S4 Ep51: Brother UK Cycling Podcast - Task Force Reflections

Co-hosts Timothy John and Phil Jones, the Managing Director of Brother UK, are joined by special guest Ed Clancy OBE, a triple Olympic champion, to discuss the recommendations of the Elite Road Racing Task Force and British Cycling’s new vision for major cycling events, including the tours of Britain for men and women.

No one is more qualified than Ed and Phil to discuss the Task Force’s sixteen recommendations and 40 supporting action points. Ed chaired the panel, and both sacrificed their time over a period of several months to contribute their expertise to a project intended to re-energise elite British road racing.

From succession planning for race organisers to commercial concerns, Ed and Phil lift the lid on months of meetings with their colleagues on an eight-strong panel of handpicked experts. Specifically, they discuss the five-step problem-solving mechanism proposed by Phil and adopted by Ed as the panel’s principal mode of operation.

After more than an hour’s detailed discussion, co-host Timothy John directs the focus of the episode to British Cycling’s ambition to host major cycling events in Britain, including the Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour of Britain, following the collapse of race organiser the SweetSpot Group.

The trio discuss the commercial challenges and opportunities the federation might encounter as it attempts to host races that Phil estimates will each require sponsorship of £1m. With the British economy in recession, British Cycling has its work cut out, but Ed reports that commercial endeavours have begun in earnest.

Enjoy this fifty-first episode of the Brother UK Cycling Podcast: a special edition that showcases our influence in the domestic sport. With the Elite Road Racing Task Force and the future of Britain’s national tours dominating headlines in the closed season, enjoy insights from experts aable to offer privileged insights.