VOTE CAV for BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) 2011
The shortlist for the 2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award has been announced and whilst there was outrage about the absence of any sportswomen in the top 10 surely there is only one real candidate for the victory.
In his career to date Mark Cavendish has built an impressive palmares with countless victories in grand tour stages, one-day races and race classifications jersey. Thus far in major races Cavendish has won 20 Tour de France stages and in 2011 won the overall points classifications jersey, 7 stages and 2 Team Time Trials in the Giro d’Italia and 3 stages and 1 Team Time Trial as well as the 2010 points classification jersey in the Vuelta Espana. Add to these grand tour results victories in the one-day races Grote Scheldeprijis and Milan San-Remo and you’d think his victory in SPOTY should be a foregone conclusion.
In true Cav form and not one to rest on his laurels or assume that victory be a certainty his recent result in winning a much coveted rainbow jersey and becoming 2011 UCI World Road Race Champion should surely have sealed the deal.
Whilst it’s hard to draw comparisons between sports and each contender on the list has a strong argument for why they should take the title is there really anyone more deserving of the 2011 award than Mark Cavendish?
As an all-round sports fan I have the utmost respect for all those athletes named on the shortlist for 2011 as well as for those who have surprisingly been omitted and in particular 4 time Ironman Champion Chrissie Wellington who surely deserved a spot in the top 10.
This however is not the time for impartiality and I can’t help but hope that having three golfers and two cricketers on the list will divide the vote from fans of these sports thus leaving the perfect opportunity for the cycling masses to make their vote count.
Over the past few years the success of British cyclists’ male and female have inspired people of all ages and abilities to get out and ride leading to a massive increase in participation across the board in a whole variety of cycling disciplines and events.
What better time then than now to put our critical mass to good use and get voting for Cav.
Crowning Cav as SPOTY 2011 will not only recognise his own personal achievements and that of the riders and support teams around him who have contributed to his success but also it will continue to increase the profile of cycling and in doing so result in further increases in participation, improvement in facilities and increased opportunities for all.
On Thursday 22nd December 2011 at 8pm I will be casting my vote for Mark Cavendish and urge all of you to do the same and to encourage your friends, family, club mates, workmates in fact anyone eligible, to get voting and ensure that the achievements of Mark Cavendish and all those that have contributed to his victories thus far don’t go unrewarded!
What’s even more exciting is that not only could Cav be crowned as ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011’ but the Great Britain Cycling Team could also be in with a shout to win ‘Team of the Year’ for the dominant performance they put in to help Cav secure the 2011 UCI World Road Race Championships. On top of this who’s to deny Lucy Garner ‘BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year’ in recognition of winning the 2011 UCI Junior Women’s World Road Championships!
If like me you think Mark Cavendish deserves to win then let your fingers do the talking and VOTE CAV for SPOTY 2011 on Thursday 22nd December @ 8pm!
