MARK Cavendish won the Sports Personality of the Year award in Salford and hailed a landmark night for British cycling.

The Isle of Man rider pipped golfer Darren Clarke and athlete Mo Farah to the gong, having achieved the two huge goals that he set for himself this year which were to clinch gold at the World Championships Road Race and take the green jersey in the Tour de France.

Cavendish joined Tommy Simpson and Sir Chris Hoy as the only cyclists to pick up the award, which is voted for by the public.

“This is a landmark in cycling, and I take this on behalf of cycling. For cycling to be recognised in a non-Olympic year, a few years ago would be unheard of, yet it’s happened,” said Cavendish.

“With cycling, as with any sport, what you put in is what you get out. It’s down to you. I can’t control how people react to what I’ve achieved and that makes it the biggest honour possible for me.

“There are more people riding bikes now who can actually appreciate what it is. It’s not just the Tour de France, we’re racing 100 days a year and people know what it is to ride such distances in such times now and what it takes.

“It makes me smile every time I see a family out on their bikes, every time I see a child wanting to ride.”