Fabian Cancellara (Radioshack-Leopard)

King of the Classics and a time trial ace, few riders come close to matching Fabian Cancellara at his best, and 2013 was a vintage year for the Swiss star. Spartacus won three of the four cobbled classics – Paris-Roubaix, the Ronde and E3 Harelbeke – having already finished third at Milan-San Remo.

Cancellara then stormed to his eighth national time trial success, and beat the in-form Tony Martin to an individual time trial win at the Vuelta a Espana. And while the German exacted his revenge at the World Championships – Cancellara having to settle for third, two seconds behind Sir Bradley Wiggins – Spartacus finished the year ranked seventh in the World, and almost unparalleled among his fellow rouleurs.