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


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
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.
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
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
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.
-
-
When is Black Friday 2023 and how to find the best bike deals
We're already seeking out the best money saving cycling deals in the run up to Black Friday
By Anna Marie Abram Published
-
CW Asks: What three things do you wish you'd known when you first started cycling?
What we wish we had known when we first started cycling.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Gallery: The best tech spotted at the 2023 Tour de France
There were custom components and prototype bikes at the Grand Départ in Bilbao
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tadej Pogačar to only race twice before Tour de France, four weeks away
'Hopefully I will be 100%,' says the Slovenian, who is recovering from a fractured wrist
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: AI Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar on draught, and Alison Jackson is back
Also, who subscribes to Twitter Blue? And Trek-Segafredo digitally age their ridersx
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tadej Pogačar luxury watch thieves to serve time after Paris-Nice robbery
The Tour of Flanders champion is the latest cycling star to be robbed of a luxury watch
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tadej Pogačar claims Kwaremont-Paterberg Strava KOM in Tour of Flanders romp
The two-time Tour de France winner took a host of Strava trophies in Flanders on Sunday
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: When cycling goes mainstream, George Bennett loses his bike, and the sandy Saudi Tour
Two unknown cyclists went viral last weekend, it's a shame that we will never know their identities. All that, and more
By Adam Becket Published
-
A deep dive into Tadej Pogačar's iconic helmet hair tufts
The Slovenian two time Tour de France champion harnesses his hair to great effect, but what's the secret?
By Adam Becket Published
-
CW Live: Julian Alaphilippe to begin season with Faun-Ardèche Classic; Caleb Ewan confirmed for Milan-San Remo; autopsy confirms impact with truck killed Davide Rebellin; Remco Evenepoel to start 2023 at Vuelta a San Juan and UAE Tour dates confirmed
All the need to know news in cycling on 21 December
By Tom Thewlis Last updated