British Cycling has revealed the names of 50 cycling heroes to be inducted into its ‘Hall of Fame’ today, celebrating 50 years of the organisation. While most are drawn from the worlds of road and track cycling, five are from mountain biking. Given that the list is presented in alphabetical order, one of them – legendary event organiser Pat Adams – is at the very top. Also inducted are 1990s XC stars David Baker, Caroline Alexander and Tim Gould, along with inspirational DHer the late Jason McRoy.
 
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, says: “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, added: “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 include:
 
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