Mark Cavendish: Five key moments in an illustrious career

  • Rio 2016

Mark Cavendish has had a stellar career but one medal has continued to elude him.

The 31-year-old has won 30 stages of the Tour de France, a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games as well as scooping various awards for track and road cycling events around the world.

However despite taking part in his third Olympic Games, 'The Manx Missile' is yet to win a medal.

As he prepares for his Omnion showdown in Rio later tonight, we take a look back at his career-defining moments to date:

  • Four years in a row at the Champs-Elysee

Mark Cavendish wins the final stage of the Tour de France for the fourth year in a row. Credit: PA

Mark Cavendish moved to Team Sky in 2012 and set his sights on winning the Tour de France for teammate Bradley Wiggins.

Wiggins stole the limelight by becoming the first Briton to win the Tour, however Cavendish was an immense presence and won three stages - including the 130km final stage from Rambouillet to the Champs-Elysee in Paris - for a record-breaking fourth year in a row.

The victory was also his 23rd, making him the most successful Tour sprinter of all time, with L'Euipe naming him as the greatest sprinter ever.

In July 2016, Cavendish won four Tour de France stages for Team Dimension Data to take his number of victories up to 30, and is now just five wins behind Eddy Merckx's all-time record.

  • Green jersey

The Dimension Data cyclist won the green jacket again in 2016. Credit: PA

Mark Cavendish became the first Briton to win the green jersey - a symbol for the most points won on the Tour de France - after surging to five stage wins of the Tour de France in 2011 (taking his tally up to 20).

His speed and style earned him the nickname 'The Manx Missile'.

  • Track and Road World Championship success

Mark Cavendish celebrates winning the elite event in Denmark, 2011. Credit: Reuters

In the same year, Mark Cavendish was instrumental once again as he held off the field to clinch the UCI Road World Championship in Copenhagen.

It was the first time a British rider had been crowned as champion since Tommy Simpson in 1965.

Earlier this year, Cavendish claimed his third Track Cycling World Championship title in the Lee Valley VeloPark in London.

His victory in the Madison event followed previous successes in Beijing (2007) and Manchester (2008).

  • Commonwealth Games 2006

Mark Cavendish celebrates winning gold for the Isle of Man in 2006. Credit: Reuters

In 2006, Mark Cavendish won a gold medal for the Isle of Man in the Men's Scratch event at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.

It was the first time the Isle of Man had won a gold medal in 20 years, when Nigel Kelly was victorious in the individual men's skeet event in Edinburgh, 1986.

  • Third time lucky at the Olympics

Mark Cavendish competes in the Men's Omnium Individual Pursuit in Rio on Sunday. Credit: PA

Mark Cavendish was the only member of the Team GB track cycling team to not stand on the podium at least once in Beijing 2008, and fell away in the men's road race at London 2012 - finishing in a lowly 29th place.

However it was third time lucky for Cavendish at the Olympics as he secured a silver medal at Rio 2016, finishing behind Italy's Elia Viviani in a nail-biting finale to the omnion.