Published: 12 December 2016
It is time to choose your 2016 British Cycling Ride of the Year, supported by the Bicycle Association.
It has been a year of outstanding achievements from Great Britain Cycling Team’s cyclists across all disciplines and age groups - including Great Britain topping the cycling medal table at both the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Now you can take your pick from the 12 nominations below with the winner receiving the Cycle Industry’s Golden Jubilee Trophy, presented at the annual British Cycling Gala Dinner.
Voting will close at 5pm on Sunday 18 December with the winner announced on Monday 19 December.
British Cycling president, Bob Howden, said: “British cyclists have enjoyed an incredible 2016 and narrowing the list of contenders down to 12 has been an incredibly tough decision. The success enjoyed by our riders across all the disciplines is something that everyone who supports cycling in the UK can be incredibly proud of.
“Every candidate on the list has enjoyed some incredible moments over the last year and would all be worthy winners.”
Previous winners of the award include Lizzie Deignan (née Armitstead), Sir Bradley Wiggins, Danny Hart, Josh Bryceland and Lora Turnham and her pilot Corrine Hall.
Win a cycling prize bundle
Every person who votes will be automatically entered into our competition to win a fantastic bundle with prizes from adidas, Lazer, CNP, LoveVelo and Fiat.
The nominations
Evie Richards: UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
The teenager from Malvern made history in Belgium in January to become the first ever under-23 women’s cyclo-cross world champion. Richards dominated in terrible conditions at Circuit Zolder, taking the lead at the end of the first lap before cruising to a solo victory.
Rachel Atherton: UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Championships
What more can be said about Rachel Atherton after the perfect 2016? Undefeated throughout the world cup season, Atherton headed to Val di Sole, Italy, on the back of 13 consecutive UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup wins, producing a sensational run to win her fourth world title.
Lauren Hookway: ICSF European Championships
2016 saw Lauren Hookway claim her maiden international cycle speedway title in a thrilling contest in Southampton and Poole. The Exeter rider beat her compatriot Vicky Brown in heat ten on her way to victory, with Brown taking silver and fellow Brit Kristina Mines claiming bronze.
Women’s team pursuit: Rio Olympic Games
On a super Saturday in Brazil, Laura Kenny (née Trott), Katie Archibald, Joanna Rowsell Shand and Elinor Barker went faster over 4km than any women’s quartet in history to win Olympic team pursuit gold. The four smashed the world record to defeat the USA in 4:10.236 with a winning margin of more than two seconds.
Rebecca Raybould: UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships
The young British rider showed her class in a thrilling scratch race in Switzerland, setting off on a solo attack with around 11 laps to go. The rest of the field was forced to sit up with six laps to go to regroup in a bid for silver, Raybould’s stunning move proving decisive in delivering her first rainbow jersey.
Sophie Wright: UEC MTB European Championships
17-year-old Wright became the first-ever British junior female European mountain bike champion in perfect conditions in Sweden. The teenager made her move on the first lap, building up a lead of more than three minutes over the four laps to claim the European title on Huskvarna Mountain.
Bethany Shriever: UCI BMX World Championships
2016 will be a year to remember for Bethany Shriever. The 17-year-old reached the semi-finals on her world cup debut before swapping the classroom for Colombia to claim silver in the junior women’s time trial at the world championships, producing two sensational laps to finish on the podium.
Jason Kenny: Rio Olympic Games
The Bolton rider made history in Brazil, winning his sixth Olympic gold and joining Sir Chris Hoy as joint most-decorated British Olympians. With team sprint and sprint gold secured, Kenny overcame nerves and drama, with the race restarted twice – and produced a sensational effort to seal an incredible gold.
Kadeena Cox: Rio Paralympic Games
The multi-talented Leeds athlete attempted to win gold medals in two different sports at the same Paralympic Games in Brazil. 24 hours after winning 100m bronze on the athletics track, Cox smashed her own 500m time trial world record in the velodrome to claim gold – before returning to athletics to add a further gold and silver to her impressive summer haul.
Steve Bate (piloted by Adam Duggleby): Rio Paralympic Games
The dynamic duo of Bate and Duggleby had already won tandem pursuit gold on the track in Rio, but weren’t prepared to settle for just one Paralympic title. Over the 30km course, they set a blistering pace, beating their Dutch rivals by eight seconds to top the podium once again.
Manon Lloyd and Katie Archibald: Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup
The first-ever world level women’s Madison had everything. Thrills and spills as both British riders crashed, with Katie Archibald fracturing her wrist in the fall. Both riders got back on their bikes – and launched an incredible comeback, winning sprint after sprint to take the gold in front of a frenzied home crowd.
Jon Dibben: UCI Track Cycling World Championships
In a week of incredible performances in London, perhaps the stand-out moment was the maiden world title won by Jon Dibben in the points race. The Southampton rider, backed on by a crescendo of noise in the Lee Valley VeloPark, won the final two sprints to earn rainbow stripes for the first time in his career.
