POLL: Individual Performance of the Year - 2024 CyclingUpToDate End of Season Awards
Cycling
The 2024 road season has come to an end and that means it’s awards season. For the second annual CyclingUpToDate End of Season Awards, we need your help! There have many incredible individual performances this year, but which one has been the best? Vote for your Individual Performance of the Year right here!
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!
Tadej Pogacar - (2024 World Championship road race in Zurich)
Given his brilliance this year, Tadej Pogacar could have an entire list to himself in this particular category! In the men’s elite road race in Zurich though, the Slovenian was arguably as good as he ever has been, attacking from 100km out and never looking back.
Pogacar quickly caught and then attacked the breakaway. Only his trade teammate at UAE Team Emirates, Pavel Sivakov could follow, but at 50km to go, the Frenchman too had to give up the wheel. From there, Pogacar looked dominant but heading into the finale, it looked momentarily as if the 100km attack might be too much even for him as his began to look visibly tired and the chase closed in. Seemingly having a second wind though, Pogacar kicked again on the final little rise, regaining some vital seconds of advantage over the chasers in the process and holding on for an emotional victory.
Mathieu van der Poel - (2024 Paris-Roubaix)
In the fastest Paris-Roubaix in history, Mathieu van der Poel took victory in scintillating style. In fact, it was actually the longest men's solo in 30 years (60km) at the iconic French monument, and one of his greatest ever performances, taking his second successive victory in the velodrome.
To put in such a spectacular performance would be special enough, but to do so in the Rainbow Jersey and having had to deal with some crowd trouble, as a group of rowdy 'supporters' at the roadside were seen on camera throwing drinks and shouting abuse at the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader.
Remco Evenepoel - (2024 Paris Olympic road race)
Remco Evenepoel silenced a lot of doubters over the course of the 2024 season, nowhere was the Belgian superstar better than in Paris however as he secured a historic Olympic double, taking gold in both the individual time trial and the men’s road race in the French capital.
The Belgian caught the chasing group and then did most of the work to catch the front of the race, distance the peloton and simultaneously drop all other riders - including very strong and in-form classics specialists. Valentin Madouas was the last one to hold the pace and still rode to a silver medal. It was absolutely incredible how Evenepoel, despite receiving little to no cooperation, just dropped his rivals with pace on a circuit that did not feature any steep climbs.
Julian Alaphilippe - (2024 Giro d’Italia stage 12)
There weren't many performances in 2024 that brought as much universal happiness to cycling fans as Julian Alaphilippe’s victory on stage 12 of the 2024 Giro d’Italia. After a rough couple of years, the Frenchman made an emphatic return to form on his Italian Grand Tour debut, taking his biggest victory in years.
As soon as the stage entered its hilly section, the Frenchman attacked and a small group formed out in front. Almost three dozen riders moved away from the peloton, but Alaphilippe did not want to be part of such an attack and instead made a move solo with 125 km still to go. Although most expected that to be far too far out, the Soudal - Quick-Step star held on and secured a famous win.
Tadej Pogacar - (2024 Strade Bianche)
Tadej Pogacar’s 2024 campaign will go down in history as one of the greatest individual seasons of all time. Even in his very first race of the campaign, the Slovenian was sending out messages of intent, soloing to Strade Bianche glory in dominant style back in early March.
The impressiveness of this ride from Pogacar cannot be overstated. His second time winning Strade Bianche, the Slovenian left no one in any doubt as to who was the strongest in the field, attacking clear with 81km to go, marking the fourth season running that Pogacar has won his opening race.
Mathieu van der Poel - (2024 Tour of Flanders)
Just a week prior to his aforementioned Paris-Roubaix heroics, Van der Poel destroyed all his rivals with a brutal attack on the iconic slopes of the Koppenberg at the Tour of Flanders. Whilst riders all around the world champion were forced to unclip and even start running, Van der Poel himself was putting the power down and riding away.
Taking his 5th monument at the time (the aforementioned Paris-Roubaix victory then made it 6 ed.), Van der Poel made it three Tour of Flanders victories in five years, having come second in the two he didn’t manage to take the win.
Jonas Vingegaard - (2024 Tour de France stage 11)
After all the trials and tribulations over the course of Jonas Vingegaard’s preparation for the 2024 Tour de France, his performance in the French Grand Tour was very creditable. Although he couldn’t secure a third successive Maillot Jaune, the Dane’s highlight came on stage 11 where he did something not many can claim to have done in 2024, defeat Tadej Pogacar in a one-on-one battle.
With 31 kilometers to go, despite being in the yellow jersey, the Slovenian attacked and distanced all his rivals. Vingegaard though, refused to give up hopes to more Tour de France success and slowly but surely began to work his way back to his arch-rival’s back wheel. At the finish line Pogacar was then beaten for the first time in a head-to-head sprint at the Tour de France as an emotional Vingegaard celebrated a heart-warming success.
Mark Cavendish - (2024 Tour de France stage 5)
Although most of the performances on this list are long-range solos, the victory of Mark Cavendish on stage 5 of the 2024 Tour de France was something a little different, coming in the form of a bunch sprint.
Aged 39, not many gave Cavendish a chance at glory in 2024, but as has been proved numerous times over the years, write the Manx Missile off at your peril. On stage 5, the Brit proved the doubters wrong yet again, to lead home the likes of Jasper Philipsen and Biniam Girmay, securing himself a history-making 35th stage success at cycling’s most iconic race, breaking the legendary Eddy Merckx’s long standing record in the process.
Remember, use the poll below to cast your vote! The winner is set to be announced one week from today (7th of November).
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- Fortunately and as you point out, more than one strategy is possible and worth trying and I’m sure all concerned riders are well informed and counselled on this subject and don’t need such basic personal advice through media from an outsider.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- The main SPOTY award is "decided" by public vote but the BBC "expert panel" decide who you can choose from, that choice has an equal split of genders and is focussed on the sports BBC show and a disabled athlete. Oh yea the ubiquitous "Pub Games" candidate there too, Darts and Snooker are not sports. The other awards are decided by the "Expert Panel" again it's about the sports BBC show, cycling has had it. Cav got his for his years and achievements in the sport, not just that 35th TDF win. Unless the BBC get access to Pro Cycling it will never feature "adequately" on SPOTYslappers6621-12-2024
- Ahhh..... you have to understand the "strange" diversity concepts of the BBCslappers6621-12-2024
- Avoiding him is a good strategy, you get more wins and then you can compete in the TDF relatively relaxed. Pit yourself against Pogi and not only there will be no wins, it will be considerable mental setbackabstractengineer21-12-2024
- If you hold onto then, you blowup in a minute and then you finish 5 minutes down like Ben O'Connorabstractengineer21-12-2024
- Based on what argument?Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Agreed except the length of climbs, pretty sure you can stretch that to about a km unless we’re talking about half a dozen in quick succession.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Lot of contradictory information floating around world cup contenders, someone should do some tidying up.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- A bit much to suggest that Pogacar is better than MvdP on most terrains. The only terrain Pogacar is clearly better is long climbs, on any other terrain they are pretty even except flat cobbles and short and steep climbs (max a few 100 mtrs) where MvdP is clearly better than Pogacar.Velovibes21-12-2024
- The likelihood of RE improving enough at this point to outclass TP or JV is less than zero.verve82521-12-2024