What price success? BBC documentary goes behind the scenes at British Cycling’s ‘medal factory’

A BBC Two documentary this Sunday evening will go behind the scenes at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, which has earned the nickname ‘the Medal Factory’ as a result of Team GB’s domination of track cycling at the Olympic Games over the past decade.

Britain’s Cycling Superheroes – The Price of Success? will air at the end of a week in which UK Anti-Doping has confirmed that it has concluded its investigation British Cycling and Team Sky and that no charges will be brought.

> Ukad confirms Team Sky and British Cycling will not face charges over Jiffy bag delivered to Sir Bradley Wiggins at 2011 Criterium du Dauphiné

The hour-long programme will include contributions from two of the central figures behind Great Britain’s success in recent years, Sir Dave Brailsford and Shane Sutton.

Both became embroiled in the turmoil that has engulfed British Cycling over the past 18 months or so.

Sutton, back in Manchester at the weekend as coach to the China national team at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup, resigned from his position as technical director at the Great Britain Cycling Team following allegations of bullying and discrimination in April last year.

> Shane Sutton says he is still "loved by the staff" at British Cycling

An internal investigation subsequently cleared Sutton of eight of nine charges resulting from allegations made against him by Olympic track sprinter, Jess Varnish.

Both he and Brailsford were grilled by a House of Commons committee last year investigating doping in sport, with MPs questioning the blurring of lines between British Cycling and Team Sky.

They also quizzed both men on the issue of therapeutic use exemptions to Sir Bradley Wiggins ahead of key races including the 2012 Tour de France, which he won, as well as the contents of the jiffy bag delivered to former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman at the 2011 Dauphiné.

A UK Sport-ordered review of British Cycling, published earlier this year, recommended sweeping changes to the way the organisation is governed, with a number of changes in personnel in key positions at the governing body also taking place.

> Independent review into culture of British Cycling released alongside 2012 report which foresaw many of the problems

Despite the ongoing controversies, both British Cycling and Team Sky have continued to enjoy their astonishing success.

On the road, Chris Froome won the Tour de France in July for the third time in succession, his fourth victory in five years, while in Rio last year, Team GB topped the medal table taking six of 10 gold medals available in the velodrome.

Britain’s Cycling Superheroes – The Price of Success? Is on BBC Two at 9pm on Sunday 19 November and will be available afterwards on BBC iPlayer.