MBUK RIDER OF THE YEAR' 23 Brought to you by
The Shortlists
The nominations are in – we received more than 600 of them via our online form, plus countless more on social media. Our expert panel have conferred. And we can now reveal the shortlisted riders for our inaugural Rider of the Year awards, brought to you by Lezyne.
These racers, freeriders, content creators, activists and event organisers are all worthy of huge admiration, but there can only be one winner in each of our categories. That means whittling the 30 riders here down to just three.
Your opinion counts, so scan the QR code above to vote in the Rider of the Year and Newcomer of the Year categories (the Lifetime Achievement Award will be decided by our panel). We’ve included comments from some of those who nominated the riders to help you make your decision. May the most deserving riders win!
Time to vote!
Scan the QR code below or visit MBUK.com to vote for the riders you want to win
RIDER OF THE YEAR 2023
RACHEL ATHERTON
ARGUABLY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL DH RACER EVER
“Rachel Atherton, for me, wins hands down. I don’t think there are words to describe quite how extraordinary her achievements are. To win a World Cup race [2023’s opening round] with her injury history and after taking time away from the sport to have a child is immense, especially as the standard of women’s downhill is so incredibly high.”
JACKSON GOLDSTONE
WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS GROM TURNED DOWNHILL WORLD CUP STAR
“It’s been great to see him get faster and faster, from balance bike to World Cup racer... The kid’s been on fire, winning his first race in Elite... We’ll be nominating him for the legend award in a few years!”
CHARLIE HATTON
2023 WORLD DOWNHILL CHAMP
“Took on the world’s best in the worst conditions and beat them fair and square. Great skill, and up for it on the day.”
BERNARD KERR
VETERAN ‘FREERACER’ WHO HAD AN AMAZING 2022
“The mountain biking version of Dave Grohl – committed to craft and performance, but also supportive of fellow riders... Cares about the sport and racing, brings us all quality content and isn’t afraid to speak up. Also, peaking in his 30s!”
TOM ISTED
SET A NEW RECORD WITH A 120FT BACKFLIP – ON A £300 FRAME!
“Always hyped to see anyone win, and a great rider... Who else could take an eBay special to that level! Lad’s got balls and skills aplenty. I’m chuffed he’s found a sponsor!”
TOM PIDCOCK
XC, CX AND ROAD RACING
