British Cycling legend Lizzie Deignan has today been recognised with an MBE for her achievements in the sport in the 2023 New Year Honours list, while Brixton BMX Club founder Ken Floyde receives a British Empire Medal.
Lizzie first burst onto the world stage as a track rider, winning three medals at the 2009 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, before switching primarily to racing on the road.
A four-time British road race champion, Lizzie has had a successful career representing Great Britain at three Olympic Games and claimed a silver medal in the 2012 Olympic road race in London.
She went on to win the 2014 Commonwealth Games road race for Team England, before being crowned elite road world champion in Richmond in 2015. She then took a further four victories in the inaugural UCI Women's World Tour in 2016. Originally hailing from Otley in Yorkshire, she also won the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire on home roads.
Having given birth to her daughter Orla in 2018, Lizzie returned to the start line to win the 2019 Women’s Tour. In 2021, she won the first edition of the Paris-Roubaix Femmes after an 80km solo breakaway, adding to previous victories in the Tour of Flanders and Liege-Bastogne-Leige.
Lizzie gave birth to her second child, Shea, in September this year, and will be returning to racing in 2023 for her road team, Trek Segafredo. She continues to be an inspirational and influential advocate for women and women's cycling across the world.
Responding to the announcement, Great Britain Cycling Team Performance Director, Stephen Park CBE, said:
"I am delighted to see Lizzie receive an MBE in recognition of her outstanding career to date and offer her my sincerest congratulations. This acknowledgement should come as no surprise to someone of Lizzie’s cycling calibre, becoming elite women’s road world champion in 2015 and being the first-ever winner of the Paris-Roubaix Femmes in 2021.
"For over 15 years, Lizzie has been at the forefront of women’s road racing, representing Great Britain to the highest level, and I am eager to see what the 2023 season holds for her on her return to racing after having her second child. Congratulations Lizzie!"
Also recognised in the New Year Honours list was Ken Floyde, Chair and founder of Brixton BMX Club, who was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to BMX and the community in Brixton, London Borough of Lambeth.
Ken founded the club in 1981 and was instrumental in building the first Brockwell Park BMX track, which has since welcomed thousands of riders and helped them to discover the joy and thrills of BMX racing.
Everybody at British Cycling would like to thanks Lizzie and Ken for their remarkable contributions to the sport.
