British Cycling is facing significant morale challenges among its World Class Programme athletes and staff, according to a recent internal survey and ongoing investigations into conduct within the team. The governing body is currently addressing the fallout from an investigation into allegations against male rider Matthew Richardson, who has been accused of using racist and discriminatory language. Richardson, who has pledged full cooperation and expressed contrition, was withdrawn from competition at the UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai after a formal complaint was submitted by a fellow rider.
The allegations come amid the release of a survey conducted by the external firm Happiness Index and funded by UK Sport, which revealed a marked decline in overall satisfaction and workplace culture within British Cycling’s elite ranks. The survey collected responses from riders and staff, measuring attitudes with an Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), a standard metric ranging from -100 to +100 that gauges employee willingness to recommend their workplace.
The survey results for 2024 and 2025 show a steep drop in morale compared to 2023. Male riders returned an eNPS of -42, while female riders scored -31; male and female staff reported -4 and -5, respectively. These figures place the organisation well into the “critical warning” zone, indicating more detractors than promoters of the workplace environment. Scores were derived from average ratings of around 6.8 among athletes and 6.9 among staff, categorised as detractors.
Respondents were also asked if they had witnessed or experienced inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour in the past year, with 13 of 41 athletes indicating they had. The survey highlighted particular dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of British Cycling’s senior leadership team. Participants provided mixed descriptions of the team culture, with one of the most common words from athletes being “driven” but closely accompanied by “toxic” and “supportive.” Staff responses included terms such as “draining,” “undervalued,” “blinkered,” and “disjointed.”
Sources familiar with the situation have described struggles with mental health among some athletes and an apparent lack of accountability at the leadership level. One rider, who requested anonymity, said senior leaders, including head of performance Stephen Park, tend to place responsibility solely on athletes without holding themselves accountable.
In response, British Cycling and UK Sport have implemented an action plan targeting five key areas, including leadership behaviours, psychological safety, empowerment, and wellbeing. While British Cycling’s official statement acknowledged the need for improvement, it maintained that “the majority of staff love their jobs” and that overall favourability had increased. However, the survey data and staff feedback present a more nuanced picture, with positive sentiments limited and recommendation scores remaining low.
UK Sport emphasised the importance of a safe and healthy high-performance culture, stating it will continue to work closely with British Cycling as the action plan is integrated. Both organisations affirm their commitment to creating an environment where athlete voices are heard and respected as part of ongoing efforts to improve team culture.