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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Her sudden ascendancy in the biggest race of all was nothing short of breathtaking.

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.

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.