Between 1943 and 1958, two separate bodies – the
British League of Racing Cyclists (BLRC) and the
National Cyclists' Union (NCU) – ran championships in competition with each other. Between 1946 and 1958 the BLRC's championships were split into two, an amateur race and the independent championship for semi-professional riders. Women's championships were introduced by the BLRC in 1947, and by the NCU in 1956. In 1959, the NCU and the BLRC merged to create the
British Cycling Federation. Separate amateur and professional men's championships were held from 1959 until 1995. In recent years the under 23 and senior races have been combined, which has caused some confusion in the interpretation of UCI rules. ==Jersey==