The Road Book Awards
Riders of the year
12 JUDGES, 9 COUNTRIES, 3 CONTINENTS, 1 AWARD
The Road Book Awards are adjudicated by a highly regarded truly international panel of judges, spreading across 9 countries and 3 continents. The panel includes those covering the sport in both the written media and the commentary box, as well as a range of ex cyclists, among them Grand Tour winners.
Rider of the year 2021
2021 judges:
Orla Chennaoui
Northern Ireland
David Millar
United Kingdom
Phil Liggett
United Kingdom
Rochelle Gilmore
Australia
Sean Kelly
Ireland
Robbie McEwen
Australia
Nicolas Roche
Ireland
Rolf Sorensen
Denmark
Lizzie Deignan
Female Rider of the Year

Years Pro9
Years on Team3
Grand Tours4
UCI Rank22
Phil Ligget- “Lizzie’s career became locked in stone when she won the first ever women’s Paris-Roubaix with an amazing escape that lasted for the final 50 miles. Conditions in October (re-scheduled from April) were atrocious, made this one victory worth more than even the Olympics in what was an outstanding year of progression for women in cycling. Bouncing over the mud-strewn cobbles of the “hell of the north” her pursuer could get no closer than 65 seconds and Roubaix velodrome welcomed lizzie as the first women to win an event first held for men in 1896. Oh, and she also won the tour of Switzerland!”
Julian Alaphilippe
Male Combative Rider of the Year
Years Pro7
Years on Team3
Grand Tours6
UCI Rank4
Phil Liggett- “There is not a lot more to say about Julian. He is never happier when racing at or near to the front of the peloton. there could not have been a more worthy winner of this award on this occasion. as the French say: “chapeau, Julian!”.”
Elisa Balsamo
Young Female Rider of the Year

Years Pro5
Years on Team2
UCI Rank12
Phil Liggett- “At 23, Elisa was not seen as the future world road champion in September, but the sprint she delivered in France left her a clear winner, even though she seemed as surprised as everyone else. Days before the world title she warned of her intent with second in the Gp d’Isbergues and a rainbow jersey so early in her career leaves the road ahead paved in gold.”
Jonas Vingegaard
Young Male Rider of the Year

Years Pro3
Years on Team3
UCI Rank18
Phil Ligget- “After learning to pronounce Jonas’s surname (it’s vingego!) we all settled in to watching yet another new star as, at just 24, he rode to an exciting second place in the Tour, yet could not win the white jersey as best young rider, but he did beat Pogačar to this title!”
Julian Alaphilippe
Male Rider of the Year

Years Pro7
Years on Team3
Grand Tours6
UCI Rank4
Phil Liggett- “I am no different to anyone else when it comes to liking this great French rider. Julian is an entertainer, a man of passion, an attacker and, above all, a winner. And we all love him. the records will show that “loulou” won only four races in 2021, but the way he entertained us throughout the year, suggested his second world road title in succession was always going to be his; the public wanted no other winner. a stage win and a yellow jersey in the Tour de France brought his total to 18 days in the lead of this great race. Julian is a favourite, not just of France, but of the whole cycling world.”
Elisa Longo Borghini
Female Combative Rider of the Year

Years Pro10
Years on Team3
Grand Tours3
UCI Rank2
Phil Liggett- “Women’s racing has (finally) largely had an equal share of tv coverage in 2021, and one women who always attack and specializes in the late escape, is the hard-working Italian, Elisa Longo-Borghini. Her Italian champion’s jersey was seen in every race she rode. if you can’t sprint, then attack and hope it works. It did, with 3rd in both the Olympic games and Paris-Roubaix and with a number of the one-day classics. Let’s not forget a great second too, in the Strade Bianche Donne. Yes, if Elisa rides, then a hard race is assured for all.”
Mark Cavendish
The Road Book Reader's Award

Years Pro13
Years on Team1
Grand Tours52
UCI Rank32
Phil Liggett- “Who would have thought it? Well clearly you all did and, as Mark’s wife Peta would say:” the boy did well!”.
It was so nice to see Mark back in the bunch and enjoying himself – not just waiting for the sprint, but riding at the front for his team. It was clear he was once again just living his sport. His Tour de France was a dream, where he joined Eddy Merckx on a record 34 stage wins, winning the green jersey for a second time and his first in a decade. No race wins since February 2018, the road back as been long and daunting, but, at 36, he has finished with his most wins since 2016, and with his 16th season just around the corner. Allez, mark!”
Rider of the year 2020
2020 judges:
Orla Chennaoui
Northern Ireland
David Millar
United Kingdom
Phil Liggett
United Kingdom
Christian Prudhomme
France
Rochelle Gilmore
Australia
Rolf Sorensen
Denmark
Robbie Mcewen
Australia
Sean Kelly
Ireland
Renaat Schotte
Belgium
Ryder Hesjedal
Canada
Daniel Mangeas
France
Marion Rousse
France
Wout Van Aert
Male Rider of the Year

Years Pro4
Years on Team2
Grand Tours2
UCI Rank3
Phil Liggett: “Wout, at 26, has taken a while to impress on the road, but his arrival was never in doubt. A World Championship cyclo-cross medalist since 2015 (including three titles) he can do just about anything – time trial, sprint….and win big road races. Joining the World Tour only last year, he won Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, the Belgian time trial title and two stages of the Tour de France, to bring his overall total to three. What a comeback from his horrendous accident in the Tour during the time trial of 2019. In a year of outstanding competition, he deserved his title of Male Rider of the Year.”
ANNA VAN DER BREGGEN
Female Rider of the Year

Years Pro9
Years on Team4
Grand Tours9
UCI Rank1
Phil Liggett: “The Dutch keep on presenting us with the best female riders of the year and Anna, who won this title also in 2018, never looked back after winning her first Dutch road title in August. Two days later, she had added the European time trial title and then into September she added her third Giro d’Italia title. Watching her was a delight; she could not put a pedal wrong as she rode to both the World time trial and road titles. She won her first race as World Champion, the classic Fleche Wallone, and although retirement is now on the horizon, it will not come until December 2021.”
CHLOÉ DYGERT
Young Female Rider of the Year

Years Pro5
Years on Team3
Phil Liggett: “Can you believe that Chloe is only 23? She has done so much in her career already, and there is plenty more to come. She defended her 2019 Road Book title despite her serious crash while trying to defend her World time trial title. At the top since a junior in 2015 when she won the two world junior road titles, she has also dominated on the track (and still does). Chloe is so well thought of she has a pro contract until end of 2024.”
TADEJ POGAČAR
Young Male Rider of the Year

Years Pro2
Years on Team2
Grand Tours2
UCI Rank2
Phil Liggett: “Another who defended his award at the ripe old age of 22, Tadej’s biggest challenge is for him to get commentators to say his name the same way twice! An intelligent, talented rider, his future is limitless. The youngest rider to win the Tour since 1904 he improved on his youngest podium in La Vuelta of 2019. Here’s to the next 10 years of Tadej.”
Annemiek van Vleuten
COMBATIVE FEMALE RIDER OF THE YEAR

Years Pro11
Years on Team3
Grand Tours9
UCI Rank3
Phil Liggett: “After her life-threatening crash in the Rio Olympic road race, who would have thought this highly courageous women could have achieved so much in the four years since? She had to get an award in 2020, and this is it for a second straight year! Unbeatable until finishing second to Van der Breggen in the Dutch championship, she listed Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche and European road race champion among her seven wins of the year. Not to mention another second to VDB in the World road race where she was the defending champion.”
MARC HIRSCHI
Combative Male Rider of the Year

Years Pro2
Years on Team2
Grand Tours2
UCI Rank10
Phil Liggett: “For me, Marc was the find of the year and no sooner had his mentor Fabian Cancellara said he could win a classic, then he did! Fleche Wallonne was in the bag. This exciting Swiss former u23 World road race champion enjoyed a September he will never forget with a stage win in the Tour de France, third in the World elite road championship and then FW. In case you missed it, a few days later he also had second in Liege-Bastogne-Liege meaning he was the combined champion of the old Ardennais Weekend when FW and LBL fell over two consecutive days..
Not 23 until August 2021, he will find Pogačar his constant rival over the next decade.”
TAO GEOGHEGAN HART
Road Book Society Reader's Award

Years Pro4
Years on Team4
Grand Tours4
UCI Rank17
Phil Liggett: “Tao’s Giro performance has been well signalled and when Geraint Thomas had the misfortune to crash and retire, Tao took his chance to become a star in his own right. Yet another young talent to emerge from Axel Merckx’ nursery squad in the USA. Son of Eddy, Axel has sent at least 40 young riders to World Tour teams and we have watched them develop with stand-out performances Tao, who joined Team Sky in 2017 from Axeon Hagens Berman, will not be a domestique when he starts his next Grand Tour in 2021.”
Rider of the year 2019
2019 judges:
Orla Chennaoui
Northern Ireland
David Millar
United Kingdom
Phil Liggett
United Kingdom
Christian Prudhomme
France
Rochelle Gilmore
Australia
Rolf Sorensen
Denmark
Robbie Mcewen
Australia
Sean Kelly
Ireland
Renaat Schotte
Belgium
Ryder Hesjedal
Canada
Daniel Mamas
France
Marion Rousse
France
ANNEMIEK VAN VLEUTEN
Female Rider of the Year

Years Pro10
Years on Team2
Grand Tours8
Every time the tarmac tilts up in front of her she sees it as an opportunity. Back to back Giro victories and an unforgettable performance in Yorkshire meant that it was impossible to overlook her contribution.
JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE
Combative Male Rider of the Year

Years Pro6
Years on Team1
Grand Tours4
It is noteworthy that the Male Rider of the Year and the Combative Male Rider of the Year award goes to the man who finished below the podium in the Tour de France and out of the medals at the World Championships. But how could these awards go to any other rider in 2019 than Julian Alaphilippe? Such is the nature of cycling. The truth is that, for all Primož Roglič’s metronomic successes over a long year of racing, Alaphilippe’s sheer élan went to the heart of why we love the sport. 2019 was his.
CHLOÉ DYGERT OWEN
Young Female Rider of the Year

Years Pro4
Years on Team2
One brilliant ride over Yorkshire hills and dales was enough to convince the jury that the American Chloe Dygert Owen was the most deserving for this category. Her winning margin of 1 minute 33 seconds in the elite women’s time trial was the greatest since these races have featured at the World Championships.
TADEJ POGAČAR
Young Male Rider of the Year

Years Pro1
Years on Team1
Grand Tours1
A tightly contested prize, given that a 19 year-old Remco Evenepoel, had won San Sebastián, and a 22 year old rode to victory in the Tour de France. But, staggeringly, neither of those outstanding achievements stood up in the jury’s estimation when placed next to the impact made at the Vuelta by Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian will surely win a Grand Tour soon. Who knows, perhaps as early as 2020?
ANNEMIEK VAN VLEUTEN
Combative Female Rider of the Year
JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE
Male Rider of the Year
Rider of the year 2018
2018 judges:
Orla Chennaoui
Northern Ireland
David Millar
United Kingdom
Phil Liggett
United Kingdom
Christian Prudhomme
France
Rochelle Gilmore
Australia
Rolf Sorensen
Denmark
Robbie Mcewen
Australia
Sean Kelly
Ireland
Renaat Schotte
Belgium
Ryder Hesjedal
Canada
Daniel Mamas
France
Marion Rousse
France
Geraint Thomas
Male Rider of the Year

Years Pro12
Years on Team9
Grand Tours11
Toughly fought content among the jurors, with votes split across a number of worthy names. In the end, though, the biggest race of them all eclipsed all else, and so Geraint Thomas duly becomes The Road Book’s inaugural Male Rider of the Year. A more deserving, humble, grounded champion is hard to imagine. When you add his history at the Dauphiné into the equation- as well as the style with which he won the Tour, taking the scalp of the Alpe d’Huez in the yellow jersey- it is hard, even for the most ardent Sky sceptic, not to acknowledge a very special win from a very special rider.
Anna van der Breggen
Female Rider of the Year

Years Pro7
Years on Team2
Grand Tours7
This award was taken by the formidable Anna van der Breggen, who somehow carried her all-conquering form in the spring Classics through to the World Championship in the autumn, crowning a truly remarkable season.
Egan Bernal
Young Male Rider of the Year

Years Pro3
Years on Team1
Grand Tours1
Bernal shone at the Tour de France and it surely a future winner of the race. He was run very close to the award by Remco Evenepoel, whose double win at the World Championships promises the arrival of a truly special talent.
Laura Stigger
Young Female Rider of the Year

Years Pro1
Years on Team1
Her sudden ascendancy in the biggest race of all was nothing short of breathtaking.
Julian Alaphilippe
Male Combative Rider of the Year

Years Pro5
Years on Team2
Grand Tours3
Almost inevitably, this award went to the charismatic frenchman after his performance at the Tour de France where he took first place in the Mountain Classification.
Amanda Spratt
Female Combative Rider of the Year

Years Pro7
Years on Team1
Grand Tours5
The award to the best female combative rider of the year goes to the pugnacious and much-admired Amanda Spratt, who brought an attacking spirit to every course she raced. Her biggest feat came in the Giro d’Italia, winning the Mountains Classification.