Olympic champion visits football club during climate action bike ride to Paris

An Olympic champion cyclist has visited an eco-friendly football club as part of a seven-day bike ride from Manchester to Paris to raise awareness about the effects of climate change.

Chris Boardman , who won gold for Great Britain in the men’s individual pursuit cycling at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and was made a CBE , began the challenge called Pedal for Paris on July 16.

On Sunday, he visited Lewes FC with record-breaking cyclist Mark Beaumont and professional footballer David Wheeler to raise awareness about the impact of climate change on sport.

The club has taken a number of measures to combat climate change, including a garden within the grounds for players, staff and fans to maintain and grow, the installation of 180 solar panels on the roof of the South Stand, and the selling of second-hand merchandise.

Mr Beaumont, who joined the ride from London to Lewes, said has seen the effects of climate change while travelling the world.

“I guess I’ve seen more of the world than most,” he said.

“I’ve seen with my own eyes what’s happening in the Pacific Islands with changing sea levels. As a bike rider, it’s so important to get athletes who have profile to get out to talk about wild spaces.

“We all love getting out for a cycle in the countryside and spending time in the wilderness, but that wilderness is changing.”

Mr Wheeler, who is the sustainability champion for the Professional Footballers Association, said getting athletes to speak about climate change will “make a huge difference”.

“People listen to athletes and sports people as well as, maybe more so, than politicians and scientists,” he said.

“So, this is a big thing. That’s why I wanted to show my support for Pedal for Paris, along with the other high-profile athletes and names on the ride, to help make a massive difference in spreading the message as far and wide as possible.”

The challenge will see Mr Boardman cover 550 miles by riding through locations including Loughborough, Milton Keynes and Dieppe.

He is expected to complete the cycle on Tuesday.

The Olympian is chairman of Sport England – a public body aiming to develop grassroots sport and encourage more people to get active in England – and said the ride was devised last year.

It comes as a new Sport England poll shows that two in three children would like to see more sport stars champion efforts to tackle climate change.