How you helped transform British Cycling into the force it is today
On Sunday 26th July Chris Froome rode down the Champs Elysee and into the record books as he became the first British cyclist to win the Tour De France twice.
His victory also further cemented Great Britain’s position as the dominant force in world cycling, with this now the third year out of four a British rider has claimed the greatest prize in cycling. This success on the road comes on top of startling performances on the track, where the British Cycling team has delivered unprecedented success in the velodrome at Beijing 2008 and then again at London 2012.
The success Chris Froome has enjoyed on the roads of France this year, that iconic inaugural Tour De France victory delivered by Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and the glut of gold, silver and bronze medals GB delivered at London 2012 all have one thing in common. They are all built on a British Cycling programme that was transformed by the introduction of National Lottery funding in 1997. It is funding that means our cyclists benefit from world class support, but it was once very different.
When Sir Chris Hoy made his international debut at the European Under-23 Championships in 1996, the future track legend had to sign his team tracksuit out and then return it afterwards. The governing body was so short of funding it could not afford to send officials to the Moscow event, so Hoy and his two team-mates went on their own, with their own bikes and one set of race wheels each. At the time Chris Hoy was even working part-time at a Texaco selling a variety of things including the very thing that would have such a transformative impact on his career – National Lottery tickets.
Fast forward 18 years and Chris Hoy holds six Olympic Gold Medals and a knighthood while the sport is the envy of the cycling world with the medals, trophies and world records that speak for themselves. It is National Lottery players who have ensured the team benefit from world class training facilities at the Manchester Velodrome, the world’s finest coaches, state of the art medical support, access to cutting edge technology and the ability for young riders to concentrate solely on their training. And, while Team Sky benefit from independent commercial funding, British Cycling has the support it needs to ensure we continue to produce world-class riders who can deliver on the track and on the road.
The National Lottery has been changing the lives of winners and supporting good causes across the UK since 1994. In that time, there have been more than 7,000 new millionaires created and by playing The National Lottery you raise over £4 million for Good Causes every dayΔ.
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