The 2022 men’s cycling season was about as satisfying as they come. Lots of seasons have various ways to describe them, but for me the one sentiment that works for 2022 is satisfaction.
Was it exciting? You betcha. Were there new and interesting characters involved? Constantly. Was the racing raced like a race? Every day, it seemed. Did we come up with plenty of things to argue about? Yes. This is not our first rodeo.
Could you say all of these things about other years? Sure, but not always, and not against the backdrop of the last two years. 2022 has been, for a lot of people and for a lot of reasons apart from watching sports, an opportunity to crawl back (slowly) toward normalcy (whatever that means), and cycling can boast some very clear progress in that respect. Most races happened on time, mostly with crowds. It was touch-and-go on occasion but a significant improvement from the last two seasons. We had a lot of the same in 2021, but me this season, I felt much less guilty pleasure in it. Obviously COVID still hit a few races, particularly the Vuelta a España where a couple dozen riders withdrew, but with greater understanding of the risks and vaccines reducing the danger, it wasn’t quite as unnerving an experience this time around.
So there’s that. Then there is the emergence of really top-shelf protagonists to challenge what was looking like the start of a Merckxian era of single-rider dominance. In a less dominant performance, Tadej Pogačar may have raised his stature even further, as he brought his star power to a wider variety of races, something we are always clamoring for. Three different riders won the grand tours, each a first-timer and each with its own unique story of triumph. Two of them were so impressive that they merit further discussion for Rider of the Year. The third, I’ll let you make the case if you think one exists, but regardless, chapeau Jai! The Classics saw numerous surprises on the podiums and endless drama. I’m sure we had a few dull days along the way but they don’t immediately come to mind.
Against that backdrop, let’s pick our Podium Cafe Men’s Rider of the Year. I will put your ballot up front so you remember to fill it out, but feel free to read below before voting. I have three candidates who clearly stand out above the rest. There’s a second cut of riders who might intrigue you, consisting of Hindley, Van Aert, maybe Démare or De Lie, but IMO the top three have an unbridgeable gap on the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Podium Cafe – All Posts…