News: BC announces next step for cycling in England

British Cycling has announced the next step in its plan to resume all sanctioned cycling activities in England, with coaching and group activity beginning to return from today.

News: BC announces next step for cycling in England

LINK: BC’s Strategy Here

LINK: Planning a safe return to sanctioned cycling activity and facility use

British Cycling has today announced the next step in its plan to resume all sanctioned cycling activities in England, with coaching and group activity beginning to return from today. The national governing body has also announced that planning is underway to resume certain competitive events – such as time trials and downhill mountain biking – at the next stage of the process.

The current suspension of sanctioned club and coaching activity was due to lift on 4 July, however with the support of new guidance published today on safe delivery, certain activities are now permitted to return with immediate effect. Club activities and coaching sessions can resume today, providing they are delivered in line with Government guidance on group sizes and social distancing.

The suspension of recreation programmes – such as Breeze and Guided Rides – will remain in place until 4 July. While it is still not yet possible to reintroduce racing, the organisation, with its seven Discipline Commissions, is currently working on plans to reintroduce certain racing formats at the next stage of the process. Today’s announcement moves BC to Stage 3 of a six-stage plan, with Stage 6 being a return of all sanctioned activity.

The suspension on regional racing and non-competitive events (such as sportives) is currently due to run until 1 August 2020, and then to 1 September 2020 for international and national level races. These suspensions are being reviewed on a fortnightly basis.

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BC will give four weeks’ notice of any extension or curtailment of the suspension of regional-level racing and non-competitive events. BC says it will give six weeks’ notice of any extension or curtailment of the suspension of international and national level races. British Cycling is also updating its guidance to support operators of cycling facilities today.

The Great Britain Cycling Team will be resuming group activity but following different protocols to clubs as they follow the Government’s Return to Elite Training Stage 2 guidance, which allows training to resume in ‘clusters’ or small groups. They have permission within this guidance to train closer to each other than the general social distancing rules permit.

As part of this process, a return to group road riding will begin for the Great Britain Cycling Team squads from this week. Riders will be completing any group training within their cluster to ensure that should a COVID-19 case be discovered, the minimum number of riders and staff will be required to isolate for a 14 day period, and the track and trace process to identify contacts within training sessions and group rides can be completed.

British Cycling remains in close contact with colleagues at Scottish Cycling and Welsh Cycling regarding the current differences in guidance on sport, social distancing and gatherings across England, Scotland and Wales – and how this will impact upon the return to activities.