‘Arise, Sir David’ – Welsh cycling leader receives knighthood

The man from Deiniolen who oversaw the transformation of British cycling to conclude with Tour de France and Olympic success has received a knighthood from the Queen.

Sir David Brailsford (49) received the honour for his services to cycling as part of the New Year Honours List, and said the achievement: "would take some getting used to".

He received the award from her Majesty the day before turning 49, a fact she acknowledged, making it a birthday he will never forget.

He said that, at the moment, it feels: “Weird, uncomfortable. I suppose there’s some pride in there a little bit. It’s going to take some getting used to that’s for sure.

“I think everybody who’s worked with me and been part of the whole journey of British cycling knows full well that the reason we’re here, and have reached the results we have done, is because we’ve worked with a fantastic group of backroom staff, coaches and, of course, riders.

“I’m the lucky one, I guess, to sit here and be honoured but it’s very much a team effort, so from my point of view this is recognition for the whole sport of cycling and not myself.”

The fluent Welsh speaker was actually born across the border in Derbyshire, but moved to Deiniolen, near Caernarfon in Gwynedd, as a child.

His rise to the top of the British cycling ladder has seen him contribute to the great success of other Welsh cycling heroes too – including Nicole Cooke, Geraint Thomas and, most recently, Becky James.

The former Ysgol Brynrefail pupil’s Team GB registered 12 medals at the Olympics last summer, and coupled with Sir Bradley Wiggins’ heroics in bringing the Tour de France back to these shores for the first time, 2012 was a year of unparalleled success in the sport.

Yet Sir David is not resting on his laurels, and the young team that recently went to Minsk for the World Championships, which saw Abergavenny’s James bring home two gold and two bronze medals, shows how committed he and his team are to creating more cycling success.

Other Welsh sporting nods went to Paralympic swimming star Ellie Simmonds, who upgraded her OBE to an MBE, and tae kwon do star Jade Jones, from Flint, who received an MBE on the back of her Olympic gold.

Tredegar’s Paralympic cycling champion, Mark Colbourne, also received an MBE, as did discus throwers Aled Sion Davies and Josie Pearson.

Former Glamorgan and England cricketer Robert Croft, rugby legend JJ Williams and Disability Sport Wales performance manager Anthony Hughes all received MBEs.