British Cycling has today revealed the names of 50 cycling heroes who have been selected for induction into its Hall of Fame to celebrate the organisation’s 50 years as the national governing body for cycling.
Since launching the initiative earlier this year, British Cycling has received over 300 nominations from the public, ranging from male and female riders, coaches and team managers, sport administrators and volunteers to cycling public figures instrumental in progressing the sport.
A Hall of Fame panel, consisting of cycling journalists and British Cycling representatives, has made a unanimous decision to recognise past cycling achievements over current cycling successes to make the first Hall of Fame a tribute to the sport’s and the organisation’s past five decades.
Victoria Pendleton MBE, panel member, said: “We made a conscious decision not to select elite riders who are still competing at an international level or coaches and managers at the top of their game. We also agreed we should recognise administrators and volunteers who have been active in the sport over many years and have made a significant contribution to it during that time. There have also been several posthumous awards.”
British Cycling’s President, Brian Cookson OBE, who chaired the panel, said: “The response we’ve had from the public for the Hall of Fame has been phenomenal and choosing just 50 individuals out of over a hundred proved very challenging. With such a fantastic number of nominations this year we have decided to make the Hall of Fame an annual event to enable us to recognise more recent and current cycling successes.”
The 50 cycling heroes will be officially induced into the British Cycling Hall of Fame when the organisation concludes its 50th year anniversary celebrations at its Gala Dinner, which will be held at Manchester Central on 20 February 2010.
The 50 cycling heroes to be inducted into the 2009 British Cycling Hall of Fame are as follows, arranged alphabetically:
Pat Adams
Caroline Alexander
Brian Annable
David Baker
Sid Barras
Stuart Benstead
Chris Boardman MBE
Bill Bradley
Beryl Burton OBE
Keith Butler
Arthur Campbell MBE
Brian Cossavella
Doug Dailey MBE
Tony Doyle MBE
Ian Emmerson OBE
Malcolm Elliott
Benny Foster OBE
Tim Gould
Eileen Gray CBE
Dave Hemsley
Barry Hoban
Dale Holmes
Mandy Jones
Peter Keen OBE
Peter King CBE
Stan Kite
Phil Liggett MBE
Craig Maclean
Paul Manning MBE
John & Doreen Mallinson
Yvonne McGregor MBE
Gerry McDaid
Jason McRoy
Chas Messenger
George Millar
Robert Millar
Graeme Obree
Hugh Porter MBE
Jason Queally MBE
John Rawnsley
Brian Robinson
Alan Rushton
Tom Simpson
Eddie Soens
Colin Sturgess
Dot Tilbury MBE
Graham Webb
Les West
Sean Yates
Tony Yorke OBE
Members of the 2009 British Cycling Hall of Fame panel include: British Cycling’s President Brian Cookson OBE, Guardian’s Cycling Correspondent William Fotheringham, Cycling Weekly’s Editor Robert Garbutt, current Olympic and World Champion Victoria Pendleton MBE, British Cycling’s Executive Director Peter King CBE and Cycling Commentator Hugh Porter MBE.
For more information about the Hall of Fame please visit www.britishcycling.org.uk.
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No Sir Chris?
Oh, no current internationals, that’s why.
Good to see JMC on the list 🙂
And Caroline, but no Barrie. I guess as this is the first year, they’re spreading the love – and leaving room for a smaller chunk of people to be inducted yearly from now on.
Second the JMC shout. Nice to see Pat Adams in there too.
Would be nice to see some of the people behind the equipment in there too. Legendary framebuilders like Ron Cooper, Barry Witcomb, Harry Hall, Dave Yates, Chas Roberts and the like.
Nice to see these peoples achievements in cycling honoured but do they have to use “Hall of Fame”
I know it irrational but I can’t stand that phrase is it not possible to come up with something a bit more British?
Beryl Burton was once my “minuteman” in a 25mile TT in 1970. I didn’t catch her, but she was very nice to me (I was only about 16, and I’d never heard a Yorkshire accent in the flesh)
Pat Adams was pretty much in tears when he was told, he got really emotional. Bless him, he’s a star.
Glad Tim Gould is there. My personal cycling hero.
No room for Alf Engers then?
For twenty years the name of Alf Engers was synonymous with 25 miles time-trials. He dominated the short-distance scene in such a fashion that he was known as King Alf. Engers’ name on a start card was sure to guarantee a big crowd at the finish in a shower of nervous anticipation of what he would achieve. Engers could have been a first-class road or trackman. Indeed, he dabbled with success at both, but it was his talent, dedication and showmanship that saw him take 25-miling into unknown territory.
We need to get Barrie Clarke in…