British Cycling chief quits after controversies

Brian Facer has stepped down with immediate effect as chief executive of British Cycling, three weeks after the organisation announced a partnership with Shell UK that was fiercely criticised by environmental groups.

The national governing body for road and track cycling said the decision had been reached by mutual agreement with the board. Facer’s departure will not affect the eight-year deal with Shell, with British Cycling’s statement reiterating “our unwavering commitment to our commercial partners, including Shell UK”.

Danielle Every, the organisation’s cycling delivery director since 2018, has been appointed as acting chief executive while a replacement is found. Facer was appointed in January 2021 but has endured a turbulent time in charge.

In September British Cycling issued a “strong recommendation” that people should not ride their bikes during the funeral of Queen

Elizabeth II before backtracking, tweeting: “We’re sorry – we got this one wrong.” Just weeks later the announcement of the Shell deal provoked accusations of “greenwashing”.

The governing body claimed the agreement would “help our organisation and sport take important steps towards net zero”, but Greenpeace was among those to offer swift condemnation. “The idea of Shell helping British Cycling reach net zero is as absurd as beef farmers advising lettuce farmers on how to go vegan,” the campaign group’s UK policy director, Dr Doug Parr, said.

British Cycling’s annual report for 2022 has been sent to members and is expected to reveal a £2m drop in yearly income from commercial partnerships to £3.19m, largely due to a deal with former lead partner HSBC UK ending. The eight-year contract, thought to be worth £20m – £2.5m a year – was ended four years early in December 2021.

British Cycling hoped that Facer, a former chief executive with the rugby union side London Irish and commercial director at Northampton, would be able to secure a new title sponsor and ease financial concerns. In addition to the negative publicity, the Shell agreement does not fully cover the lost funding, with the current strategy pursuing several lower-level sponsors rather than one title sponsor.

Facer also oversaw a U-turn in British Cycling’s policy on transgender athletes in April after cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, barred Emily Bridges from competing in a national women’s race. British Cycling suspended its policy on trans and non-binary cyclists competing in events pending a review “in the coming weeks”, which is still yet to be completed six months later.

The delayed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2021 offered Facer a rare good news story, with Team GB topping the cycling medal tables at both Games.