Why Did British Cycling Kick Out This Club for Porn Workers?

From Bicycling

• The Porn Pedallers Cycling Club lost its British Cycling affiliation this week, allegedly over its name and sponsors.

• The club had been registered with the UCI’s British arm since 2016.

• Founder Chris Ratcliff said he won’t compromise on British Cycling’s requests to change the club’s name.

A British cycling club for sex industry workers lost its membership with the UCI this week, and it has members feeling stiffed.

The Porn Pedallers Cycling Club (get it?) consists of riders who “happen to work in or around the U.K. adult entertainment industry” and includes actors, directors, and other people behind the camera. Though a few photos on its Twitter are a tad NSFW, the club functions much like any other. Members ride for fun and fitness, and even raise money for Terrence Higgins Trust, a charity that provides HIV and sexual health services.

For three years, the club had been registered with the British Cycling Federation, the UCI’s U.K. affiliate, under the acronym PPCC. But on Tuesday, club founder Chris Ratcliff-who is also CEO of British adult entertainment company Portland TV-got an email notifying him that the club’s renewal of affiliation had been declined.

The reason? British Cycling learned what PPCC stood for.

“I fully appreciate that [the name] doesn’t work in all circles, so we go by PPCC to respect people’s sensitivity and show we’re not just a joke,” Ratcliff said. “The whole point of British Cycling is to get more people on bikes, and that’s what we do. We promote health and fitness within our industry.”

But the federation thought differently, arguing that the name violated UCI rules saying that clubs can’t feature “products that might damage the image” of the world governing body or its national affiliates.

PPCC members expressed their disappointment in a statement on Twitter. “Cycling is for everyone,” it read. “Except people like us.”

Ratcliff told Bicycling that British Cycling had said they would let his club back in under two conditions. “They wanted me to change the name of the club, and to lose the sponsors,” he said.

Yet Ratcliff said he refuses to remove the title sponsor, Portland TV property Television X, from the club’s cycling kit, mostly for financial reasons. (“No sponsors, no club I’m afraid.”) But he also objects to it on principle.

“I’m just not doing that,” he said. “We are who we are, and if you don’t like that we will take our club and cyclists elsewhere… I’m sure British Cycling doesn’t look at everyone’s kits who doesn’t race, so I don’t know why they’re looking at mine.”

British Cycling did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

After news broke of its affiliation loss, the PPCC was floored with support on Twitter. All in all, Ratcliff said, the move might have backfired.

“If anything, it’s only created more interest for the club,” he said. “It’s just a storm in a teacup. If they thought were were going to stop us, it’s only strengthened us.”

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