Above L to R: Vice Chancellor Prof Philip Jones; Steve Peat; Chancellor Professor the Lord Winston (possibly not all standing up) Below The cap fits

Hot on the heels of the controversy over the UCI’s new rules on what downhillers should be wearing, here’s two-times World Cup DH Champion Steve Peat taking a distinctly sideways sartorial step. He’s just been awarded an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University, an award that necessitated the donning of the cap and gown of academia. Attentive readers will note that the gown has in excess of 3mm of pinchable fabric and would, therefore, be legal for the World Cup circuit in 2009, although the cap lacks a chinguard.

The honorary doctorate from SHU was awarded in recognition of his outstanding contribution to sporting excellence, to local charity and to the city of Sheffield where he was born and still lives. Steve has been riding since he was three and racing professionally since the age of 19, and he was World Cup Champion in 2002, 2004 and 2006. He finished second in the Mountain Bike World Championships in 2008, and has been European Champion twice. His award was conferred at a ceremony where he was joined by hundreds of graduates from the University’s Faculty of Health and Well Being.

“This is a great privilege,” he said. “I never, ever expected to be here. Riding bikes has taken me to some amazing places and given me an awesome life, and this has added to that.”

They were congratulated by Sheffield Hallam’s Chancellor, Professor the Lord Winston (perhaps better known as that Robert Winston off the telly), who attended the ceremony. He said: “I am honored to meet and congratulate every one of these graduates. They will do much to improve the quality of life for people in their future careers. The work they will do is important – in fact it matters greatly.”

Steve is currently developing his own academy, encouraging children to get involved with mountain biking, and also works closely with Weston Park Hospital’s Teenage Cancer Unit. Over the past three years he and his supporters have raised more than £28,500 for the charity.

Steve Peat will be joined as an honorary doctor this year by esteemed journalist and Sky TV’s Political Editor, Adam Boulton; Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (and also a hugely influential broadcast journalist) Trevor Phillips OBE; Yorkshire man and one of Britain’s most successful and renowned chefs, Brian Turner CBE, and the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer and Director General in the Department of Health for Professional Leadership, Christine Beasley.