Cycling has always been one of the sports that Great Britain has hung its hat on. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, 14 of our 47 medals came on two wheels. The legendary Chris Hoy won three gold medals, making him the first British Olympian to win three gold medals in a single Games since 1908, and—along with his gold in 2004 and silver in 2000—Scotland’s most successful Olympian ever.
So with the London 2012 Games starting Friday, what better time could there be for another British cycling milestone?
Bradley Wiggins wore the yellow jersey down the Champs Elysees on Sunday, becoming the first Brit to win the Tour de France. And better yet, his teammate and countryman Chris Froome finished second.
Both Froome and Wiggins will be part of the Team Great Britain Olympic road racing team. For Wiggins, the Games will be a chance to add onto his already impressive Olympic haul: he’s won six medals since 2000, including two gold in Beijing.
It wasn’t this summer’s only win for British Olympic hopefuls. Andy Murray made it all the way to the finals at Wimbledon—the first Brit to advance to the finals in more than 70 years. Andy and his brother Jamie will carry the mantle for men’s tennis, with a chance to win gold on the same court where Andy came oh-so-close against Roger Federer.
Hopefully the success of sporting Britons over the last few weeks continues once the Games begin. The spectacle kicks off on Friday night. See you at the Games!