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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.
