Feature image: Julien Payette-Tessier | other photography as credited
The 2020 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards closed a few 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, but they have two other important purposes – raising 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 honorary judge to 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 11, 2021.
Kristof Ramon is a staple in the pro cycling tour scene. He hails from Belgium, the heartland of road racing, where cycling is in the blood.
Kristof describes himself as a storyteller; of everything from race, to the pro cyclists, and the scenes behind a race.
Kristof returns as a Judge in 2020 — he was a judge in the inaugural Awards — and in the years in between, he has entered the awards and either been shortlisted or awarded a prize.
‘LOCKDOWN. That moment of 2020 when everyone had to stop. With this photo, I’m sure many cyclists will be reflected by their days of being confined at home and where they spent hours and hours on their trainers. I portrait some cyclists, without moving from home, via video call, to tell them how to configure their cameras, to take the picture that I had in mind. All the photos had a common thread between them by the light that came from their screens and that illuminated their “pain cave”.’ Albert Gallego @brazodehierro
“Post race exhausted — Trek-Segafredo riders Emils Liepins and Quin Simmons. This photograph illustrates a summary of the year 2020… Hope for better times in 2021.” Dwars door het Hageland’ (Belguium August 2020). Rhode Van Elsen @rhode_photo
“A rain storm of biblical proportions hit the peloton as it ascended the Picollo Stelvio in the Gran Trittico Lombardo, challenging conditions for both riders and photographer, a compromise between not ruining your equipment but getting the shot.” Chris Auld @cauldphoto
“Denmark’s men’s team pursuiters shattering the world record at UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin, Germany, 2020. The new Worlds best time on 4km track is 3:44.672 min.” Michal Cerveny @michalcervenyphoto
“Olympic and World Champion Elinor Barker of Great Britain in action during the inaugural UCI Cycling eSports World Championships from her home in Manchester, England.” Alex Whitehead @alex_swpix
“The perfect line. Mathieu van der Poel is truly an exceptional rider with outstanding bike skills. To see him finding the perfect line is an impressive show. At the World Championship 2020 in Duebendorf (Switzerland) i aimed for this minimalistic shot from a bridge, reduced on Mathieu van der Poel and these lines in the mud. For me this image represents the beauty and demands of this sport, combined with maybe the best rider in the world.” Marcel Hilger @marcelhilger
“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
“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
“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
“Like a mother’s hands. Marco safely supports Mattia’s head after a bad crash during the provincial Championship at the Maspes-Vigorelli Velodrome in Milan. Mattia was taken to hospital and he needed to be monitored for 24 hours for a suspected head injury, fortunately without serious consequences.” Emanuele Barbaro @emanuele__barbaro
‘This is an iconic spot in Montreal city. It’s our biggest hill called Camilien Houde. I ride their almost 2 times a week on my bike with friends. I had a tone of pictures of it but during this morning ride everything was align for me. The sun, the position of my friends on their bikes etc. Important note on this one: I was climbing a 10% hill on my bike holding my Canon 5D IV and a 24-70 lens. That was a heavy setup.’ Julien Payette-Tessier @payette
“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
“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
“During lock down the local bunches ceased, and there was plenty of solo rides and riders. As things settled, racing started again. This image is taken on a hot Sunday morning at the local, purpose built crit track in Noosa. It is a break gone early, emerging from the dark bridge & tunnel and into the light, solo, with the pack chasing. It’s lonely out there, as it has been in in periods of 2020. The bunch ultimately caught up and a pack formed, together again, as we hope for in 2021.” Glen Bucklar @gbvisi0n
“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
“I often pass geese on the road. One day I decided to take a photo of myself with the geese. I set my camera on a timer and as I passed they got a little to close. Fortunately everyone was ok, and I got an interesting photo.” Ron Short @shortcycles
“In a similar way as he showed up to join me for the big climb of my tour, my Instagram friend Adam Kolarski looks like he appears out of nowhere in this window of a tunnel on the way to mighty Col du Sanetsch, Switzerland.” Adriano Spiccia @adrianospics
“After we abandoned our Project Pedal Further venture early 2020 due to the pandemic, I was discouraged. The past 7 months had been full of adventures and now we were stuck in Switzerland, which sometimes seemed too familiar and therefore not too worth discovering. How wrong I was… When we went on a bikepacking trip in mid-November, I found my adventurous spirit again and drew hope… Not only that I live in a beautiful country, but also that somewhere – whether near or far – surprises await me.” Sara Bukies @projectpedalfurther
“This shot was caught during the fall season, with the beautiful colour this season is known for. I really like the contrast between the fall colours and the snow on top of the mountains and how the cyclist looks incredibly small compare to the mountains behind.” Maxime Vanheye @Maxime.visuals
Thank you Kristof Ramon for your insightful choices.
To catchup on all the Showcases visit Mark Gunter Photography. and here to see Tim Bardsley-Smith’s shortlist and Jered & Ashley Gruber’s shortlist.
For more information on the #markgunterphotoawards2020 check out CyclingTips.