The MBUK Rider of the Year awards presented by Lezyne continue to go from strength to strength, with hundreds of people nominated, tens of thousands of votes cast and a 'Who’s Who' of mountain biking turning up for our annual awards do, lured by the promise of eternal glory, a beautiful trophy and... okay, the free booze may have a role to play too!
As is tradition, we kick things off for 2026 by asking you, our esteemed readers, to nominate your favourite mountain bikers of the year. They could be anyone from a famous racer to an undercover trail builder, a slopestyle supremo to an industry insider. The only rule is they have to ride a mountain bike (from time to time, at least).
We’ve got three categories – Rider of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Lifetime Achievement. This year, we’re going to be shortlisting just seven riders in each, so the final vote is likely to be closer-fought than ever.
You can submit names using the form below. Note that nominations will close on Sunday 23 August.
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