Mark Cavendish in the yellow jersey?

How do you define greatness? A former world champion with points classification wins in all three Grand Tours, 25 Tour de France stage wins, and leader’s jerseys from the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana certainly would fit most people’s description.

But for the Manx Missile, king of the sprints and arguably the finest of all-time, there is one treasured prize missing from his palmares. Mark Cavendish has never worn the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, but with a sprint finish expected in Harrogate, this could be his greatest – and possibly final – chance.

In his mother’s hometown, Cav is likely to face a fierce battle for the prized jersey, with Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano), who pulled on the yellow jersey after the first stage of the 2013 race, among the contenders looking to spoil the occasion.

But with a home crowd to roar him on, just imagine the noise in Harrogate. If the atmosphere inside the Olympic Stadium on ‘Super Saturday’ was special, this will be something else altogether. And if Cavendish wins, with his faithful lieutenant Mark Renshaw leading him out, anybody present will be witnessing cycling history. A maillot jaune for Cavendish will cement his place in cycling legend – and will be an ‘I was there’ moment for anyone on the streets of Harrogate.