Sir Bradley Wiggins has a chance to surpass Sir Chris Hoy's Olympic medal tally in Rio next month, but the Scottish sprinter appears to be head and shoulders above Wiggins in the popularity stakes.
Hoy was voted Britain's best Olympian ever in a poll of 2,000 people by Team GB's outfitters Simon Jersey, with Wiggins the only other cyclist in the top ten, down in eighth.
Sir Steve Redgrave, who won gold medals in five consecutive Games, finished second in the voting, but it was Hoy who sealed the top spot thanks to his six golds and a silver from three Games.
A guide to the road races and time trials at Rio 2016
“He’s the most decorated of all, so we aren’t surprised that he’s been voted the greatest British Olympian of all time above so many other famous names,” a spokesman for Simon Jersey said of Hoy.
“And many will remember Sir Steve Redgrave winning his fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal which has earned him his runner-up spot.
“With the 2016 Olympics in Rio just around the corner, many will be looking forward to the same excitement with both new and familiar Olympic faces on our televisions.”
Decathlete Daley Thompson finished third in the voting, with London 2012 heroes Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill fourth and fifth respectively.
Behind Wiggins, cyclists Victoria Pendleton (12th), Chris Boardman (29th), Laura Trott (38th) and Dame Sarah Storey (50th) all made it into the top 50.
-
-
Fabio Jakobsen takes his first win after life-threatening crash
The Dutch sprinter is back on the top step after his crash with Dylan Groenewegen one year ago
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Tour of Britain 2021 route: Team time trial and Great Orme finish unveiled
This year's race will take the peloton from Cornwall, through Wales, before finishing in Scotland
By Richard Windsor •
-
Bradley Wiggins plans women’s Team Wiggins
Newly crowned team pursuit gold medalist Bradley Wiggins considers his next move after Rio
By Richard Abraham •
-
Bradley Wiggins backs Shane Sutton to be re-instated by British Cycling after Rio Olympics
Five-time gold medallist Bradley Wiggins expects Shane Sutton to be cleared of wrong-doing by BC inquiry
By Richard Abraham •
-
Put it away Chris Hoy! Rider-turned-pundit caught out on camera
Sir Chris Hoy was twice caught on camera checking his phone. Was he playing Pokemon Go? Whatever, his reaction was priceless
By Simon Richardson •
-
Bradley Wiggins denies Mark Cavendish rift after team pursuit
Mark Cavendish misses out on Olympic team pursuit gold but Bradley Wiggins denies freezing the Manxman out of the line up
By Richard Abraham •
-
Steve Redgrave: 'I’m getting fed up with these cyclists!'
British Olympian Steve Redgrave "honoured" as Bradley Wiggins joins the five-time Olympic gold medallist club
By Richard Abraham •
-
'Spectacular, impressive, unbelievable': rivals react to Bradley Wiggins and GB men's team pursuit gold
How did Great Britain's rivals rate the performance of Bradley Wiggins and his teammates in the team pursuit?
By Richard Abraham •
-
Bradley Wiggins: 'I wanted it to end like this'
Gold in the team pursuit at the Rio Olympics means Bradley Wiggins bows out as Britain's most decorated Olympian
By Richard Abraham •
-
Great Britain pushed to limit to win gold in Olympic men's team pursuit
Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Bradley Wiggins and Owain Doull faced a very stiff fight against the Australian team to take gold in the men's team pursuit
By Nigel Wynn •
