British Cycling: Open letter calling for end to Shell deal receives more than 700 signatures

British Cycling has signed an eight-year deal with Shell

More than 700 organisations and individuals have signed an open letter to British Cycling calling for the governing body to "renounce" its sponsorship deal with oil giant Shell.

However, after announcing the deal on Monday, it has been accused of getting involved with "greenwashing".

An open letter added it was an "irreconcilable conflict of interest".

"All sports, including cycling, are vulnerable to the increasingly extreme weather associated with global heating," read the letter, which was sent to British Cycling on Tuesday.

"More than that, athletes and especially cyclists are vulnerable to the lethal air pollution that comes from the burning of fossil fuels, and the estimated 8.7 million premature deaths that result each year globally from that pollution.

"We believe that it is in the urgent interests of the sport of cycling, and cyclists everywhere rapidly to transition away from fossil fuel use. Cycling too is in a unique position to aid that shift.

"However, accepting sponsorship from an oil company with a history of delay and misinformation on the issue, is an irreconcilable conflict of interest. We ask you to consider immediate action to renounce sponsorship from Shell."

The deal with Shell, which brings an end to British Cycling's eight-year partnership with bank HSBC, includes initiatives to make cycling more accessible for disabled people and target a 'net-zero' status.

British Cycling chief executive Brian Facer said: "We want to support our elite riders and help our organisation and sport take important steps towards net-zero - things we know our members are incredibly passionate about."

However, the decision has been criticised in the open letter for allowing the "good name" of British Cycling to "become a billboard for an oil company which has for decades lobbied against environmental action and sowed doubt and confusion around climate science".

It calls on the organisation to "demonstrate that you reject greenwashing and sportwashing by major polluters" by withdrawing from the deal.

BBC Sport has contacted British Cycling for comment.