Description
In the 1990s, British cycling teams were on a par with the nation’s bobsled effort. Cycling was a continental sport, and the UK organisation was a shambolic affair run by a handful of eccentrics. However, by 2008, Team GB – boosted by massive lottery funding and a driven by a hungry new generation of leaders – began to dominate the sport, winning eight out of ten gold medals on the track at the Beijing Olympics. Soon, Team Sky, a British road racing squad with roots in that Olympic programme, would dominate the Tour de France. But now – in 2020 – disaster looms. Allegations of sexism, bullying and complicity with drug taking threatens British Cycling, the governing body. Was the success down to like-minded visionaries who got lucky with funding? Kenny Pryde investigates the chequered recent history of professional cycling in the UK.
