Ian Drake is to leave his position as British Cycling chief executive in April, Press Association Sport understands.

Drake's association with the national governing body began in 1995 and he has been chief executive since 2009.

But he quits after a year of highs and lows.

Great Britain topped the medal table at the Rio Olympics and Paralympics, but there have been numerous controversies too.

Shane Sutton left his role as British Cycling technical director in April, 100 days prior to the Rio Olympics, following discrimination allegations.

Sutton denies the allegations, which are the subject of an independent review. The review is scheduled to conclude imminently.

There is a separate, internal investigation over financial impropriety relating to kit.

And British Cycling's relationship with Team Sky is under scrutiny, too.

Team Sky and British Cycling have been intertwined since the road team's inception in 2009 and first season in 2010, with many staff and riders employed by both teams.

Team Sky are involved in a furore following the decision to seek permission for Sir Bradley Wiggins to use otherwise banned substances, and Sir Dave Brailsford's squad is now part of a UK Anti-Doping investigation into allegations of ''wrongdoing'' in cycling.

Brailsford was British Cycling performance director until April 2014, when he left to concentrate on Team Sky. He worked closely with Drake.

Wiggins' use of the powerful anti-inflammatory triamcinolone was granted before three of his biggest races between 2011 and 2013, including the 2012 Tour de France which he won. Wiggins, Brailsford and Team Sky deny wrongdoing, insisting the use was medically necessary to deal with a pollen allergy that aggravates Wiggins' long-standing asthma condition.

There is no suggestion any rules were broken and the therapeutic use exemptions were approved by the UCI, cycling's world governing body, and the relevant anti-doping authorities.

The news of Drake's departure means British Cycling is now searching for two leading figures.

British Cycling on Wednesday announced it was beginning the recruitment process for a new performance director.

And now it is also searching for a chief executive.

Drake can celebrate many successes during his tenure as cycling has become Britain's most successful Olympic sport, winning seven out of 10 gold medals on the track at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

Wiggins became the first British Tour winner in 2012, in the 99th edition, with Chris Froome subsequently winning the race three times.

And the latest success was Britain winning the bid for the 2019 Road World Championships, to be staged in Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, British Cycling now has 120,000 members.

The news came on the day the man who set British cycling on the road to the top has said his ''greatest fear'' is the threat of ''collateral damage'' from the allegations of wrongdoing.

Speaking to the BBC 5 Live's Bespoke cycling show, former British Cycling performance director Peter Keen said: ''The need now for conclusive explanations and evidence is greater than ever. It's collateral damage.

''When I look at people like (six-time Olympic champion) Jason Kenny or (14-time Paralympic champion) Dame Sarah Storey, these are stories that are so special because they're about ordinary people who have done extraordinary things.

''I have never sensed anything about them that says that what we have seen isn't the absolute real deal.

''Where there's confusion and doubt about a very high-level performance sport, linked to a programme they are a part of, that's my greatest fear.''