Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer highlighted Mark Cavendish’s humility and modesty when hosting a reception for the retired cycling superstar at Government House last week.

His Excellency suggested that this particular celebration had been a long time coming.

‘Cav received his knighthood in the King’s 2024 Birthday Honours nearly two years ago now, and ever since, we have been trying to find a moment in his very busy life to mark that achievement properly.

‘Even after the award was announced, he was still out there doing what he does best, including adding yet another stage win at the Tour de France.

‘This night is deliberately low-key and intimate, because Cav himself is modest and never one for fuss. Everyone knows about the victories, the jerseys, the medals and the records — including those remarkable 35 Tour de France stage wins.

‘So I would like to focus on those modest beginnings and how he has gone on to become one of the most respected cyclists in the world. Yet despite global recognition, he has never lost his connection to home, or his willingness to give back.

‘He has supported young athletes through scholarships, championed charities close to his heart and inspired countless young people by showing what is possible with talent, hard work and determination.

‘That is part of why the Guard of Honour [from young cyclists] this evening felt so fitting: those young cyclists represent a legacy that goes far beyond medals or podium places.’

‘Cav is also known for something rarer in elite sport: humility. He is quick to credit his team, gracious in defeat and open about the challenges that he has faced - from serious injuries to illness and periods of real difficulty.

‘His comeback in 2021, when many thought his career was over, was not just a sporting triumph, but a powerful reminder of determination, resilience, perseverance and hard graft.

‘And through it all, he has remained approachable, generous with his time and deeply aware of the responsibility that comes with being a role model. He has never forgotten his roots, his island heritage and the unique place the Isle of Man has in his heart, mind and soul.

‘Cycling has taught him about dedication, loyalty, sacrifice and perseverance - lessons that he now carries forward as a father and as someone whose influence reaches far beyond his sport.’

His Excellency concluded by saying the knighthood recognised not only extraordinary athletic achievement, but his contribution as an ambassador for this wonderful island, for Manx and British sport and for the many young, and not so young, people who look up to him.

Accompanied by his wife Peta and their four children, Cav admitted he wasn’t quite sure what His Excellency meant when he told him he had been honoured with a KBE.

‘It was actually before I won my 35th Tour de France stage that Sir John phoned me one evening in Greece when I was on a training camp. I was dead on my feet and it took a little while to realise what he meant.

‘It is a great honour to be knighted. People don’t need to call me Sir, at least not all of the time,’ he quipped.

Thanking His Excellency, the 40-year-old said how especially proud he always was to pull on an Isle of Man jersey or represent Great Britain wherever he was in the world.