Black Cyclists Network announces formation of race team for 2021

Members of the Black Cyclists Network
Members of the London-based Black Cyclists Network club (Image credit: Black Cyclists Network)

London-based cycling club the Black Cyclists Network has announced the creation of the first British domestic racing team for black, Asian and minority ethic (BAME) riders. The club aims to fund a ten-rider squad for the 2021 season, as well as hosting events and establishing an outreach program.

The Black Cyclists Network was founded in 2018 by Mani Arthur and currently boasts over 100 members, "including white members and supporters of diversity." The stated mission of the club is to connect and encourage cyclists of colour and the wider community to take up cycling.

The domestic racing team is currently made up of nine riders, including one at Elite level and four in the second category. The aim is to add one further rider in order to race next year.

A Gofundme page has been set up by the club, with a £10,000 aim which will go towards supporting the team in 2021, as well as grassroots efforts. These will include developing an outreach program to encourage beginners to take up cycling, and funding events to raise awareness about diversity in the sport.

"The Black Cyclists Network is more than a club," said Arthur in a statement released by the club.

"We are a community built to address the lack of representation in the cycling world. There are a lot of cyclists from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK and around the world, yet very few resources cater for our communities.

"With the launch of the Black Cyclists Network team we aim to give much-needed visibility to people of colour in the sport to inspire and engage a new audience to the physical, mental and social benefits of cycling."

The clubs's GoFundMe page, which was set up on Wednesday evening, has already seen over 200 people donated, reaching the halfway point of the fundraising target within 24 hours. 

Click here to see the Black Cyclists Network GoFundMe page, or for more information check out their Instagram, Facebook or Twitter pages.

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Senior news writer

Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly, Rouleur, and CyclingTips.

 

Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France and the spring Classics, and has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.

 

As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Dani also oversees The Leadout newsletter and How to Watch guides throughout the season. Their favourite races are Strade Bianche and the Volta a Portugal.