The all-time list of British pro winners

Who are Britain's most successful male road riders?

Best of British logo

It's a question that sparks heated debate whenever it is asked. Who is Britain's greatest male professional road racer of all time?

For some it's a no-brainer: Chris Froome has won the Tour de France on four occasions, stages of the Tour and Vuelta, and also claimed the Critérium du Dauphiné, Paris-Nice and Tour de Romandie.

Or perhaps Bradley Wiggins? Britain's first Tour champion and winner of Paris-Nice, Criterium du Dauphine, Tour de Romandie and stages of the Tour and Giro d'Italia.

But in terms of the number of wins, Mark Cavendish has a watertight case. When the Manxman won stage two of the 2009 Tour de France, he jumped past Chris Boardman in our table, with an incredible tally of wins since turning professional in 2007.

Cavendish is, in terms of wins, Britain's most successful pro rider in history.

>>> See Cycling Weekly's all-time ranking of British pro riders

CYCLING WEEKLY'S BEST OF BRITISH

Who are the most prolific British male professional riders of all time? Here's our league table of the most successful riders, based purely on the number of wins in top international professional races.

What we have included

All international one-day and stage races, including overall classifications - including races that no longer exist. The Kellogg's Tour, PruTour and Tour of Britain

What we have not included

Minor European races

Pro-am races, such as the Milk Race and Peace Race

Criteriums, kermesse races or exhibition races

Team time trials or two-up time trials

Domestic events in the USA

Other classifications, such as king of the mountains or points competition titles

Where's Max Sciandri? Surely he won enough races?

The Derby-born rider rode much of his career as an Italian. He declared for Great Britain in 1995, in order to ride the Olympic Games in Atlanta the following year. However, he did not win 10 professional races in his years as a British rider

Black 1x600 rule line

1 MARK CAVENDISH

144 professional wins, 2007 to date

2007 - 11

Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen

Two Four Days of Dunkirk stages

Two Tour of Catalonia stages

Ster Elektrotoer stage

Tour of Denmark stage

ENECO Tour stage

Tour of Britain prologue

Tour of Britain stage

Circuit Franco Belge stage

2008 - 17

Two Three Days of De Panne stages

Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen

Tour of Romandy prologue

Two Giro d'Italia stages

Ster Elektrotoer stage

Four Tour de France stages

Three Tour of Ireland stages

Three Tour of Missouri stages

2009 - 23

Two Tour of Qatar stages

Two Tour of California stages

Tirreno-Adriatico stage

Milan-San Remo

Two Three Days of De Panne stages

Three Giro d'Italia stages

Two Tour of Switzerland stages

Six Tour de France stages

Sparkasse Giro

Tour of Ireland stage

Two Tour of Missouri stages

2010 - 11 

Tour of Catalonia stage

Tour of Romandy stage

Tour of California stage

Five Tour de France stages

Three Vuelta a Espana stages

2011 - 12

Tour of Oman stage

Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen

Two Giro d'Italia stages

Five Tour de France stages

Two Tour of Britain stages

World Champion, road race

(NB: Also won London Surrey Cycle Classic Olympic test event, not counted here as only ranked UCI 1.2)

2012 - 15

Two Tour of Qatar stages

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

Tirreno-Adriatico stage

Three Giro d'Italia stages

Ster ZLM Toer overall

Three Tour de France stages

Tour of Denmark stage

Three Tour of Britain stages

2013 - 19

Tour de San Luis stage

Four Tour of Qatar stages and overall

Three Days of De Panne stage

Five Giro d'Italia stages

Two Tour de France stages

National championship road race

Tour of Denmark stage

Three Tour of Britain stages

2014 - 11

Tour of the Algarve stage

Tirreno-Adriatico stage

Four Tour of Turkey stages

Two Tour of California stages

Tour de Suisse stage

Two Tour du Poitou Charentes stages

2015 - 14

Tour de San Luis stage

Two Dubai tour stages and overall

Clasica de Almeria

Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

Three Tour of Turkey stages

Four Tour of California stages

Tour de France stage

2016 - 10

Tour of Qatar stage and overall

Tour of Croatia stage

Tour of California stage

Four Tour de France stages

Two Abu Dhabi Tour stages

2017 - 1

Abu Dhabi Tour stage

Black 1x600 rule line

2= CHRIS BOARDMAN

41 professional wins, 1993 to 1999

1993 - 2

Chrono des Herbiers

GP Eddy Merckx

1994 - 8

Tour of Murcia prologue

Tour or Murcia stage

Dauphine Libere prologue

Two Dauphine Libere stages

Tour of Switzerland stage

Tour de France prologue

World Championship time trial

1995 - 4

Tour de l'Oise stage

Four Days of Dunkirk stage

Dauphine Libere stage

Midi Libre stage

1996 - 8

Paris-Nice stage

Criterium International overall

Four Days of Dunkirk stage

Route du Sud stage

GP des Nations

GP Eddy Merckx

Chrono des Herbiers

Josef Vogeli Memorial

1997 - 7

Tour of Valencia stage

Tour of Romandy prologue

Tour of Romandy stage

Two Tour of Catalonia stages

Dauphine Libere stage

Tour de France prologue

1998 - 8

PruTour prologue

PruTour stage one

Two Tour of Catalonia stages

Dauphine Libere prologue

Dauphine Libere stage

Tour de France prologue

Tour de l'Ain stage

1999 - 4

Paris-Nice stage

Criterium International stage

PruTour stage

Josef Vogeli Memorial

Black 1x600 rule line

2= CHRIS FROOME

41 professional wins, 2007 to date

Chris Froome wins stage five of the 2016 Dauphine-Libere

Chris Froome wins stage five of the 2016 Dauphine-Libere
(Image credit: Watson)

2011 - 1

Vuelta a Espana stage

2012 - 1

Tour de France stage

2013 - 13

Tour of Oman stage and overall

Tirreno-Adriatico stage

Criterium International stage and overall

Tour de Romandie stage and overall

Criterium du Dauphine stage and overall

Three Tour de France stages and overall

2014 - 6

Tour of Oman stage and overall

Tour of Romandie stage and overall

Two Criterium du Dauphine stages

2015 - 7

Ruta del Sol stage and overall

Two Criterium du Dauphine stages and overall

Tour de France stage and overall

2016 - 10

Herald Sun Tour stage and overall

Tour de Romandie stage

Criterium du Dauphine stage and overall

Two Tour de France stages and overall

Two Vuelta a España stages

2017 - 3

Tour de France overall

Two Vuelta a España stages

Black 1x600 rule line

4 BRADLEY WIGGINS
33
professional wins, 2003 to 2016

2003 - 1

Tour de l'Avenir stage

2005 - 2

Circuit de Lorraine stage

Tour de l'Avenir stage

2007 - 3

Four Days of Dunkirk stage

Dauphiné Libéré prologue

Tour du Poitou-Charentes stage

2009 - 4

Three Days of De Panne stage

British National Time Trial Championships

Herald Sun Tour stage and overall

2010 - 2

Giro d'Italia stage

British National Time Trial Championships

2011 - 3

Bayern Rundfahrt stage

Criterium du Dauphine overall

British National Road Race Championships

2012 - 10

Tour of the Algarve stage

Paris-Nice stage

Paris-Nice overall

Two Tour de Romandie stages

Tour de Romandie overall

Criterium du Dauphine stage

Criterium du Dauphine overall

Two Tour de France stages

Tour de France overall

2013 - 3

Tour of Poland stage

Tour of Britain stage and overall

2014 - 3

Tour of California stage and overall

Tour of Britain stage

2015 - 1

Three Days of De Panne stage

Black 1x600 rule line

5= MALCOLM ELLIOTT

31 professional wins, 1987 to 95

1987 - 3

Three Nissan Classic stages

1988 - 5

Vuelta a Espana stage

Tour of Aragon stage

Kellogg's Tour of Britain prologue

Kellogg's Tour of Britain stage

Kellogg's Tour of Britain overall

1989 - 9

Three Semaine Catalan stages

Two Vuelta a Espana stages

Two Castilla y Leon stages

Tour of Galicia stage

Kellogg's Tour of Britain prologue

1990 - 9

Three Tour of the Americas stages

Two Tour of Cantabria stages

Two Tour of Catalonia stages

Kellogg's Tour of Britain stage

Tour of the Basque Country stage

1991 - 1

Trofeo Masferrer

1992 - 1

Tour of the Mining Valleys stage

1993 - 2

National road race

Tour DuPont stage

1995 - 1

Tour DuPont stage

Black 1x600 rule line

5= DAVID MILLAR

31 professional wins, 1997 to 2014

1997 - 1

Tour de l'Avenir prologue

1998 - 3

Three Days of De Panne stage

Tour de l'Avenir prologue

Tour de l'Avenir stage

2000 - 2

Route du Sud stage

Tour de France stage

2001 - 8

Two Circuit de la Sarthe stages

Circuit de la Sarthe overall

Euzkal Bizicleta stage

Tour of Denmark stage

Tour of Denmark overall

Vuelta a Espana prologue

Vuelta a Espana stage

2002 - 1

Tour de France stage

2003 - 5

Three Days of West Flanders prologue

Tour of Picardie overall

Tour of Burgos stage

Tour de France stage

Vuelta a Espana stage

2006 - 1

Vuelta a Espana stage

2007 - 3

Paris-Nice prologue

National Championship road race

National Championship time trial

2009 - 1

Vuelta a Espana stage

2010 - 4

Criterium International stage

Three Days of De Panne stage

Three Days of De Panne overall

Chrono des Herbiers

2011 - 1

Giro d'Italia stage

2012 - 1

Tour de France stage

Black 1x600 rule line

7 TOM SIMPSON

24 professional wins, 1959 to 1967

1959 - 5

Rennes-Fougeres-Rennes time trial

Tour de l'Essor Breton stage

Two Tour de l'Ouest stages

Route de France stage

1960 - 3

Course Mont Faron

Tour du Sud-Est overall

Polymultipliee

1961 - 2

Tour of Flanders

GP d'Eibar stage

1963 - 3

Tour du Var stage

Bordeaux-Paris

Circuit du Provencal stage

1964 - 2

Milan-San Remo

Circuit du Provencal stage

1965 - 4

World Championship road race

Tour of Lombardy

Harelbeke-Antwerp-Harelbeke

Criterium des As

1966 - 1

Criterium des As

1967 - 4

Paris-Nice overall

Two Vuelta a Espana stages

Tour of Sardinia stage

Black 1x600 rule line

8= BARRY HOBAN

21 professional wins, 1964 to 1978

Barry Hoban

1964 - 3

Two Vuelta a Espana stages

Midi Libre stage

1966 - 1

Rund um den Henninger Turm

1967 - 1

Tour de France stage

1968 - 1

Tour de France stage

1969 - 3

Two Tour de France stages

Four Days of Dunkirk stage

1970 - 1

Four Days of Dunkirk stage

1971 - 1

GP Fourmies

1973 - 2

Two Tour de France stages

1974 - 6

Ghent-Wevelgem

Two Midi Libre stages

Tour de France stage

Paris-Bourges

Tour d'Indre-et-Loire stage

1975 - 1

Tour de France stage

1978 - 1

Four Days of Dunkirk stage

Black 1x600 rule line

8= MICHAEL WRIGHT

21 professional wins, 1962 to 1973

1962 - 1

GP Brabant

1964 - 4

Tour du Condroz

GP Denain

Brussels-Nandrin

Tour du Nord stage

1965 - 2

Hoeilaart-Diest-Hoeilaart

Tour de France stage

1966 - 1

Brussels-Verviers

1967 - 1

Tour de France stage

1968 - 4

Fleche Hesbignonne

Tour of Luxembourg stage

Two Vuelta a Espana stages

1969 - 7

Tour du Condroz

Two Vuelta a Espana stages

Tour of the Basque Country stage

Two Tour du Nord stages

Tour of Catalonia stage

1973 - 1

Tour de France stage

Black 1x600 rule line

8= JEREMY HUNT

21 professional wins, 1997 to 2012

Jeremy Hunt champagne East Yorkshire Classic 2011 Premier Calendar.jpg

2011 east yorkshire classic, premier calendar, british cycling, jeremy hunt, team sky

1997 - 8

Circuit de Getxo

GP Minho stage

Two Tour de l'Avenir stages

Circuit de la Sarthe stage

Tour of Aragon stage

Tour of Rioja stage

National Championship road race

1998 - 3

Tour of Majorca stage

Two Tour of Portugal stages

2000 - 2

Australian National Championship road race

Tour of the Mediterranean stage

2001 - 2

Tour of the Somme stage

Circuit Franco-Belge stage

2002 - 1

GP Ouest France Plouay

2003 - 1

Tour of Picardie stage

2005 - 1

Tour de la Region Wallonne stage

2007 - 1

GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise

2008 - 1

Tour of Langkawi stage

2009 - 1
Tour of Denmark stage

Black 1x600 rule line

11 GERAINT THOMAS

17 professional wins, 2006 to present

Geraint Thomas after stage 5 of the 2016 Volta ao Algarve

Geraint Thomas after stage 5 of the 2016 Volta ao Algarve

(Image credit: Watson)

2006 - 2

Fleche du Sud stage and overall

2010 - 1

National road champion

2011 - 1

Bayern-Rundfahrt overall

2012 - 1

Tour de Romandie stage

2013 - 1

Tour Down Under stage

2014 - 2

Bayern-Rundfahrt stage and overall

2015 - 3

Volta ao Algarve stage and overall

E3 Harelbeke

2016 - 2

Volta ao Algarve overall

Paris-Nice overall

2017 - 4

Tour of the Alps stage and overall

Tour de France stage

Tirreno-Adriatico stage

Black 1x600 rule line

12 ROBERT MILLAR

16 professional wins, 1983 to 1995

1983 - 1

Tour de France stage

1984 - 3

Tour of Romandy stage

Midi Libre stage

Tour de France stage

1985 - 1

Tour of Catalonia overall

1986 - 1

Vuelta a Espana stage

1987 - 2

Tour of the Mediterranean stage

Giro d'Italia stage

1989 - 4

Tour of Romandy stage

Dauphine Libere stage

Tour de France stage

Kellogg's Tour of Britain overall

1990 - 2

Tour of Romandy stage

Dauphine Libere overall

1991 - 1

Tour of Switzerland stage

1995 - 1

National Championship road race

Black 1x600 rule line

13 SEAN YATES

14 professional wins, 1984 to 1994

1984 - 1

Four Days of Dunkirk prologue

1988 - 4

Paris-Nice stage

Vuelta a Espana stage

Midi Libre stage

Tour de France stage

1989 - 5

GP Eddy Merckx

Tour of Holland prologue

Two Tour of Belgium stages

Tour of Belgium overall

1991 - 2

Dauphine Libere stage

Nissan Classic stage

1992 - 1

National Championship road race

1994 - 1

USPro Champs

Black 1x600 rule line

14 BEN SWIFT

13 professional wins, 2009 to date

2009 - 1
Tour of Britain stage

2010 - 2

Tour de Picardie stage and overall

2011 - 5

Two Tour Down Under stages

Vuelta a Castilla y Leon stage

Tour de Romandie stage

Tour of California stage

2012 - 2

Two Tour of Poland stages

2014 - 2

Tour of the Basque Country stage

Settimana Coppi e Bartali stage

2015 - 1

Settimana Coppi e Bartali stage

Black 1x600 rule line

15 = BRIAN ROBINSON

11 professional wins, 1954 to 1961

1954 - 1

Tour d'Europe stage

1957 - 2

GP Fortreuse

GP Nice

1958 - 2

Tour du Sud-Est stage

Tour de France stage

1959 - 1

Tour de France stage

1960 - 2

Tour de l'Aude stage

Midi Libre stage

1961 - 3

Dauphine Libere stage

Dauphine Libere overall

Monts d'Auvergne stage

Black 1x600 rule line

15 = ROGER HAMMOND

11 professional wins, 1996 to 2011

2000 - 2

Guldensporentweedaagse stage

GP Bodson

2002 - 2

GP Mei Prijs Hoboken

Tour Beneden-Maas

2003 - 3

Uniqa Classic Tour overall

Uniqa Classic stage

National Championship road race

2004 - 1

National Championship road race

2005 - 1

Tour of Britain stage

2006 - 1

Tour of Britain stage

2009 - 1

Tour of Qatar stage

Black 1x600 rule line

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Sports journalist Lionel Birnie has written professionally for Sunday Times, Procycling and of course Cycling Weekly. He is also an author, publisher, and co-founder of The Cycling Podcast. His first experience covering the Tour de France came in 1999, and he has presented The Cycling Podcast with Richard Moore and Daniel Friebe since 2013. He founded Peloton Publishing in 2010 and has ghostwritten and published the autobiography of Sean Kelly, as well as a number of other sports icons.