The doctor is currently a consultant in sport and exercise medicine at Spire Liverpool Hospital and will begin his new post on September 1.

British Cycling state that Jones will take responsibility for the strategy, function and integrity of their medical services team, with the role aimed at ensuring world-class medical provision across the Olympic and Paralympic programmes.

“I am delighted we have been able to appoint someone of Dr Nigel Jones’ calibre as the head of medical services and I believe he will be an invaluable addition to the medical services team, which he will take responsibility for leading,” said Stephen Park, British Cycling's performance director.

“Nigel has extensive experience in working with elite sports teams and we were impressed by the modern approach he takes to sports medicine.

“Athlete well-being is at the heart of the Great Britain Cycling Team and Nigel has proven he has the clinical, managerial and leadership skills necessary to continue moving this forward.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Clint Gomes from the English Institute of Sport for stepping in and fulfilling this role on a temporary basis whilst the recruitment process took place.”

Jones has previously worked in high performance environments at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and with Liverpool Football Club.

Following the appointment, Jones claimed he was looking forward to help improve the care of riders at British Cycling.

“My personal aim is to make a significant contribution to the care of the riders,” said Jones.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside the current members of the medical services team and supporting the wider performance team.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to join Britain’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic team in the build up to Tokyo 2020 and beyond, and I’m looking forward to playing a part in supporting the riders on this journey.”

Jones’ appointment follows recommendations made to British Cycling in April, which advised them to introduce the head of medical services role.

The recommendation came after British Cycling commissioned Dr Rod Jacques, English Institute of Sport’s director of medical services, to assess the current practices and compliance with professional standards across the medical and physiotherapy services.

British Cycling will also appoint a medical coordinator following the recommendations, with the recruitment processes set to begin imminently.

The national governing body state the appointments form part of a wide ranging series of reforms which aims to transform British Cycling into a leader amongst sports governing bodies.