Cycling 2024 season review: Pogacar conquers all as the rest of the field share the crumbs
Untouchable: Tadej Pogacar
2024 season: Giro d'Italia (plus six stages), Tour de France (plus six stages), Road World Championships (road race), Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Tour of Lombardy, Strade Bianche, Tour of Catalonia, Grand Prix of Montreal, Giro dell'Emilia
Just 58 days of racing, but it feels like we've seen him all year round. 24 victories in all, with Milan-San Remo his only real 'failure' (third place) and the highlight being a Giro-Tour de France double that had not been achieved since Marco Pantani in 1998. Pogacar did nothing but torment the competition as soon as he got on a bike.
The Slovenian is a leg above his rivals, even the most prestigious of them. You might wonder what might have happened if it hadn't been for the huge crash that hit the competition in the Basque Country in April, but it's too late for that. There's no need to speculate; his 100km ride at the World Championships said it all.
So, what are his objectives now? Milan-San Remo and the Vuelta no doubt, but what about the Flemish Classics? His performance at the 2023 Tour of Flanders is still fresh in our memories, and we're salivating to see him in Paris-Roubaix. But above all, we'd love to see him face stiff competition from riders eager to knock the star off his pedestal.
The other big names
Remco Evenepoel has made his mark this season. The Olympic double is in everyone's memory, but in the end, that's practically all he has won in a season handicapped by that fall in the Basque Country.
If Pogacar didn't exist, he would no doubt have won in Lombardy, and believed more in his chances in the Tour de France. But he has been criticised above all for his attitude in certain races, and for his frustration at being powerless against the Slovenian genius. The Belgian will have to refocus next season.
2024 season: Olympic Games (time trial & road race), World Championships (time trial), Figueras Champions Classic, Tour of the Algarve.
Jonas Vingegaard paid the heaviest price for that big crash in the Basque Country in April, which clearly changed the face of his season. He won his time trial and lined up at the start of the Tour de France, but also had to give up in his fight with Pogacar.
His season came to a halt in August, but he is expected to make a strong comeback next season.
2024 season: Gran Camiño (plus three stages), Tirreno-Adriatico (plus two stages), Tour of Poland.
Primoz Roglic has accomplished his mission. He won a fourth Vuelta and gave the new Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe structure its first Grand Tour.
Together with his success in the Dauphine, that makes for a solid season, but he looks further and further away from the aforementioned monsters. And at nearly 35, the gap is likely to grow even wider. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that on his scale, the season has been a success.
2024 season: Vuelta a Espana (plus three stages), Criterium du Dauphiné (plus two stages).
The king of Flanders: Mathieu van der Poel
Nobody was able to keep up with the world champion, who gave us a season to remember. 41 days of racing, including 21 in the Tour de France alone. But he had already done the essential, by winning the first Flanders-Roubaix double since Fabian Cancellara in 2013.
That was enough to qualify his season as a success, whatever the reservations about his programme. And he had no major rivals during the holy week, one of the most important of the year.
2024 season: E3 Saxo Classic, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Mondiaux de Gravel
The top sprinters strike again
Last year, Jasper Philipsen was the undisputed leader of the world sprint. The Belgian has since seen his rivals rebel, particularly in the Grande Boucle, but he is still one of the elite. Above all, he managed to win a Monument, which in the current climate is an immense achievement.
2024 season: Milan-San Remo, three stages of the Tour de France, Classic Bruges-La Panne, Tour of Munster
This season confirmed that Jonathan Milan is one of the world's top sprinters. The Italian confirmed his potential by winning the points classification at the Giro and winning a number of stages in World Tour races. Will he be back at the Tour de France next year for a big showdown?
2024 season: Giro d'Italia points classification (three stages), three stages in the Tour of Germany, two stages in the Renewi Tour (two stages), two stages in the Tirreno-Adriatico.
But the real breakout of the season came from Biniam Girmay. The Eritrean had surprised everyone in the classics, but this year he dominated the top sprinters by winning the prestigious green jersey in the Tour de France. He's got plenty to look forward to, even if his season has been a little lacking in victories.
2024 season: Tour de France points classification (three stages), Circuit Franco-Belge
Finally, it's impossible not to mention Tim Merlier. Sometimes inconsistent, the Belgian remains a real force once he gets going. He's undoubtedly the most successful sprinter of the season, on every terrain, and we'd like to see him come up against the other big names more often, especially in the Tour de France. What about next year?
2024 season: Three stages of the Giro d'Italia, European Championships road race, three stages of the UAE Tour, Danilith Nokere Koerse, Scheldeprijs, BEMER Cyclassics, Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen, Alfasun Gooikse Pijl p/b Lotto.
The unlucky one: Wout Van Aert
The Belgian's season has been incredibly unlucky. Just when he seemed to be on form, he suffered his first crash on the E3 Saxo Classic - which didn't prevent him from finishing on the podium - and then a much heavier one on A Travers les Flandres, which ruined his classics campaign.
Not in great form in the Grande Boucle, he rediscovered his form in the Vuelta, where he was on course to do the points classification-mountain classification double... before another crash that put an end to his season. Here's hoping that next season will be calmer.
2024 season: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, three stages of the Vuelta a Espana
The revelation: Lennert Van Eetvelt
Lotto Dstny has one hell of a rider for the future. His victory in the UAE Tour at the start of the season went somewhat unnoticed, but his latest victory in the Tour of Guangxi proved his ability in stage races. Not to mention the fact that he hasn't been spared from injury, despite having shown some good form in the Vuelta. And he's only 23 years old.
2024 season: Trofeo Serra Tramuntana, UAE Tour (plus one stage), Tour of Guangxi (plus one stage)
Stephen Williams never stops
The Briton was unveiled by a surprise victory on a stage of the 2022 Tour of Switzerland, and two years on, he has become a force to be reckoned with. The highlight was his triumph at La Fleche Wallonne in typically British weather. At 28, he still has time to build on his achievements.
2024 season: Santos Tour Down Under (plus one stage), La Fleche Wallonne, Tour of Britain (plus two stages)
The king of end of season: Marc Hirschi
When the final stages of the season come around, the Swiss rider is always there. Fantastic in August-September, with a series of five wins in a row, he has added some fine classics to his tally. Heading to Tudor next year, we can't wait to see him take on the elite on the Monuments as leader.
2024 season: Faun Drome Classic, Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa, Bretagne Classic-Ouest-France, GP Industria & Artigianato, Gran Premio citta di Peccioli-Coppa Sabatini, Memorial Marco Pantani, Coppa Agostoni-Giro delle Brianze
The best of the rest
The season of Ben O'Connor, second in the Vuelta and in the Worlds, cannot go unmentioned. By the time he joined Jayco, the Australian had clearly saved the best for the end of his adventure with AG2R.
The Spanish duo of Juan Ayuso (winner of the Tour of the Basque Country) and Carlos Rodriguez (winner of the Tour de Romandie) continue to make progress, with a view no doubt to winning the Vuelta in the near future.
We also won't forget Daniel Martinez's fine second place in the Giro, nor the great successes of Mads Pedersen (Gent-Wevelgem) or Michael Matthews (Montreal Grand Prix), two riders who are still with us despite their advancing years.
The season is over, it's time for the next one, and let's hope for something even more spectacular!