British Cycling ‘extremely concerned’ by report alleging widespread harassment of women in the sport

The Cyclists’ Alliance, which represents the interests of women in professional cycling, told Rouleur that ‘a lot of riders’ have experienced some form of harassment or abuse

British Cycling says it is “extremely concerned” by a report detailing a “shocking culture” of sexual harassment within the sport.

A report published in the latest edition of Rouleur magazine reveals several allegations ranging from inappropriate behaviour to sexual assault, predominantly in the second tier of women’s cycling but also at World Tour level. One junior rider describes being sexually assaulted by her team soigneur during a post-race massage.

The Cyclists’ Alliance, which represents the interests of women in professional cycling, told Rouleur that “a lot of riders” have been put in an uncomfortable situation at some point during their career.

“The bad culture of the sport is that we pretend this is not part of it, or we have the opinion that you have to toughen up or not take it personally,” Iris Slappendel, who co-runs The Cyclists’ Alliance, said. “That’s pretty shocking to me. I think a lot of riders have had some kind of uncomfortable experience. I guess that, like with the Me Too thing, it’s maybe something every woman has experienced.”

World cycling’s governing body, the UCI, would not make specific comment on the allegations made in the report. It is currently investigating the Belgian manager of Health Mate Team, Patrick Van Gansen, over multiple complaints, all of which he denies.

British Cycling told The Independent: “This report is an extremely concerning one – to us and to anyone who loves our sport. As the national governing body for cycling in Great Britain, we know that we must lead by example to serve the sport and work hard to represent cyclists’ interests at all levels.

“All athletes deserve our best support and resources, which is why we have increased the size of the British Cycling compliance team and introduced more specialised staff. These newer roles include a Lead Safeguarding Officer. From carrying out an audit of our club network to ensure compliance with our policies and procedures – including a new safeguarding policy – to streamlining enhanced DBS checks to ensure we are able to assess bigger volumes more efficiently, these extra measures are designed to make cycling a safer place for vulnerable athletes.

“If anyone has been subject to this kind of behaviour, or is worried about another person’s behaviour, we would encourage them to get in touch with British Cycling’s safeguarding team, the contact details for which are on the British Cycling website under Contact Us.”