Volunteers needed to revive UK scene

In the second part of our series on the domestic scene, we ask how a shortage of volunteers is impacting road races

- Tom Davidson

Ahead of the London 2012 Olympics, committee chairman Lord Sebastian Coe called volunteers the "lifeblood" of the Games. The stage might not be as grand, nor the prestige as high, but the same is true of the UK's road racing scene, where volunteers and marshals have become increasingly hard to find.

It is no exaggeration to say that bike races cannot take place without volunteers. Every British Cycling event is required to have accredited marshals those who have completed a course that gives them the power to stop and hold traffic. Without them, as well as volunteers spotting hazards, providing first aid, and driving cars in the convoy, races cannot go ahead.

For Will Foster, a leading figure in the Yorkshire-based Yomp Bonk Crew, finding these people is the "hardest bit" of race organisation. "I have a few people I regularly text," he said, "but if they're not available, I don't know where else to find people.