We’ve sifted through scores of reader nominations for the Cycling Plus Rider of the Year 2025 awards, presented by Lezyne.
Now it's time to vote for the shortlisted candidates you want to win the Rider of the Year and Newcomer of the Year categories. (The winner of the Lifetime Achievement award will be decided by our expert panel.)
All those who’ve made the cut are truly deserving of recognition, whether for their WorldTour success or their fundraising efforts, their feats of endurance or their contribution to the wider world of cycling. They’ve all helped make our sport what it is today.
Vote for your favourites using the form below and help to decide the winners of Rider of the Year 2025!
Voting is open until 15 October. Then the winners will be revealed at an exclusive awards ceremony at our Bristol HQ and in issue 440 of Cycling Plus, out on 19 December.
Lifetime Achievement (chosen by our panel)
- Wout Van Aert
- Chris Boardman
- Lizzie Deignan
- Chris Froome
- Gary Imlach
- Geraint Thomas
- Bonnie Tu
How it works
Judging
A panel of judges from Cycling Plus will create a shortlist of nominees based on their knowledge and experience for two categories – Rider of the Year and Newcomer of the Year – as well as choose an overall Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
The judges will not only draw on their extensive and comprehensive knowledge and experience of the road and gravel cycling scene in the UK but will also be informed by suggestions made by readers on social media. Nominations will be assessed against a series of criteria, set out below.
The judges
- James Costley-White – Group editor, Cycling
- Ashley Quinlan – Road lead, Cycling
- Julia Broussier – Creative design lead, Cycling Plus
- Ollie Smith – Video presenter, Cycling
- Warren Rossiter – Senior technical editor
- Emma Lewis – Operations editor, Cycling
Public voting
Readers vote online.
Winners announced
Winners will be announced at the live awards ceremony, on cyclingplus.com, Cycling Plus’s Instagram and Facebook channels in November 2025 and in issue 440 of Cycling Plus in December 2025.
Categories
We have three categories in this year's awards - here are the categories:
- Rider of the Year
We’re looking for any rider who’s had a significant impact or made a big difference in 2025 to the road and gravel cycling scene. This could be through competing (amateur or professional), taking part in an event or adventure, leading a group or community, or any other contribution to the sport.
- Newcomer of the Year
Any rider who’s burst onto the cycling scene in the past year and had a significant impact or made a big difference. Nominees can be any age and don’t have to be new to the sport, but should be unfamiliar to most Cycling Plus readers before 2025 and must have made a significant achieved or breakthrough this year that deserves recognition.
- Lifetime Achievement Awards
Any rider who has competed at any level in cycling, whether amateur or professional, or participated in an event/adventure, led a cycling group or community, or has made a significant impact/difference in their lifetime.
Voting terms and conditions
The purpose of this vote is to allow users to share their opinions on the shortlisted riders for Cycling Plus’s Rider of the Year awards. While the results will be of interest to other users and the Cycling Plus editorial team, it is not a representative sample and only reflects the views of those who choose to participate. Full terms and conditions can be found at www.cyclingplus.com/articles/cycling-plus-rider-of-the-year-2025-terms-conditions
