Imagine being the greatest living cyclist (arguably), and having what was the greatest single season in the history of cycling (arguably), but still deemed not good enough to even qualify for the BBC’s ‘Sports Personality of the Year - World Sports Star’ shortlist.
While I’d assume three-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar isn't losing any sleep over the snub, cycling fans have been quite vocal about it, passing pretty damning judgements on the decision and implying that the British broadcaster has failed to recognise cycling and one of sports’ greatest achievements in recent years.
The people shortlisted for the award include the world’s most decorated gymnast, Simone Biles, the number one pick in Women’s National Basketball Association who broke several records as a rookie this year, Caitlin Clark, five-time world champion wheelchair racer Catherine Debrunner, arguably the greatest pole vaulter of all time, Armand Duplantis, super middle- and long-distance runner Sifan Hassan, and global swimming superstar and heir apparent to Michael Phelps, Leon Marchand.
Notice any connections between the six? Almost all of them — the only exception being Clark — set the Paris Olympic Games alight with their dazzling performances and took home multiple medals. And given the importance Olympic performance can play in deciding the winner of such awards, many fans on social media have speculated that the committee overlooking Pogačar could very well come down to the Slovenian deciding to skip Paris — a decision that was talked about a lot due to Urška Žigart, the Slovenian national champion and Pogi's partner, not making the national squad selection.
Cycling's power couple: TadejPogačar with UrškaŽigart at 2024 Tour de France (A.S.O./Charly Lopez)
“Seems fully Olympics related, plus Caitlin Clark randomly. No Pogačar, no Sinner, laughable,” wrote one fan on social media, alluding to tennis's top-ranked male player Janik Sinner, the 23-year-old himself having a commendable season, winning the Australian and the US Open, the ATP Finals, three Masters 1000s, and two ATP 500s, and also leading Italy to the Davis Cup win (and of course, having a good old doping case in the midst of it all).
However, there were others who strongly suggested that this could very come down to the BBC simply not giving professional cycling enough importance as a sport. The last time a cyclist won the award was all the way back in 1963, when Jacques Anquetil was named the overseas Sports Personality of the Year, for victories in the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, Paris-Nice, and the Critérium du Dauphiné that year (Lance Armstrong was subsequently stripped of the title after being awarded in 2003).
“You have to remember that no one at the BBC watches cycling.”
“Britain is not a cycling country — exhibit 3567.”
“The BBC are probably pissed off with him for snubbing their beloved Olympic Games. They are not serious people!”
“Typical. Cycling goes to the bottom. Behind darts.”
“Could argue for Remco as well, since no real British challengers in the Grand Tours, the BBC has completely forgotten about cycling and reporting on it — I’d also include Katie Ledecky instead of Biles or Clarke, a very short-sighted shortlist.”
TadejPogačar on the 2024 Tour de France podium
Meanwhile, some people claimed that it could be due to the fact that it’s voted by those watching the BBC, making it tricky for stars from sports which the BBC doesn’t hold broadcasting right to, to make the cut.
“BBC would likely be more interested in Remco as he had Olympic success which the BBC broadcast, I'd wager most nominees are in sports they hold broadcast rights to.”
“It is defined as the BBC World Sports Star. The BBC does not cover world cycling events, except for the Olympics. The people on this list had outstanding performances at the Olympics. BBC viewers will have to vote for the winner, and sadly, most of them will not have followed cycling.”
And as with most online discussions, there were people who seemed content with the shortlist. One person said: “Is it? It’s an Olympic year and Remco won that. I don’t hate this list.”
Pogačar, meanwhile, has announced he was joining the United Nations’ global road safety campaign yesterday, aiming to promote road safety by recruiting celebrities and sportspeople to deliver messages “focusing on reducing risk factors” such as drink driving, texting at the wheel, and not wearing a bike helmet.
The Tour de France winner and world champion, said: “As a professional cyclist the open road is my workplace, and I live the reality of the danger of cycling in traffic almost every day.
“I am not alone, as millions of people around the world ride their bikes to work, school or just for leisure. The ability for people to ride their bikes safely is something we need to protect.
“I am happy to support this campaign and believe that together we can help to make the roads safer for everyone, cyclists and motorists alike.”
What do you think? Should the BBC have included Pogačar in the list? If yes, what’s your take on why he wasn’t? Let us know in the comments…
Phil Gallon, who had cycled to Turkey, says he’s “devastated” by the theft – which saw his late wife’s possessions stolen – and left “boiling with rage”, after police told him there was “no indication of CCTV at this incident”...
Amsterdam? Nope. Paris? Guess again. This is Tottenham! A beautiful sight: kids on cargo bikes, kids cycling… a community embracing cycling. Brilliant to see! ❤️🚲💪
— Francesca 🚲💕 (@francescakms.bsky.social) 5 December 2024 at 19:22
There are a handful of cyclists talented enough to excel in one discipline, let alone two. But Wout van Aert, along with the likes of Tom Pidcock and Mathieu van der Poel in the pro men's peloton, is one of those who riders who are as talented on the road, as they are off it.
And it’d make sense, because for the 30-year-old Belgian, cyclocross is just not just an off-season excursion, it is his “first love”. So despite experiencing an injury-laden season (perhaps on par with Luke Shaw) — Van Aert only recently started his recovery process after his Vuelta crash — he’s decided to come back for a few cyclocross races.
The three-time cyclocross world champion has now announced his schedule for this winter, competing in Mol, Loenhout, Gullegem, Dendermonde, Benidorm, and Maasmechelen.
In a press release published by Visma-Lease a Bike, Van Aert said: “Cyclocross remains my first love, which is why I enjoy returning to it every winter. This winter, we’ve opted for a compact schedule of six races that fit well into my training plan. It will be a cyclocross season I approach purely out of love for the sport, but with modest ambitions. After my crash in the Vuelta and my knee injury, it’s essential to make the best use of the time I have to prepare for the road season. A few cyclocross races fit nicely into that plan, but the schedule is deliberately more limited than in previous years.”
Wout van Aert's snapped saddle during 2024 Benidorm cyclocross World Cup (Renaud Breban)
Despite his storming performance in Benidorm this January, which saw him win one of the most dramatic cyclocross races ever in January without a saddle, Van Aert said that he doesn’t expect to hit top form in his first race in Mol. “That will be the first target to work toward, but I certainly won’t reach my highest level there,” he said, adding that he will join his team for a training camp after his first four races.
“After that camp, there are two great races on the calendar in Benidorm and Maasmechelen, where I expect to be in better condition. I’m incredibly excited to get back into the field and look forward to reconnecting with the fans,” Van Aert concluded.
Make sure your sound is on for this one! 🔊
“While there is a pothole black hole of hundreds of millions of pounds in Oxfordshire and the council is on course to miss its own walking and cycling targets, it beggars belief that the Lib Dems would take millions from the walking and cycling pot and spend it on building new roads, rather than fixing the roads they are already meant to look after or investing properly in walking and cycling,” a Labour county councillor said in his scathing critique of the local authority’s failure.
After a couple of weeks ago in Oxford, now it’s time for Cambridge police to stop cyclists for not riding without lights at night, with more than 20 cyclists issued tickets on Milton Road, a busy road in Cambridge, reports Cambridgeshire Live.
A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: “Officers, working alongside Camcycle - Cambridge Cycling Campaign have been back out on patrol stopping cyclists without lights on their bikes, this time in Milton Road. In the first hour more than 20 cyclists were stopped without lights. Some of them had lights but had just not turned them on.
"As part of the LIT scheme (lights instead of tickets), those without lights were given a ticket and the option to purchase lights within seven days and have their fine rescinded.”
After serving as the DS for Canyon-Sram, former Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Bäckstedt has now joined the Cofidis women’ team as its sports director, the team claiming that he will give them edge in strategising their race especially in the classics.
The Swedish is often seen as one of the architects of the rise of the Canyon-Sram Racing team, and his departure from the team marks an end to the father-daughter duo with 20-year-old Welsh rider Zoe Bäckstedt.
Now, how do you say “Don’t chase my daughter” in French? I’d suppose Magnus might need use of that phrase soon…
Looks like most of the UCI ProTeam’s budget went into his wages.
It was announced on Wednesday that Tom Pidcock had left Ineos Grenadiers, after months of reports depicting rifts and tensions between the two parties. The Swiss team Q36.5 emerged as the frontrunners to nab double-Olympic champion, having to allegedly pay €12 million to get the British rider out of his contract with Ineos which still had three years left on it.
“This isn’t just a change of jersey; it’s the start of something special,” said Pidcock. “The chance to work with a team that’s growing, with incredible partners and brands, is something that motivates me. I can’t wait to see what we’ll achieve together.”
Team Manager Doug Ryder said: “We are honoured to welcome Tom Pidcock to the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. Tom is a true embodiment of passion and competitive spirit, qualities that resonate deeply with our team’s values. His extraordinary talent, both on and off the bike, and his proven ability to win at the WorldTour level make him a game-changing addition to our roster. We look forward to writing this next chapter together.”
Luigi Bergamo, Chairperson of Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, Founder, and R&D Director of Q36.5, added: “With his revolutionary, multi-disciplinary approach that has versatility at its heart, Tom is the perfect embodiment of our own approach to product development. Having Tom as part of the team offers us the opportunity not just to compete for victory at the world’s most prestigious races but also to continue to push the very boundaries of Q36.5's vision of what the future of performance cycling clothing can be. I can’t wait to send him his first pair of Dottore bib shorts and hear what he thinks!”
Tom Pidcock after the 2024 Paris Roubaix (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Pidcock, who will join the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team squad in the upcoming pre-season training camp, set to take place in Calpe, Spain in January, concluded saying: “I love racing my bike, and I'm looking forward to making that a priority. Joining a team that believes in me and shares my vision of success makes this an incredibly important step in my career. Let’s make it happen.”