Best cyclists 2021

80 ELO points separate Julian Alaphilippe from Wout Van Aert at the top of the Cycling ranking, after 1570 duels.

Mathieu van der Poel claims the top spot with 1383 ELO points, but the sharpest divide appears just below: Julian Alaphilippe at rank 2 holds 1378 points, while Wout Van Aert at rank 3 sits at 1298. That 80-point chasm marks the ranking's widest gap and underscores the elite tier separating the podium contenders. Tadej Pogačar follows closely at rank 4 with 1295 points, while Primož Roglič rounds out the top 5 at 1240. At the bottom, Kasper Asgreen occupies rank 12 with 1109 points, Giacomo Nizzolo stands at rank 13 with 1075, and Davide Ballerini closes the ranking at rank 14 with 1068 points. The lower positions reveal a tighter cluster, suggesting the community sees a clearer consensus on cycling's supporting cast than on its frontrunners.

This ranking draws on 1570 duels submitted by 45 players, comparing 14 contenders in total. The data was last updated on 12 October 2026. Head to the Cycling TopList on VAINKEURZ to cast your own votes and shift the hierarchy: every duel you submit reshapes the ELO scores and redefines who rides at the front of the pack.

Updated on October 12, 2026

How this ranking is computed

Every duel won lifts a contender and every loss drops them, by an amount that depends on the opponent's strength: beating the leader is worth more than beating the last. It is an ELO, the same principle as in chess. Duels are not drawn at random — an adaptive entropy sort puts the least predictable match-ups first, which settles the ranking far faster than a full round robin. A worldwide ranking is only published past 30 completed plays. Known limit: a contender who has faced few opponents keeps an approximate score, and the bottom of the table moves more than the podium.

How our rankings are made →