Tuesday 29 September 2020 17:51, UK
Of the 22 teams and 176 riders that started this year's Tour de France only one, Kevin Reza, was black.
It is a picture that is reflected in British Cycling too where, of 80 road and track cyclists on top level funding, Kadeena Cox is the sole black rider.
The lack of diversity at the elite end of the sport is something cycling's authorities are aware of. Doing something about it is a challenge.
"There is no magic wand at the top of the sport", says British Cycling chief executive Julie Harrington. "You need to look at the whole sporting pyramid. We need to look right down to the talent pathway to understand why there are less black and other minority groups represented at the top level of cycling.
"How we address that, we can't do it on our own. There's work to be done with local authorities. What's important is that across the whole cycling family there are people working together to make a change and things like the BCN are a great example of a grassroots initiative making a difference."
By BCN Harrington means Black Cyclists Network. Founded in 2018 by Mani Arthur, their weekly club rides now attract over 100 enthusiastic cyclists of varying abilities, and in spite of the name, varying backgrounds too.
"We created BCN to create a space so cyclists of colour can feel comfortable entering the sport," says Arthur. "We are an inclusive group, not exclusive. We're a Black Cyclists Network in name only."
Arthur himself got into cycling back in 2009, primarily for his work commute and to keep fit. His passion grew. Soon he was doing charity rides and eventually racing where he says he often found himself as the only black face on the start line in a 60-man field.
"One of the reasons why there is a need for a community like this is cycling is a very white-dominated sport and that can be very intimidating when you're a cyclist of colour" he says. "I wish I had something like this so I had something to connect with, to learn from, to give me that confidence.
"There is a real demand for what we're doing. One of the questions I always asked was 'why have you not joined your local club?' and one response was they never felt accepted or part of the culture."
BCN ride every Saturday morning, meeting at the running track at London's Regent's Park before setting off in groups, from beginners to social riders, to advanced. And now they are adding another tier. BCN Racing Team which, all going well, will be ready to compete next year.
"The thinking behind the race team is similar to what I've been trying to say about creating a pathway for riders from BAME backgrounds," says Arthur.
"The race team is a shiny, flashy object to really grab the attention of the nation. We'll be racing mostly in London but we also plan to race in other parts of the country and one of our riders is an elite level rider so he will be representing us on a national level."
And the hope is the more visible they can be, the more they can inspire others to follow.
As Paralympic gold medallist Cox says, having someone to inspire you is crucial. "I look at cycling and there are no role models, there was no one for me to look up to. I stepped into a white, middle-class sport and stood out like a sore thumb. So for any children that are looking at the sport it's like 'there's no one that looks like me doing the sport. Do I want to get into that?' I think it's one for grassroots and you're never going to have elite athletes from black and minority communities if they're not in the grass roots."
With a growing social media presence, Arthur and Black Cyclists Network are steadily raising their profile, which will grow still further when the racing team is up and running.
And while they may not be in a position to bring a more diverse look to the Tour de France, they may yet inspire a next generation of black cyclists who will.
