While most cycling enthusiasts consider themselves professionals by riding in amateur events, it takes incredible speed, resilience and motivation to compete professionally for years. However, several athletes have mastered the art of soaring at incredible speeds while on their bikes, earning them the title of the world’s best cyclists.
Here are the world’s top five cyclists reigning with their incredible speed, agility and resilience.
Tadej Pogacar
Tadej Pogacar reigns supreme when it comes to professional cycling. The 24-year-old Slovenian cyclist has soared to incredible heights in his short professional career, which started in 2019 when he became the world’s youngest athlete to win the U.C.I. World Tour at 20 years.
Later in 2019, Podacar made his debut on the Grand tour and won three stages during the Vuelta a Espana to rank third overall. The Slovenian all-rounder also won the 2020 & 2021 Tour de France competitions, taking home three different jerseys in every tour, a feat unaccomplished in four decades.
Wout Van Aert
When betting on cycling at Bet99 Canada, Wout Van Aert is a great rider to back. Coming from a successful line of professional athletes, the 28-year-old Belgian cyclist is among this generation’s most highly spirited athletes. Van Aert has succeeded in major road and track events globally, including the Tour De France.
Over the last three years, Van Aert has claimed nine victories in the Tour De France. The Belgian cyclist started the 2022 Tour de France campaign with three second-place finishes and also won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad following a 13 km solo attack.
Remco Evenepoel
Son of the 1993 Grand Prix de Wallonie winner Patrick Evenepoel, Remco Evenopoel is quite impressive for a professional cyclist born in the new century. Remco debuted in professional sports as a football player for youth teams like P.S.V. Eindhoven and R.S.C. Anderlecht before realizing his physical abilities were better suited for cycling.
The 22-year-old debuted in professional cycling in 2017 and won the 2018 U.C.I. road championships in the junior category. 2022 was a great year for Evenepoel as he won the Vuelta a Espana and, two weeks later, the U.C.I. World Road Race.
Jonas Vingegaard Rasmussen
A 25-year-old Danish cyclist, Jonas Vingegaard, has reached the epitome of success in his short professional career that spans seven years. Jonas won the 2022 Tour de France competition after finishing second overall during last year’s campaign.
Aleksandr Vlasov
Another young athlete who has grabbed the attention of every cycling enthusiast, Aleksandr Vlasov, has recorded great speeds and multiple victories in his short career. The 26-year-old Russian cyclist has recorded a podium finish in major road and track events over the last few years, even winning the Russian Time Trial. He also finished second during the Paris-Nice event and fifth during the Tour de France.
Bottom Line
At the moment, it’s evident that being a professional cycler takes a lot of dedication, practice and effort. It also takes speed, balance, motivation and endurance, and the athlete must be extra competitive. Fortunately, the best cyclists mentioned above have mastered all that.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
