Honours continue to pour in as Bradley Wiggins celebrates his Olympic gold

The tributes continued today, Royal Mail has commemorated the Lancashire-based cyclist's win by producing a stamp in his honour, and painting a post box in Chorley town centre gold.

The Wiggo stamp shows him in his Team GB kit and bears the words Gold Medal Winner Bradley Wiggins Cycling: Road Men's Time Trial.

The post box, on Market Street opposite the town hall, was transformed this morning.

Chorley Council announced yesterday that Wiggins will be given the freedom of the borough in recognition of his achievements.

Council deputy leader Peter Wilson said: "It has been truly fantastic to see the effect Bradley Wiggins's success has had on people, not just in Chorley, but across the country.

"It has been the one thing everyone has been talking about and it has been brilliant to see a Chorley resident become such an inspiration to others both here and across the world, acting as an ambassador for our borough.

"We thought it was only right we offered him the highest honour possible we can give to a resident."

Royal Mail will produce a special stamp every time a Team GB athlete wins gold, making them available by lunchtime the next day after each win.

A post box in each winning athlete's home town will also be turned gold. It is the first occasion in modern times that Royal Mail has changed the colour of its post boxes, with red being the standard colour since 1874.

Meanwhile, the Lancashire cycling sensation has celebrated his record-breaking gold medal win yesterday by raising a few glasses and getting "blind drunk".

The 32-year-old fell off the wagon Wednesday night after revealing plans to toast his achievement with a few vodka tonics.

He later posted photos of himself on Twitter enjoying celebratory drinks with friends near St Paul's Cathedral.

He wrote: "Well what a day, blind drunk at the minute and overwhelmed with all the messages. Thank you everyone it's been emotional X."

In one photo he is pictured holding up a drink and making the v for victory sign.

Wiggins' success in the road cycling time-trial came just 10 days after his historic Tour de France win.

After he raced to glory around Hampton Court, he told BBC Three: "I'm just going to get really drunk tonight and have a good think about things."

But after winning gold, an overzealous fan stole his cycling shorts while he showered, ITV News reported.

Wiggins said: "It's only a bit of cycling kit. But you don't expect pilferers to do that in a five-star spa. Sweaty cycling kit is probably on eBay tonight."

British cycling chief Dave Brailsford has led the clamour for Lancashire's Bradley Wiggins to be knighted after the Tour de France winner became the most decorated Briton in Olympic history.

Wiggins claimed the gold in the individual time trial at Hampton Court to take his total of Olympic medals to seven, one more than Sir Steven Redgrave.

Bookies William Hill immediately cut the odds on Wiggins, who has now won four Olympic gold medals and claimed his latest just 10 days after becoming the first Briton to wear the Yellow Jersey on the Champs Elysees, becoming Sir Bradley in the Queen's New Year's Honours to 1/2.

Ladbrokes, meanwhile, paid out early on any bets struck on Wiggins winning the Sports Personality of the Year award this December.

Brailsford, who saw Chris Hoy knighted after taking his gold haul to four in Beijing, said: "I've got no idea what criteria they use to hand things out like that (a knighthood), but if anybody is deserving of one, I think Brad is, given other people that you see walking around with a 'Sir' before their name.

"I'm sure he's on a par, if not above certain other people. Chris' (Hoy) achievement was absolutely brilliant and that was well, well deserved, but Bradley now deserves to be recognised, for sure."

Chris Froome, who came runner-up to Wiggins in the Tour de France and claimed a bronze for Britain in the time trial, also believes his teammate should get a call from the Palace.

Froome said: "That's not for me to decide but, yeah, definitely, why not?"

Typically, Wiggins preferred to play it all down.

When asked 'How does Sir Wiggo sound to you?' he said: "It doesn't quite sound right, let's be honest. As much as an honour it would be to receive something like that, I don't think I'd ever use it. I'd just put it in a drawer. I'll always just be Brad."