Top 10 rider nicknames at the Tour de France 2025

When you think about sporting nicknames, it doesn’t get much more iconic – or bizarre – than cycling. Most of the legends of the sport were known by a nickname, whether it was a diminutive version of their given name (think ‘Tommeke’ for Tom Boonen or ‘Peto’ Sagan),  a reference to their personality or appearance (Laurent Fignon was known as ‘The Professor’, and Marco Pantani as ‘Il Pirata' - the Pirate) or grandiose references to their abilities – for example the ‘angel of the mountains’ to describe legendary climber Charly Gaul, the Emperor of Herentals, Rik van Looy, or Spartacus himself – Fabian Cancellara.

The legends of our sport are sometimes even better known by their nicknames than their own names – Eddy Merckx is absolutely the ‘Cannibal’, Mark Cavendish the one and only ‘Manx Missile’, and of course Sean ‘King’ Kelly, to name but a few. Some nicknames are assigned from the time a rider gets onto a bike in their junior years – the legend Bernard Hinault was called ‘the Badger’ from very early in his cycling career, while Joaquim Rodriguez picked up his ‘Purito’ alter-ego as a neo-pro - while others are applied later or even retroactively, when their impact can be viewed from a distance. 

Assigned by teammates, managers, or given to them by the fans in their hometowns who have watched them grow into the elite riders they are today, there are plenty of the current crop of riders who are known to their fans by an alternate name. From the playful ‘Pogi’ (Tadej Pogačar), to the affectionate ‘Loulou’ (Julian Alaphilippe) and ‘Wawa’ (Warren Barguil), to the enigmatic ‘MVDP’ (Mathieu van der Poel) or the brief and to-the-point ‘G’ (Geraint Thomas), even the simplest nicknames come to embody something of the rider they represent. 

Here is our run-down of the top 10 nicknames among the peloton at this year’s men’s Tour de France.

Quite honestly, the only reason this cracking moniker didn’t post the top spot on this list is due to the fact that it’s not an officially adopted nickname, or at least, it hasn’t stuck, as far as we know. But it’s too good not to pass comment.

During the 2018 Giro d’Italia, where Yates swept to three stage wins and spent significant time in the maglia rosa, one Italian journalist asked in an interview if Yates knew about his new nickname – ‘Sanguinaccio Volante’ – which translates as ‘flying black pudding,’ a reference to a local delicacy from Yates' native Lancashire. 

It ticks all the boxes for me – it’s unique, relevant, and apt – but given it’s not a nickname that stuck around, it sadly can’t appear as an official entry on our list. 

This was in line to challenge for the top spot in our list, until the sad announcement that the Jaguar himself would no longer be in contention at this year’s Tour due to illness, which sadly excludes him from this list (I don’t make the rules. Well, I kind of do, actually). 

The Ecuadorian boasts one of the finest nicknames in the peloton, following the ‘[animal] of [place name]’ format that many cycling alter-egos seem to follow, and alter-ego is an apt description – they call to mind superhero disguises, and all the grand connotations that these proud animals suggest – see numbers 4 and 1 on our list for further examples.

As for Carapaz, he is prone to stalking his prey, then pouncing with a killer attack, so the name could not be more appropriate, and would certainly have ranked highly, if it were permissible.

Now, onto our top 10.

The sheer audacity of this nickname demanded my attention, yet it feels somewhat overblown to describe a climber in such terms, seeming more as though it might be suited to a dominant sprinter type. But it’s a fact nonetheless that the Australian GC rider’s teammates have called him ‘the Destroyer’ in response to his all-out attacks in the mountains, where he has been known to distance his rivals on his way to 12 career wins, following a quite prolific junior and U23 career. 

The Tudor Pro Cycling man may struggle to wreak quite so much destruction against the calibre of opponents he’ll face at this year’s Tour, and it’s this imbalance that leads us to place him in tenth on our leader board.

Coming in at just under two metres in height and 95 kilograms in weight, there's no denying that Uno-X Mobility's statuesque sprinter Søren Wærenskjold is among the largest riders in the men's pro peloton. 

Hippo, though? Seems a bit much. Reportedly given to him by teammate Andreas Leknussund, this nickname is likely a little tongue-in-cheek, but it's stuck nonetheless, leaving newcomers to Wærenskjold's talents in no doubt about his size and strength. 

Hippos may lack the grandeur and grace of the jaguars, lions and eagles that we're used to, but there's no doubt these animals have a serious bite to them, and when Wærenskjold goes hard on a long, uphill drag to the line, there are few who can get past him - so he grabs ninth spot on our list.

One of those all-encompassing nicknames where you can’t tell what came first, the name or the attitude, Lotto’s powerful sprinter embodies his nickname in every way possible. From his demeanour on the bike - where he’s so powerful he has wreaked destruction on his own bike at the finish on more than one occasion - and the fact he comes from a farming family, right down to his victory celebration, in which he displays bull horns with his hands as he crosses the line. A self-fulfilling prophecy, or a promise fulfilled, either way, De Lie’s nickname is a distinctive one.

You’ve got to love the Aussies. They are a no-nonsense people, and don’t have time to mess around coming up with fancy nicknames for their athletes. Where the south Americans have a penchant for embracing the romance and audacity of their riders, naming them after exotic animals that reflect their tenacity, power and grace, the Aussies usually just take a surname and add either ‘y’ or ‘o’ (see: Plappy [Lucas Plapp]; Hamo [Lucas Hamilton]).

In the case of this year’s national champion though, the Aussies lucked out with their lazy naming conventions (hey, I don’t blame them, it’s hot down there) – no doubt originally just ‘Durbo’, Durbridge went on to prove his rouleur capabilities and his strength against the clock and lo and behold, somebody realised it rhymed with ‘Turbo’. Bonzer!

A nickname as full of character as the man to whom it belongs, the Visma | Lease a Bike former TT specialist-turned rouleur-baroudeur uses the name on his social media channels, showing he's wholeheartedly embraced his nickname. 

Though on the face of it, it sounds pretty meaningless in English, it reportedly derives from Victor’s initials – V.O.C. – and the Dutch word for moustache – ‘snor’. Campanaerts has grown into the nickname much as he has his facial decorations, and it’s now just ‘him’, and it’s that ownership and uniqueness that brings him to the middle of our list.

One of the big stars of last year’s Tour de France, the Norwegian from Uno-X Mobility is one of the many riders with a nickname that describes their characteristics, along with their hometown, but there’s few more apt than this one, describing the sheer relentless determination of the rider who spent a good proportion of last year’s race doing anything and everything to get away and stay away, even on days when it was really a hiding to nothing. 

As if to further emphasise his absolute unwillingness to give in, despite a recent collarbone fracture, Abrahamsen has ploughed through the pain to declare himself fit to race at this year's Tour. You can't argue with that level of stubbornness.

Though Rod Ellingworth reportedly gave him the nickname ‘the Falcon’, and fans often refer to him as C-Rod, Spaniard Rodriguez’s former nickname, and one which he will hope to live up to as he continues through his career, is a grand one. 

Along the same lines as that of Carapaz and De Lie, the animal in question here is king of the jungle, just as Rodriguez will hope to be king of the peloton. An understated character, quiet in nature and studious in appearance, there’s little doubt that this excellent nickname was attributed based on Rodriguez’ characteristics on the bike rather than off it, and he will hope to embody his fierce, dominant namesake once again in this year’s Tour, just as he did in 2023 went he won a stage aged just 22.

World, Olympic and National time trial champion Remco Evenepoel is so fast, he doesn’t even wear full-length sleeves when he rides against the clock because apparently, he has 'aero skin’. 

Yes, faster than a speeding bullet, Evenepoel’s reputation precedes him, and just as all the best nicknames do, his title of ‘aero bullet’, given to him by his Soudal-Quickstep teammate Yves Lampaert, tells a simple tale of the man himself. It’s as clear and unequivocal as it gets. The kid is fast. End of.

Two nicknames, two very different interpretations of one of the Tour de France’s biggest characters. The Belgian sprinter’s original nickname is a fun rhyming take on the usual format, reflecting Philipsen’s speed and power, and referencing his hometown of Ham. It just happens to sound really good in Flemish too (a bit less satisfying in English but still pretty cool and somewhat suggestive of a piece of well-cooked meat).

Latterly, however, Philipsen has become more well-known as ‘Jasper Disaster’ – a name applied to him by his team, though whether affectionately or in exasperation isn’t quite clear. It stuck, following the focus on him in the first series of Netflix Unchained, with his series of near misses in the race, combined with a lack of organisation off the bike, and it’s one of the only peloton nicknames that acknowledges that not everyone is perfect.

It’s anybody’s guess which name will be the one that remains after Philipsen’s riding career is over (I have a sneaking suspicion it might be the less complimentary one), but there’s no doubt that both of these nicknames are distinctive enough to elevate Philipsen almost to the top of our leader board.

Flying high to the top of our list is one of the most trusted mountain lieutenants in the peloton. The quiet American has been a part of the pro peloton in Europe for eight seasons, during which we’ve come to know him as a dependable mountain domestique first for Primož Roglič, then latterly Jonas Vingegaard – oh, and occasionally, he wins the odd Grand Tour himself. 

Yes, though ‘GC Kuss’ could be attributed to him as a second legitimate nickname, and many in his homeland also sometimes refer to him as 'the Durango kid' - which sounds equally like a character from a western  – the man from Colorado tops our list because his nickname ticks all the boxes. It describes his characteristics – soaring up mountains, obviously – it’s geographically specific, both in the sense that he’s from Durango, and an eagle is a symbol of America, and it’s a name that’s been with him since his early career. It’s also a nickname he has embraced – he registered for the 2022 single-speed cyclocross world championships under the pseudonym.

Though he may have eschewed leadership to return to his favoured role, we will always remember Kuss as a rider who selflessly helped others and enjoyed his deserved moments of personal success along the way. The eagle has landed – in first position on our list.

Of course, everything is subjective – you might disagree with our selections, or our ranking, but it’s all just a bit of fun – feel free to comment with your own favourites, and if you’re wondering whether there are any other good nicknames in this year’s Tour de France peloton, I can assure you there are plenty – and it wasn’t an easy choice. 

Here is a run-down of a few more – no doubt there are plenty that I’ve missed, or perhaps there are a few which haven’t yet been revealed to a wider audience. Maybe following this year’s race, we will discover a new nickname after a rider puts in a stand-out performance – quite literally making a name for himself.

The best of the rest...

Michal Kwiatkowski – ‘Kwiato’ (meaning ‘flower’ in Polish)
Matej Mohorič – ‘Matejpedia’ (because he is incredibly smart)
Jhonatan Narvaez – 'El Lagarto' (the Lizard)
Emanuel Buchmann – Emu
Michael Woods – Rusty (from his middle name, Russell)
Filippo Ganna – Top Ganna!
Adam Yates – The Shadow
Tobias Halland Johannessen – "Hel Ved". Translates to "solid wood" or "tough" in English (unconfirmed)
Sergio Higuita – Higuita Monster 
Marc Hirschi – Interrail
Pascal Eenkhoorn – the Master
Jonas Rutsch – the mountain goat
Fernando Gaviria – “Quetzal splendente", from the bright, colourful South American bird Quetzal
Christopher Juul-Jensen – the Joker
Nils Politt – the Giraffe