Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo), former world highway champ and winner of the primary ever ladies’s Paris-Roubaix, is being awarded an MBE within the 2023 New Years Honours record.
The 34-year-old Deignan, who was born and raised in West Yorkshire, is about to return to competitors subsequent season after having her second little one this September. She nabbed the coveted inaugural ladies’s Paris-Roubaix victory in 2021 after having taken a hiatus for the start of her first little one.
Now, as British Biking has introduced, Deignan is being acknowledged with an MBE (Most Wonderful Order of the British Empire) appointment, bringing her into the corporate of different biking stars who’ve been given the identical recognition. Among the many many biking notables within the fold are Bradley Wiggins (who has since been knighted), Nicole Cooke, Mark Cavendish, Jason and Laura Kenny (who’ve since been raised to knight and dame), Chris Froome, Joanna Rowsell, Geraint Thomas, and Tom Pidcock.
Deignan’s recognition comes as a part of the primary New Years Honours Listing of King Charles, and others receiving MBE distinctions this 12 months embrace Queen guitarist Brian Could, former footballer and sports activities analyst Chris Kamara, and a number of members of the England ladies’s nationwide soccer group, who received the Euro 2022 title in July.
For Deignan, the honour comes 13 years after she received a gold medal as a part of the British group pursuit squad earlier than shifting her focus to highway racing. In 2011, she received the primary of what have since turn out to be 4 British nationwide highway titles, and in 2012, she received Gent-Wevelgem after which took a silver medal within the highway race on the London Olympics.
At Richmond Worlds in 2015, she secured the rainbow jersey within the elite ladies’s highway race, and has since gone on to take a number of different main victories, together with her wins on the 2016 Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and La Course in 2020, and Paris-Roubaix final 12 months.
Early on in 2022, she introduced that she could be taking a season-long hiatus as she was anticipating her second little one. She is going to return racing in 2023, having signed on to proceed with Trek-Segafredo.
“I’m delighted to see Lizzie obtain an MBE in recognition of her excellent profession to this point and supply her my sincerest congratulations. This acknowledgement ought to come as no shock to somebody of Lizzie’s biking calibre, turning into elite ladies’s highway world champion in 2015 and being the first-ever winner of the Paris-Roubaix Femmes in 2021,” mentioned Nice Britain Biking Crew Efficiency Director Stephen Park, based on an announcement from British Biking.
“For over 15 years, Lizzie has been on the forefront of girls’s highway racing, representing Nice Britain to the best stage, and I’m wanting to see what the 2023 season holds for her on her return to racing after having her second little one. Congratulations Lizzie!”