The 26-year-old Manx Missile was heavy favourite to take the prestigious trophy following a year that saw him claim the best sprinter green jersey in the Tour de France and became world champion after victory in the road race at the 2011 UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen.

However, Cavendish was still left fighting back the tears as he was announced as the winner by Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson.

"I'm absolutely speechless," said Cavendish, who is only the third cyclist to win the award after Tommy Simpson in 1965 and Sir Chris Hoy in 2008.

"A few of my team-mates are here and they'll say that's a rare thing!

"Without these guys this wouldn't be close to possible.

"I'd like to thank them, everyone who supports me, my girlfriend and her little bump.

"Just even to be nominated in the top 10 this year in such an incredible year in British sport, that we can produce so many champions from such a small place, I really am lost for words.

"Thank you to everyone at home who has voted.

"This is a landmark in cycling, and I take this on behalf of cycling."


Second place went to popular Northern Irish golfer Darren Clarke after he won the British Open Championship at Royal St George's in what was his first major win after more than 20 years and 54 attempts.

Third place went to long distance runner Mo Farah after the 28-year-old claimed gold and silver in the World Championships in Daegu in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres respectively.

But the night undoubtedly belonged to Cavendish in what truly was a remarkable year for the new Team Sky recruit.

While becoming the first British cyclist to ever win the green jersey and bringing his career total to 20 Tour de France stage wins, Cavendish became just the second British world champion after Simpson in 1965 when he won the men's road race in Denmark alongside an eight-strong British team.

Cavendish also won the London–Surrey Cycle Classic, the London 2012 road race test event, and is being widely tipped to win Britain's first medal at the Olympics with the men's road race to take place on the first day of full competition at the Games.

"For cycling to be recognised in a non-Olympic year, a few years ago would be unheard of, yet it's happened," Cavendish added.

"Now I see so many people out riding bikes, commuting to work or doing it as a hobby, they can see what it's like to ride.

"We're so great as a country in sport because we put so much in and you see the returns.

"Thank you everyone, thank you.

"It's an honour."


In another highlight of the night, rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave was given as standing ovation as he received the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sir Steve is widely considered Britain's greatest ever Olympic after winning five gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000 and he admitted he was honoured to take the accolade.

"Eleven years ago when I received BBC Sports Personality of the Year I thought that was the last time I was going to receive any awards," he said.

"Without family and friends I would never have been able to achieve the sort of things I managed in the sport."

The England Test cricket team won the Sports Personality Team of the Year award after securing a first Ashes series triumph in Australia since 1987 while their coach Andy Flower won the Sports Personality Coach of the Year award after inspiring the success.

Golfer Lauren Taylor was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year after she became the youngest winner of the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship when she took the title in June aged only 16.

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, who won three of the sport's four Grand Slams in 2011, was named as Overseas Sports Personality of the Year.

Former jockey Bob Champion was given the Helen Rollason Award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity.

Champion was undoubtedly a worthy recipient of the prize after fighting cancer to win the Grand National, the world's most famous steeplechase at Aintree, on Aldaniti, his injury-plagued mount, in 1981 while he has been a tireless fundraiser ever since.

"It's absolutely amazing, a great honour," the 63-year-old said.

"I was shocked when I heard about it."

The other prize to be handed out was the Sports Unsung Hero award which went to athletics coaches Janice Eaglesham and Ian Mirfin from Scotland.

The pair formed the Red Star Athletics Club in Glasgow 21 years ago with only a couple of members.

Since then the club has grown, with more than 150 disabled athletes having been trained by the duo over the years.

It is the first time a joint nomination has been chosen out of the 15 regional winners from across the UK.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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