as participation figures grow across programmes
Val French became the first Breeze champion to lead 1,000 rides through the programme. Breeze is British Cycling’s groundbreaking programme to get more women riding bikes for fun, friendship and fitness.
Breeze and Guided Rides participants have travelled a staggering distance of 810,752 miles since January 2024.
Could you contribute to this by joining your local group for Let's Ride Through Winter?
Find out more about Breeze and Guided rides
Awarding the icons of our sport
Our annual British Cycling Awards celebrated the incredible achievements of our riders, volunteers and clubs across the sport. Our domestic champions received awards for their successes across the disciplines, before recognising the amazing people who make our sport happen during the evening.
We saw 13 inductees into the British Cycling Hall of Fame including Dame Laura Kenny, Sir Jason Kenny, Carole Leigh and Mike Jardine among many other icons of cycling.
Recognition for our volunteers
Our remarkable volunteers have been recognised including 83-year-old Alan Griffiths who was the recipient of the Connecting the Community Award and the prestigious overall Volunteer of the Year Award at the British Cycling Awards.
Steve Newton was also recognised as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero Award in the North East and Cumbria.
