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The 2024 season is all but a wrap, and now it’s time for the annual Vélo d’Or prizes of best international racers.

From Tadej Pogačar’s record-breaking achievements to Kasia Niewiadoma’s emotional win at the Tour de France Femmes, the season was packed with thrilling moments.

From the spring classics to the Olympics to the world championships, 2024 was a season of non-stop racing action that left fans whiplashed and loving it.

Now, the debate begins: who truly stood out among the best?

The Vélo d’Or, often seen as the “Oscars of cycling,” celebrates the top riders of the year, and the 2024 finalists were announced Monday.

A panel of international cycling journalists will cast their respective votes in the coming weeks, and the winners will be announced in a flashy ceremony on December 6.

But if you could have your hands on the levers, who would you pick?

Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, and Remco Evenepoel headline a stacked field for the men’s prize.

On the women’s side, Lotte Kopecky, Niewiadoma, and Demi Vollering are in close race for the annual prize.

Let’s dive in:

Pogačar outshined some equally top performances in 2024

Who gets your Vélo d’Or vote? 2 — Vingegaard won last year’s prize, but was hampered by injury before the Tour de France. (Photo: Gruber Images/Velo)

It’s hard to look past Pogačar and his near-perfect season, headlined by men’s cycling’s third “Triple Crown” of the Giro, Tour, and world title in one season, not to mention two monuments along the way of racking up 25 wins.

And that’s almost a shame, because behind them there are some equally spectacular performances.

Van der Poel was unstoppable to sweep Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and Evenepoel won Olympic double gold in time trial and road race, not to mention hitting third in his Tour debut.

Biniam Girmay, the Tour’s green jersey winner, also stands out as another historical winner. And that’s not mentioning breakout seasons from American nominee Matteo Jorgenson, Ben O’Connor, and Primož Roglič, all also in the running.

Season of parity for women

ARNHEM, NETHERLANDS - OCTOBER 13: Lotte Kopecky of Belgium and Team SD Worx - Protime celebrates at finish line as stage winner during the 26th Simac Ladies Tour 2024, Stage 6 a 145.8km stage from Arnhem to Arnhem / #UCIWWT / on October 13, 2024 in Arnhem, Netherlands. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images) — Kopecky capped her season with victory at the Simac Ladies Tour on Sunday. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images)

For the women, it’s a much tougher call.

No single rider dominated in the same Pogačar fashion.

Vollering, last year’s winner, narrowly missed repeating her Tour victory, with Niewiadoma hanging on for the stunning victory by just four seconds.

Kopecky, a back-to-back world road champion and Paris-Roubaix winner, could be in the running.

The finalists for the women’s Velo d’Or award – given to the best rider of the season – have been nominated.

The winner will be announced on 6 December. pic.twitter.com/eupP0k9FNU

— Voxwomen (@Voxwomen) October 14, 2024

Lorena Wiebes once again dominated the sprints, while American Kristen Faulkner delivered a stunning victory to strike gold at the Paris Games.

Grace Brown ended her career with golds in both the Olympic Games and world championships in time trial.

The prize could go to any one of these superb performances.

Additional Awards: Other name-sake trophies are also awarded. Among them are: Eddy Merckx (best classics rider), Daniel Morelon (top French Olympic cyclist), Bernard Hinault (best French road rider), and Chris Hoy (best Olympic disciplines rider) as well as prizes for top para-cyclists.

So who gets your vote?

Finalists for the Vélo d’Or in 2024:

Matteo Jorgenson was second on a stage and eighth overall in this year's Tour de France (Photo by Chris Auld) — Matteo Jorgenson was second on a stage and eighth overall in this year’s Tour de France (Photo: Chris Auld/Velo)

Men
* Remco Evenepoel (BEL, Soudal Quick-Step)
* Biniam Girmay (ERY, Intermarché-Wanty)
* Marc Hirschi (SUI, UAE Team Emirates)
* Matteo Jorgenson (USA, Visma-Lease a Bike)
* Tim Merlier (BEL, Soudal Quick-Step)
* Ben O’Connor (AUS, Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
* Tadej Pogačar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates)
* Primož Roglič (SLO, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
* Mathieu Van der Poel (NED, Alpecin-Deceuninck)
* Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Visma-Lease a Bike)

Women
* Grace Brown (AUS, FDS-Suez)
* Kristen Faulkner (USA, EF Oatly-Cannondale)
* Lotte Kopecky (BEL, SD Worx-Protime)
* Elisa Longo Borghini (ITA, Lidl-Trek)
* Evita Muzic (FRA, FDJ-Suez)
* Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL, Canyon-Sram)
* Pauliena Rooijakkers (NED, Fenix-Deceuninck)
* Demi Vollering (NED, SD Worx-Protime)
* Marianne Vos (NED, Visma-Lease a Bike)
* Lorena Wiebes (NED, SD Worx-Protime)