Vote for the best mens rider of the 2026 cycling season: Pogačar, Pidcock, Vingegaard, McNulty, and more
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Follow us on GoogleThe 2026 road season is over, and already plans are falling into place for next season. The Giro d'Italia 2027, and Tour de France 2027 official routes have both been revealed, with the Vuelta a España coming next month. But 2026 has been yet again a fantastic year on the roads, and we are not quite ready to let it go. Tell us your opinions by voting and commenting: who was the best rider in the men's peloton this year?
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Read the list and vote below the photo!
Who was the best of the best in 2026?
1. Tadej Pogačar 🇸🇮
It would be almost impossible to start this list with anyone else. Tadej Pogačar crashed out of the Vuelta and still ended the season over 2,000 UCI points ahead of anyone else in the peloton. It is the sixth consecutive year the Slovenian has topped the ranking.
Tadej Pogacar won the Tour for the fifth time this year.
Pogačar had a wildly successful year before his crash, winning almost every race he entered, including his 5th Tour de France, Strade Bianche, Mialn-Sanremo, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Tour of Flanders.
Highlights:
- Tour de France GC win
- Strade Bianche win
- Tour of Flanders win
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège win
2. Remco Evenepoel 🇧🇪
Evenepoel has also had a hugely successful 2026 season. It was the Belgian's first season with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, and he certainly left his mark. He is currently second in the UCI rankings.
Evenepoel defended is ITT World title again
He came second to Pogačar in the Tour de France, and is already being touted as a favourite for the yellow jersey next year. He continues to be the best time trialist in the world, defending his World Championship title for the fourth year in a row.
Highlights:
- ITT World Championship title
- European Championship title
- Clasica Ciclista Sân Sebastián win
- 2nd Tour de France GC
- Amstel Gold Race win
3. Tom Pidcock 🇬🇧
Brit Tom Pidcock, who is currently fifth in the UCI rankings, is perhaps one of the more lovable characters in the pro peloton. His down-to-earth persona couples well with his daring descending.
Pidcock came close to beating Pogačar in the spring
He has had a year of tantalising closeness, coming second to Pogačar in a sprint at Milano-Sanremo, followed by a string of seconds in the autumn, including Tre Valli Varesine, and the Tour of Guangxi. He has been praised for his consistent and fearless attacks throughout the season.
Highlights:
- 9th at Tour de France
- 2nd at Milano-Sanremo
- Milano-Torino win
- Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica win
4. Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰
Jonas Vingegaard also had a season-ending crash this year, breaking his collarbone in the Tour de France. However, the Dane won the 2026 Giro d'Italia after winning five stages. He also won Paris-Nice and Volta Cyclist a Catalunya.
Jonas Vingegaard won the Giro d'Italia in May 2026
He is back training, and is rumoured to be targeting the World Championships in France. The Tour de France route might not suit him as well as past editions have, but we will find out what race Vingegaard plans to targets in the new year.
Highlights:
- Giro d'Italia GC win
- 5 stages in Giro d'Italia
- Volta a Catalunya GC win
5. Enric Mas 🇪🇸
Enric Mas is 14th in the UCI rankings, but the Spaniard had a standout season, finally winning the Veulta a España, after coming second three times.
Mas won the Vuelta in 2026
The Spaniard also came second at Il Lombardia, losing to Paul Seixas at the race of the falling leaves. He beat Ciccone, who came third.
Highlights:
- Vuelta a España GC win
- 2nd at Il Lombardia
- Stage win at Vuelta a España
6. Brandon McNulty 🇺🇸
McNulty is also further down the UCI rankings than some of the other riders on this list, but who can forget his triumphant World Championship win in Montréal. He became the first American in over three decades to pull on the rainbow stripes.
McNulty won the World Championship in style
At 18th on the UCI ranking, he is one of the highest placed domestiques. He is also the highest ranking American on the list.
Highlights:
- Road Race World Championship title
- Veneto Classic win
- 4th at ITT World Championships
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7. Isaac del Toro 🇲🇽
Isaac del Toro is the second youngest rider on this list, but he deserves his spot, as he sits third on the UCI rankings, above his younger rival Seixas. This year he became the first Mexican to win a stage of the Tour de France.
Isaac Del Toro won the Grand Colombier stage of the Tour Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes.
The 22-year-old also won Tirreno-Adriatico, the Lidl Deutschland Tour, the UAE Tour, and Tour Auvergne-Rhône Alpes, among other things. He also came third in the Tour de France, behind Pogačar and Evenepoel, winning the youth classification.
Highlights:
- Tirreno-Adriatico GC win
- UAE Tour GC win
- Tour Auvergene-Rhône-Alpes GC win
- Tour de France stage win
- 3rd at Tour de France and young rider classification win
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8. Paul Seixas 🇫🇷
Paul Seixas is the youngest rider on this list, the 20-year-old Frenchman sits fourth in the UCI rankings, and has had an impressive 2026 season. He became the youngest winner of Il Lombardia, taking an historic win.
Paul Seixas won the Tour of Lombardy.
The Lombardy win led to many people dubbing Seixas: 'the are Pogačar'. The Frenchman also came third in the time trial World Championship, behind powerhouses Evenepoel and Ganna.
Highlights:
- Tour of Lombardy win
- 3rd at ITT World Championships
- La Flèche Wallonne win
- Itzulia Basque Country GC win
9. Wout van Aert 🇧🇪
It's April 12 2026, and there's not a dry eye amongst cycling fans: how can any of us forget Wout van Aert beating Pogačar in the iconic velodrome to win Paris-Roubaix. The 32-year-old promptly burst into tears, as did many of his fans.
Van Aert won Paris Roubaix 2026
He is listed seventh in the UCI ranking, and won the points classification at the Vuelta a España, whilst helping Brit Matthew Brennan to 5 stages of the same race. He is also set to return to cyclocross this winter.
Highlights:
- Paris-Roubaix win
- Veulta a España points classification win
- Tour of Denmark GC win
- 3rd at Milano-Sanremo
10. Richard Carapaz 🇪🇨
Perhaps another slight outsider in this race, Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz sits 12th in the UCI ranking. However, the 33-year-old won the mountains classification in the Tour de France, beating Pogačar to do so.
Carapaz took the polkadot jersey at the Tour in 2026
He also came eighth in the GC at the Tour, and came fourth at the Vuelta, providing entertainment to cycling fans throughout the year with his never-say-never approach to racing.
Highlights:
- Mountains classification at Tour de France win
- 4th at Vuelta a España GC
- 2x Tour de France Stage wins
- 2nd at Tour de Suisse GC
11. ... Someone we've missed off the list?
No one will ever agree, and there's plenty more names we could've added to the list, not least the sprinters, who have not had much of a look in. Who have we left off? Jasper Philipsen, Mads Pedersen, Mathieu van der Poel, perhaps European silver medalist Giulio Ciccone...? Vote below to tell us your favourite, or leave us a comment if we've missed the name off the list..
Read also
Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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Latest Comments
- I’m still learning the calendar: is cyclocross mainly preparation for the spring classics, or does he race it as a separate goal as well? I’d love to see him back in the mud.jeremya04-11-2026
- The article makes it sound as if Roubaix is the only classic where he has a realistic shot. He’s been close in Flanders too, and one good tactical day can change everything.jennifer1904-11-2026
- Milan-Sanremo and Roubaix is a pretty special pair of Monuments. Any clues yet on which cyclocross races he’ll target?andrewf04-11-2026
- He’s right to be realistic about Flanders with Pogačar and Evenepoel around, but you can’t count Van Aert out on those roads. If he gets the right opportunity, he has the engine and experience to take it.davidm04-11-2026
- That Roubaix win felt like such a release after all the near-misses. Brilliant to hear that joy outweighed relief for Wout.patriciaw04-11-2026
- Why would a mountain time trial be different from a normal one? Is it just that the riders have to climb the whole course?samanthak03-11-2026
- I don’t quite buy the “fear of failure” argument. Riders can race the Giro and still have confidence in July; it comes down to recovery and planning, doesn’t it?patriciaw03-11-2026
- The Giro-Tour double is a massive ask, even for the very best. Pogačar made it look almost routine in 2024, but that’s hardly a sensible benchmark for everyone else!pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Bakelants makes a fair point: if the 2027 Tour really suits Remco, he can’t afford to dilute the build-up. That 37km flat TT will be tempting, mind.julien03-11-2026
- Mont Blanc sounds like a spectacular finish, though four climbs on the final day might be a bit much after eight hard stages. Hope the route details are clear soon.raceready703-11-2026