British Cycling performance manager Shane Sutton has been appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Sutton has been a cornerstone of Great Britain’s highly successful cycling team, acting as coach to many riders who have achieved success on the world and Olympic stage.
The Australian has been part of Team GB’s coaching set-up since 2002, and won the coveted ‘Coach of the Year’ award in December 2008 after Britain’s cycling team dominated the medals at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
“It’s obviously a huge honour to be awarded with an OBE and it’s something to be proud of,” said Sutton.
“For me though, it’s not a personal accolade. The riders, the coaching team and the support staff I have around me make up a big percentage of what we’ve achieved and so the recognition is for all of the GB Cycling Team to share.”
Sutton moved to Britain from Australia in the early eighties and rode for several UK-based road teams including Banana-Falcon, PMS and ANC-Halfords – for whom he rode in the 1987 Tour de France. He won the Milk race in 1990.
Related links
Sutton named coach of the year
Shane Sutton: The Big Interview