He was mindful, too, that his win signalled a watershed, ushering cycling into the mainstream of British sport. ?The more people who are riding bikes, the more they can appreciate what it means,? he said.
?It is not just the Tour de France ? one race a year. We are racing 100 days a year. They know what it is to race such distances for such a long time. They appreciate all it takes to do that.?
Cavendish, whose nickname is the ?Manx Missile?. has disclosed he still wears he rainbow jersey he earned from the unforgettable afternoon in Copenhagen when he won the road cycling world title. That Sunday in September, the eight-strong GB team ignored all breakaways to control the peloton over the 170-mile course before delivering Cavendish to the finishing line in grand style.
His exploits in the Tour de France were even more staggering: besides the green jersey he took as the leading sprinter, he claimed a third successive stage win in Paris that made him the first man to have won the final three stages in succession since the great Belgian Eddy Merckx in 1972.
Talking of Belgium, Cavendish told the story of how it had been the first country to acclaim him as the leading sports personality ? twice. ?To be honest it has been like this in other countries for a few years now,? he said with a smile as pregnant girlfriend Peta Todd looked on.
Knowing that he could seize Britain?s first gold in London next summer, Cavendish said: ?There couldn?t be a more perfect way to go into the Olympics than as Sports Personality of the country. We go in, it?s the first medal on offer at the Games and
everyone is looking at me and my team to achieve that first goal. It couldn?t be more fitting that I am doing that with this accolade under my belt.?
Clarke?s runner-up placing was his reward for a year of gloriously unexpected success. True to exuberant form, Clarke marked the honour by recalling an incident on the evening of his post-Open celebrations where, briefly, he thought he had lost the Claret Jug.
But it was prove a false alarm: the Northern Irishman had indeed won the prize he most coveted, having started the tournament as a 200-1 outsider.
Farah, who heads to Kenya today for four weeks of high-intensity training was a popular choice in third. Having moved to train to the United States with Alberto Salazar, he found 2011 was the year all his graft reaped handsome dividends. His win in the 5,000m was not just the most significant distance win by a Briton since that by Ireland?s Eamonn Coghlan at the Worlds in 1983, but also the first long distance gold won by a British male at a global championships.
Novak Djokovic, after his remarkable haul of three Grand Slam titles, emulated rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to become the Overseas Sports Personality of the Year.
Breaking the Federer-Nadal duopoly at the head of men?s tennis, the Serbian enjoyed an extraordinarily decorated season, amassing six titles in succession from the Australian Open to the Rome Masters.
It was the year when England?s cricketers combined the exquisite triumph of winning the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 25 years with the satisfaction of being officially recognised as the world?s best Test side.
Andrew Strauss?s players, who sealed their elevation to No?1 status with a 4-0 series whitewash against India in August, last night can now add Team of the Year to that portfolio, while England team director Andy Flower was named Coach of the Year.
Sir Steve Redgrave, who won the main prize in 2000 in the year of his fifth Olympic gold, savoured rich acclaim as winner of the Lifetime Achievement award.
The honour, presented by the Princess Royal, reflected not merely Redgrave?s prolonged and garlanded career at the pinnacle of rowing but also his continued charitable commitments.
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