It is now official: Alberto Contador has been voted the best rider of 2014 by the international cycling press. The Vuelta winner beat Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali by 8 points in the poll.

With the Velo d'Or, the international cycling press honours the best rider of the season. Two weeks ago, Cyclingnews.com reported that Alberto Contador would take the prestigious trophy. Now the winner has been officially announced in the November edition of the French Vélo Magazine.

Contador performed well all season and won the Vuelta a Espana two months after he had abandoned the Tour de France. The achievement was made more remarkable by the fact that El Pistolero had had little time to prepare due to a fracture of his tibia.

Tour de France winner Nibali had to settle for second in the Vélo d'Or battle settle, eight points behind his Spanish rival. In contrast to the Italian, Contador rode well from the beginning to the end of the season. In March, he captured the trident in the Tirreno-Adriatico and the Spaniard was also the best at the Vuelta al Pais Vasco.

For Contador, it is his fourth Velo d'Or trophy. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, he also won the prize of being the best rider. Last year, Chris Froome was the winner of the prestigious trophy.