The 15 Best Tour de France Riders of the Last 15 Years – Ranked

July 10, 2025 Oliver Obel

The last decade and a half of Tour de France history has brought unforgettable battles, emotional triumphs, and the emergence of generational talent. From pure sprinters to climbing legends and tireless all-rounders, these are the 15 riders who left the biggest mark on the world's greatest cycling race. We start from #15 and count our way to the very best.

15. Alejandro Valverde

While Valverde never stood on the podium in Paris, his consistency across 14 Tour appearances earned him immense respect. With four stage wins and numerous top-10 GC finishes, his class, endurance, and versatility made him a constant presence at the front of the race.

14. Vincenzo Nibali

Nibali's dominant 2014 Tour victory, where he won four stages and wore yellow for 19 days, remains one of the most complete GC displays of the modern era. A winner of all three Grand Tours, Nibali’s Tour legacy is sealed by that one near-flawless performance.

13. Nairo Quintana

Quintana stood toe-to-toe with Chris Froome in the 2010s, finishing second twice and third once in the Tour. His pure climbing ability and quiet determination made him a perennial GC threat.

12. Primož Roglič

Roglič nearly won the 2020 Tour before a dramatic time trial defeat to Pogačar, a moment etched into cycling history. Despite that loss, his stage wins and GC consistency have confirmed his place among the elite.

11. Romain Bardet

Bardet thrilled French fans with his second place in 2016 and a podium in 2017, often animating mountain stages with brave attacks. Though he never took yellow in Paris, his emotional connection with the race and his country made him a Tour icon.

10. Alberto Contador

Despite controversy and a stripped 2010 title, Contador won the Tour twice and brought fearless, attacking racing to the GC fight. His presence always added tension and unpredictability to the mountains.

9. Thibaut Pinot

Pinot’s victories in the high mountains, most notably on the Tourmalet in 2019, made him a fan favorite. His vulnerability and passion brought rare emotional depth to the race, earning him love far beyond France.

8. Geraint Thomas

A career-long workhorse turned champion, Thomas won the 2018 Tour with quiet determination and humility. He later added two more podium finishes, proving his staying power well into his 30s.

7. Julian Alaphilippe

Alaphilippe electrified the 2019 Tour with daring attacks and an unexpected stint in yellow deep into the race. His swashbuckling style, stage wins, and charisma revived romantic notions of French racing.

6. Wout van Aert

Van Aert redefined what one rider could do at the Tour — winning mountain stages, time trials, and bunch sprints. A green jersey winner and the ultimate super-domestique, he embodied versatility and power.

5. Peter Sagan

With seven green jerseys and 12 stage wins, Sagan dominated the points classification like no one before. His charisma, tactical brilliance, and resilience made him the Tour’s most entertaining figure for much of the 2010s.

4. Mark Cavendish

Cavendish broke the all-time stage wins record with 35 victories, cementing his place in Tour history. A master sprinter with longevity and fire, his comeback in 2021 added emotional weight to his legend.

3. Jonas Vingegaard

Vingegaard won back-to-back Tours in 2022 and 2023 and pushed Pogačar to the absolute limit. A cool-headed climber with fierce determination, he became Denmark’s biggest cycling star.

2. Chris Froome

Froome’s four Tour titles were built on control, discipline, and metronomic pacing in the mountains. At his peak, he was almost untouchable, leading the way for Team Sky’s era of dominance.

1. Tadej Pogačar

Pogačar has changed what we expect from a Tour rider — blending panache with all-around excellence. With three Tour wins and 17 stage victories already, his legacy is still growing and he may yet surpass them all.