Who are the riders that have shaped 2019?

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

published 6 September 2019

The 2019 Cycling Weekly Awards in association with Garmin take place on November 28 in London, and competition for the rider awards is hotting up. Our long list is growing ever longer and the task of the judging panel grows ever harder.

The panel, comprising Dani Rowe, Colin Sturgess, Brian Cookson and Vern Pitt, will meet in early October, straight after the world championships in Yorkshire to whittle the contenders down. Three riders will then be selected to go to a public vote, meaning you get a say in who win the coveted awards.

Without a Grand Tour winner this year - unless you include Chris Froome's 2011 Vuelta win - this category is more open than last year. Last year's Rising Star Ethan Hayter makes the list after a solid year on the road and track. Tom Pidcock has been impressive too, winning under-23 Paris Roubaix as well as a host of other strong performances. Simon Yates' sensational riding at the Tour de France offset the disappointment from the Giro which is where Hugh Carthy rose to prominence. Finishing in the top 20 and riding through the mountains with the best in the world then going on to win at the Tour de Suisse. Last year's winner Geraint Thomas makes the list due to his second place at the Tour de France. While it was a step down from 2018, we should never forget just how good a performance that is for a defending champion who spent the winter enjoying the spoils of his success. Riders also in contention include Ben Swift (national champion), Tao Geoghegan Hart for his performances at the Tour of the Alps and Tour of Poland, and Chris Lawless for winning the Tour de Yorkshire.

Alice Barnes had a relatively quiet year up until June, but made her season a success in the space of a few days at the national championships in Norwich. Taking both the time trial and road race titles signalled a huge step up for her. The return of Lizzie Deignan following the birth of her first child has been well documented as she adapted her racing and training to suit. The change left many, including herself, wondering what level she could realistically return to. Solid performances in Spring were a good sign but winning the Women's Tour was confirmation she could once again perform at the very highest level. Elinor Barker returned from the track cycling World Championships in Poland as Britain's only world champion after winning the scratch race. She went on to win silver in the team pursuit. Jess Roberts, who was shortlisted for three awards last year, makes the list for multiple strong rides on track and road.

What looks like the most hotly contested category this year, the international riders have been thrilling fans with their rides all season. Julian Alaphilippe has been near unstoppable all year with a Tour de France performance that saw the French fall in love with their home tour all over again. Mathieu van der Poel is the latest sensation to set the international scene alight while Richard Carapaz and Egan Bernal are at the forefront of the wave of South American talent sweeping the Grand Tour GCs. In the women's peloton it is once again the Dutch who dominate. Last year's winner Anna van der Breggen has had another strong her as has Annemiek van Vlueten, while Marianne Vos is once again riding at her very best. Whittling this list down will be the judges toughest task.

John Archibald has had the kind of breakthrough year that many riders could only dream of. Having ridden one of the fastest pursuits in history the Scot was selected to ride for Great Britain at the track worlds. He then switched to the road and made the nationals podium for both the TT and the road race. Madison Genesis rider Matt Holmes rarely hits the headlines, but the consistency of his results are impressive. The 25-year-old won the national road series and placed sixth overall at the Tour de Yorkshire, riding against WorldTour opposition. Rebecca Durrell won the women's road series, taking the wins at Lincoln and Stockton, and was also crowned national circuit champion in Rochester. Canyon's Matt Bostock was dominant at the men's circuit series, winning five of the six rounds to comfortably top the standings. Round six went to his team mate Ollie Wood

Another hotly contested category, it's good to know the future of British Cycling is in rude health. Elynor Backstedt has been dominant on the world stage this year, winning on road and track, and finishing the Tour de Yorkshire riding on junior gears. Charlie Quarteman burst on to the scene with TT wins before recently signing with Trek - Segafredo. Fred Wright has won stages in the biggest under-23 road races on the calendar, capturing the attention of the CCC team for whom he is now riding as a stagiaire through the end of this season. His team mate Matt Walls has been equally successful but his progression on the road might have to wait until after the Tokyo Olympics as his track credentials are likely to keep him on the boards through 2020. Sophie Lewis is another hot prospect on the track, taking Madison gold at the Euro champs and two further medals at the junior worlds - bronze in the TP (where the team set a new national record) and silver in the Madison (with Backstedt). Jake Stewart has landed some solid results in the biggest under-23 races on the calender. The Groupama development rider took third place in the U23 Tour of Flanders was followed up by third in Eschborn-Frankfurt and eighth in Paris-Roubaix

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