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Sprinter Mark Cavendish was the winner of tonight’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year, to become only the third cyclist to win the prestigious annual award. Tom Simpson won in 1965 and Chris Hoy won in 2008.
This year’s award had been controversial because not one woman features among the ten names on the shortlist.
The winner was crowned in a live show on BBC1 tonight.
Cavendish has had a stellar year, becoming the world road race champion, winner of five stages at the Tour de France and ending as green jersey winner, too. Cav has won 20 Tour de France stages in the last four years.
The winner of SPOTY was decided by public vote. Cavendish won 49.47 percent of the vote. Golfer Darren Clarke came second with 12.34 percent of the vote.
Upon receiving the trophy, Cavendish said:
"I had a group of guys who rode in Copenhagen who brought the rainbow jersey back to Britain after nearly half a century and that is a massive thing. Even to be nominated in the top 10 is an incredible thing.
"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."
And Cav wasn’t the only winner tonight: according to Ladbrookes two punters are to share £100,000 thanks to them placing a bet on the Manxman when the odds on him winning were 66/1.
