Sir Mark Cavendish wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement award: "Something very, very special"

Sir Mark Cavendish will be rewarded for his incredible cycling career when he receives the Lifetime Achievement award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year at the end of the year.

Cavendish achieved the moment we’d all been waiting for in the Tour de France in July, where he finally won his 35th stage to break Eddy Merckx’s long standing record for the most Tour de France stage wins. After completing this legendary feat, Cavendish confirmed his retirement from professional cycling, ending any speculation of him chasing more wins at next year’s edition in July.

The ’Manx Missile,’ claimed the final of 165 professional wins at the Tour de France Criterium, a race in Singapore at the beginning of November.

"It's such an amazing feeling - what an honour," Cavendish said about the award he will receive on Tuesday. "I've been riding for 20 years and I've done everything I can so to be awarded this is something very, very special.

"I'm very fortunate I've done everything I wanted to do, and proud that's more than many other people have done as well. I always dreamed of having my name alongside those greats I grew up watching."

The 39 year old rode for Astan Qazaqstan Team, Soudal – Quick-Step and Team Sky throughout his superb career, which also include a world title, a victory at Milano-Sanremo, 17 stage wins at the Giro d’Italia and three stage wins at the Vuelta a Espana.