British Cycling faces scrutiny over toxic culture allegations
British Cycling is facing fresh questions about its leadership culture after a former staff member accused it of allowing a "toxic culture" to continue.
Jack Lindsay worked as a commercial manager at British Cycling from 2024 to 2025. In a LinkedIn post reported on 16 October 2026, he said senior leaders had failed to deal with bullying and poor behaviour, according to The Guardian.
Lindsay said he filed a formal workplace bullying complaint covering dozens of incidents over six months. The complaint spanned several different categories of alleged bullying.
He said most of those incidents were partially substantiated. He said he received no apology and was told of no action against the person concerned.
Lindsay also claimed he repeatedly raised concerns about bullying by a member of the executive team with senior leadership. He said leaders chose to deal with the matter informally rather than through a formal process.
British Cycling said any complaint is taken seriously and handled through formal procedures. It declined to comment on individual cases, citing confidentiality.
After Lindsay resigned, former chief executive Jon Dutton told him he would commission an independent survey of leadership culture within the GB Cycling Team, the elite squad that represents Britain at the Olympics, Paralympics and world championships.
That survey found 31% of riders and staff answered yes when asked if they had witnessed or experienced thoughtless, inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour. Riders most commonly described the culture of the world-class programme as "driven". The word "toxic" was joint-second, alongside "supportive".
Lindsay compared the situation to the independent review led by Annamarie Phelps in 2017. That review heavily criticised governance and culture at British Cycling.
The allegations have emerged at a sensitive time. UK Sport has given British Cycling £30m to prepare for the Los Angeles Olympics. Days before the report, rider Matt Richardson was sent home from the World Track Championships in Shanghai.
