BRADLEY Wiggins, the Mod from Kilburn who made sporting history by winning the Tour de France and an Olympic gold this year, is knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours.

Sir Bradley heads a sparkling list of sporting heroes, including para-cyclist Sarah Storey, who is made a dame, and Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton, Mo Farah and David Weir, who all get CBEs.

Affectionately known as Wiggo, the first British winner of the Tour, right, said: “It’s quite something really. I never imagined that I would ever become a knight so it’s an incredible honour but there’s a slight element of disbelief, and it will take a while to sink in.

“There was never any doubt whether I’d accept it or not, it was more a case that I never saw myself as a sir, and I probably never will.”

The sporting stars who achieved so much at London 2012 meant a special honours list was added this year.

There was also recognition for those behind the Games.

Lord Coe, left, who becomes a Companion of Honour, while Jean Tomlin, who led the Games Maker programme, gets an OBE.

Sir Bradley’s knighthood is undoubtedly the icing on the cake in a year which saw him win the Tour de France, take Olympic gold in London, then be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Dame Sarah, 35, is honoured for services to para-cycling after winning four gold medals at London 2012, taking her Paralympic gold medal total to 11, and one of the country’s most successful Paralympians.

She said: “I can’t believe the number of times we’ve said this year, ‘Oh, can 2012 possibly get any better?’. We feel so fortunate that 2012 will always stand out as being the most incredible year.”

Knighthoods go to Dave Brailsford and David Tanner, performance directors at British Cycling and British Rowing, who drove their teams to success at London 2012.

CBEs go to some of sport’s biggest household names – rower Katherine Grainger, heptathlete and London 2012 poster girl Ennis, right, cyclist Pendleton, wheelchair athlete Weir, and Farah, who captured the nation’s hearts with his double gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m.

OBEs go to equestrians Sophie Christiansen and Charlotte Dujardin, tennis hero Andy Murray, paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and cycling couple Laura Trott and Jason Kenny.

Among those to get MBEs are boxer Nicola Adams; canoeist Timothy Baillie; equestrians Laura Bechtolsheimer and Carl Hester; rowers Katherine Copeland and Helen Glover; wheelchair racer “Hurricane” Hannah Cockcroft; and paralympic swimmer Josef Craig.

Triathlon gold medallist Alistair Brownlee gets an MBE but brother Jonathan, who took bronze, misses out, while the MBE also goes to Welsh Tae Kwon Do gold medallist Jade Jones, Paralympic poster boy Jonnie Peacock, long jump hero Greg Rutherford and gymnast Louis Smith, left.

Away from sport, the Companion of Honour goes to Professor Peter Higgs, namesake of the Higgs boson or socalled “God particle”, which was finally proved to exist in July, 48 years after he first proposed it.

There is a knighthood for illustrator Quentin Blake and CBEs for artist Tracey Emin, choreographer Arlene Phillips and singer/songwriter Kate Bush.

Bush said she was “deeply honoured”, while former Strictly Come Dancing judge Phillips said: “I am very pleasantly surprised but mostly absolutely thrilled and delighted to receive such a wonderful honour.”