: Tour de France: Hoy says Wiggins win will be best Brit achievement Sir Chris Hoy has claimed if Bradley Wiggins wins the Tour de France then it will be the "greatest sporting achievement" by a British athlete. Wiggins is almost certain to become the first Briton to win the Tour on Sunday. The 32-year-old leads Team Sky team-mate Chris Froome by two minutes and five seconds with Italian Vincenzo Nibali a further 36 seconds back. "If he does it, I think this will be the greatest achievement by any British sportsperson ever," Hoy said. The four-time Olympic gold medallist continued: "That's a big claim, but you cannot overstate how hard it is to win the Tour de France. "There's a reason why no-one from Britain has ever done it before. I still have to pinch myself. It's just unbelievable." Mark Cavendish won stage 18 of the Tour on Friday, his second stage win in this year's event, as Wiggins maintained his advantage over Froome and Nibali ahead of Saturday's 53.5km contre la montre to Chartres route. Given Wiggins won the previous time trial in this year's Tour by 35 seconds from team-mate Froome, he will be confident of extending his advantage in the penultimate stage. Olympic team pursuit gold medallist Geraint Thomas was also full of praise for Wiggins and the Welshman thinks the Team Sky rider's performances will be a boost for British cycling. He said: "It's unbelievable really, the way he's ridden all year, he's been so consistent. He's ridden phenomenally. "Like he always does he's delivered the goods and it's just been incredible to watch. I rode Paris-Nice with him and [Tour de] Romandie this year and you can see he's a changed bike rider, he has the confidence and belief and when he's like that there's no stopping him. "It's great for British sport and I think cycling will continue to grow, it's fantastic for cycling." http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/18934242
It's a great achievement by Wiggins but for Chris Hoy to describe it as the beat ever by a British sportperson is a bit OTT. The best in the sport of cycling maybe but then Chris Hoy himself won 2 gold medals at the last olympics didnt he? He is also going for another two in this olympics as well. I am neutral in that I'm not British but for example, for Steve Redgrave to win gold medals at 4 or 5 consecutive olympics in rowing was a far better achievement in my humble opinion. If Wiggins were to win 4 or 5 conscutive Tour De France, maybe then I will agree it might be the best ever achievement by a British sports person. It is great for British cycling for a Briton to win the Tour. Well done Mr Wiggins.
Chris Hoy won 3 golds but I have to agree with your choice of Steve Redgrave as the greatest ever achievement by a British sports person
Has to be Redgrave as the greatest Olympian, especially as he was an insulin requiring diabetic for the 5th. However, my personal Olympic hero is Eric Liddel. A man who had tremendous gift but a depth of character and integrity to match that gift. Slightly off topic but great respect for Drogba and his charity work - a fine human being.
Although this is a fantastic achievement by Wiggins, to win a three week race covering over 2,000 miles and going up ludicrously punishing mountains like the Col du Tourmalet, it should be remembered that this is as much a team sport these days as an individual sport. Team Sky have been far and away the strongest team, particularly in the mountains, which Wiggins himself will admit, is not his strongest card. He is an exceptionally good time-triallist and general all rounder but without his strong team to dictate the mountain stages it may have been a very different story and, ironically, it was another British member of his team, Chris Froome, who was only denied being within a minute of him in the overall standings by a puncture early in the race who many believe would have won the race if he had been the designated Sky team leader as he is much stronger in the mountains and may have put a lot more than the two minute gap between them if he'd been allowed to attack on some of the climbs which did for Evans and others. Overall he has done brilliantly to win but Froome must feel immensely frustrated that he has sacrificed his own excellent chance under team orders. It should also be noted that last year's winner Andy Schleck and previous winner Alberto Contador were both missing from the race this year. I'd agree that Redgrave's five gold medals with different teammates in different versions of his event over a 16 year span has to be the greatest sporting achievement...
when you take into consideration his limited knowledge, Alan Hansen getting that great job on the BBC has to be up there.....
Last years Tour De Frances was won by Cadel Evans who has been blown away by Wiggins and co!. Contador only won the 2 yrs ago because he was on drugs!.Even if they had of been in it,they would have also been blown away!. Awesome stuff,but Redgrave takes the title!
Agreed. I would also say Dyer getting another season at Loftus Road for him is a great sporting achievement.
Hell, that would have to be some choice, one person of all time. There have been so many over the years that probably deserve an equal share of the title. I'll have a think about this and come back. If I were to choose a team, then it would have to be GB's cycling team in the last Olympics, they all just clicked at the right time, phenomenal performance.
For me it's a toss up between Sir Steve Regrave or Sir Dailey Thompson. Regrave winning 5 gold medals over a 20 year period is something I'm sure will take a long time to beat. Imagine being at the top of your sport for 20 years. The dedication needed for that length of time, to wake up at the crack of dawn to go to training in all weather, all year, for 20 consecutive years. And he's diabetic. Then there is Dailey Thompson, who may have only won 2 gold medals, but he was undefeated in his sport, or should that be sports as he had to specialize in 10 different events, for 10 years. Throughout sport there are some pretty special individuals, who dominate their sport and over the years win everything there is to win on a regular basis. But to win every competition you enter for 10 years consecutively is an achievement I don't think has ever been matched. But those two stand out for me, not really sure who deserves the accolade most, but both would be worthy winners.
What about Carys Davina "Tanni" Grey-Thompson DBE? Born with spina bifida she has competed in 5 paralympics winning 11 gold medals, 4 silver and a bronze. She has also won 6 London Marathons (4 seconds and a third) and numerous other events. This link lists some of her achievements http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/disability_sport/6642479.stm
How come no one has photoshopped a picture of Terry celebrated with him? Although Im not sure I could cope with seeing him in lycra, even if it is shopped.
I think he will be recognised as such when he lights the Olympic cauldron next Friday. I agree best British sportsman as Redgrave...single British event...Roger Bannister breaking the 4 min mile....he was an ameteur, he trained essentially on his own without professional help, he plotted how it would happen down to a tee...he got everything in place and then did it. He showed an atheleticism and professionalism that was unknown at that time
Alan Wells maybe. Can't see another British person winning the 100 metres let alone a white guy from Scotland. As for Bradley Wiggins after the Lance Armstrong charade I'd wait another ten years before passing judgement on whether he's doping or not. http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=17796 (The Sky-Con-O-Meter. Predictions on how much more ridiculous they can get)
