Lloyds Bank becomes Tour of Britain title sponsor in long-term British Cycling partnership

British Cycling and Lloyds Bank have announced a long-term partnership that will see the British bank feature on the Great Britain cycling kit, support the organisation's new major events vision and step in as the title sponsor of the Tour of Britain.

The partnership, announced on Friday, promises to deliver on British Cycling's ambitions to deliver a more accessible sport for people of all ages in the United Kingdom, with the Tour of Britain at the heart of the agreement as the flagship race.

The Tour of Britain Women will return next month for the first time since 2022, with new race director Rod Ellingworth - formerly of Ineos Grenadiers - recently presenting a four-day route that will take the peloton from Wales to Greater Manchester between 6-9 June. The Tour of Britain Men, meanwhile, will be shortened from eight to six stages this year and take place in September.

After the financial struggles faced by the Tour of Britain's previous organisers Sweetspot, the race was saved by British Cycling earlier this year and the addition of Lloyds Bank as the main title partner will be a welcome one.

Read more: Tour of Britain Women route revealed, with curtailed 2024 edition set to expand in coming years

"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," said British Cycling CEO, Jon Dutton OBE.

“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."

Alongside the sponsorship of the Tour of Britain, the partnership with Lloyds will see the bank support British Cycling's recently-unveiled new major events vision. This new series of events will include an international urban cycling festival and a new national track league concept.

More information on these events are yet to come, but British Cycling will no doubt hope to build on this summer's Olympic Games in Paris and encourage the next generation of cyclists to take up the sport.

“British Cycling partnering with Lloyds Bank is really exciting as it means we can inspire even more people of all ages across Britain to get on a bike and experience the joy of cycling," commented Katie Archibald, one of Britain's leading track cyclists. "From world-class events to grassroots initiatives, it’s clear that this new partnership will be a game-changer, bringing even more excitement and inclusivity to cycling.

“Starting with the Tour of Britain Women next month, I can’t wait to see the positive impact it will have from our communities through to elite level. I’m particularly excited about the development of a new national track league concept and look forward to hearing more!”

Archibald, a world champion and Olympic gold medalist, will be part of Team GB's track squad at this summer's Olympic Games, where the British athletes will wear the Lloyds Bank logo as they go in search of more medals to add to the six golds that they were able to achieve in the Tokyo Olympics last time out.

With 12 medals in total at Tokyo 2020, Great Britain topped the cycling medal table and three years on from those Covid-postponed Games, ambitions remain as high as ever for British Cycling and new partners Lloyds Bank.

"We’re thrilled to be at the starting line of our partnership with British Cycling," said Lloyds Bank CEO Consumer Relationships, Jayne Opperman. "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.”

Keep up to date with the latest cycling news on the GCN website.