At the Amsterdam City Hall once again. Holger Czukay has been invited to present the gala. No free scouts were seen in the negotiations. Drum roll. The red curtain rises. He speaks:
  
  “Good evening everyone. This has been a great season. I know that it will be remembered as “another season”, where many teams did well, many bad, and many, many others just hanged on; but from a critic point of view there is a very positive outcome of this 90-days period that ends with this cherry over a big, tasty pie. Our riders are focused on racing and just racing again, as lack of funds seems to be a far question right now; the OCM online structures have been reinforced so we have fewer troubles when dealing with bureaucratic stuff; and I have not started talking about the pure sportive things. Names like Ghidarcea and Dussel do not help to understand the following sentence, but I believe this season meant the end of dominances, just to start a new era: strong competitiveness and close classifications. We can look to what happened on the cobbles or Tours to get the picture straight: you cannot have any mistake if you want a top OCM victory.
  
  Without further delay, let’s start with the awards, in recognition to the best riders and teams of season 18. I know you Dutchies are waiting for him to be announced to shout and cheer, so I will not delay your agony: the Best Sprinter Award goes to Jan-Joost Dussel (peddelen)! His impressive end of the season was decisive. The runner up was Lean Ahnfeldt-Mollerup (ABK).
  
  The Sterling Dorsher Trophy is given, as you know, to the Best Climber of the field, and this one you decided it was… Zack Davie (NECFTW)! Zurich plus Alpe d’Huez certainly earns you such a trophy. The young Nico-Jan Stubbe (WV De Dommel), with his Germany Tour victory, was the second most voted option.
  
  I still remember Schimmel’s words in last year’s awards. He foresaw a closer competition over the rough stones, and he certainly

got it right. This has been a close category, but still we have a winner: it is the very Sieuwerd Schimmel (Team RI) who gets the Best Cobbler Award! Bartoli Rivera (omega pharma lotto) and Julian Pope (Team Revolutie) went not too far.
  
  Not much discussion about the next category, right? Congratulations to WV De Dommel for Anghel Ghidarcea being the Best Hiller! You are not really helping me when I say the OCM is being more and more competitive. Jordy Wekenburg (Connaught) was a far runner up, probably harmed by the lack of victories.
  
  When it comes to solo efforts, riders seem to mutate into another kind of men. Some that are not spotted on the top places on regular road races can outshine the peloton in a TT bike. The community recognition to that kind of rider, with this “forever alone” award, I mean, Best Time Trialist Award goes to… Natanael Buso (sprint4live)! The Brazilian, hour recordman, bested Gregory Levis (Equipo Easy On).
  
  Next award will be given by one of the top riders of OCM’s History. Elias Márquez, can you please come here? Elias Márquez Trophy is awarded to the Best Tour Rider. This year we had a new Tour created in Spain, would that have had any effect on the votings? Yes! The winner is Wit Feaux (IGF)! Ghidarcea and Bauwens almost tie for the second place.
  
  Riders, if you didn’t know, get old as regular human beings. That’s why we need young riders, and that’s why we have a special category for them. There are two things we have to admit they do: sex, and early maxiculation. Not talking to them about that will not help. Be brave, parents and managers! The Best Young Rider Award goes to Chris Bauwens (Team Crazy Downhillers)! Jordy Wekenburg has to beat the dust again as a runner up.
  
  “This is the only Award I don’t want to win”, usually say top riders and managers. However, I’m sure you will have troubles to match the winner’s quality. Best Rider

Outside Top Division Award goes to… Lean Ahnfeldt-Mollerup (ABK)! The beast is back to his best days. Aksana Putin (Asymm Project) ends second, not even threatening Mollerup a bit.
  
  Moving to another one, this appears to have been a close one again. Best Breakthrough Rider is… Slavomil Dittrich (NightmareChaos)! His indifference to the increasing level of competition as the team climbed on the ranks was astonishing. Nico-Jan Stubbe gets his second second place à la Wekenburg.
  
  Team’s counterpart to this award has been disputed too. Best Breakthrough Team Award goes to… NightmareChaos! Dittrich-Finz do the breakthrough combo, something rarely seen before. Ultrajectum and Team Caridade went close, but neither they were able to send Finz to Vladivostok.
  
  Last but not least, the two greatest awards you can get on the OCM. The Ame Anderberg Trophy to the Best Rider of the OCM of season 18 is… Jan-Joost Dussel (peddelen)!!! He did a dream season, no one could ask for more in just 90 days. Zack Davie and Anghel Ghidarcea were almost tied for the second place.
  
  And the recognition to the best team’s boss, in the Best Manager of the OCM of season 18 goes to… Mark of WV De Dommel!!! This has been the closest competition of the entire awards, with Eli of Equipo Easy On very few points behind. WV De Dommel’s promotion of young riders as well as his work with Ghidarcea and his overall team build up and management abilities earned him this award over the number one of the ranks, who stablished himself at the top once again, with the additional task of team’s restructuration and focus change, a tasks duo really hard to achieve. Pete’s (peddelen) work with Dussel were enough to get the third spot.
  
  Congratulations to all the winners and see you on the road!”
  
  Written by Holger Czukay of Asymm Project (as a member of the Awards Committee) to OCM magazine