Vélo d'Or 2026, here are the nominations: Pogačar challenges Seixas, Vollering favorite

Just days after Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d'Or, cycling is also preparing for its gala evening. The nominations for the 2026 Vélo d'Or have been revealed, with the season's biggest stars leading the men's and women's lists.

The Vélo d'Or, the 'Golden Bicycle', is the award presented by the French magazine Vélo Magazine . The winners are chosen by a jury of international journalists. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 28th in Paris , exactly one month after the shortlists were published.

There are two main awards: the Vélo d'Or for men and women, which crown the best road cyclist of the year. There are also several special categories: classics specialist, sprinter, rookie, French rider, and paracyclist of the year .

The men in the running for the title

Three-time winner Tadej Pogačar is back on the list after his fifth Tour de France. He's joined by teammates Isaac del Toro and world champion Brandon McNulty . The year's other two Grand Tour winners, Jonas Vingegaard and Enric Mas , are also nominated, along with Paul Seixas , Remco Evenepoel , and Felix Gall . Only two Classics specialists are in contention for the top prize: Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert.

The women

Demi Vollering is the clear favorite to take home her second Vélo d'Or. Last year's winner, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot , is surprisingly absent after a disappointing road season. However, she remains in the running for Best Frenchwoman. Among the nominees are Tour de France Women's stars Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney , Marlen Reusser , and Elisa Longo Borghini . They are joined by the revelations Paula Blasi , Antonia Niedermaier , Juliette Berthet , Anna van der Breggen , Kim Le Court-Pienaar, and sprinter Lorena Wiebes .

The rookies. Among the men , Matthew Brennan , Jakob Omrzel , and Paul Seixas are nominated. Among the women, the list includes Paula Blasi , Célia Gery , and Isabella Holmgren .

The other categories

Classics specialist (men) : Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogačar, Paul Seixas, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel.

Classics specialist (women) : Franziska Koch, Lotte Kopecky, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Puck Pieterse, Demi Vollering.

Sprinter of the Year (Men) : Matthew Brennan, Paul Magnier, Tim Merlier, Jonathan Milan, Jasper Philipsen.

Sprinter of the Year (women) : Elisa Balsamo, Lara Gillespie, Charlotte Kool, Nienke Veenhoven, Lorena Wiebes.

French runner of the year (men) : Dorian Godon, Romain Grégoire, Paul Magnier, Lenny Martinez, Paul Seixas.

French runner of the year (women) : Juliette Berthet, Marion Bunel, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Célia Gery, Cédrine Kerbaol.

Paracyclist of the Year : Louis Hubert, Florian Jouanny, Alexandre Léauté, Thomas Tarou, Anaïs Vincent.