Mark Cavendish spoke on Thursday of his pride at receiving the “International Flandrien of the Year” prize...and also set the record straight about his supposed “wardrobe malfunction” at the awards ceremony in Mechelen, Belgium, last Saturday. The “Flandrien” is considered one of the most prestigious accolades in professional cycling. While Philippe Gilbert’s heroics in October saw him edge out Tom Boonen for the “Flandrien” recognizing the best Belgian rider of the year, Cavendish won an expert panel’s vote ahead of Tour winner Alberto Contador and world champion Cadel Evans. The Columbia-HTC rider’s season brought him 23 individual wins, including three stage victories in the Giro d’Italia, six in the Tour de France, plus his first success in a one-day Classic, Milan-San Remo. “I’m so, so happy to have won this award,”... [read full story]
