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Cycling Weekly has opened reader voting for its 2026 International Rider of the Year award, with six riders on the shortlist. Voting closes on Nov. 15, and the magazine says it will publish the result in its Dec. 3 edition.

Cycling Weekly has opened reader voting for its 2026 International Rider of the Year award, asking readers to choose from six shortlisted cyclists. The poll closes on Nov. 15, with the winner due to be revealed in the magazine’s Dec. 3 edition.

The shortlist comprises Demi Vollering, Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogačar, Marlen Reusser, Paul Seixas and Lorena Wiebes. Cycling Weekly says the award is decided by its readers through an online poll. The source report directs readers to select the rider they want to win.

The magazine’s selection includes riders with different kinds of standout seasons, rather than relying only on total victories. Its report highlights Vollering’s wins at the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France Femmes and road world championships; Pogačar’s fifth Tour de France victory and wins across major one-day and stage races; and Evenepoel’s second place at the Tour de France, alongside victories including the Amstel Gold Race.

The other nominees are recognized for distinct achievements. Reusser won the individual time trial world and European titles and the Tour de Suisse. Seixas, aged 19, won Il Lombardia and finished fourth on his Tour de France debut, according to Cycling Weekly. Wiebes recorded 25 race victories during the season, the highest total among the riders in the report, and also won the Tour de Poland overall.

At a glance
announcementWhen: Voting is open and closes Nov. 15, 2026…
The developmentCycling Weekly is asking readers to choose its 2026 International Rider of the Year from a six-rider shortlist.

Six Seasons, One Reader Choice

The poll turns the award into a reader decision, giving cycling fans a direct say in how the season’s achievements are recognized. The shortlist also puts different forms of success alongside one another: overall wins in major stage races, one-day results, time-trial titles, a breakthrough Grand Tour performance and a high volume of sprint victories.

That range matters because the magazine says the award is not simply determined by the number of wins. Its shortlist presents the question as a comparison of performance and progress across the season, rather than a tally alone. Readers can therefore weigh achievements that are difficult to compare directly, such as a world title against a Tour de France podium or an exceptional sprint record.

The result will provide a reader-selected verdict on six prominent seasons, but the source does not describe the poll’s voting mechanics beyond inviting readers to select a name. It also does not state whether voting is limited by location or whether repeat votes are restricted.

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The Nominees’ 2026 Seasons

Cycling Weekly’s summaries describe Vollering and Pogačar as dominant, while also emphasizing riders who reached new levels. Vollering added the Giro and road world title to her major victories. Pogačar’s fifth Tour win was among a season of high-profile results; the report says he did not win at Paris-Roubaix and was forced out of the Vuelta after being hit by a rock in the road.

Evenepoel’s season included a Tour de France runner-up finish, a time-trial stage win and a summit-finish stage win, as well as the World Championships individual time trial title. Reusser’s time-trial results and Tour de Suisse overall victory highlighted her season. The report says she spent three days in the Tour de France Femmes yellow jersey before finishing 14th overall.

Seixas’s results made him one of the shortlist’s breakthrough names. Cycling Weekly says the Frenchman won on his second day of racing in his first full professional season and ended the year with Il Lombardia. Wiebes’s 25 victories included stage wins at the Tour de France Femmes and Tour of Britain Women, plus the green jersey at the Tour de France Femmes. These descriptions are the magazine’s case for the six nominees, not a published ranking of their seasons.

“The winner of our 2026 International Rider of the Year award will be decided by you, the Cycling Weekly reader.”

— Cycling Weekly

Poll Rules and Results Still Pending

The winner has not yet been announced; voting remains open until Nov. 15. Cycling Weekly’s source report does not give the total number of votes, a live vote count, or details about eligibility, repeat voting or how the magazine will resolve a tie. It also does not provide a separate explanation of how the six names were selected beyond describing their seasons as exceptional.

The season summaries and results in the source are the magazine’s account of the nominees’ achievements. The report does not publish a comparative scoring system or say that a particular result carries more weight in the final vote. Readers should treat the outcome as a poll result, not as a formal ranking based on a disclosed statistical formula.

Voting Closes Before Publication

Readers can cast a vote through the poll linked in Cycling Weekly’s report. The stated deadline is Nov. 15, 2026. Cycling Weekly says it will reveal the result in its Dec. 3 edition; the source does not give a separate online publication time or say whether it will share interim results before then.

Key Questions

Who is shortlisted for the 2026 International Rider of the Year award?

The six nominees are Demi Vollering, Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogačar, Marlen Reusser, Paul Seixas and Lorena Wiebes.

How is the winner chosen?

Cycling Weekly says the award will be decided by its readers through an online poll. The source does not give further details about voting eligibility or poll rules.

When does voting close?

The poll closes on Nov. 15, 2026, according to Cycling Weekly.

When will the winner be announced?

Cycling Weekly says the result will appear in its Dec. 3 edition. The source does not specify a separate online announcement time.

Is the award based only on the number of wins?

No. Cycling Weekly says the award is not simply about win totals and points to both riders’ results and seasons in which they progressed to a higher level.

Source: cyclingweekly.com

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