Brief

Former British Cycling manager alleges toxic culture and bullying

Jack Lindsay says his bullying complaint was largely ignored and that a survey found 31% of staff witnessed inappropriate behaviour.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:28:28 GMT

Jack Lindsay, who worked as a commercial manager for British Cycling between 2024 and 2025, has accused the governing body of fostering a "toxic culture" within its leadership team, The Guardian reported on 16 October 2026.

Lindsay says he lodged a formal workplace‑bullying complaint that covered dozens of incidents over six months and spanned multiple categories of alleged bullying. He wrote on LinkedIn that most of the claims were "partially substantiated" but that he received no apology and was told no action would be taken against the individual he named.

According to the article, Lindsay repeatedly raised the bullying incidents with senior leaders, but management chose to address them informally. He also criticised a perceived lack of oversight from UK Sport, which has provided British Cycling with £30 million to prepare for the Los Angeles Olympics.

The Guardian notes that after Lindsay resigned, then‑chief executive Jon Dutton told him an independent survey of the GB Cycling Team’s leadership culture would be commissioned. The Times, cited by the article, revealed that the survey found 31 % of riders and staff who were asked whether they had "witnessed or experienced thoughtless, inappropriate, or unacceptable behaviour" answered yes.

When asked for comment, a British Cycling spokesperson said the wellbeing of its people is "fundamental to everything we do" and that any complaint is taken seriously through formal procedures. The spokesperson added that details of individual cases are kept confidential and that the organisation continues to strengthen its reporting routes.

Riders were also surveyed about the culture of the programme. The most common word used to describe it was "driven", but "toxic" was the second‑most frequent descriptor alongside "supportive".

Key facts

• Jack Lindsay worked as British Cycling's commercial manager from 2024 to 2025. (theguardian.com)
• Lindsay's bullying complaint covered dozens of incidents over six months. (theguardian.com)
• An independent survey found 31% of riders and staff reported witnessing or experiencing inappropriate behaviour. (theguardian.com)
• British Cycling said it handles complaints through formal procedures and keeps individual case details confidential. (theguardian.com)

Sources

• [1] theguardian.com — originally reported as “British Cycling under scrutiny over allegations of ‘toxic culture’ in leadership team”