Laura and Jason Kenny are bookies' favourite cyclists for BBC Sports Personality of the Year

The annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year award is rapidly approaching – we take a look at who the bookmakers are tipping for the coveted and sometimes controversial award

Jason Kenny and Laura Trott, Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Watson)
(Image credit: Watson)

Laura Kenny (née Trott) and Jason Kenny are the cycling front-runners for the 2016 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Laura Kenny became Britain's most decorated female Olympian in history at the Rio Games, taking her third and fourth gold medals in the omnium and team pursuit on the track.

Track sprinter Jason Kenny elevated himself among the all-time British sporting greats by claiming three gold medals in Rio in the sprint, keirin and team sprint to bring his Olympic gold tally to six.

The Olympic success of the pair and their subsequent marriage in September have established the status of Laura and Jason Kenny as household names in Great Britain.

Paralympic star Dame Sarah Storey is also rated by the bookies, having taken two gold medals on the road and one on the track in Rio to become Britain's most successful female Paralympian of all time.

20160908 Copyright onEdition 2016© Free for editorial use image, please credit: onEdition Cyclist Dame Sarah Storey DBE (C4-5) from Manchester, wins a gold medal for ParalympicsGB at the Rio Paralympic Games 2016. ParalympicsGB is the name for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic Team that competes at the summer and winter Paralympic Games. The Team is selected and managed by the British Paralympic Association, in conjunction with the national governing bodies, and is made up of the best sportsmen and women who compete in the 22 summer and 4 winter sports on the Paralympic Programme. For additional Images please visit: http://www.w-w-i.com/paralympicsgb_2016/ For more information please contact the press office via press@paralympics.org.uk or on +44 (0) 7717 587 055 If you require a higher resolution image or you have any other onEdition photographic enquiries, please contact onEdition on 0845 900 2 900 or email info@onEdition.com This image is copyright onEdition 2016©. This image has been supplied by onEdition and must be credited onEdition. The author is asserting his full Moral rights in relation to the publication of this image. Rights for onward transmission of any image or file is not granted or implied. Changing or deleting Copyright information is illegal as specified in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. If you are in any way unsure of your right to publish this image please contact onEdition on 0845 900 2 900 or email info@onEdition.com

Dame Sarah Storey. Photo: onEdition
(Image credit: onEdition)

Despite claiming his third Tour de France victory and bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Chris Froome does not figure highly in the bookies' predictions for the award.

All of the cycling stars will have to overcome overwhelming odds for tennis player Andy Murray to take a third SPOTY victory, having previously won in 2013 and again last year.

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Other bookies' favourites include runner Mo Farah, triathlete Alistair Brownlee, footballer Gareth Bale, gymnast Max Whitlock and F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

Cyclists have fared pretty well in recent years: Sir Bradley Wiggins (2012), Mark Cavendish (2011) and Sir Chris Hoy (2008) have all won in the past 10 editions.

The final shortlist of 10 sportspeople is traditionally announced by the BBC at the end of November. The winner is chosen by public vote held during the live broadcast of the award ceremony, which takes place in Birmingham on Sunday, December 18 and broadcast live on BBC One.

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, n exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.