A MAN charged as part of an investigation into a burglary at the Essex home of an Olympic cyclist has made his first court appearance.

Tour de France rider Mark Cavendish said his family were "extremely distressed" after a break-in at his home in Ongar.

The incident took place at about 2.35am on Saturday, November 27.

Romario Henry, of Bell Green in Lewisham, south-east London, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court by video-link from prison on Friday.

Henry is accused of two counts of robbery.

READ MORE: Police hunt men after Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish threatened during burglary

The 30-year-old entered no pleas and spoke only to confirm his name before he was remanded in custody.

Judge Christopher Morgan heard the matter for around 10 minutes before setting it back for a further case management hearing on March 4.

Cavendish was recovering from significant injuries he suffered in a crash during a track event in Belgium at the time of the raid, which allegedly saw him and his wife threatened.

Essex Police said a Louis Vuitton suitcase and two high-value watches were stolen.

Cavendish is widely considered one of Britain’s greatest ever cyclists and won Silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

In the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, the cyclist was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his "services to British Cycling."