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2020 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards: The judges’ shortlists

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 another important purpose – 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 & 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. To eliminate any possibility of bias, they’re not able to see the name of the photographer.

The judges will bring these shortlists to a judging call early next week, where over several hours, they’ll deliberate on the top three of each category. Final winners will be announced soon after.

[Editor’s Note: Some images will appear on multiple occasions as they made more than one judge’s shortlist.]

Kristof Ramon’s shortlist

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.

Professional Category

‘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”.’ 

Photo by 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’ (Belgium August 2020). 

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.” 

Photo by Emanuele Barbaro (@emanuele__barbaro).

Amateur Category

‘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.’ 

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.” 

Photo 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.” 

Photo by Glen Bucklar (@gbvisi0n).
“A smoky night in the Idaho Mountains.” 

Photo by Remi McManus (@r_adventurist).
“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.”

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.” 

Photo by 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.”

Photo by 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.” 


Photo by Maxime Vanheye (@Maxime.visuals).

Jered & Ashley Gruber

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.

Professional Category

  • “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.”

    Photo by 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.”

    Photo by 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.”

    Photo by 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.”

    Photo by 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.”

    Photo by 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.”

    Photo by 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.”

    Photo by 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.”

    Photo by 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.”

    Photo by 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.”

    Photo by Dario Belingheri @dariobelingheri

Amateur Category

  • “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.”

    Photo by Tom Glendining @tom_glendining
  • “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.”

    Photo by Dion Jelbart @dionjelbart
  • “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.”

    Photo by Alain Rumpf @aswisswithapulse
  • “A smoky night in the Idaho Mountains.”

    Photo by Remi McManus @r_adventurist
  • “‘The New Normal’ – 25th Jan 2020.”

    Photo by Alan Gibworth @gibworthphoto
  • “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.”

    Photo by Mats Palinckx @matspalinckx
  • “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.”

    Photo by Felix Homann @fellusch
  • “Cycling Cheddar Gorge. A hairpin I’ve climbed hundreds of time and each time is as breathtaking as the last.”

    Photo by James Clarke / Ben Millar @justjamesmedia @benmillar95
  • “I often ride just to catch the sun rise. I always find it inspiring. I hope this self portrait can inspire others.”

    Photo by Ron Short @shortcycles
  • “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.”

    Photo by Angelo Giangregorio @pedaleforchetta

 Tim Bardsley-Smith

Tim Bardsley-Smith is an experienced cycling photographer, based in Australia, focusing on road and mountain bike racing.

Tim was the winner of the professional category of the 2017 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year with a stunning image of switchbacks in Tibet, shot on location . We welcome him to the Judging panel this year.

Professional Category

  • “I took this at this years Australian National Championships. The elite men started their TT at 6pm in the evening so the light was stunning. I took advantage of a pedestrian bridge that ran above the road and shot this of Rohan Dennis as he passed under me on his first lap. I was stoked to be able to pull this off as I’d been picturing a shot like this since the first riders had started at 10am that morning.”

    Photo by Zac Williams @z_w_photography
  • “It was a cold snowy day in February; Back when the calendar was full of possibilities. I was in my favourite place in the world: Hood River-Mosier, Oregon. There was a light dusting of snow. I decided to head up to Rowena Crest. As luck would have it, three Eagles were circling that day and a lone cyclist pedalled up the icy climb. If “hope” is the theme, this is an image I think about often: in spite of the conditions – keep pedalling.”

    Photo by Drew Coleman @dcmediahaus
  • “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.”

    Photo by Marcel Hilger @marcelhilger
  • “As we all know this year has been quite difficult for everyone, luckily the Giro managed to arrive on its last stage in Milan. Here is Simon Guglielmi riding through the empty streets of the Italian city with two carabinieri wearing masks as only spectators.”

    Photo by Eloise Mavian @eloisemavian
  • “One of the most iconic images of 2020 were the helicopter shots from the UCI World Road Race Championships in Imola, Italy, of riders racing across a ridge line, after seeing the footage on TV I had to shoot there. With only the mens race remaining I had to find that spot. Shooting from the adjacent field silhouetting the riders against the sky, with eventual race winner, Julian Allaphilippe demonstrating his descending prowess in the super tuck position.”

    Photo by Chris Auld @cauldphoto
  • “Daniel Felipe Martinez of EF Pro Cycling in action during the time trial from Lure to La Planche des Belles Filles on stage 20 of the Tour de France.”

    Photo by Alex Whitehead @alex_swpix
  • “Looking for details in the mud after the last race of the world championship’s weekend in Dubendorf, Switzerland.”

    Photo by Nassos Triantafyllou @nassostphoto
  • “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.”

    Photo by Alex Whitehead @alex_swpix
  • “Reflection of a young cyclist in a puddle. Mogilev, Belarus.” Mikhail Kapychka

    @mihail_kopychko
  • “First Giro Stage of Last year. Chrono Monreale-Palermo. Took that shots and then saw the boy shouting hardly!! Caption “Support your Heroes.” Gabriele Facciotti

    @gabrielefacciotti

Amateur Category

“For me, this year has been all about local isolation and exploration. This picture was taken in Schladming (Austria), which is one hour away from my home. the 2020 lockdowns made me discover more deeply the beautiful country where I live in. I hope people appreciate more the treasures we all have around the corner. 2020 has undoubtedly helped to do so.”

Photo by Javi Lozano (@javi_lozded).
“One siliver lining to the otherwise bleak 2020 road cycling season in Colorado was that the highest paved road in North America — to the summit of Mount Evans (14,271-feet -4,350 m- in altitude) — was closed to cars, making it perfect for cyclists attempting to accomplish a personal milestone. This image was taken on Father’s Day, June 21, as I and my two adult children attempted to reach the top on bicycles, despite the few inches of snow remaining from a storm a few days before.”

Photo by Reid Neureiter (@reidnewphoto).
“New bridges vs. old ones. I never thought I’d get that photo of my friend cycling that classic loop around home. I always sthrive to improve my photo skills… but that day it was about finding that new angle. That’s how I spotted that beautiful old bridge just parallel to the modern one. Old or new they both were constructed to reach new places and in that sense to get further for every future generation.”

Photo by Ricard Calmet Calveras (@erreka).
“After we abandoned our Project Pedal Further venture early 2020 due to the pandemic, I was discouraged. The past 7 months had been adventurous 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 3-days 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.”

Photo by Sara Bukies (@projectpedalfurther).
“Everyone loves a happy ending, especially during these difficult times. My submission last year was of Marion Norbert-Riberolle in tears at the finish line of the Cyclocross World Championships as she had an untimely mechanical and lost in the final lap. In 2020 she stormed away to victory to win the U23 World Championships by a mile. Embracing her family, draped in a French flag, it was a moment of true happiness, one of hope, and this year without despair.”

Photo by Anthony Leutenegger (@anthonyleutenegger).
“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.”

Photo by Glen Bucklar (@gbvisi0n).
“My new favorite color is H O P E! I met a dear friend of mine who came from Berlin to visit me. We went cycling and had a great time together. A few houses before coming back to the rented house we passed this green gate. His favorite number is 13, my new favorite color is green. I had to take this picture here (or let him take it) because it represents our relationship. And green stands for hope. Hopefully this relationship will carry on.”

Photo by Angela Zapp (@rennradlerin).
“2020 threw a lot of shade. But there can only shadows with light. And this is the year light fought back the darkness with stories of communities rising up for one another. This moment was captured alone while training for a solo-Everesting fundraiser that generated over $4,500 for student homelessness affected by COVID-19.”

Photo by Sean de Luna (@de.Luna.Shoots).
“Photo of my friend Emils as he prepares for his first year in World Tour. We raced togeather from childhood and he was always amazing, but not so easy to move up ranks from here… so finaly at age 28 he is in WT and kicking ass! Just like in picture – finally he is in light out of shadows.”

Photo by Andza Flaksis (@flaksis_a).
“This year was unprecedented and tried to break us. But our spirit persevered through creative use of social media, networking, and even some rule-bending. We didn’t think outside the box. We zoomed above it to stay connected, achieve wellness and build strength as a community.”

Photo by Sean de Luna (de.Luna.Shoots).

What are your favourite shots? Keep an eye open for the announcement of the winners early next week!

The post 2020 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards: The judges’ shortlists appeared first on CyclingTips.

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