Manx rider Cavendish made his name on the track - and continues to do so - but became a professional road racing cyclist in 2007.
It would be fair to say that his first appearance in the Tour de France 12 months ago didn't exactly go to plan though.
He was only 22 and it proved a baptism of fire after a crash on the first proper stage.
However he could hardly have had a more successful time since then and is now just as well known for his success on the road as he is for his exploits with the Great Britain track team. He claimed no fewer than 11 victories in 2007, and has eight to his name already in 2008 as well as winning a Madison gold medal with High Road teammate Bradley Wiggins at the World Track Championships in Manchester.
And it's the style of some of those wins which really caught the eye - a cheeky move past Tom Boonen at Scheldeprijs being a prime example.
He really came to the fore at the Giro d'Italia though, winning two stages and standing up well to sprint rival Daniele Bennati.
He also gifted a stage to teammate Andre Greipel with another cool piece of riding and it's clear his track experience stands him in good stead in the cut and thrust of the final few hundred yards.
His greatest strength though is the speed he's able to generate and he looks a stronger and faster rider than the one which lined up 12 months ago.
The green jersey is probably asking too much - especially as he's obviously got more than half an eye on the Olympics - but there's got to be a strong chance that Cavendish can enhance his growing reputation by at least landing a stage win.
