After a day off, we’re back with the next of our 2014 VeloVoices Awards polls: the Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominations this year include both male and female riders, backroom staff and perhaps the most famous cycling fan of all.

Previous winners: 2012 – Jens Voigt. 2013 – Marco Pinotti.

Sheree: Roberto Amadio and Stefano Zanatta. A great and long-standing double act who lost out in the Cannondale-Garmin merger, as did virtually all the Cannondale support staff, after sourcing, developing and nurturing a lot of the current talent in the peloton. Just check out their roll call of riders: Vincenzo Nibali, Daniel Oss, Manuel Quinziato, Oliver Zaugg, Peter Sagan and ones to watch for the future such as Davide Formolo and Matej Mohoric.

Tim: A controversial choice from me: David Millar. We all know about his doping past, but the 37-year-old retires with a hugely understated palmares. He’s one of a handful of riders to have won stages (ten in all) at all three grand tours. He’s versatile enough to have been both British road race and time trial champion, and tough enough to have won Three Days of De Panne. His 2003 time trial rainbow jersey was struck off, but he has been silver medalist twice. And he has been a staunch anti-doping advocate and a model team man. It was such a shame that he didn’t get to race the Tour in his swansong year, but he’s showed that it’s possible for one of the old guard from cycling’s dark days to help lead the sport back into the light.

Ant: This year saw Dr Emma Pooley retire to focus on her triathlon career. A serial national time trial champion and former world time trial champion, Pooley’s extensive palmares includes three Giro Rosa mountain jerseys and Olympic and Commonwealth medals among many other successes. All this has been achieved whilst completing a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering and proving herself as a marathon runner. She finished off her cycling career in style this season, taking three thrilling stages in the Giro Rosa and picking up two Commonwealth silver medals. Pooley has also been an excellent ambassador for Women’s Cycling and was instrumental in galvanising the momentum and pressure which resulted in La Course.

Jack: I think it’s right that we recognise the departure of the gentle giant of the peloton, Thor Hushovd. The veteran Norwegian has brought the curtain down on an incredible career in which he won ten stages of the Tour de France, two green jerseys and the World Championships road race, as well as copious other victories in grand tours and one-day races. He has always been a class act both on and off the bike, and will be a big absence in the peloton next season.

Kathi: Jens Voigt. No reason. Just because. After all, he is the Jensie. I don’t think I need to say any more than that, do I? Shut up, poll!

Midge: Come on, people, there is only one man who has made an even longer contribution to cycling than Jens and that is the one and only Red Devil, El Diablo, Didi Senft. His presence by the side of the road cheering on the peloton will be sorely missed.

Let us know your choice and the reasons for it – or if we have missed out your personal favourite – in the comments below.

Polls will close at 1200 GMT (UK time) on Friday 12th December.

Next: Sartorial Elegance Award.



VeloVoices Awards 2014

Race of the Year

Rider of the Year

Team of the Year

Breakthrough Rider of the Year

Flop of the Year