The 2018 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards closed last week, and over its duration, we received hundreds of incredible submissions from around the world – truly some of the best cycling photography of the year. In addition to being a great showcase for the talented entrants, the Awards also have two important purposes – raising a significant amount of money for cancer research through Tour de Cure, and by providing financial support through Young Cyclist Assistance.
Now that entries are closed, it’s over to our panel of judges – Graham Watson, Wouter Roosenboom, and Russ Ellis – to decide who’s going to be awarded the Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards.
Each of the judges have gone through the difficult task of shortlisting their top ten images from each of the four categories. From these shortlists, the judges will deliberate on the top three of each category in the coming days – with final winners to be announced on January 11, 2019.
“Winning the 2016 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards is still such a great experience in my photography career so it feels like a great privilege to judge this third edition.
I met Mark in 2012 at the Road World Championchips in Valkenburg. Waiting for the peloton in the field we had a real nice chat about our passion and we kept in touch by social media. The news about his death came as a shock but this photo award contest keeps the memories about Mark alive and helps raise money to help cure cancer!
Not an easy job, because you are judging your colleagues work, but It helped a lot that no names were mentioned when I selected the photos.
Judging photos is always a matter of taste but sorting through the submissions I tried to find pictures which had something extra. A photo which really got my attention and I would like to have on my wall or a photo which surprised me, because the photographer did something different or captured something special. I have tried to imagine how the photographer challenged himself to get the shot.
It was a great pleasure to watch all these amazing cycling photos from all over the world. Once I applied my criteria I was able to make my shortlist.”
Wouter Roosenboom is a Dutch cycling and sports photographer that has captured the world’s highest profile cycling races, and is the author of the artbook SCHERP. He was the winner of the inaugural Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Award, and is honoured to be invited to return as a judge for 2018.
Here’s Wouter’s shortlist from the 2018 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards.
Natalie Starr @natalierstarr: “My good friend builds his own bikes. Him and his friends take them anywhere, there is no limits. They ride these “gravel” bikes like mountain bikes and it’s amazing to see what they clear on them.”
Dario Belingheri @dariobelingheri: “Huge crowd in Catania, the “snake” running through the streets of the city invaded by the crowd, under the Volcano Etna, during the start of the 4th stage of the Giro d’Italia 2018.”
Dan Monaghan @cadence_images: “3 Peaks Cyclocross, UK – This has to be one of the toughest CX races going. The landscape and terrain make for some outstanding views and the parcours makes for an unbelievable race.
Kristof Ramon @kramon_velophoto: “As a former race winner, John Degenkolb finds his personal cube in the famous showers and allows for the race (effort/emotions) to sink in after finishing (Paris-Roubaix 2018).”
Daniela Tommasi @daniela_tommasi_photography: “Tour of Margaret River riders on Team Time Trial stage between Balingup and Nannup, Western Australia.”
Daniela Tommasi @@daniela_tommasi_photography: “Winding roads on 2018 Tour of Margaret River. Stage 1 Team Time Trial takes riders through amazing scenery on the road between Balingup and Nannup, in Western Australia.”
Pauline Ballet @paulineballet: “Under the rainbow. Arctic Race of Norway 2018, stage 3. This picture can be summarize in the first sentence I pronouced after taking off my motobike helmet at the end of the stage : « Well, it will take me some time to recover from this stage ».”
Kristof Ramon @kramon_velophoto: “Sjoerd van Ginneken (NED) smoked out on top of the infamous Kapelmuur/Muur van Geraardsbergen during the 2018 Ronde Van Vlaanderen.”
Adrian Marshall @adrian_capstone: “A local Canberra (Australia) Criterium race with kangaroo. Racing in Canberra summer evenings (as the sun sets) often involves kangaroos, and this guy is well bunkered in.”
Jordan Benjamin-Sutton @peloton_perspective: “Wout Van Aert collapses after crossing the finish line at this years Strade Bianche.”
David Gillam @djgillam: “Admission is free and the views are primo at the Gastown Grand Prix in Vancouver BC.”
Jordan Benjamin-Sutton @peloton_perspective: “The peloton passes the Colosseum on Stage 21 of this years Giro d’Italia.”
Emanuele Barbaro @emanuele__barbaro “4- Three different lines captured from the window during the Last laps of the Red Hook Criterium. Milano, final stage, 06/10/2018.”
Reid Neureiter @reidnewphoto: “Early morning group ride on the Colorado plains east of Denver. Many people (not from Colorado) think of Denver as being in the mountains. But Denver actually sits on the Great Plains, about 15 miles east of the Rocky Mountain foothills. So an early morning group ride that goes east from Denver will spend time in the farmland and rolling landscape of the great America plains. This was such a ride this past summer.”
John Braynard @jbraynard: “Some friends came to visit town and the weather was poor until the final few hours they were in town. The sunsets in Salzburg Austria can be stunning sometimes.”
Wilco Dragt @wilcodragtphotography: “Team LottoNl-Jumbo chasing a leader group in the Dutch semi-classic Veenendaal-Veenendaal 2018. They succeeded in bringing their world-class sprinter Dylan Groenewegen to the front, who rewarded them with winning the race.
Jenna Leigh @jenna7788: “In praise of morning rides // Every so often, on your favorite local loop, the light is just right. (Toronto, Canada)”
Randall Fransen @fransencomesalive: “A little bit of Hi-Viz in an emerald sea. Crossing the Necarney Creek Bridge on Highway 101, north of Manzanita. The bridge was built in 1937.”
Matt Lazzarotto @mlazzphoto: “Hey man nice shot. Awesome Grand Prix – 2018 BC Provincial Criterium Championship, elite men.”
David Fussell @d.fussell: “Sunrise above the clouds – Banks Peninsula, Christchurch, New Zealand.”
Wouter Hoogenboom @bicycle.racing.pictures: “Jumping over the barriers at Rainey Park Cyclocross, Astoria, New York.”
Pete Canny @ _elcamino: “Pinning on a number. It’s always to good to finish a race in wet conditions upright. Despite the rain stopping before this race around Latrobe Uni there were still wet roads, slippery painted lines and fire engines responding to a fire to contend with. All whilst trying to be first over the line.”
Jason Janetzky @allez_allez_allez: “It’s hard to not sing a version of ‘under the sea’ while cycling through this aquatic tunnel. Perth, Western Australia.”
Kathryn Wieczorek: “Sella Ronda bike day.”
Mark @markuzii: “Heading back to Adelaide after the Willunga stage in this year’s TDU, it was pretty much tunnel vision.”
John Braynard @jbraynard: “In Norway there are small old roads that pass the outside of where modern tunnels now take traffic speeding through. This is one.”
Wouter Hoogenboom @bicycle.racing.pictures: “Once a cyclist, always a cyclist. This spectator came out with his cycling friends to proudly support and watch the races at a local criterium event in Harlem, New York City.”
Sergio Ros de Mora @rosdemora: “This picture may just seem a bunch of people cheering a woman up while cycling. But it’s not that simple, the cyclist is Olga and was detected a breast cancer back in 2015. Since she was under a genetic testing she was diagnosed at an early stage and overcame it. Nowadays she is capable of doing sports again and able to face a challenge such as a time trial. What’s more, the woman in black standing on the left is her current genetics oncologist and the reason she seems deeply moved and proud of.”
Alexander Law @alex_law_photo: “In August 2012 my Dad was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and although it was discovered quickly, it had spread to 5 of his internal organs and required an intensive 12 hour operation to remove the disease.It has always been his dream to compete for his country so we persuaded him to compete in the UCI amateur Time Trial Championship, the winners of which would qualify for Team GB.I had the privilege of following my Dad’s journey and am very proud to say he is now a Team GB athlete.”
Lukáš Ronald Lukács @lucassaganronald: “I’m suffering the GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) for more than 2 years. I’m always so nervous and I’m losing energy so faster than before. Because of this, I had to stop studying and I’m at home now. But for some seconds I don’t feel this. When I got at the top of my dream mountain after more than hour and it took 2 times longer than before, I just lift my bicycle with the last remaining energy and I felt the freedom again. So this is my proud cycling moment, when I defetead myself.”
Craig Huffman @craigsclicks: “I Never Gave Up…” – Just 166 days after a horrific cycling accident: 25 broken bones, serious internal injuries, 10 days in a Trauma Center and the long road of rehabilitation, an emotional Annette Williams (USA) embraces her husband Kenny following her Gold Medal performance during the UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships, Women 55+ Scratch Race Final at the Velo Sports Center in Carson, California, USA on October 9, 2018.”
Wouter Hoogenboom @bicycle.racing.pictures: “Peter is a USA Cycling Coach, Co-executive Director of the Star Track Youth Program, and proud cycling dad of Billy, an aspiring junior racer. You will find Peter roadside and trackside at races all over the country and abroad supporting riders in whatever weather Mother Nature brings. This photo – taken in subzero temperatures moments before the start of a local New York City Crit – perfectly illustrates this.”
Katie Busick @katiebusickphotography: “”Biggest Fan’ Ellen Noble’s grandmother tries to go to as many of her races as possible. You can see her posting up on the sidelines as Ellen takes the win at the Exeter Classic.”
Craig Simons @donwhippet: “How good is Cyclocross .. Hanging out with mates, watching the racing and eating hot frites with mayo. I’ve been so proud of my daughter this year, she loves racing her bike and now she’s the one who always wants to go for a ride to the park so she can go fast down the hill, squealing with delight.”
Wouter Hoogenboom @bicycle.racing.pictures: “Balancing cycling with a busy family life is a challenge that many people can relate to. After Luiz’ daughter Mia was born, it wasn’t easy for him to stick to a structured training program. But that was exactly what he did and not without success: He went on to win the New York State Criterium Championship! However, the best part of this story is that Luiz got to celebrate this highlight with his daughter – a dream come true!”
Thank you @Wouter for your insightful choices.
To catchup on all the Showcases visit Mark Gunter Photography. and here to see Graham Watson’s shortlist and Russ Ellis’s shortlist.
For more information on the #markgunterphotoawards2018 check out CyclingTips.