British Cycling president Brian Cookson believes Chris Froome’s commanding Tour de France win caps the greatest 12 months in the governing body’s history.
Froome’s victory ensured a Brit won cycling’s greatest prize for the second consecutive year, with a record-breaking Olympics and Paralympics, Mark Cavendish’s maglia rossa at the Giro d’Italia and a rapid growth of Britons taking up cycling sandwiched in between.
British Cycling has seen an unprecedented in growth in membership and also won a Sports Industry Award for Governing Body of the Year in the past 12 months, and Cookson paid tribute to the inspiring performances from Britain’s elite cyclists.
“Chris Froome’s victory in the biggest bike race in the world rounds off what has been a truly glorious year in the history of cycling in this country,” Cookson said.
“Sir Bradley Wiggins started the ball rolling last year, followed by a wonderful London 2012. Their achievements have been matched by a growth in our membership of over 50 per cent in the last 12 months.
“Mark Cavendish, Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh and Ian Stannard have also excelled [at the Tour] and they are all products of British Cycling talent programmes.”
And Cookson believes the success of these cyclists is responsible for the huge increase in popularity of cycling in Britain.
He added: “Success on the world stage has, without doubt, inspired more people to get into recreational riding.
“Almost 30,000 people have joined British Cycling since Bradley won the Tour last year, 100 new cycling clubs have been formed and there are more people entering events and doing personal challenge rides than ever before.
“Chris’s victory is keeping our sport very much in the national spotlight and long may that continue.”
