*This ranking was made in August 2023, this ranking is probably not up to date, apart from the number of victories which was updated at the end of the season.
After having toured the best climbers and the best Flanders of the season 2023, it's time to tackle the 10 best sprinters who make up the current peloton. We will speak in this classification of pure sprinters, of sprinters capable of winning in a bunch sprint of a Grand Tour. As a reminder, this ranking is totally subjective. Before diving into the top 10, here are some special mentions :
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Jordan Meeus : How not to put the man who raised his arms on the Champs-Élysées ! The Belgian deserves the honorable mention for this magnificent victory, in front of the best sprinters in the world. Next to that, Jordi Meeus went up to 10 times on the podium this season, enough to accentuate the honorable season of this sprinter.
Sam Bennett : The Irish sprinter is not in his best form despite his 3 wins this season. He often has difficulty concluding and it costs him not to race a Grand Tour this year. It is therefore not in the top 10 although he is one of the best sprinters of recent years. He will try to have a better season next year under the colors of AG2R Citroën.
Fernando Gaviria : The Movistar sprinter is not having the best season of his career, despite 2 victories, on the Tour de Romandie (2.UWT) et sur la Vuelta San Juan (2.Pro). He will have lacked regularity and often has difficulty passing small bumps.. The Colombian of 28 years will not have succeeded in doing better than 5e place on the Giro d’Italia, and he finds himself for the moment without a contract in 2024.
Caleb Ewan : The Australian has only managed to secure one victory this season. This only victory obtained on the Van Merksteijn (class 1) is obviously not representative of the immense talent of this runner. No less than ten podiums including two on the Tour de France. Caleb Ewan was unlucky and, Many times, was placed in second place by the photo finish even though he had indeed won.
Arnaud Démare : The Frenchman will have had difficulty starting his year 2023. Author of a start to the season that can be described as very mediocre, he finally made up for it at the end of May by winning a stage of the Boucles de la Mayenne (2.Pro) et la Brussels Cycling Classic (1.Pro). Unfortunately, this will not be enough for him to be selected for the Tour de France and he will finally join Arkea-Samsic at 1is August.
Pascal Ackermann : The UAE Team Emirates sprinter claimed a magnificent stage victory at the Tour of Italy, but besides that, his season is not marked by big results. Only a total of 5 podiums for the German. Old 29 years, next year he will wear the colors of the Israel Premier Tech team.
Arnaud DeLie : Over the last two years, the Belgian has shown an exceptional level in one-day races., that he wins most of the time during a sprint in small groups. His burst of speed and explosiveness are impressive, but when it comes to a massive sprint, Arnaud De Lie struggles to beat pure sprinters, and that’s why he’s not one of the top 10.
Wout Van Aert : For the same reasons as his compatriot, it is not in the top 10, even if Wout Van Aert has already proven that he can beat the best in a bunch sprint, especially on the Tour de France. But this season, the Belgian has never won in the sprint, despite many podiums.
Mark Cavendish : For his last year, Mark Cavendish will not have succeeded in breaking the stage victory record on the Tour de France, but he will nevertheless have raised his arms during the last stage of the Giro. The rest of the season was not marked by great results, despite some places of honor.
CLASSIFICATION
10) Juan Sebastian Molano
The UAE Team Emirates sprinter has gained momentum this year and managed to achieve three magnificent successes at the Tour de Burgos (2.Pro), l’UAE Tour (2.UWT) and on the Denain GP (1.Pro). Like his compatriot, the Colombian is aged 28 years, and it’s a safe bet that it will become even stronger in the years to come. His team seems to be of the same opinion since J.S. Molano is under contract with her until 2026.
Number of victories in 2023 : 5 dont 3 in World Tour
9) Kaden Groves
The Alpecin Deceuninck team was right in recruiting Kaden Groves. The latter has signed four victories so far. The Australian showed that he handled the bumps well, evidenced by his two victories in the Tour of Catalonia where he won strongly in front of the punchers. But he also showed that he was capable of winning a massive sprint in front of big names like his victory in the 5e stage of the Tour of Italy. However, the sprinter of 24 years also showed that he lacked regularity, having not achieved any good results since his Giro victory.
Number of victories in 2023 : 7 dont 6 in World Tour
8) Phil Bauhaus
The German has only had a string of places of honor this season and has only achieved one success, during the first stage of the Tour Down Under (2.UWT) at the start of the season. He subsequently rose to 7 times on the podium, especially on the Tour de France. Despite this single victory, Phil Bauhaus really reached a milestone this season and was able to prove that he was capable of competing with the best sprinters in the peloton. His goal now is to go and grab a first success on a Grand Tour.
Number of victories in 2023 : 1 dont 1 in World Tour
7) jonathan milan
Jonathan Milan will have been the most incisive rider during the last Tour of Italy, where he went to find 1 victoire, 4 second places and the cyclamen jersey. It is a very great performance for the Italian sprinter aged only 22 years. However, the rest of his season is pretty average overall, having won nothing but a stage of the Saudi Tour at the start of the year. He will get back in the saddle during the BEMER Cyclassics, with ambitions.
Number of victories in 2023 : 3 dont 2 in World Tour + cyclamen jersey
6) Mads Pedersen
This year, this is 27 top 5, dont 16 podiums for the Dane. Incredible statistics, especially since he went for numerous places of honor in the most beautiful races on the calendar. His Flandriennes season nevertheless remains superior to his results in mass sprints, but there too, he manages to achieve nice results, like his victory in the Tour de France in front of Philipsen or even that in the Tour of Italy. He also just won the BEMER Cyclassics (1.UWT). Mads Pedersen is a runner who is gaining strength, still today from the top of his 27 years.
Number of victories in 2023 : 7 dont 4 in World Tour
5) Dylan Groenewegen
The Dutchman also takes numerous places of honor, although he often struggles to win in the World Tour. Only success at the highest level for him this season, when 5e stage of the UAE Tour. But Dylan Groenewegen's consistency is impressive, he has not missed a single podium in all the stage races he has entered, except on the Critérium du Dauphiné. A 30 years, he remains one of the best sprinters today and fully deserves his place in the top 5.
Number of victories in 2023 : 6 dont 1 in World Tour
4) Fabio Jakobsen
Fabio Jakobsen this year was not as incisive as the previous season. With a Quick-Step train in less shape, he only got one victory in the World Tour, on the Tyrrhenian Adriatic, a rather low score for the Dutchman. But he nonetheless remains an excellent sprinter., since he went to pick up 6 other successes throughout the year. Unfortunately, his failed Tour de France, his lack of consistency and his shortcomings on difficult terrain do not put him on the podium. The Quick-Step sprinter will try to return to stage victory in a Grand Tour next year, with its new dsm – firmenich team.
Number of victories in 2023 : 7 dont 1 in World Tour
3) Olav Kooij
Has only 21 years, the Dutch sprinter has had an incredible season so far. Not less than 7 victories including a general classification, the ZLM Tour (2.Pro). Added to this are two bouquets in the World Tour at Paris-Nice and the Tour of Poland. He will also sign a magnificent 2e place in the Classic Brugge De Panne behind the untenable Jasper Philipsen, which also demonstrates its qualities when the weather conditions are complicated. It is now confirmed that he will become one of the greatest sprinters of his generation, if it is not already. His next goal will now be to win a Grand Tour.
Number of victories in 2023 : 13 dont 4 in World Tour
2) Tim Merlier
In competition with Jakobsen at Soudal Quick-Step, Tim Merlier managed to prove that he was the better of the two. Author of an excellent season, he went looking 9 success, especially on the UAE Tour, Paris-Nice and the Tour of Poland (2.UWT), while he will not race a Grand Tour this season. In addition to dominating on the dish, the Belgian is a very good Flandrian, like his victory over the Danilith Nokere Koerse (1.Pro). Now aged 30 years, he definitely put his name among the best sprinters of all time.
Number of victories in 2023 : 11 dont 5 in World Tour
1) Jasper Philipsen
Jasper Philipsen is now by far the best sprinter in the current peloton and this could be the case for a few more years. We necessarily think first of his incredible Tour de France where he managed to win 4 stages with the added bonus of the green jersey of the best sprinter. In addition to being flamboyant in mass sprints, the Belgian is a complete sprinter capable of passing the smallest bumps, but it is also formidable on the cobblestones, as evidenced by his remarkable Paris-Roubaix (1.UWT) where he comes to look for 2e place behind his teammate Mathieu Van der Poel. His season was also marked by his victory in the Classic Brugge De Panne (1.UWT), nicknamed the “world championship of sprinters”.
Number of victories in 2023 : 19 dont 8 World Tour + green jersey
the top 10 of the best climbers 2023 : https://cycling-times.fr/2023/03/08/top-10-des-meilleurs-grimpeurs-du-peloton-en-2023/
the top 10 of the best Flandriens 2023 : https://cycling-times.fr/2023/04/19/le-top-10-des-coureurs-flandriens-2023/
For more rankings, do not hesitate to regularly monitor activity on site Cycling Times.
