Froome and Howden given OBEs in New Years Honours List

Chris Froome and British Cycling president Bob Howden have both received OBEs in the Queens New Year Honours list.

Froome’s award comes after a second Tour de France win – this year he became the first British rider to do so – and Howden’s after decades in service of the sport.

Chrissie Wellington – four time Ironman World Champion and co-founder of Le Tour Entier – was also named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to sport and charity. 13 year old Jonjo Heuerman was the youngest person on the New Year Honours list having raised £235,000 for Cancer Research through various sporting feats, including by cycling 700 miles to all the Premier League football clubs in England.

Howden said: “Chris’s OBE is well-deserved recognition of an extraordinary individual who represents the best of British sport – not only in terms of his achievements, and the hard work and dedication which earns them, but also in the way he conducts himself.

“He came under unprecedented pressure this year, which I know he accepts as a burden all sport’s great champions must carry, but the dignified manner in which he dealt with it was an example for us all.”

Froome had a big 2015 - as well as winning the Tour de France for the second time he also became a father for the first time.

He said: "I am extremely humbled and very proud to receive this honour. It is obviously further recognition for the sport of cycling and it caps a fantastic year for me professionally and personally. It wouldn’t be possible without the help of my team-mates, coaches and of course the love and support from my family."

Howden’s OBE comes in the third year of his British Cycling presidency, after a volunteering career that started more than 40 years ago, before progressing to race organising, regional committees and a place on the British Cycling board.

He says he feels proud to be honoured by the Queen but, like thousands of volunteers up and down the country organising bike races, club runs and coaching young people, he was motivated by a love of the sport.

He said: “Cycling has come a long way in the last 10 years and much of the credit for that is due to an army of people who are passionate about cycling in their communities and give freely of their time and expertise, so it was great to see the Government start to recognise the value of volunteers in the new sport strategy announced just before Christmas.

“Without those people, the likes of Sir Chris Hoy and Laura Trott would not have made their first steps in the sport, without those people the huge numbers we have inspired to get on their bikes would not have the network of clubs and events needed to support them and without those people we simply would not have a sport.

He used the opportunity to recommend volunteering to others, saying he is an example of just how far volunteers can get in the sport.