British Cycling and Lloyds Bank announce long-term partnership

British Cycling and Lloyds Bank have announced a long-term deal which will see the high street bellwether feature as a lead partner of the two-wheeled discipline.

As part of the deal Lloyds will become the title sponsor of the Tour of Britain with their logo on the Great Britain Cycling Team.

It is understood to be the biggest commercial partnership of any national sports body in years, and far in excess of any recent agreement struck by the ECB and RFU.

It comes as the cycling body was targeted by anti-Shell billboards in relation to a sponsorship deal with the gas giant which is set to continue through until 2030.

The 2023 Women’s WorldTour event was cancelled due to the lack of backing while the future of the tours were in doubt as recently as November.

But financial support from Lloyds appears to have put those fears to bed. This partnership is understood to be the biggest for any Olympic sport.

British Cycling riding along

British Cycling chief Jon Dutton said: “As two British institutions, British Cycling and Lloyds Bank have a natural affinity and we share a commitment to supporting a more healthy, inclusive and prosperous Britain.

“In the last twelve months, a third of UK adults have ridden a bike and we want to see more people experiencing the joy of cycling.

“Through this partnership with Lloyds Bank, we can embark together on a journey to not only champion the sport but also harness its potential to deliver liberating experiences to families and communities nationwide.

“We are collectively committed to tackling social inequality and inspiring a nation to move together towards a healthier and more inclusive future.”

Lloyds Bank chief of consumer relationships Jayne Opperman said: “We’re thrilled to be at the starting line of our partnership with British Cycling.

“The values Lloyds Bank share with British Cycling, alongside the wide reach of the sport, creates an opportunity for us to harness the power of cycling to get people, families and communities moving, and inspire them to achieve their goals.

“Putting the wheels in motion, we aim to deliver impact by developing exciting new activities for people to get involved in and we look forward to sharing more details as the partnership gets underway.”