Official: Enric Mas and Paula Blasi, among the finalists for the Vélo d’Or, the most prestigious individual award in the world of cycling

This Thursday the finalists for the male and female ‘Vélo d’Or’ of the year 2026. The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar and the french Pauline Ferrand-Prévot They were the winners in the last edition, but this year, at least in the men’s category, there are several contenders for glory.

After the three wins of Tadej Pogačar In the last four years, nine candidates will try to end the Slovenian’s reign. After her victory in 2023, the Dutch Demi Vollering (29 years old) is emerging as the great favorite, while the Belgian Lotte Kopecky (30 years old) and the Catalan Paula Blasi (23 years old) emerge as candidates with options.

Vollering is coming off an exceptional year 2026. A season in which he has won almost everywhere he has competed. He started by winning the Women’s Volta Cycling Week of the Valencian Communityin a campaign in which he won classics like La Liège, The Walloon Arrow or the Ronde van Vlaanderenin addition to the Giro d’Italia and of Tour de Franceclosing the year with the gold medal in the World Championship and in the European Championship en route.

The only great one that did not win was The Return. Vollering was not in the Spanish round, where Paula Blasi obtained a great victory, in a year in which he has been at a great height, after winning the Amstel Gold Race wave Cycling Tour to Cataloniabut it seems complicated that Vollering does not end up achieving his second Velo d’Or, after the one achieved in 2023.

A priori closer, with more candidates, the men’s category is presented, especially after Tadej Pogacar missed the entire final part of the season after his fall in The Return. Until that fateful August 29, ‘Pogi’ He was comfortably leading the Spanish round, in a year in which he had previously won his fifth Tour, the Tour of Switzerland, the Tour of Romandie, Liège, the Ronde van Vlaanderen, the Milan-Sanremo and the Strade Bianche.

As the main alternative to the triple winner of the Velo d’Or (2021, 2024, 2025), they are presented Jonas Vingegaardwinner of the Giro; Enric Masfrom La Vuelta or Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian, 2nd in the Tour, has had a spectacular end to the year, winning the time trial of the European Championship and the World Championship. Other candidates to take into account are the names of Brandon McNulty, Paul Seixas, Mathieu Van der Poel or Isaac del Toro.