After tens of nominations and thousands of votes, we handed out our first Cycling Plus Rider of the Year awards supported by Lezyne at a special ceremony at our Bristol home last week.
The atmosphere was jubilant as nominees, cycling industry members and riders of every level filtered into the venue while the free beer from top local brewery Wiper and True flowed.
RIDER OF THE YEAR: CRAIG MAXWELL
Aged 40, Craig was diagnosed with a rare form of genetic lung cancer, EGFR, which has spread to his bones. It’s an inoperable, incurable stage 4 diagnosis, giving Craig, his two children and wife, Tracey, limited time together.
Craig has reacted in the most positive way, and initially set himself a £300k fundraising goal to raise funds for Velindre Cancer Charity and the QuicDNA (cancer genomics) project. He’s since completed the CARTEN (Cardiff to Tenby 100-mile cycle) and led a team of 31 riders from Cardiff to Paris. The £300k target smashed, he’s now going for £1,000,000.
Also nominated
● Zoe Backstedt, 2023 CX champ
● Fran Brown, 2023 world champ
● Dame Sarah Storey, 2023 world champ
● Jenny Tough, cyclist and author
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: IMOGEN WOLFF
2023 started with a bang for Imogen Wolff, with the 17-year-old winning the 2023 UK National Cyclocross Champs in Westmorland, the Lake District, in the U19 category after clocking a 38:40 split some two minutes ahead of her nearest competitor.
Wolff followed that with finishing in the top 30 at the World Cyclocross Championships in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands, in the U19 category. She’s also started the 2023/24 season by scoring a succession of gold and silver medals in the Hope Supercross and National Trophy Series events.
Also nominated
● Illi Gardner, 1st Championnats d’Europe
● Monica Greenwood, 1st Sheffield GP
● Finlay Hawker, Fred Whitton winner
● Niamh Murphy, rising cyclo-cross star
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: DUNCAN DOLLIMORE
There are few people who have done so much to drive the changes and improvements to cycling in the UK as Duncan Dollimore, the Head of Campaigns at Cycling UK. He’s not just overseen the launch of Cycling UK’s blockbuster bikepacking routes such as the King Alfred’s Way, but also led the recent awareness campaigns that witnessed changes to the Highway Code.
If that isn’t enough, Duncan has also been the driving force behind the legal campaign work of the Cyclists Defence Fund for the past decade.
Also nominated
● Shamsul Abdin, H&K Cycle Club
● Maurice Burton, pioneering pro cyclist
● Mark Hodson, Operation Close Pass
● Charlotte Inman, Sisters in the Wild
