The Ballon d’Or awarded to Harry Kane brought with it a long trail of controversy, will the same happen for the Vélo d’Or? We’ll find out on November 28 in Monaco, right from where the Tour started, when the awards for the best athletes of the season will be presented. With two interesting innovations: for the first time the jury will be called upon to choose the best male and female sprinters of the season and the rising stars of the year. A vote, the latter, which will concern riders who participated for the first time in a Grand Tour or in at least one Monument classic and which will be open to the public.
Let’s discover all the candidates for the various awards, with particular applause for the three Italians present on this long list: Elisa Longo Borghini candidate for the female Vélo d’Or, Jonathan Milan and Elisa Balsamo who instead compete for the award for best sprinter of the year.

Let us recall that an international jury of journalists will be called upon to vote and that each will have to draw up their own top five: 5 points for first place, 4 for second and so on down to 1 point for fifth.

Male Vélo d’Or
Isaac Del Toro
22 years old, Mexico, UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Remco Evenepoel
26 years old, Belgium, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
Felix Gall
28 years old, Austria, Decathlon-CMA CGM
Enric Mas
31 years old, Spain, Movistar
Brandon McNulty
28 years old, United States, UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Tadej Pogacar
28 years old, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Paul Seixas
20 years old, France, Decathlon-CMA CGM
Wout Van Aert
32 years old, Belgium, Visma-Lease a Bike
Mathieu Van der Poel
31 years old, Netherlands, Alpecin-Premier Tech
Jonas Vingegaard
29 years old, Denmark, Visma-Lease a Bike

Female Vélo d’Or
Juliette Berthet
28 years old, France, FDJ United-Suez
Paula Blasi
23 years old, Spain, UAE Team L'IMAD
Kimberley Le Court-Pienaar
30 years old, Mauritius, AG Insurance-Soudal
Elisa Longo Borghini
34 years old, Italy, UAE Team L'IMAD
Antonia Niedermaier
23 years old, Germany, Canyon-SRAM
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney
32 years old, Poland, Canyon-SRAM
Marlen Reusser
35 years old, Switzerland, Movistar
Anna Van Der Breggen
36 years old, Netherlands, SD Worx-Protime
Demi Vollering
29 years old, Netherlands, FDJ United-Suez
Lorena Wiebes
27 years old, Netherlands, SD Worx-Protime

Classics Rider of the Year (Male)
Remco Evenepoel
26 years old, Belgium, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
Tadej Pogacar
28 years old, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Paul Seixas
20 years old, France, Decathlon-CMA CGM
Wout Van Aert
32 years old, Belgium, Visma-Lease a Bike
Mathieu Van der Poel
31 years old, Netherlands, Alpecin-Premier Tech

Classics Rider of the Year (Female)
Franziska Koch
26 years old, Germany, FDJ United-Suez
Lotte Kopecky
30 years old, Belgium, SD Worx-Protime
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney
32 years old, Poland, Canyon-SRAM
Puck Pieterse
24 years old, Netherlands, Fenix-Premier Tech
Demi Vollering
29 years old, Netherlands, FDJ United-Suez

Male Sprinter of the Year
Matthew Brennan
21 years old, Great Britain, Visma-Lease a Bike
Paul Magnier
22 years old, France, Soudal Quick-Step
Tim Merlier
34 years old, Belgium, Soudal Quick-Step
Jonathan Milan
26 years old, Italy, Lidl-Trek
Jasper Philipsen
28 years old, Belgium, Alpecin-Premier Tech

Female Sprinter of the Year
Elisa Balsamo
28 years old, Italy, Lidl-Trek
Lara Gillespie
25 years old, Ireland, UAE Team L'IMAD
Charlotte Kool
27 years old, Netherlands, Fenix-Premier Tech
Nienke Veenhoven
22 years old, Netherlands, Visma-Lease a Bike
Lorena Wiebes
27 years old, Netherlands, SD Worx-Protime

French Rider of the Year
Dorian Godon
30 years old, Netcompany Ineos
Romain Grégoire
23 years old, Groupama-FDJ United
Paul Magnier
22 years old, Soudal Quick-Step
Lenny Martinez
23 years old, Bahrain Victorious
Paul Seixas
20 years old, Decathlon-CMA CGM

French Female Cyclist of the Year
Juliette Berthet
27 years old, FDJ United-Suez
Marion Bunel
22 years old, Visma-Lease a Bike
Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt
34 years old, Visma-Lease a Bike
Célia Gery
20 years old, FDJ United-Suez
Cédrine Kerbaol
25 years old, EF Education-Oatly

Female Rookie of the Year
Paula Blasi
23 years old, Spain, UAE Team L'IMAD
Célia Gery
20 years old, France, FDJ United-Suez
Isabella Holmgren
21 years old, Canada, Lidl-Trek

Male Rookie of the Year
Matthew Brennan
21 years old, Great Britain, Visma-Lease a Bike
Jakob Omrzel
20 years old, Slovenia, Bahrain Victorious
Paul Seixas
20 years old, France, Decathlon-CMA CGM

Para-Cyclist of the Year
Louis Hubert
19 years old, Cofidis
Florian Jouanny
34 years old, Grenoble Métropole Cyclisme 38
Alexandre Léauté
26 years old, VCP Loudéac
Thomas Tarou
42 years old, UV Descartes
Anaïs Vincent
26 years old, VC Rumillien