The most prestigious award in cycling, the Vélo d’Or ceremony, took place in Paris, and there were no surprises in the selection of the laureates. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the trophy for the women, and Tadej Pogačar for the men.
After years away from road cycling, Ferrand-Prévot (Visma–Lease a Bike) returned to the discipline this season after dominating mountain biking, having won both the world championship and Olympic titles. Upon her return, the Frenchwoman stated that her ambition was to win the Tour de France, which she accomplished on her very first attempt. This achievement earned her not only the main prize but also the first Jeannie Longo trophy for the best French female road cyclist.
The 33-year-old Ferrand-Prévot not only won the Tour but also had a strong spring classics season, winning Paris-Roubaix and finishing second in the Tour of Flanders.
Pogačar's season was also remarkable. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider not only won his fourth Tour but also brought home his second consecutive world championship jersey from the Rwanda World Championships, the European championship title, his fifth consecutive Il Lombardia victory, and many other results. At the start of the season, the 27-year-old Slovenian won the UAE Tour and, in addition to the Tour won in July, added the yellow leader's jersey from the Critérium du Dauphiné.
His one-day race results were particularly impressive – he won Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and achieved podium finishes in both Milan–San Remo and the Amstel Gold Race.
Perhaps his best classics race was Paris-Roubaix, where he finished second in his first participation, behind Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck). These results earned Pogačar the Eddy Merckx trophy for the best classics rider, with the women's version awarded to Dutch sprinter Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx–Protime).
Beautiful video for Tadej Pogačar by L’Equipe in honour of him winning the Velo d’Or. 🫶🏻pic.twitter.com/hgfU7g6hdm
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald)December 5, 2025
Here is the list of all the winners of the Vélo d'Or 2025!#velodor pic.twitter.com/XHnStGvXf7
— L'Équipe (@lequipe)December 5, 2025
🏆 Tadej Pogacar, 2025 Men's Vélo d'Or: "It's a real honour and pleasure to receive this award again."
— L'Équipe (@lequipe)December 5, 2025
🏆 Tadej Pogacar, 2025 Men's Vélo d'Or: "It's a real honour and pleasure to receive this award again."#velodor pic.twitter.com/NLyi5e9ZLb
👑 An incredible Paris-Roubaix - Tour de France double and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot becomes the 2025 Women's Vélo d'Or and the new queen of cycling!#velodor pic.twitter.com/FwDxVqb8XX
— L'Équipe (@lequipe)December 5, 2025
