British Cycling has today urged all riders to compete responsibly in a bid to protect racing on the roads.

Racesmart, British Cycling’s rider education campaign, has been revamped for the 2015 season. Designed to educate riders about the minimum levels of etiquette they need to display when racing on the roads, British Cycling has produced video content to fully demonstrate the techniques that should be employed in an informative and engaging way. 

Social media and e-communications will be used throughout the season to promote the campaign directly to riders from the moment they enter a race through to rolling across the finish line.

The campaign targets all riders competing in domestic road races and will include advice about racing etiquette, techniques, riding skills and protecting the future of the sport.

Jonny Clay, British Cycling’s director of cycle sport and membership, said: “As racing becomes more mainstream, we’re seeing thousands of riders come into the sport and we need to ensure that they are supported in learning about the etiquette of how to race responsibly.

"We’ve designed the Racesmart campaign to raise awareness and promote a culture of collective responsibility because everyone has a duty to compete in a way which doesn’t put future events at risk.   

“Racesmart has been created for the benefit of everyone involved in the sport. If riders are looking out for each other on the road and know the etiquette to follow, this enriches the experience for everyone – not just the riders but also the organisers, marshals and people watching from the roadside.

"We’re looking forward to a great summer of racing and we hope that our revamped Racesmart content will prove even more popular than last year.”