POLL: Breakthrough Rider of the Year - 2024 CyclingUpToDate End of Season Awards

The 2024 road season has reached a conclusion and that means it’s awards season. For the second annual CyclingUpToDate End of Season Awards, we need your help! Over the coming days, we will be running a series of polls so you can vote for your award winners, starting with the Breakthrough Rider of the Year.

Every vote counts and yours could be all important to deciding the final winner, so take a look through our nominations below and make sure you cast a vote via the poll at the end!

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Lennert van Eetvelt

Kicking things off, we have Lotto Dstny’s climbing sensation Lennert Van Eetvelt. Although this was the 23-year-old’s second season at senior level, the Belgian took a real step up over this calendar year. Starting the ball rolling with a victory on his second race day at Trofeo Serra Tramuntana, Van Eetvelt then moved over to the UAE Tour, taking GC success and a stage win.

Van Eetvelt came close to a Vuelta a Espana stage win in 2024

Top 10 finishes at the Belgian National Championships followed, both on the road and against the clock, before Van Eetvelt starred in the opening week of the Vuelta a Espana, coming close to a first Grand Tour stage victory, being denied on the line by Primoz Roglic. After abandoning the Vuelta before stage 12, Van Eetvelt bounced back strongly to end his season on a high, taking overall victory at the Tour of Guangxi in China.

Pablo Castrillo

Like Van Eetvelt, this wasn't Pablo Castrillo’s first season at senior level, but 2024 was the year in which the Spaniard stepped up to the next level. Making a Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana, it didn’t take long for the 23-year-old to make an impact, adding not one but two stage wins.

Castrillo won two stages at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana 

On stage 12, Castrillo led home the breakaway ahead of Max Poole, taking a first professional victory of his career. Just a few days later, Castrillo was back at it again, this time holding off the GC group to bag himself a second pro victory on stage 15. As a result of his performances, he has also earned a move to the World Tour with Movistar Team, so time will tell if he can continue to improve in 2025.

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Thibau Nys

Although Nys has been a name more predominantly associated with cyclocross over the years, Thibau Nys has made big strides on the road in 2024, taking no fewer than nine victories over the course of the season.

Nys took a total of 9 victories on the road in 2024

Starting with a stage win at the Tour de Romandie in April, Nys was then the strongest of the field at the Tour de Hongrie, winning stage 3 and stage 4 before securing the overall victory to boot. After stages of the Tour of Norway and the Tour de Suisse, Nys then took not one but three victories at the Tour de Pologne. Having already added a win on his return to cyclocross this winter, 2024 has been a real breakthrough season for the 21-year-old Belgian.

Florian Lipowitz

After Primoz Roglic’s arrival at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe for 2024, many expected the likes of Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov to emerge as the Slovenian’s key men in the mountains. Arguably though, the strongest of Roglic’s support stars came in the form of 24-year-old German, Florian Lipowitz.

Lipowitz finished 2nd in the Young Rider Classification at the Vuelta

Having already impressed earlier in the year, finishing 3rd overall at the Tour de Romandie and winning the Sibiu Cycling Tour, Lipowitz really came into his own at the Vuelta a Espana, helping Roglic secure a record equalling 4th Red Jersey triumph whilst finishing 2nd overall himself, narrowly missing out on the Best Young Rider’s jersey to Mathias Skjelmose.

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Maxim Van Gils

Another of Lotto Dstny’s burgeoning talents, Maxim Van Gils has been around for a couple of years now, but this campaign and especially this spring, the Belgian kicked on and proved he can compete with the very best in the world in some of the biggest races.

Van Gils (R) finished on the podium at Strade Bianche

Adding a number of victories to his palmares, he took the win at the reduced Vuelta a Andalucia back in February, Van Gils the backed that up with a podium finishes at Faun Drome, Strade Bianche, GP Miguel Indurain, La Fleche Wallonne and the Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic. Finishing 4th at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Van Gils then took successive victories at Eschborn-Frankfurt and GP des Kantons Aargau. Although things went quiet over the next few months, Van Gils had one last highlight before season end, finishing 4th at GP Montreal.

Isaac del Toro

Mexico’s cycling wonderkid, Del Toro wasted no time making an impact in his debut World Tour season, finishing on the podium at the Down Under Classic in January before then winning stage 2 of the Tour Down Under a few days later, eventually finishing 3rd overall and taking the Best Young Rider’s Jersey.

Del Toro took victory on just his third professional race day at the Tour Down Under

After finishing 4th overall at Tirreno-Adriatico and then 7th overall at the Itzulia Basque Country, Del Toro took the GC win at the Vuelta Asturias. Finishing the year off with a Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espana, the 20-year-old looks set for a big future at UAE Team Emirates.

Remember, use the poll below to cast your vote! The winner is set to be announced one week from today (4th of November).