Cyclist Mark Cavendish has been named as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Mark beat off stiff competition from the golfer Darren Clarke and athlete Mo Farah into second and third place respectively.

Upon receiving the award from Sir Bobby Charlton, he said: “I’m absolutely speechless, without my team, this wouldn’t be close to possible. I’d like to thank everyone that supports me, and obviously well done to all the other people who were nominated. Just to be nominated this year in such an incredible year in UK sport, I’m lost for words.”

Cavendish added, “I want to thank everyone at home who’s voted. For me it’s a landmark in cycling, for cycling to be recognised in a non-Olympic year is unheard of, and it’s incredible to see.”Earlier in the evening, the England Test Cricket Team won the ‘Team of the Year’ award. Captain Andrew Strauss said: “This is a very special award for us to win. There are so many great teams who have won this in the past. The team is more important than the individual and we’ve all bought into that.”

Other awards of the evening …….
Sir Steve Redgrave was also given the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, in recognition for his huge success during his rowing career.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic was presented with the ‘Overseas Sports Personality of the Year’, while teenage golfer Lauren Taylor scooped the ‘Young Sports Personality’ trophy.

Athletics coaches Janice Eaglesham and Ian Mirfin won the ‘Unsung Hero’ award, and former jockey Bob Champion collected the ‘Helen Rollason Award’.

Cavendish joins the likes of previous winners Ryan Giggs, Kelly Holmes, Paula Radcliffe and David Beckham.

The BBC announced earlier this month that it will review how the voting process for the nominees is conducted, after this year’s list was criticised for having no women.