Cavendish collects MBE

Road race world champion and Tour de France green jersey winner Mark Cavendish was at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday to receive his MBE from the Queen.

Cavendish, arguably the world's best sprinter, took five stage victories on the Tour this year to take his overall tally of stage wins to 20.

He claimed the event's final stage in Paris and became Britain's first winner of the green jersey, awarded to the rider with the most points earned for intermediate sprints and stage wins.

The Isle of Man cyclist had a disappointing Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, failing to win a medal, but could claim the first gold medal of London 2012 in the men's road race on the opening Saturday of the Games.

Cavendish, who was joined at the Palace by his glamour model partner Peta Todd, is also in the running for this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

He highlighted how many of the British cyclists who won gold in Beijing had received MBEs and now he had joined them.

He joked: "All the guys from Beijing got them in 2008 so I've waited quite a bit longer - it was really nice."

Speaking about his conversation with the Queen, he added: "She said I must have put in a lot of hard work to get where I am.

"We were talking about the Olympics and (my event) finishing on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace next year - I told her to give me a cheer when we come past."