Tadej Pogačar awarded Velo d'Or 2021 prize
The Slovenian star not only won the Tour de France but two Monuments in a dominant season
Tadej Pogačar has been awarded the 2021 Velo d'Or award, pipping fellow Slovenian and last year's winner Primož Roglič into second.
The Velo d'Or is cycling's equivalent to football's Ballon d'Or and is awarded by Vélo Magazine along with French newspaper L'Equipe and Tour de France organiser ASO. The winner is decided by a jury of cycling experts.
This year's prize was given to Pogačar as the UAE Team Emirates rider dominated the season with a commanding and successful defence of his title at the Tour de France, two Monument Classic victories (Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia) and many more besides as he got to an overall tally of 30 career wins at the age of just 23.
>>> Lizzy Banks makes move to EF Education-Tibco-SVB for 2022
In second position was Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) who did not have quite as dominant a season as he did in 2020, but did manage his third Vuelta a España victory in a row as well as 12 victories this year, including the Olympic time trial title, to get his career tally up to 60 wins.
In third was Roglič's team-mate, Wout van Aert, who had an exceptional season but did miss out on some of his biggest objectives. The three stages of the Tour de France were the highlight; the Belgian victorious on a mountain stage over Mont Ventoux twice, an individual time trial, and a sprint stage on the Champs-Élysées no less.
The winner of the French Velo d'Or was, unsurprisingly, world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick-Step). He managed fourth in the overall prize too as he wore the rainbow bands with pride, taking the opening stage of the Tour and wearing yellow again as well as defending his world title.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
There is no women's award but rather all riders are put into one competition with Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) the only woman on the list. Another Dutch star that made the shortlist was track sprint sensation Harrie Lavreysen who won multiple Olympic, world and European titles in a season in which he was untouchable on the boards.
The other nominations were Tour of Flanders winner Kasper Asgreen, Giro d'Italia winner Egan Bernal, Paris-Roubaix winner and European champion Sonny Colbrelli, Tour de France green jersey and joint stage win record holder Mark Cavendish, Olympic champion Richard Carapaz, and the formidable Mathieu van der Poel.
The full results will be announced by Vélo Magazine at a later date.
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
Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!
I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.
It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.
After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.
When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.
My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.
-
My 10-mile TT power hovers between 375 and 382 watts: I can’t improve by training harder, the only way to go faster is to go shopping
CW's columnist is stuck in a threshold rut
By Michael Hutchinson Published
-
I'm not into cake stops - but - I made an exception to rate five British delicacies in one ride
Of all the cakes named after places in the north-west of England, which is the tastiest? Simon Warren sets out to sample them all in a single epic ride
By Simon Warren Published
-
Tweets of the week: Tadej Pogačar's white shorts and the joys of new kit day
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Former Tour de France yellow jersey maker placed into receivership
Le Coq Sportif also produced kit for the French Olympic Federation during Paris 2024
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tweets of the week: Tadej Pogačar's special nutrition isn't as pro as you think
The Giro d'Italia winner has his own Italian dish
By Tom Davidson Published
-
First images of Tadej Pogačar's rainbow jersey revealed - and he might be set for white shorts
New kit from Pissei released ahead of Slovenian's first race as world champion at Saturday's Giro dell'Emilia
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Is this the £17,000 bike that will carry Tadej Pogačar to the rainbow jersey?
Colnago launch special edition V4RS Tadej ahead of the elite men’s road race at the World Championships
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Coppi, Pantani, Van Vleuten, Pogačar: A look at the Giro-Tour double winners club
Tadej Pogačar has now officially joined the club, becoming the eighth man to achieve one of professional cycling’s most sought after accolades
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'Haters gonna flag' - Tadej Pogačar flagged again on Strava after dominant ride at Giro d’Italia
Slovenian flagged after queen stage victory in Livigno before being flagged on stage 17 in the Dolomites
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tweets of the week: Patrick Lefevere hands out the bidons, pink sunglasses, and the kids are alright
All the action from cycling social media in the last 7 days
By Tom Thewlis Published