Cycling Australia is pleased to announce the finalists in the 2008 Cyclist of the Year Awards.

The Awards will be presented at a gala celebration being staged at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne Hotel on Sunday 23 November. The night will culminate with the presentation of the Sir Hubert 'Oppy' Opperman Medal and Trophy to the 2008 Australian Cyclist of the Year.

"I congratulate all the nominees who have been and will continue to be outstanding ambassadors for cycling and for Australia ," said Mike Victor OAM, President of Cycling Australia. "We have a wealth of talent in our sport from masters to juniors and across all the disciplines and we continue to rank amongst the worlds top nations in the sport.

"I look forward to enjoying a night of celebration to mark the great achievements of our cyclists in 2008."

The complete list of finalists in the respective Award categories is listed below. For more detailed information on each of the finalists please go to the Cycling Australia website.

Finalists in the 2008 Cyclist of the Year Awards

Elite BMX Cyclist of the Year - Male

• Jared Graves (QLD)
• Sam Hill (WA)
• Nathan Rennie (QLD)

Elite Mountainbike Cyclist of the Year - Female

• Caroline Buchanan (ACT)
• Dellys Starr (VIC)

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Male MTB

• Shaun O’Connor (NSW)
• Rhys Willemse (QLD)
• Sam Willoughby (SA)

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Female MTB

• Caroline Buchanan (ACT)
• Rebecca Henderson (ACT)

Toshiba Elite Track Cyclist of the Year - Male

• Leigh Howard (VIC)
• Mark Jamieson (TAS)
• Cameron Meyer (WA)

Toshiba Elite Track Cyclist of the Year - Female

• Belinda Goss (TAS)
• Katie Mactier (VIC)
• Anna Meares OAM (QLD)

Elite Road Cyclist of the Year - Male

• Cadel Evans (VIC)
• Simon Gerrans (VIC)
• Robbie McEwen (QLD)

Elite Road Cyclist of the Year - Female

• Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)
• Vicki Whitelaw (ACT)
• Oenone Wood (ACT)

Para-cyclist of the Year - Male

• Michael Gallagher (VIC)
• Kieran Modra OAM & pilot Tyson Lawrence (SA)
• Chris Scott OAM (QLD)

Para-cyclist of the Year - Female

• Lindy Hou OAM & pilot Toireasa Gallagher (NSW)
• Felicity Johnson & pilot Katie Parker (SA)
• Jayme Paris (NSW)

Masters Cyclist of the Year - Male

• Ron Boyle (QLD)
• Peter Coulson (VIC)
• Keith Oliver (NSW)

Masters Cyclist of the Year - Female

• Michelle Crawford (NSW)
• Elizabeth Randall (VIC)
• Janelle Smith (TAS)

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Male Track

• Luke Davison (NSW)
• Rohan Dennis (SA)
• Tom Palmer (ACT)

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Female Track

• Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW)
• Megan Dunn (NSW)
• Sarah Kent (WA)

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Male Road

• Luke Durbridge (WA)
• Michael Freiburg (WA)
• Michael Matthews (ACT)

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Female Road

• Chloe Hosking (ACT)
• Lauren Kitchen (NSW)
• Sophie Ootes (SA)

SBS Television Coach of the Year

• Darryl Benson
• Brian Stephens
• Garry Sutton OAM

Scody 2008 People's Choice Cyclist of the Year

The finalists nominated by popular vote are:

• Cadel Evans
• Simon Gerrans
• Anna Meares
• Stuart O'Grady

Keith Esson Regional Media Award

• Ballarat Courier
• Barossa & Light Herald
• Sooty Park - Channel 31

Cycling Australia Media Awards - Best Photo

• Simon Hayes - Bicycling Australia
• Sarah Reed - Adelaide Advertiser
• John Veage - Fairfax Media

Cycling Australia Media Awards - Best Story

• Mark Falahey - SBS Television
• Mark Heintz - Ride Cycling Review
• Amanda Lulham - Daily Telegraph

Awards will also be presented in the following categories:

• Australian Sports Commission Volunteers of the Year
• Cycling Australia Event Merit Award
• Tripleplay National Road Series Champions (men's and women's)
• SBS Television National Road Teams Series Champion
• Australian Club Premiership
• Norm Gailey Trophy for Champion State