OPINION | BBC Sports Personality of the Year snub of Tadej Pogacar presents bigger problem in attitudes towards cycling

Earlier this month, cycling fans were left frustrated once again when the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024 initially appeared to snub one of the sport’s greatest figures, Mark Cavendish. While the decision was later reversed, with Cavendish receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, it raised a deeper question: why does cycling continue to be overlooked at major awards ceremonies?

The frustration grew when the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year 2024 was revealed. The list, which as previously been won by Lionel Messi, Max Verstappen, and Simone Biles, celebrates some of the most remarkable sporting achievements of the year from athletes outside of the UK. Yet, glaringly absent was Tadej Pogacar, who in 2024 achieved what many believe to be the greatest cycling season in history.

To fully grasp the magnitude of the snub, we must look at Pogacar’s incredible 2024. The 26-year-old Slovenian rewrote the history books by winning the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and the World Championships road race in the same year. This "triple crown" of cycling had only been achieved twice before: by Eddy Merckx in 1974 and Stephen Roche in 1987.

But Pogacar achieved far more than winning cycling’s three biggest races. He also won Strade Bianche with a jaw-dropping 81-kilometre solo attack, Liège-Bastogne-Liège with another long-range move, and Il Lombardia, showing he’s the best one day rider on the planet too. In total, Pogacar won an astonishing 25 races, including 12 Grand Tour stages. His consistency across three weeks in two different Grand Tours, coupled with his ability to dominate one-day races, made his season one of the greatest in cycling history. Like Man City’s treble winning season in 2023, and Max Verstappen win 19 out of 22 races in 2023, Pogacar’s season was up there with the all time greatest sporting years.

Yet, despite this unparalleled success, Pogacar was nowhere to be seen on the World Sport Star shortlist, let alone the recipient of the award. What on earth did Pogacar have to do to make the list?

The nominees for this year’s World Sport Star include Simone Biles who returned to her very best at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, as the 27 year old became the oldest winner of the women’s all round title for 72 years. Biles won three gold medals, and a silver, in what was undoubedtly another brilliant year.

But was it better than Pogacar’s? Of course, that is subjective, and we will be biased, but Biles’ year was not even her greatest year ever (that came in 2016), let alone her sport’s greatest season.

Another superstar on the list in Armand Duplantis, the Swedish Pole Vault world record holder. Not only did he win the gold in Paris, he also broke his own world record on multiple occasions.

Chapeau, Mr Duplantis, but it’s not quite the triple crown is it?

And then there’s Leon Marchand, the poster boy of the Olympic games in Paris. Ok, we’ll admit it, winning four golds at your home games is definitely comparable to Pogacar’s season, and Marchand is certainly one of the top sportsmen on the planet.

He’s still not Pogacar though is he?

This isn’t the first time cycling has been ignored by major awards. The World Sport Star award, which dates back to 1960, has been given to cyclists just once: to Jacques Anquetil in 1963, and Lance Armstrong’s original 2003 win was rightfully rescinded following his doping scandal.

One of the reasons cycling struggles for recognition is its historical association with doping scandals. While the sport has worked hard to rebuild its reputation, these past controversies continue to cast a shadow. For many outside the cycling world, achievements like Pogacar’s are met with scepticism, despite modern cycling being subject to some of the most rigorous anti-doping measures in all of sport.

Another factor is the perception of accessibility. Unlike football, where millions of fans can play in their local park, or gymnastics, which captivates audiences with its artistic flair, cycling is often seen as a niche sport. But this view ignores the sheer global reach of the sport, with Grand Tours like the Tour de France drawing billions of viewers annually.

What’s frustrating is the double standard that exists when recognising greatness in cycling versus other sports. Athletes like Eliud Kipchoge, who has won the World Sport Star award, are celebrated for their endurance and physicality. Yet Pogacar, who showcases these same qualities across events that last weeks, not days, is ignored entirely.

A stage of the Tour de France can last up to six hours, with riders burning upwards of 6,000 calories a day while climbing mountains that would leave most recreational cyclists gasping for air. And they do this for 21 days. 21! You only need to take one look at a professional cyclist to understand just how much they sacrifice, but why still are the professionals not recognised globally?

The sheer dedication required to succeed in cycling is unparalleled, as athletes must train for hours every day, through the cold, rain and snow. Their diets are meticulously controlled, and they sacrifice much of their personal lives to focus on their sport. Pogacar, like the rest of cycling’s elite, will have given up just about everything in their personal lives, just to have a shot at sporting greatness. Of course, this can be said about any elite sportsman, so why aren’t they recognised as equals?

Pogacar’s achievements also highlight the unique physical demands of cycling, as his triple crown requires him to peak multiple times in a single year, a feat rarely seen in other sports. Footballers of course have to be at consistently high level throughout the year, but they do not require the cardiovascular condition of other sports.

And unlike in sports like Formula 1, where the equipment can certainly play a role in the outcome, cycling is a pure test of human strength and endurance. Yes, you definitely need the right team around you, and Pogacar had that with his UAE Team Emirates super team in 2024. But what about in Zurich in September, when Pogacar’s victory at the World Championships came from a 100-kilometre solo breakaway? There was no team tactics helping him out on that occasion!

The lack of recognition for Pogacar’s achievements isn’t just an oversight; it’s a failure to recognise the sport as a whole. Recognition at major awards ceremonies helps elevate the profile of a sport, inspiring the next generation of athletes and attracting new fans, and cycling in the UK will fail to benefit from that this year.

By snubbing Pogacar, the BBC and other global awards perpetuate the idea that cycling is a lesser sport, unworthy of the same accolades given to footballers, F1 drivers, or other Olympic athletes. This is not only unfair but also inaccurate, given the incredible sacrifices and achievements of cyclists like Pogacar.

This isn’t an argument that Pogacar had a better year than Marchand or Biles or any of the other truly special athletes from other sports, it’s a question as to why he was left off of the list entirely.

Cycling deserves its place alongside the world’s greatest sports, and Pogacar’s 2024 season is the perfect example of why. His achievements are a reminder the sport’s unique demands and its ability to produce moments of pure athletic brilliance, and show you just how one man can push himself for greatness.

As we celebrate the achievements of the other athletes on the list, let’s not forget the feats of Pogacar, Cavendish, and others in the cycling world. Because if cycling continues to be overlooked, we risk ignoring some of the greatest sporting stories of our time.

Cycling, with its history, global reach, and unmatched physicality, deserves better. And so does Tadej Pogacar.