British Cycling continues to ride the coat tails of their success at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They maintain that their team’s incredible medal count has contributed to an unprecedented growth in the sport at the grass roots level.
Membership has grown to 25,000 members, with 13,000 holding racing licenses. These are the highest membership numbers since the organization’s formation in 1959. To put in into perspective, the organization said at the beginning of British Cycling’s current funding cycle in 2005, British Cycling had 15,000 members and 8,500 cyclists with racing licenses.
British Cycling chief executive designate Ian Drake said: “This is a unique moment in time for cycling, from our success in Beijing in the summer through to the immense number of people getting involved in the sport. When you take cycling as a sport, recreational activity and form of transport it would easily make cycling the number one and fastest growing activity in England.”
The growth in press coverage on cycling events in Great Britain this year coupled with an energized British Cycling organization will play vital roles in continued enthusiasm for the sport.