Our route back to normal riding
Anticipation grows as British Cycling releases outline for a return to normality in 2021
Group riding and racing in England is set to return later this month under plans unveiled by cycling’s governing bodies last week. While there are still a number of details to confirm with Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, including travel restrictions, indoor activity, spectating and facility use, British Cycling has shared some important dates as the restrictions are eased (see box).
British Cycling’s delivery director Dani Every said: “While we know that certain challenges remain, particularly in securing local permissions for road racing… we are working hard alongside our discipline commissions and other key stakeholder groups to find solutions.
“We remain confident that we can reintroduce these events over the coming months, and hope to deliver test events at steps two and three of the roadmap, planning for which is currently well under way.”
England, Scotland, Wales
Time trials in England are also set to return from 29 March, Cycling Time Trials said. However, Scotland and Wales still have restrictions on organised outdoor activities, so time trials will not yet be returning in the devolved nations.
Scottish Cycling last week said racing and events were not set to return until at least 26 April. Welsh Cycling had yet to issue a detailed roadmap for a return to normality but activities for children are due to resume from 27 March.
Cautious welcome
All the dates are of course subject to the government allowing Covid restrictions to ease based on its current roadmap for a return to normality.
Clubs have reacted with excitement to the prospect of a return to club rides and racing, with many reporting a real hunger from riders to get back to competition and group riding.
Although group rides of up to 15 are set to be allowed from the end of the month in England (formally organised rides of up to 15 are permitted in Scotland
“We hope to deliver test events at steps two and three of the roadmap”
currently, though Scottish Cycling advises sticking to groups of nine or fewer), clubs Cycling Weekly spoke to expressed some reluctance to return to groups of that size.
Rachel Elliott, communications director of Newbury Velo, said: “We’re already looking at getting some groups started. We’re not going to go for the full 15, we’re going to keep to smaller groups.
“We actually found during lockdown, when we were allowed to go out to groups of six, it actually worked really, really well. We’ll probably go to a maximum of about 10.”
She said concerns over cycling’s image in the eyes of the public were also part of why the club didn’t want to return to riding in larger groups.
BC East Midlands secretary and race organiser at Lincoln Wheelers Mark Waller said that although his club was planning rides to get people used to group riding again, he shared Elliott’s concerns. “To go out, in a group, wearing your club jersey, you can get other road users pointing and saying, ‘Look at them breaking regulations,’” he said.
These sentiments were echoed by Phil Maddock, coach at Loughborough Cycling Academy: “It’s not that I’m worried that it’s dangerous... it’s fear of public perception towards cycling as a whole,” he said.
However, these concerns notwithstanding, Maddock added: “I’m sure we’ll take advantage of the 15.”