2009 Reader Poll: Contador is king
Cancellara takes second to Tour winner
Alberto Contador might not have done the Grand Tour double in 2009, but that didn't stop him from having a brilliant season and winning our best male road rider award. Cyclingnews readers cast 4943 votes for the Tour de France winner, giving him a lead of 1212 votes over Fabien Cancellara.
Now online: The 2009 Cyclingnews reader poll
2009 Reader Poll: Cobbles continue to capture readers' imagination
2009 Reader Poll: SRAM's off-road range a favourite
2009 Reader Poll: Twice is nice for Pendleton
2009 Reader Poll: Despite injury, Sir Chris Hoy tops track poll
2009 Reader Poll: Cervélo top-dog in team bike tally
2009 Reader Poll: Electronica dominates new category
2009 Reader Poll: Wiggins tops most improved
2009 Reader Poll: The grandest of them all
2009 Reader Poll: Columbia crushes competition as Best Team
2009 Reader Poll: Nys tops men's 'cross poll yet again
2009 Reader Poll: Compton makes it three in a row
2009 Reader Poll: Absalon best male mountain biker
2009 Reader Poll: Irmiger honoured as best female mountain biker
Contador's season got off to a great start with a victory at Portugal's Volta ao Algarve, followed by two stage wins at Paris-Nice. Another victory at Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco was followed by strong form - but no wins - at Criterium du Dauphiné Libéré.
His Dauphiné form and a victory in the Spanish Individual Time Trial Championship were the perfect lead-in to the Tour de France for Contador. Much was made of the rivalry between the Spaniard and returning teammate Lance Armstrong, but Contador did his talking by dancing on his pedals.
The results that carried Contador up to, and through, the Tour was enough to secure him the UCI World Ranking.
2009 was another year of time trial glory for Cancellara, starting with a victory on the Tour of California's prologue. He added to that the Tour's opening stage in Monaco, two Vuelta a España time trial wins and another UCI World Time Trial Championship title.
But it wasn't just Cancellara's exploits against the clock that earned him second place in the hearts of Cyclingnews readers. Two stage wins at Tour de Suisse formed the basis of his general classification victory, plus he won the Suisse Road Championship jersey.
Sprint sensation Mark Cavendish got the nod for third place with 2060 votes, while Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong rounded out the top five. Current International Cycling Union (UCI) World Road Champion Cadel Evans only managed 690 votes, putting him in sixth place.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Cyclingnews 2009 Reader Poll results - Best male road rider
1. Alberto Contador: 4943
2. Fabian Cancellara: 3731
3. Mark Cavendish: 2060
4. Andy Schleck: 1092
5. Lance Armstrong: 1012
6. Cadel Evans: 690
7. Heinrich Haussler: 271
8. Alejandro Valverde: 172
9. Denis Menchov: 71
10. Andre Greipel: 28