The Vélo d’or trophy, which rewards the rider of the year in the eyes of an international jury of journalists assembled by Vélo Magazine, was awarded Tuesday to the Dane Jonas Vingegaard and the Dutch Demi Vollering, winners of the Tour of France in 2023.
In total, six trophies were awarded during a unique ceremony at the Gabriel Pavilion on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, modeled on the Ballon d’Or, on the eve of the presentation of the Tour de France 2024 route.
In addition to Vingegaard, who was absent on Tuesday evening, and Vollering, the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, who was also not present, and the Belgian Lotte Kopecky won the Eddy Merckx prize for best classics rider.
Christophe Laporte was awarded the Bernard Hinault trophy for best road runner in France.
Finally, the Daniel Morelon prize for best French cyclist representing off-road Olympic sports (track, BMX and mountain biking) went to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot who won her fifth cross-country mountain bike world title in August, a record.
It was the first time that the Vélo d’or trophy, awarded every year since 1992 (2022 for women), was presented during a ceremony.
Its award had been rather confidential until then and the Amaury Média group, owner of Vélo Magazine and the newspaper L’Equipe, wishes to give it more visibility, despite the absence on Tuesday evening of three of the six winners, Vingegaard, Van der Poel and Ferrand-Prévot.
Vingegaard, who won fifteen victories in 2023 including the Tour de France, the Dauphiné and the Tour du Pays Basque, succeeds the Belgian Remco Evenepoel.
In 2022, the Dane came only fourth in this ranking even though he had already won the Tour de France. It was then only the second time since the creation of the Vélo d’or in 1992 that the winner of the Grande Boucle did not finish on the podium, after the Spaniard Oscar Pereiro in 2006.
Demi Vollering, who also won Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne this year, succeeds her compatriot Annemiek van Vleuten.
Mathieu van der Poel won two Monuments (Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix) and the World Championships in 2023.
Lotte Kopecky shone, notably winning the Tour of Flanders and the title of world champion.
On the French side, Christophe Laporte distinguished himself by becoming European champion in September after winning two classics, Ghent-Wevelgem and Across Flanders, in February.
LE PALMARES 2023
Men’s Golden Bike: Jonas Vingegaard (DEN)
Women’s Golden Bike: Demi Vollering (NED)
Eddy Merckx Trophy men: Mathieu van der Poel (NED)
Women’s Eddy Merckx Trophy: Lotte Kopecky (BEL)
Bernard Hinault Trophy: Christophe Laporte (FRA)
Daniel Morelon Trophy: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA)
