The clown among the Golden Cycle nominees, the Newcomer of the Year hater.
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar has been nominated for the Golden Wheel award, which recognizes the best professional cyclist of the year. The article notes that Pogacar previously won this specific honor in 2021, 2024, and 2025, and would match Spanish rider Alberto Contador’s record if he wins again this year. His recent season included victories at major one-day classics such as Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, as well as the Tour de France, before a crash during the Tour of Spain forced him to withdraw from the remainder of the season. Other nominees for the Golden Wheel include Remco Evenepoel, Enric Mas, Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Isaac del Toro, and Brandon McNulty. Additionally, Slovenian young rider Jakob Omrzel was nominated for a new journalist of the year award, while other categories including women’s awards and paracycling honors are scheduled for presentation in late November.
The 28-year-old Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar has been named among the ten candidates for the Golden Wheel award, which recognizes the world's best rider. His compatriot, 20-year-old Jakob Omrzel, was also selected as a nominee for the inaugural Rookie of the Year prize. The nominations were announced following a successful season for Pogacar, who will compete against nine other elite cyclists for the honor. The ceremony is scheduled to take place in Monaco on November 28. Pogacar, who resides in Klanc near Komenda, aims to secure his fourth Golden Wheel title this year. He previously won the prestigious award in 2021, 2024, and 2025. In the intervening years, he placed third in the voting during both 2022 and 2023. In 2020, he finished second behind fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic. Roglic also placed second in 2021 and third in 2019. A victory this year would allow Pogacar to tie Spanish rider Alberto Contador for the record number of Golden Wheel awards received. Additionally, Pogacar is nominated for the Eddy Merckx Trophy, which honors the best performer in one-day classics. He won this specific trophy in each of the last two seasons. His recent campaign included victories at Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Tour de France. However, his end-of-season plans were disrupted by a crash during the eighth stage of the Tour of Spain. This incident forced him to withdraw from the remainder of the racing calendar. According to reports from the French newspaper L'Equipe, the other nominees for the Golden Wheel include Belgian time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel, Spanish rider Enric Mas, who won the Vuelta a España, and Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard, the winner of the Giro d'Italia. The list also features young French talent Paul Seixas, Belgian Paris-Roubaix winner Wout van Aert, Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel, Mexican teammate Isaac del Toro, and American road world champion Brandon McNulty. For the first time, organizers have introduced a Rookie of the Year category for men and women. This award targets young riders who performed successfully in three-week tours, monuments, or the World Championships. In the male division, Omrzel is joined by British rider Matthew Brennan and Seixas. The November 28 gala in Monaco will also present the Women's Golden Wheel. Additional prizes will be awarded for the best female classic specialist, the best para-cyclist, and the top male and female sprinters. The selection process highlights the depth of competition in professional cycling this year. While Pogacar enters as a favorite given his recent dominance, the presence of multiple Grand Tour winners and world champions ensures a tight race for the vote. The inclusion of new categories signals an effort to recognize emerging talent alongside established stars. The event serves as a major social gathering for the peloton, bringing together competitors from different teams and nations. Fans and media alike anticipate high attendance for the evening event in the principality. The results will determine which riders receive the coveted trophies and recognition for their efforts over the past twelve months. The announcement has generated significant interest within the cycling community, particularly regarding the potential for Pogacar to extend his record. Meanwhile, Omrzel’s nomination marks a notable achievement for a young rider entering the international spotlight. Both athletes represent Slovenia on the global stage, adding a national dimension to the international competition. The final decision rests with the voting panel, whose choices will define the narrative of the 2026 season. All eyes will turn to Monaco as the industry gathers to celebrate its achievements.
3 reports
Žurnal24IndependentCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 90
The nominations for the 2026 Golden Wheel award, which recognizes the world's best cyclist, have been announced, featuring Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar among ten candidates. Pogačar has previously won this prestigious prize three times in the last five years and would match Spanish rider Alberto Contador's record if he wins again this year. The ceremony is scheduled for November 28 in Monaco, where awards will also be presented for the first time to young cyclists who performed well in major races. Fellow Slovenian Jakob Omrzel is nominated for the new journalist-of-the-year category alongside British rider Matthew Brennan and French talent Paul Seixas. Other nominees for the main cycling award include Remco Evenepoel, Enric Mas, Jonas Vingegaard, and Wout van Aert, according to reports by the French newspaper L'Equipe.
Bias read (Center): The article covers sports awards and athlete achievements, which is an apolitical subject. The tone is neutral and celebratory regarding national athletes, but there is no political framing or controversy involved.
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (90): The tone is largely neutral and informative. While the headline uses positive language ('Veliko priznanje', 'zvezdnik'), the body text sticks to reporting the facts of the nominations and past achievements without excessive editorializing or emotional spin.
24ur (POP TV)IndependentCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 90
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar has been nominated for the Golden Wheel award, which recognizes the best professional cyclist of the year. The article notes that Pogacar previously won this specific honor in 2021, 2024, and 2025, and would match Spanish rider Alberto Contador’s record if he wins again this year. His recent season included victories at major one-day classics such as Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, as well as the Tour de France, before a crash during the Tour of Spain forced him to withdraw from the remainder of the season. Other nominees for the Golden Wheel include Remco Evenepoel, Enric Mas, Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Isaac del Toro, and Brandon McNulty. Additionally, Slovenian young rider Jakob Omrzel was nominated for a new journalist of the year award, while other categories including women’s awards and paracycling honors are scheduled for presentation in late November.
Bias read (Center): The article covers sports awards nominations and cycling results, which are apolitical topics. There is no political framing, controversy, or policy discussion present in the text.
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (90): Neutral and straightforward reporting. The piece focuses on listing the nominees and providing background information without injecting strong personal opinions or emotionally charged adjectives beyond standard sports journalism descriptors.
RTV Slovenija (MMC)State / PublicCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 85
The nominations for the Golden Wheel award, which recognizes the world's best cyclist, have been announced, featuring ten candidates including Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar. Pogačar, who won his fifth consecutive Tour de France this year, is considered the favorite after previously winning the award in 2021, 2024, and 2025. A fourth win would allow him to equal the record held by Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador. Other nominees include Remco Evenepoel, Enric Mas, Jonas Vingegaard, and Wout van Aert, among others. The ceremony is scheduled for November 28 in Monaco. Additionally, a new category for journalists has been introduced, with Slovenian journalist Jakob Omrzel named as a nominee.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on sports awards and cycling results, which are apolitical topics. There is no political framing or controversy involved.
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (85): The article maintains a professional journalistic tone. However, labeling Pogačar explicitly as the 'first favorite' (prvi favorit) introduces a degree of subjective prediction/opinion into what should be a report on nominations, slightly lowering the neutrality compared to purely descriptive pieces
How each side covered it
The same event, grouped by the political lean of the outlets covering it.
progressive
center
conservative
★
How each side covered it
Support independent, bias-aware news and unlock the social pulse, community voting, and every other Supporter feature.
Slovenia
