Vélo de Cristal: a major win for Lotte Kopecky
The Vélo de Cristal awards are held annually to celebrate the best Belgian cyclists of the year. The winners are determined by a vote of journalists and former riders.
This year, the big winner was Lotte Kopecky, who took home the awards for both Best Female Cyclist and Best Cyclist of the Year.
Kopecky had a remarkable season, winning the Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, as well as a bronze medal in the road race at the World Championships.
Other winners at the Vélo de Cristal awards included:
. Wout van Aert (Best Male Cyclist)
. Remco Evenepoel (Best Young Rider)
. Tim Merlier (Best Sprinter)
. Victor Campenaerts (Best Time Trialist)
. Shari Bossuyt (Best Under-23 Rider)
. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Best Junior Rider)
. Iko De Jonghe (Best Para-Cyclist)
. Sven Vanthourenhout (Best Cyclo-Cross Rider)
. Sanne Cant (Best Women’s Cyclo-Cross Rider)
In addition to the individual awards, the Vélo de Cristal also recognized the Belgian teams that had achieved success in 2023. Soudal Quick-Step was named the Best Men’s Team, while SD Worx was named the Best Women’s Team.
The Vélo de Cristal awards are a fitting way to celebrate the accomplishments of Belgian cyclists in 2023. It was a great year for Belgian cycling, with riders achieving success at all levels of the sport.
