Mark Cavendish has made the shortlist for 2011s BBC Sports Personality of the Year after capturing his twentieth Tour de France victory and the race's green jersey, before winning the road World Championships in September – the first British man to do so since Tom Simpson in 1965.
After a landmark year for British cycling, which included World titles on road, track, BMX and mountain bike, Cavendish's addition to the list came after Lucy Garner’s nomination for the Young Sports Personality of the Year.
Such has been cycling's success in 2011 Twitter campaigns have already been launched for both the Manxman and Garner, who took a miraculous win in her first junior road World Championships, stunning spectators with her sprint and patriotic nail painting in equal measure.
And with wins at the World Championships and Olympic Road Race Test Event there’s hope cycling will again be represented in the team of the year award when the show is televised live from Salford, with a public phone vote deciding the winner on December 22.
The last cyclist to win sports traditional end-of-year prize was Sir Chris Hoy in 2008, following an Olympic gold hat-trick, when the Scot joined a prestigious list including Lord Coe, David Beckham and Sir Stirling Moss.
And in 2011 British Cycling are proud to back both athletes who have progressed through a pathway set up by Performance Director Dave Brailsford.
Cavendish was one of the first few riders to progress through the now reveered British Cycling Olympic Academy, which has also produced Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift; Lucy Garner began her story with British Cycling in 2008 when she joined the Talent Team, before joining the Olympic Development Programme, which helped her to her biggest success.
