British Cycling, the British cycling federation, took over the organization of the traditional Tour of Britain, trying to guarantee the future of the event. However, the British website Cycling Weekly reported this Monday that the prize money for the 2023 edition has not yet been paid.
Champion Wout van Aert and multiple stage winner Olav Kooij are still waiting for their share of the prize. According to information available on the Tour of Britain website, the total prize for the 2023 edition was 113,000 euros.
CPA seeks release of premium
“The CPA (Professional Cyclists Association) is currently working to receive the money,” said Adam Hansen, former cyclist and current president of the association.
“If after the bankruptcy process (of the original organizer, SweetSpot), it is concluded that there are not enough financial resources from the administrator to pay the money, the responsibility will be transferred to the national federation, which will assume the debts.”
John Dutton, CEO of British Cycling, reassures athletes by confirming Hansen’s information. “The national cycling federation and the UCI now need to find a solution. This is part of several issues that we have inherited. The goal now is to restore trust between all parties.”
INEOS Grenadiers also offers help
After the bankruptcy of SweetSpot, which organized the Tour of Great Britain and the Women’s Tour, there was a lot of uncertainty about the future of these competitions. The contract with British Cycling was terminated due to financial problems, but the federation expressed interest in taking over the organization of the events.
INEOS Grenadiers also offered to help. Now British Cycling has come up with a plan to save both tours. The UCI gave the green light for the Tour of Britain to take place in September. The Women’s Tour also received approval, but the federation’s management warned that the race is planned to take place in June, leaving little time to organize it.