Simon Yates

He may have ended the year as one of Britain’s hottest properties on the road – earning a first pro contract with Orica-GreenEDGE alongside twin Adam – but Bury-born ace Simon Yates was not widely known at the start of the year. He  gave a strong indication of the success to come with a stunning performance in the points race at the World Championships in Minsk though.

Seen as a huge outsider for a gold medal, the 20-year-old showed experience beyond his years to ride a fantastic tactical race. He came alive as the race wore on to place himself within one point of the lead as the field approached the final ten laps of the Belarussian track. And even when he found himself stuck near the back of the bunch as the finish approached Yates timed his attack to perfection, bursting beyond his rivals on the final lap to snatch the gold medal at the death.