Season 20 has been a long, long one. The grumpiest managers will tell me that it was, as always “just” 90 days long, but the biggest part will agree with me: once again, our humble riders fought to improve the competition, making it more difficult to score the desired OCM points. There were real carnages on the hills, cobblestones, climbs, and also in the sprints or against the heavy winds and pouring rain, so that is why we need to recognize the most sacrificed riders today, in this, the Awards Gala of Season 19.
  
  A new Committee was formed this year, with Noppes (NECFTW) succeeding Yuri (Yuri SuperTeam) as the head of it, and I swear we got some difficulties in many categories: gone are the days where we struggled to find five riders good enough to be nominated. And I am sure that many of those who voted had a hard time in some categories, as you will be able to check when the definitive results are posted. We needed a “photo-finish” for some categories and, as you will see, we have a tie in one category, for the very first time.
  
  So let’s not delay presentation anymore. First of all, we will start with the terrain-awards, those given to the best hiller, climber, cobbler, sprinter and time trialist.
  
  The battle on the hills has been tougher than last year, when Ghidarcea won comfortably by a great margin. This year, the things went much, much closer, with only 10 points separating winner and second place. It was 133 vs 123… but Anghel Ghidarcea (WV De Dommel) wins again! Jordy Wekenburg (Connaught) was close, but bites the dust again, with Ghidarcea’s fellow countrymen Turcescu in third place.
  
  On the cobbles, we have a slight change of panorama, as Schimmel is not even nominated. And the winner is… Mauricio Viola (Glamourade)! Firmino Botelho (Team Tirilla) was the runner up. Are the cobbles Iberian? Van den Plas, who finished third, will try to bring them back to the Benelux…
  
  When the road steeps up, a certain category of guys appear. Those who suffered in the flat stages take the lead with a reckless rhythm until only one survives. Who

is that guy? The Italian Umberto Impellitteri (Team Crazy Downhillers)! He gets the Sterling Dorsher Trophy for the best climber. The downhill expert Damin Iacob (trackstah07) got the second place few points behind. The old legend Garrido managed to grab the third place.
  
  Now I would like to call someone to come up the stage. It is our trophies craftsman Orlando Charles Malton! Tell us, Orlando, why did I call you here? “Well, you know which the deal was. If I was able to create a new trophy in 24 hours, I would give the trophy myself.” Why do we need two trophies for the best sprinter category? Because we have a tie between Jan-Joost Dussel (peddelen) and Lean “the Beast” Ahnfeldt-Mollerup (ABK)! They are not probably happy to share this honour, but I believe this is a fair result anyways. Van Bon gets the third place.
  
  Also very, very close was the score for the best time trialist award. Jesper Juhl (Nairobi City Cycling Club) wins! Only 5 points behind we got Elias Van der Eyde (NECFTW), and Alkvist also got only 13 points less than Juhl. Certainly, a deserved award for a team with a great scope of time trialers.
  
  Heading to the Elias Márquez trophy for the best Tour rider, we got the opposite situation. We are used to have a close competition here, but these are not being the typical awards, so the winner got a great margin. It is no other than Jan-Joost Dussel (peddelen)! More than 70 points behind we got Will Ferrin (Kremer), who is confirming himself as one of the leading lights of the new generation. Scothern, used to this category, got third.
  
  Anyways, do not worry, my little Jamaican, because you are the winner of the next one. Will Ferrin (Kremer) wins the best young rider award! One of the season’s greatest new faces, Lasse Alkvist (Raleigh PPDB) gets the second place, with the cobbler Terrier in closing the podium.
  
  Slavomil Dittrich did not live up to the best breakthrough rider trophy of last year. Will the winner of this season’s trophy survive to it? Anyways, enjoy it: Umberto Impellitteri (Team Crazy Downhillers) wins!

Christian Van den Plas (Jajatazi) ends in the second place, with Alkvist third. With this, both Impellitteri and Dussel have two trophies each one tonight.
  
  Once again, if you have finished second in a category, you have the chance to win the next one: Christian Van den Plas (Jajatazi) wins the best rider outside top division award! Fellow countryman Yannick Elssen (Team JAN) gets the second place, and Virén third.
  
  Best breakthrough team was very contested too, but the winner is no other than Raleigh PPDB! Coming from Liechtenstein, the manager bongobongo impressed the OCM community with a great progression. Few points behind we got Faustus from Finland. The manager Mefistophulus made the most of his experience to craft a wonderful season. Third place was for Jonas Pro Cycling.
  
  And the two main awards: best rider and best manager. We know that best rider and best sprinter usually match. Indeed, Van Bon gets the third place, but what about the first one? The Ame Anderberg Trophy for the Best Rider of Season 19 goes to… Jan-Joost Dussel (peddelen)!!! A slip 8-points margin prevented Ahnfeldt-Mollerup (ABK) to get the award.
  
  Three in a row for Dussel in a dream season… but the joy is not yet over for Pete from peddelen, as he gets the award for the Best Manager of Season 19!!! That was, indeed, making the most out of a rider, but do not let Dussel’s shiny ability get all the focus: Michala, Sesimbra or De Craene have a big part of responsibility in that award. This was not probably the best team out there, but the community decided that it was the one who made the most out of one’s possibilities. Very close, again (112 vs 109 points), was johny from johny2, who opted for aggressive team changes and can make his way to the award the next year. Tirilla gets the third place.
  
  Finally, I would like to thank in the name of the Committee to those who voted in the awards. Congratulations to all the winners. See you next year, and best wishes in the roads!
  
  Written by Holger Czukay from Asymm Project to OCM Awards Committee