Great Britain's Olympic cycling champion Chris Hoy has been awarded a Knighthood in the 2009 New Year Honours List, capping an extraordinary year for the 32-year-old track cyclist from Edinburgh.
When he won three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics last summer, Hoy became Scotland's most successful Olympian, the first Briton in 100 years to secure a hat-trick of gold medals in a single Olympic Games, and the most successful Olympic male cyclist of all time.
Eighteen of Hoy's fellow British athletes, who also won medals in cycling during the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, have been honoured in recognition of their achievements.
Bradley Wiggins, a double gold medal winner at the Beijing Olympics, and David Brailsford, British Cycling Performance Director, have both been made Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Hoy, who is heading to The Netherlands on Friday to compete in the Rotterdam six-day event, is still getting used to the idea:
"It's incredible and I'm absolutely delighted. I still can't quite believe it to be honest. To be given a Knighthood is an enormous honour and it means so much to me and also to my family. I was stunned when I first found out and the news is still sinking in. I'm not sure if I will ever get used to people calling me Sir Chris!"
He continued: "2008 has been a phenomenal year for British sport and cycling in particular, and it's good to see so many people in the sport being recognised for all their hard work and achievements. This is an amazing way to start the New Year and a tremendous boost for everyone."
Brailsford added: "I'm so proud of what everyone in the GB Team has achieved and it is such a privilege to be honoured in this way. 2009 marks 50 years since British Cycling was established and this is a remarkable way to start the organisation's Golden Anniversary year."
See below for a full list of Great Britain Cycling Team members honoured in the 2009 New Year List:
Olympians
Sir ChrisHoy (KBE)
BradleyWigginsCBE
VictoriaPendletonMBE
Rebecca RomeroMBE
JasonKennyMBE
JamieStaffMBE
Ed ClancyMBE
Paul ManningMBE
NicoleCookeMBE
GeraintThomasMBE
Paralympians
DarrenKennyOBE
SarahStoreyOBE
AileenMcGlynnOBE
Jody CundyMBE
BarneyStoreyMBE
DavidStoneMBE
AnthonyKappesMBE
MarkBristowMBE
SimonRichardsonMBE
Performance Director
DavidBrailsfordCBE
KEY TO HONOURS
KBE: Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
CBE: Commander of the Order of the British Empire
OBE: Officer of the Order of the British Empire
MBE: Member of the Order of the British Empire
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