Van der Poel and Vos win prestigious cycling award, but Lavreysen not: "Completely ridiculous"

Mathieu van der Poel was crowned Cyclist of the Year Monday night at the annual cycling gala in Utrecht. The Dutchman from Alpecin-Deceuninck beat the incredibly successful track cyclist Harrie Lavreysen. Among the ladies, the Cyclist of the Year award went to Marianne Vos for the tenth (!) time.

With the world title in cyclo-cross and on the gravel bike, Van der Poel earned his spot at the awards show. In his rainbow jersey, which he captured last year, he also won the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix again. He finished third in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and took bronze at the World Championships in Zurich. It is his fourth award for Cyclist of the Year. He has also been nominated for the Vélo d'Or, which will be awarded later.

"I understand it became a close race with Harrie Lavreysen, but it just fell my way. I want to emphasize that my respect for Harrie is great. Who takes three times gold at the Games absolutely would not have been out of place here with this Trophy," Van der Poel stated in an official comment. Lavreysen could not have been much more successful in 2024. He took Olympic gold on the track in the Team Sprint, Sprint, and Keirin disciplines. At the World Track Cycling Championships, he was even the best four times, with gold in the 1 KM time trial in addition to Team Sprint and Sprint.

"I can reflect on a great 2024 myself, with world titles in track and gravel and victories in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the rainbow jersey. Achievements I'm proud of," Van der Poel concludes. "I'm already looking forward to showing myself again in 2025 and to do full justice to this title."

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Marianne Vos best for tenth time, question marks regarding Lavreysen

Vos thanked her tenth award for an excellent 2024. In the spring, she won Omloop Het Nieuwslad, Dwars door Vlaanderen in Belgium, the Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands, and a stage in the Vuelta a España. After the points classification in the Tour de France Femmes and silver at the Paris Games, she recently concluded her year with the world title on gravel.

Van der Poel and Vos were two great winners Monday night, but an immediate wave of surprise erupted on social media. The fact that Lavreysen did not become Cyclist of the Year after three Olympic medals raised eyebrows. "You'd almost wonder what else Lavreysen has to do in a year," was shared.

Interestingly, Lavreysen was nominated later this year for the Sportsman of the Year award, which the NOC-NSF organized. "It is possible, just as in 2006, that a nominated track cyclist does not become the Cyclist of the Year, but later does become Sportsperson of the Year," someone referred Theo Bos, who in 2006 fell short of one award in but took the other. It led to a simple conclusion: "No matter how much (Olympic) gold is achieved, no one in the conservative cycling world takes track cycling seriously. It's a completely ridiculous decision, I think. Lavreysen should have been awarded this honor."