S1 Ep7: Brother UK Cycling Podcast - Debating the issues

Brother UK Cycling Podcast

In this episode, co-hosts Timothy John and Phil Jones, the Managing Director of Brother UK, are joined by regular contributor Larry Hickmott, the founder and editor of VeloUK.net, to talk through several of the issues raised in our in-depth investigation of elite British domestic road racing, The Way Ahead.

Tim, Phil and Larry listen to clips taken from parts one and two of episode six and offer their perspectives on plans to restructure elite domestic road racing in three tiers, British Cycling’s new Elite Development Team status and the feasibility of introducing a minimum wage to elite domestic road racing.

Phil offers a forensic analysis of the commercial landscape in which the sport must fight for survival and shares valuable insights into Brother UK’s sponsorship goals, ranging from the power of association with the sporting values embodied by our teams to the advantages and limitations of television coverage in a new media age.

Larry brings insights from his work at VeloUK, including a recent interview with Giles Pidcock, father of new British superstar Tom Pidcock, and shares the wealth of knowledge gained from 21 years spent covering the domestic scene, including the last period in which it functioned with a dedicated category for domestic pros.

Tim, formerly the editor of RoadCyclingUK and Rouleur.cc, asks why the domestic scene, with its proven fund of riding talent and compelling races like the Lincoln GP, CiCLE Classic and Beaumont Trophy, isn’t more respected, and asks if more could be done by British Cycling to advocate for its National Road Series with professional cycling’s power brokers.

Enjoy insights too from pre-recorded interviews with Erick Rowsell, British Cycling’s Elite Road Racing Manager, and Sophie Wright, a Brother Cycling graduate to the WorldTour, now racing as a paid professional with Alé-BTC Ljubljana.