Procycling mag sells 50k issues worldwide a month, says editor

"The reason Procycling does not have an ABC is not because of cost, but because a UK ABC is meaningless for a title that is sold in so many different markets around the world," said Whittle.

"Procycling is the same mag whether you but it in New York, Sydney, London or Hong Kong. That’s the whole point, that you have one title that is as international as the sport and the peloton itself.

"For that reason, a UK ABC would not in any way give the real picture of our global readership. It takes up to 9 months to get final figures from the markets we sell in which means that we look at our sales on an annual basis, rather than on a monthly basis.

"Our average monthly global sale in the first half of 2003 was just over 50,000, that includes the UK and Ireland, plus all the foreign markets, North America, Australasia, South Africa, Scandinavia, that we are sold in. Our readers and advertisers are thus members of a huge international community.

"For that reason, I’d dispute the claim that Cycling Plus is the fastest growing bike mag. I think that with our international sales and our new German version, that we are worthy of that title. Globally, and including our German version which contains all our original English editorial, we are far ahead of the competition.

"Procycling Germany’s first issue want on sale in late February with a print run of 70,000 and has already achieved an excellent response, although we await final sales figures.

"Procycling’s English-version is now selling more than ever before; it was the best-selling international sports title in

Barnes and Noble’s USA stores in October 2003."