Reviving British road racing: an interview with Jon Dutton OBE, British Cycling's CEO

The British Continental

Welcome back to another episode of The British Continental podcast, where we delve deep into the world of domestic road racing, bringing you stories, insights, and conversations with the people shaping the sport.

In this episode, we have the honour of speaking with Jon Dutton OBE, the Chief Executive of British Cycling.

Jon has been at the helm of British Cycling since April 2023. With a wealth of experience in sports management and a deep passion for cycling, Jon is uniquely positioned to discuss the current state of British cycling, its future direction, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

We speak to him on the eve of the Tour of Britain Women, an event that British Cycling has stepped in to save and revive after the demise of the Women's Tour and its organiser, Sweespot.

In our conversation, Jon shares the behind-the-scenes efforts that have gone into organising the race, the strategic decisions made to ensure its success, and British Cycling’s ambitions for the Tour of Britain Men too.

We also revisit the Elite Road Racing Task Force, something we discussed with Task Force Chair Ed Clancy OBE in a previous episode. The Task Force was set up in August 2023 by British Cycling with the aim of energising the elite road racing scene. Its recommendations were published in January 2024, and I ask him when British Cycling will begin to implement the recommendations, given Jon's previous emphasis on the need for the Task Force process to deliver 'immediate progress'.
We conclude by discussing British Cycling’s new sponsorship deal with Lloyds Bank and what that will mean for the sport’s elite level.

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The British Continental. Proudly presented by Le Col, supported by Pro-Noctis

Chapters

1. British Continental Podcast Featuring John Dutton (00:00:06)

2. Road Racing and World Tour Ambitions (00:12:00)

3. British Cycling's Commitment to Change (00:19:27)

4. British Continental Podcast Interview With John (00:31:52)