‘The backbone of Welsh cycling’ Bill Owen receives MBE

Gwent’s Bill Owen has received his MBE from His Majesty The Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace and described it as ‘a once in a lifetime experience’.
Owen has been recognised for over fifty years service to cycling in Wales with his honour and went to the Palace with wife Brenda and their family on Friday.
Owen said “it was a very proud moment to be at the Palace with family for my investiture and to receive the honour from our future King.
“I was so impressed with the professionalism of Prince William who spoke to me informally about how he knew and liked Abergavenny.”
Owen has served as president and chairman of the Welsh Cycling Union – now called Welsh Cycling – which is the governing body of the sport in the Principality. He was also one of the longest serving directors of the national governing body of British Cycling from 2002 when membership was 10,000 until 2015 which saw membership rise to over 100,000. He has been honoured several times by them including being inducted into the British Cycling Hall of Fame this year, plus previously gaining their Gold Badge of Honour.
And this year Owen will be celebrating a decade since he revived the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling which takes place on June 24 and 25 with Town Centre Series races taking place in Abergavenny on July 7.