Feature image: Michal Cerveny | other photography as credited
The 2020 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards closed five days ago.
We received hundreds of incredible submissions from around the world – truly some of the best cycling stories and images from what was an incredibly difficult year for millions of people all over the world.
The Awards are a showcase for the talented entrant photographers, and they raise money for cancer research for Tour de Cure.
Now that entries are closed, it’s over to our panel of judges — Kristof Ramon, Tim Bardsley-Smith, and Jered Gruber & Ashley Gruber — to decide who’s going to be awarded the Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards. Plus Graham Watson returns as our long standing contributor of the Awards, and he’ll select his top ten in the Amateur category.
Each of the judges have gone through the difficult task of shortlisting their top ten images from each of the categories. From these shortlists, the judges will deliberate on the top three of each category in the coming days – with final winners to be announced on January 12, 2021.
Ashley and Jered Gruber are two of the most well known photographers in pro cycling and they return as Judges once again.
After years of chasing cycling around the globe, their passion for both the sport and their craft has helped elevate them to amongst the best cycling photographers in the world.
“Mathieu van der Poel lifting up his bike and screams of joy, after he won the Ronde van Vlaanderen. This shows how somebody can hope for a big moment in his career to happen! Was very special to witness this. Also his dad won this race.” Anton Vos @anton_vos
“Italian cycling fans are some of the most passionate, an image that would make any Tifosis heart swell with pride, seeing World ITT Champion, Filippo Ganna riding past a giant Tricolori flag in the Giro d’Italia.” Chris Auld @cauldphoto
“‘It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.’ This photo of British rider Thomas Mein was taken at the Cyclo-cross World Cup in Dendermonde (Belgium) on December 27th, 2020. Due to heavy rain the course had been extremely muddy and demanding for the athletes. At the finish zone, Thomas stopped right in front of me and i could witness his exhaustion. Combined with his muddy face, that’s the emotion i want to express with this image.” Marcel Hilger @marcelhilger
“As the theme for the awards this year is defined by ‘hope’, I chose this photo of Stig Broeckx during a rehabilitation training at Igo4fit with trainers Paul Van Den Bosch en Wouter Moors. In the field of psychology ‘hope’ can be linked to the existence of a goal. Combined with a determined plan for reaching that, ‘hope’ should be viewed as a cognitive skill that demonstrates an individual’s ability to maintain drive in pursuit of a this goal. Well, Stig Broeckx has this skill.” Rhode Van Elsen @rhode_photo
“Pre-covid media scrum around Wout Van Aert after the finish of the men elite race at the Cyclocross World Championships in Dübendorf.” Francesco Rachello @strict
“All weathers. Wales’ answer to Sa Calobra. A closed road and only one way up, it’s a short but brutal climb, featuring some of the few Switchbacks available in Britain and halting when you reach the Dam at the top. Shooting for Ribble Cycles, we were met with sun, hail, snow, wind, rain and finally an immensely atmospheric and chilly descent.” Luis Alcantarilla @eltoromediadotcom
“Chapeau! End of the muddy show. The cycling super-star Mathieu van der Poel wins the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Dübendorf, Switzerland, 2020.” Michal Cerveny @michalcervenyphoto
“And then suddenly Italian rider Elia Viviani came out of the dust backlit by the summer sunlight. There was chaos all around him as cars were honking and mechanics yelling. And yet Viviani seemed totally resigned. The sprinter on the Cofidis team had been struggling through much of the Tour de France, unable to find his best legs. And on a climbing day like today, he was in total survival mode to begin with. But his bad day obviously had just gotten worse.” James STARTT (VeloNews / Agence Zoom) @jstartt
“This year the access to the finish was sometimes restricted and I could not always get there. It was necessary to take a new approach and photograph the finish from new angles. A photo trail on a final sprint is a bit of a bet, it’s great or it doesn’t work. A sprint takes place in seconds, just enough time for spectators to shout ‘they’re coming!’ and to feel the breath of the riders cycling at full speed. Tour de France 2020 – Stage 1 – Finish sprint won by Alexander Kristoff.” Pauline Ballet @paulineballet
“A view of the Frecce Tricolori flying over the peloton at the start of the stage from Rivolto-Base during the Giro d’Italia 2020.” Dario Belingheri @dariobelingheri
“This pic was taken when me and two friends rode the South Downs Way, a 100 mile off-road route from Winchester to Eastbourne. I took my beloved Yashica T3…I stored the camera in the top tube bag along with a half eaten protein bar. After some pretty rocky, bone shaking descents I pulled the camera out to take this snap only to find that the bar had disintegrated and had filled every part of the camera…..this was its last frame …ever. Quite a cool ending to a cameras life.” Tom Glendining @tom_glendining
“World Championship, Imola. As almost every tifoso I saw the fantastic helicopter footage of the solo attack of Anna Van Der Breggen. The day after I choose that spot to try to take some nice photos. In the end I could manage to take a picture of Julian Alaphilippe on his way to win the Worlds.” Angelo Giangregorio @pedaleforchetta
“I often ride just to catch the sun rise. I always find it inspiring. I hope this self portrait can inspire others.” Ron Short @shortcycles
“Cycling Cheddar Gorge. A hairpin I’ve climbed hundreds of time and each time is as breathtaking as the last.” James Clarke / Ben Millar @justjamesmedia @benmillar95
“My most intense moment at a Cross Race so far. @JoshuaDubau (FRA) fell off the Bike and was not able to continue the Race, due the Conditions in Dendermonde.” Felix Homann @fellusch
“No roaring engines that day at the circuit of Zolder. Only human power during the cyclocross race on the former Formula One track. Taking a step back made it possible to get the motorsport atmosphere, when Mathieu van der Poel passes by.” Mats Palinckx @matspalinckx
“Gravel riding in the Tarentaise (France). The region is mostly known for the ski resorts and regular Tour de France stage finishes of Val Thorens, Meribel and Courchevel (in the background). But it offers way more to the discerning cyclists, like this great loop to the Refuge du Mont Jovet.” Alain Rumpf @aswisswithapulse
“Caleb places his hope for a successful TDU 2020 in a cracking start to the Tour… he does it, takes out the People’s Choice as only Caleb can in his unique aero position across the line.” Dion Jelbart @dionjelbart
Thank you Jered & Ashley Gruber for your insightful choices.
To catchup on all the Showcases visit Mark Gunter Photography. and here to see Tim Bardsley-Smith’s shortlist and Kristof Ramon’s shortlist.
For more information on the #markgunterphotoawards2020 check out CyclingTips.