An Olympic champion cyclist said he loved a Sussex football club so much he wants to become an owner.

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, spoke to The Argus during his Pedal for Paris challenge.

The Olympian is chairman of Sport England – a public body aiming to develop grassroots sport and encourage more people to get active in England.

He visited eco-friendly Lewes Football Club as part of a seven-day bike ride from Manchester to Paris to raise awareness about the effects of climate change. He spoke to The Argus before boarding the Newhaven Ferry to Dieppe.

He said: "Lewes is an amazing set up and by the time I get off the ferry I will be one of the owners. It is completely membership owned, owned by the fans and I quite fancy being in that number. They grow their own food, they have equal pay and they recycle their kit. It is great that they are serving 50 per cent vegan food and they have days where they only serve vegan food and the attendance goes up. Eating plant-based food is the single biggest thing people can do about climate change. We wanted to put a spotlight not just on the problems but also the solutions."

Mr Boardman urged Sussex councils to continue creating new cycle lanes.

Confident cyclists often use the roads but the Olympian said people who are new need more cycle lanes to build their confidence.

He said: "Cycle lanes aren’t for cyclists they are for people who don’t cycle, because you look at the road and think ‘I don’t fancy that’.

"Every council is dealing with congestion, pollution and population health issues and bringing in cycle lanes is a way of dealing with all of those things at once and creating a nicer place to live. Over 80 per cent of people want to see more active travel, especially for getting to schools."

READ MORE: Brighton and Hove council agree cycle lane plans

Multiple Olympic medalist and UK Sport Chairwoman Katherine Grainger joined for two days of the ride and said it had been amazing to highlight different initiatives along the way

They 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 he 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 saw Mr Boardman cover 550 miles by riding through locations including Loughborough, Milton Keynes and Dieppe.

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.