asp.net mvc - create ajax actionlink with html elements in the link text

Question

I would like to convert a link to an ajax action link. I can't figure out how to display html elements within the link text?

Here is the original link:

<a href="#onpageanchor" id="myId" class="myClass" title="My Title."><i class="icon"></i>Click Me</a>

Here is the ajax actionlink:

@Ajax.ActionLink("<i class='icon'></i>Click Me", "MyActionMethod", new { id = "testId" },
                        new AjaxOptions
                        {
                            UpdateTargetId = "mytargetid"
                        }, new
                        {
                            id = "myId",
                            @class = "myClass",
                            title="My Title."
                        })

the link text rendered is the actual string: "<i class='icon'></i>Click Me</a>"

Answer 1

over a year late and everything but this is what I use. Hope it helps someone else.

@Ajax.RawActionLink(string.Format("<i class='icon'></i>Click Me"), "ActionResultName", null, new { item.Variable}, new AjaxOptions { HttpMethod = "Post", InsertionMode = InsertionMode.Replace, UpdateTargetId = "taget-div", LoadingElementId = "target-div" }, new { @class = "class" })

Then the helper...

    public static MvcHtmlString RawActionLink(this AjaxHelper ajaxHelper, string linkText, string actionName, string controllerName, object routeValues, AjaxOptions ajaxOptions, object htmlAttributes)
    {
        var repID = Guid.NewGuid().ToString();
        var lnk = ajaxHelper.ActionLink(repID, actionName, controllerName, routeValues, ajaxOptions, htmlAttributes);
        return MvcHtmlString.Create(lnk.ToString().Replace(repID, linkText));
    }