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Brian Robinson, Britain’s first Tour de France stage winner, has been awarded the Order of the British Empire in the New Year’s Honours list, one of eighteen current and former sport cyclists to be gonged.
Laura Kenny, who won two gold medals in Rio to become the first British woman to win a total of four Olympic titles, and husband Jason, who won three gold medals in Rio to draw level with Sir Chris Hoy as Britain’s most successful Olympian with six gold medals, have both been awarded CBEs for services to cycling.
Ed Clancy, who won gold in Beijing, London and Rio, has been given an OBE, as has Jody Cundy for his service to cycling and swimming, having won a total of seven Paralympic gold medals so far in his career.
Olympic gold medallists Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker and Owain Doull along with Paralympic gold medallists Steve Bate, Jon-Allan Butterworth, Karen Darke, Adam Duggleby, Lora Fachie, Megan Giglia, Corrine Hall, Louis Rolfe, Helen Scott and Sophie Thornhill have all been awarded MBEs for their services to cycling. Kadeena Cox, who won gold in both para-athletics and para-cycling in Rio, is awarded with an MBE for her services to athletics.
British Cycling’s para-cycling head coach Jon Norfolk has been recognised with an MBE for his services to cycling, as has Bill Owen for his services to cycling in Wales. Owen is the former president of Welsh Cycling, founder of the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling and an organiser of cycling events for over 30 years.
Neville Pettitt, chairman of West Suffolk Wheelers, was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to cycling and youth participation in cycling.
86-year-old Robinson was the first British rider to finish the Tour de France and the first to win a stage of the Tour.
His BEM is for services to cycling and to charity – he is president of the Dave Rayner Fund and is patron of community enterprise Street Bikes which refurbishes donated bikes and gives them to adults and children who cannot afford their own. He is also a Sustrans volunteer.
