Is it all down to Brailsford?

[Penfold]

Just wonder what people think about the surge of British cycling........

Is it all down to Sir David Brailsford CBE and his techniques?

Who else in the backroom staff should be at least mentioned in dispatches?

Any bets being taken on Froome getting knighted after his TdF 2013 win?

[Mark1978]

Froome will get knighted. If he doesn't it would look very odd. Unless he has nationality issues that would prevent it?

[andrewk]

In a word yes. British cycling at an elite level didn't exist apart from the odd individual who cropped up from time to time. Brailsford brought vision, organisation and resources. Without him nothing much would have changed and IMO he is the one who deserves the honours.

[Si]

Assume that you mean the surge in British cycle racing, rather than all cycling

I think a fair bit of credit should go to Stan Boardman and his plastic bike. Despite the bike being a bit of a gimmick (the original marginal gain or what ever it is), Boardman did get a lot of airtime in the media and would probably have been the idol of many of the current Brit riders (although probably not Froome). But yes, Brailsford has brought a lot to it....probably the Clive Woodwood of cycling and we certainly wouldn't have seen the success that we have without him.

As for Froome getting knighted, I'm guessing not because he hasn't got a bag full of Olympic medals or any world records, and he's not the first Brit to win the TdF. Won't get SPOTY either thanks to Murray (who I think will soon be Sir Andy).

[cycleruk]

I think a fair bit of credit should go to Stan Boardman and his plastic bike..

Stan Boardman?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sh ... eback.html

His brother Chris wasn't a bad cyclist either.

[TonyR]

Froome will get knighted.

Maybe sometime in the future but not yet. Knighthoods in sport are based on sustained high performance. Although he's won four races so far this year, only the TdeF is in the general public's consciousness.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Ui,
Niether Wiggo or Froomee were born here but wiggo had an english mother
I think that you cannot use Sir if not born in Britain

[Mr. Viking]

Ui,
Niether Wiggo or Froomee were born here but wiggo had an english mother
I think that you cannot use Sir if not born in Britain

Sir Terry Wogan was born in Ireland. Can't think of any others off the top of my head. Says on wikipedia something about him "asserting british citizenship"

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
To use SIR it appears that you must be a national of a commonwealth country.
If not you could be awarded a honary knighthood. Like Sir Terry Wogan
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4503018.stm

Edited - Froome Kenya was Commonwealth
Born under british decent, mother born to british parents , father is english

[Mr. Viking]

I always thought you had the right to twin citizenship if born in Ireland. Perhaps it is only Northern Ireland, because I know I have joint nationality and can carry two passports

[Si]

I think a fair bit of credit should go to Stan Boardman and his plastic bike..

Stan Boardman?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sh ... eback.html

His brother Chris wasn't a bad cyclist either.

Can't help it after I turned up at the office (when Boardman was winnnng golds) with tri-bars on the bike and a shout came: "Who do you think you are, Stan Boardman?" . The caller's mistake probably made the statement more accurate than intended.

[TonyR]

Ui,
Niether Wiggo or Froomee were born here but wiggo had an english mother
I think that you cannot use Sir if not born in Britain

You can't use Sir if you are a non-Commonwealth national but there are plenty such who have been knighted - Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Bob Geldorf, Terry Wogan, Rudi Guiliani, Helmut Kohl.....

[Mark1978]

I always thought you had the right to twin citizenship if born in Ireland. Perhaps it is only Northern Ireland, because I know I have joint nationality and can carry two passports

IIRC. You can claim Irish citizenship if born anywhere on the island of Ireland. Obviously British if you are from Northern Ireland.

[Adam S]

Wogan qualified for British citizenship as he was born before the creation of the Republic of Ireland. He claimed this a few years ago so he has dual citizenship. As a bit of trivia, a similar clause allows (by a matter of a few months) Irishman Eddie Jordan to be a member of the British Racing Drivers' Club

[Mike Sales]

Wogan qualified for British citizenship as he was born before the creation of the Republic of Ireland. He claimed this a few years ago so he has dual citizenship. As a bit of trivia, a similar clause allows (by a matter of a few months) Irishman Eddie Jordan to be a member of the British Racing Drivers' Club

The Irish Free State began in 1922. Is Wogan really 91? Or Eddie Jordan? Have I overlooked something?