Dame Sarah Storey nominated for BBC's Sports Personality of the Year as Cavendish and the Kenny's miss out
Britain's most successful Paralympian is nominated alongside the likes of Raheem Sterling, Emma Raducanu and Adam Peaty
Dame Sarah Storey has made it to the list of nominees for BBC's Sports Personality of the Year 2021.
Storey took three gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, increasing her total to an incredible 28 medals and making her the most successful Brit at the Paralympics.
The cyclist also won a UK Sport award on Tuesday, picking up a gong for Social Impact. Alongside her career as an athlete, Storey campaigns for changes to driving and road safety and champions women and girls in sport.
She has worked with British Cycling on road safety, and earlier this year joined South Yorkshire police on a close-pass cycling patrol. Storey said: "One road death for me is one too many, and we need to make sure we all take that responsibility on."
Notable omissions from the list included Mark Cavendish as well as Jason and Laura Kenny.
>>> Sonny Colbrelli puts full focus on Classics in 2022 after Paris-Roubaix victory
The 'Manx Missile' Cavendish won four stages of the Tour de France, gaining the points jersey as well as equalling the record for most stage victories at the race and six more wins this season after coming back from Epstein Barr virus and depression to take his first wins since 2018.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Jason and Laura Kenny scoop up the titles of most successful British Olympian and most successful British female Olympian, after both scoring gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with Jason on nine medals and Laura on six medals, all but one being gold.
But this has not seen them make the list of nominees either with the BBC announcing that the athletes nominated are diver Tom Daley, heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury, swimmer Adam Peaty, first British female tennis Grand Slam winner in 44-years Emma Raducanu, Manchester City footballer Raheem Sterling and the previously mentioned Dame Sarah Storey.
Daley achieved a gold medal at his fourth Olympic Games (his knitting hobby also making news around the world), undefeated boxer Fury took another world title from Deontay Wilder after twice being knocked to the floor by the American, Peaty became the first British swimmer to defend his Olympic title.
Raducanu broke a 44-year curse, and won US Open at the age of 18, Sterling performed brilliantly for England at the Euros - though that wasn't enough to take the trophy in the end - and finally, Storey charged to her 28th medal and 17th gold at her eighth Paralympics.
Three cyclists have won the Sports Personality of the Year award in the last 10 years, Cavendish himself winning in 2011, Sir Bradley Wiggins after his amazing Tour win and Olympic gold in 2012 and Geraint Thomas in 2018, not to mention Sir Chris Hoy in 2008.
Tim Bonville-Ginn is a freelance writer who has worked with Cycling Weekly since 2020 and has also written for many of the biggest publications in cycling media including Cyclingnews, Rouleur, Cyclist and Velo.