With disc brakes now widely adopted on road bikes, British Cycling’s Jonny Clay admitted the shift in the industry was the main factor behind the decision.

“We believe we have made the decision with the best interests of domestic cycle sport in this country at heart,” he said.

“We know that buying a bike is a significant financial investment for people to make and with the cycling industry producing more and more bikes with disc brakes we felt it was only right that we amended our regulations to ensure that people can take part in any form of cycling, whether recreational or competitive, with one bike.

“We hope that this decision will encourage more and more people to get involved in competitive cycling.”

The decision has already been backed by key figures in the domestic sport in Britain, with JLT-Condor team manager John Herety welcoming the news.

He said: “British Cycling’s decision to allow the use of disc brakes in domestic road and closed circuit races in 2018 will help to remove a barrier that is currently preventing some people from getting into competitive racing and this decision will hopefully have a really positive impact on the future growth and sustainability of the sport.”