Howden re-relected British Cycling President for third year

Bob Howden has been re-elected as the President of British Cycling ©British Cycling

Bob Howden has been re-elected to serve for a third year as the President of British Cycling, following the Annual Meeting of the Federation’s governing National Council in Crewe.

The Yorkshireman was first elected to the post in 2013 to replace Brian Cookson following his election as President of the International Cycling Union.

Howden had been a member of the National Governing Body since 1970 and a British Cycling Board member from 2000.

Howden, the owner and managing director of Ongoing Developments, a group of companies that includes Grass Concrete Limited, declared himself “honoured and delighted” to be given the opportunity to lead the organisation for a third consecutive year, where Britain will be targeting success at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“At the end of my second term, I feel pride for how far we have come and am more excited than ever about where we are going,” Howden said.

“I’m relishing the challenges and opportunities ahead in 2016 – securing a new title sponsor to succeed Sky, making more big strides in our journey to get one million more women cycling by 2020, a home World Championships and of course the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“National Council is a highlight of the year for me - not because I like meetings but because it’s the moment this wonderful sport, with all its different elements and passions, comes together.

“The delegates to National Council love the sport, have played a big role its successes, and care about building for the future, the whole occasion is energising and puts us on a really positive footing going into 2016.”

Bob Howden acknowledged finding a title sponsor to succeed Sky would be an aim in 2016 ©Getty Images

Tony Barry and Richard Kennedy were also re-elected to the British Cycling board during the meeting and will continue in their roles alongside Howden, Charles Jackson, Colin Docker, Alasdair Maclennan and George Gilbert.

British Cycling chief executive Ian Drake also sits on the Board alongside the three appointed member Marian Lauder, Alex Russell and Jonathan Browning.

Cookson was a guest attendee at the meeting and praise British Cycling for their continued support.

“I’d like to pay tribute to President Bob Howden for all the work he has done over many years to develop the sport,” he said.

“I owe particular thanks to British Cycling for all the assistance it provided during my UCI election campaign back in 2013.

“Your support was, and still is, key to what we are doing at the UCI.”

The meeting saw the National Council approve British Cycling’s accounts and annual report, while they supported their reforms of the youth competition structure across all disciplines, which were unveiled in June.

The Council also requested the Board review their engagement with British Cycling members who currently do not hold membership at clubs in the Federation’s governance structure.