Top British Cycling coach sacked for “inappropriate relationships with riders”

A top coach at British Cycling has been sacked with immediate effect due to gross misconduct including what the governing body has described as a “long term pattern of inappropriate relationships with riders.”

Sportsmail reports that the decision to terminate podium sprint coach Kevin Stewart’s contract was taken by performance director Stephen Park.

Stewart, who competed for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 10 years ago, had been promoted to his position in April last year.

In a statement, the national governing body said:

British Cycling has taken the decision to dismiss Kevin Stewart, Podium Sprint Coach, on the grounds of gross misconduct following repeated warnings that his behaviours fell short of the values and standards expected by the Great Britain Cycling Team.

The gross misconduct was committed in four areas:

1. Long term pattern of inappropriate relationships with riders.

2. Failing to follow specific direction of the Performance Director in regard to relationship with riders and professional boundaries.

3. Inappropriate use of electronic communication.

4. Actions bringing British Cycling into disrepute.

The investigation into his conduct which led to his dismissal found no evidence of a physical relationship between Kevin and any rider on the Great Britain Cycling Team.

Park commented: “While this has been uncomfortable for everybody concerned, it demonstrates the robustness of the processes we have in place when concerns are raised.

“The GB Cycling Team has a clear set of expected behaviours and values and we must hold ourselves and each other to account when we do not meet the standards of behaviour we set as a team.”

Stewart, quoted by Sportsmail, said: “I wholeheartedly apologise to the team for my actions, which I acknowledge were not acceptable.

“I realised my actions had made my position on the team untenable and had handed in my resignation before being dismissed while on my notice period.”

The Great Britain Cycling Team has achieved a clean sweep of men’s track sprinting gold medals at the last three Olympic Games, with Team GB riders winning the individual and team sprints as well as the keirin at Beijing, London and Rio.

The dismissal of the coach comes with less than a year to go to the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Jason Kenny is aiming to become Great Britain’s most successful ever Olympian, and is bound to disrupt the team’s preparations.

It also echoes the departure of former technical director Shane Sutton in the run-up to the Rio Games four years ago, and coincides with the ongoing medical tribunal into ex-British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman currently being held in Manchester.