The 2017 FT Bidlake Memorial Prize has been awarded to Chris Froome in recognition of his achievement of winning the Tour de France for the fourth time, then being the first British rider to win the Vuelta a España in the same year.
“I’m delighted to have been given the 2017 FT Bidlake Memorial Prize,”
Froome said.
“It’s always nice to have your achievements recognised in this way, even more so when it’s in the context of such a long standing award that has recognised contributions to cycling in Britain for generations now. It’s an honour to be added to that list.”
The Bidlake Memorial Prize is one of the oldest and most venerated awards in British cycle sport; past winners include Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Tom Simpson.
It was devised in 1934 in memory of Frederick Thomas Bidlake, the man generally considered to be the father of time-trialling, and is awarded annually to the most outstanding performance or contribution to the betterment of cycling in all spheres.
The recipient is voted for by the FT Bidlake Memorial Trust, an independent body; the committee met in late November 2017 to make its decision.
In 2017, Froome won the Tour de France for the fourth time, took two stages and the overall at the Vuelta a España and a bronze medal at the World Championship time-trial. The Briton’s summer feat made him only the third cyclist in history to do the Tour-Vuelta double, emulating Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.
The winner’s plaque will be officially handed over to Froome in early 2018. The Team Sky rider follows British track cycling star Laura Trott as the recipient of the FT Bidlake Memorial Prize.
For further information, including a list of past Bidlake Memorial Prize winners, please visit www.bidlakememorial.org.uk.
