Annemiek van Vleuten, Remco Evenepoel win Velo d’Or prizes
An international jury of journalists awards the prizes to the top road riders each season.
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Annemiek van Vleuten and Remco Evenepoel won the prestigious Vélo d’Or prizes, officials announced Thursday.
Organized by the French cycling magazine Vélo, an international jury of journalists — with VeloNews among the voting members — awards the prizes to the top road riders each season.
Van Vleuten wins the inaugural prize in the women’s category after dominating the 2022 season with victories in the first Tour de France Femmes as well as the Giro d’Italia Donne and the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. Her second career world title put the cherry on the cake for a superb 2022.
Lotte Kopecky was second in voting following her breakout classics season, and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was third with more successes off-road.
It couldn’t be for anybody else.
Congrats @AvVleuten on winning the first ever women’s Vélo d’Or.
🐐👑 #MiekItHappen#RodamosJuntos | @Telefonica | @velomagazine pic.twitter.com/Cn8hLcxaRJ
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) December 1, 2022
Evenepoel, who won Belgium’s first grand tour in 40 years, was the men’s category winner. His world title and victories at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Clásica San Sebastián underscored his remarkable and wildly successful season.
“It’s a great honor to win the Vélo d’Or,” said the youngest rider in history to win this prestigious trophy. “Especially so early in my career, because in my opinion it’s the most important prize in the sport. It’s a reward for the entire season. When I was still playing football, I was fascinated by the prestige of the Ballon d’Or. Actually, the Vélo d’Or is the Ballon d’Or of cycling, and that link resonates a bit with me.”
Wout van Aert, who won his first green jersey at the Tour de France, was second in the vote, with Tadej Pogačar coming in third.
