Sir Mark Cavendish (born 21 May 1985) is a Manx-British former professional cyclist. Hailing from the Isle of Man, Cavendish earned the nickname "Manx Missile" for his sprinting speed and has displayed remarkable resilience throughout his career. He holds the record for most Tour de France stage wins at 35, breaking the previous record held by Eddy Merckx. Before road racing, Cavendish began his career on the track, winning three Madison World Championships (2005, 2008, and 2016). He also earned a silver medal in the omnium event at the Rio 2016 Olympics racing for Team GB. Having won points jerseys in the Tours of Spain, Italy, and France as well as World Championship titles on the road and track, Cavendish is considered by many to be the greatest sprinter in cycling history. Cavendish was the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2011 and was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award in 2024.