Stamp issued to celebrate London 2012 cycling gold

The GB cycling team's gold medal success in the men's pursuit is being celebrated with a special stamp.

Welsh cyclist Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Peter Kennaugh broke the world record in beating Australia on Friday night.

The team retained the title they had won in Beijing four years ago.

Royal Mail said a batch of special stamps was being printed overnight to go on sale on Saturday morning to mark their success.

The stamps will be on sale in over 500 post office branches across the UK from around lunchtime on Saturday, including Thomas's home city of Cardiff, Clancy's home town Huddersfield and Colne in Lancashire for Burke. Kennaugh is from the Isle of Man.

Thomas is the first Welsh athlete to win gold medals in back-to-back Olympics since equestrian rider Richard Meade in 1968 and 1972.

Royal Mail has pledged to issue a stamp for each Team GB gold during the Games. The stamps cost the normal first class price of 60p.

It will also paint a postbox gold in each of the home towns of gold medal winners, including Cardiff city centre, Huddersfield and Colne.

The Isle of Man post office, which is independent of the Royal Mail network, will be making its own arrangements to paint a post box gold for Kennaugh.

Social media was overwhelmed with messages of congratulations to the team from cycling fans, politicians and fellow sportsmen and women.

They led from start to finish and broke their own world record in a dominant display over the 4000m distance.