COLUMN: The yellow jersey, a monument win, and grand tour stage wins: What is on the world's best cyclists Christmas wish lists?

Merry Christmas from everyone here at cyclinguptodate.com! On this special day, we reflect on what a year it has been for cycling fans in 2024. From epic battles in the mountains to historic victories on the cobbles, we’ve witnessed unforgettable moments and highlights that will be cherished for years to come. We hope all our readers got everything they wanted this Christmas, but what about cycling’s biggest stars?

As the year draws to a close, it’s time to look ahead and imagine what the top 10 riders in the UCI rankings might be hoping for under the Christmas tree this year. Let’s dive into their wishes for 2025 with this column.

What more could Tadej Pogacar possibly wish for after a season that will go down as one of the greatest in cycling history? The Slovenian superstar, now 26 years old, achieved the elusive "triple crown" by winning the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and World Championships in a single year, becoming just the third rider to do so. Along the way, he claimed 12 Grand Tour stages, as well as victories in Strade Bianche, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Il Lombardia. And it wasn’t just the number of victories he picked up, it’s the manner in which he decimated his rivals too, with long range solo attack after long range solo attack defining Pogacar’s year.

But despite his dominance, one race still eludes him, Milano-Sanremo. Pogacar has made no secret of his desire to add the prestigious Monument to his already glittering palmarès. Santa, if you’re listening, a Milano-Sanremo win is all Pogacar wants for 2025.

If not for Pogacar’s all-time great year, 2024 might have been known as the year of Remco Evenepoel. The young Belgian had a spectacular season, becoming the first male rider to win both the Olympic time trial and road race gold medals at the Paris Games. He also defended his World Time Trial Championship in Zurich and finished third overall at the Tour de France, winning a stage and the white jersey for best young rider. The Belgian superstar certainly silenced his doubters in 2024.

However, crashes remain a recurring theme in Evenepoel’s career. A crash in April derailed part of his season, and a recent training incident has left him nursing injuries that has jeopardised the start of his 2025 season. For 2025, Evenepoel will surely be hoping for a crash-free year to unlock his full potential and continue closing the gap on Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.

Jasper Philipsen kicked off his 2024 campaign in style, securing his first Monument win at Milano-Sanremo, and he then followed this up with second place at Paris-Roubaix. Philipsen looked set to continue on from his dominant form in 2023, that saw him win the Tour de France green jersey. However, the sprinter’s 2024 Tour de France campaign didn’t go entirely to plan. Despite winning three stages, he was outshone by Biniam Girmay, who claimed the green jersey after an impressive battle.

Philipsen will undoubtedly want to reclaim his status as the top sprinter in the peloton in 2025. His Christmas wish? Another Tour de France campaign filled with victories, complete with the green jersey he last won in 2023.

For Ben O’Connor, 2024 was the best season of his career. The Australian came heartbreakingly close to a Grand Tour podium at the Giro d’Italia, finishing fourth, but made up for it with a brilliant second place at the Vuelta a Espana. Along the way, he won a stage and held the red jersey for two weeks, only to be pipped by Primoz Roglic for the overall win. O’Connor capped his season with a silver medal at the World Championships before announcing his move to Team Jayco AlUla for 2025.

As he joins his new team, O’Connor’s sights are set on the Tour de France. A stage win and a top-10 GC finish would be the perfect way to reward his 2024 efforts, and he showed in 2024 he can be one of the best general classification riders in the peloton.

Already one of the greatest riders of all time, Mathieu van der Poel continues to chase new heights. In the coming months, he’ll look to equal the record for most cyclocross world titles, and he will undoubtedly be the favourite to do so. On the road, van der Poel will aim to improve on his Tour de France résume, as despite his immense talent, he has only one Tour stage win to his name, from back in 2021.

For 2025, van der Poel will be hoping to add to his Tour stage tally and if he’s feeling greedy, he may also tackle the mountain bike world championships, and see if he can win a rainbow jersey in an incredible fourth category.

Swiss rider Marc Hirschi enjoyed his most successful professional season in 2024, racking up nine victories, including the Clasica de San Sebastian. He also finished second at the Amstel Gold Race and 17th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, underlining his potential in the Monuments and Classics.

Looking ahead to 2025, Hirschi will be dreaming of a podium finish in one of cycling’s prestigious Monuments, a goal that is well within reach for the 26-year-old.

For Jonas Vingegaard, the mission in 2025 is simple: regain the yellow jersey at the Tour de France. After winning back-to-back Tours in 2022 and 2023, Vingegaard was dethroned by Pogacar in 2024. That he even finished second in the race was remarkable, given the severe crash he suffered earlier in the season.

Vingegaard will also be hoping for stronger support in the mountains, as he was often isolated and heavily outnumbered by the might of UAE Team Emirates in 2-24. The signing of Simon Yates by his team, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, might already be an early Christmas gift. Can Santa deliver the yellow jersey as well?

At 35, Primoz Roglic continues to defy the odds. After a stellar 2023 Giro d’Italia victory, Roglic joined Red Bull – Bora – hansgrohe for 2024, where he had a successful debut campaign as claimed the red jersey at the Vuelta a Espana for a record equalling fourth time. For 2025, his goals are clear: win a second Giro d’Italia and, at long last, complete a crash-free Tour de France. Roglic hasn’t finished the Tour without a major incident since 2020, and surely even Santa would agree that it’s time for Roglic’s luck to change.

Few riders made history in 2024 quite like Biniam Girmay. The Eritrean sprinter became the first Black African to win a Tour de France stage, not once, but three times. And Girmay didn’t stop there, as he also outpaced Jasper Philipsen across the three winks in July to win the green jersey, becoming the first Black rider to claim the overall win of a classification jersey at the Tour.

For 2025, Girmay’s wish is simple: repeat his green jersey triumph and cement his legacy as one of the sport’s top sprinters.

Wout van Aert is a rider who seems capable of anything, but 2024 was a challenging year for the Belgian. As explored in our recent analysis, van Aert has struggled to convert his talent into Monument victories in recent seasons. His Christmas wish for 2025? Another Monument win to go alongside his sole monument triumph from Milan-Sanremo back in 2020. Additionally, van Aert would love to add another Tour de France stage win, his first since 2022, to cap off what would surely be a resurgent year, as he looks to bounce back from a crash-filled year in 2024.

From all of us at Cyclinguptodate.com, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Here’s to more thrilling races and unforgettable moments in 2025.