Wiggins congratulated by the Queen

The Queen has sent her "warmest congratulations" to Bradley Wiggins after the Sky rider became the first Briton to win the Tour de France.

The Queen said in her message: "I send you my warmest congratulations on becoming the first British cyclist ever to win the Tour de France. Your historic achievement of claiming overall victory in this prestigious event is a great testament to the efforts of you and your team-mates."

Wiggins will start the Olympic road race on Saturday morning on The Mall, in the shadow of Buckingham Palace and will work for British team mate Mark Cavendish as a sprint is expected to determine the outcome of the race.

Four days later and Wiggins will be one of the favourites for the men's time trial that starts and finishes in Hampton Court. The Brit won both time trials at the Tour de France and the flat course suits him well.

Bookmaker Coral are already offering odds of 2/1 that Wiggins will receive a knighthood.

Related links

Cycling Weekly's Tour de France coverage index