Shane Sutton, the cycling coach who was such a significant part of the successful British team at this year’s Olympic Games, has been rewarded for his efforts with the coach of the year accolade.

He was named coach of the year at the UK coaching awards, an event which also recognised the efforts of Duncan Parniss, the hockey coach who was named young coach of the year, and John Jacobs OBE, the golf coach who was handed the lifetime achievement award.

Sutton, who is fifty-one years of age, helped to hone the skills of Britain’s best cyclists throughout the year. The physical fitness and tactical awareness of Britain’s cyclists were apparent at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships.

British cyclists have been vocal in their support for the coach, with Bradley Wiggins, the cycling legend, stating that Sutton is the heart and soul of cycling in the United Kingdom, and Dave Brailsford, the performance director for British cycling, revealing that he would be unable to perform his job properly without the support of the magnificent coach.

Sutton has put his success in the world of coaching down to having a “sympathetic ear” and remaining motivated and fully committed to the job. He has a unique ability to recognise the individual characteristics of British cycling’s biggest stars and he knows how to motivate each cyclist differently.

For example, he has coached Bradley Wiggins in such a manner as to allow the cyclist to overcome his “nervous” and “complicated” (to use the words of the coach) personality.