Tadej Pogacar: Team UAE star wins men's Velo d'Or 2024, Team SD Worx-Protime's Lotte Kopecky claims women's award
Published 06/12/2024 at 21:45 GMT
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Tadej Pogacar was named the men’s rider of the year at the Velo d’Or awards on Friday, after becoming the first person since 1987 to win the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and World Championship road race in the same season. Meanwhile, Lotte Kopecky took the women’s award, after winning 16 races, successfully retaining the world title and claiming an Olympic bronze.
The moment Pogacar cracked on Stage 17 of 2023 Tour de France
Video credit: TNT Sports
Tadej Pogacar was named the men’s rider of the year at the Velo d’Or awards on Friday, while Lotte Kopecky won the women’s award.
Team UAE rider Pogacar claimed the prize after becoming the first rider since Ireland's Stephen Roche in 1987 to win the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and World Championship road race in the same season.
He also scooped up two Monuments – Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Tour of Lombardy – among his 25 race victories across the campaign.
Picking up his second Velo d'Or, Pogacar said he was more appreciative three years on from his first prize.
"I was still young [last time]," said the 26-year-old. "As the years pass, we realise the importance of things. I feel honoured that all the work has been recognised."
The Slovenian, who picked up six individual stage wins on both the Tour de France and the Giro, added: "It will be almost impossible to have another year like this, but I will do my best."
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Elsewhere, Belgian world champion Kopecky picked up the women's Velo d'Or award, voted by a jury of 40 journalists. She had finished second in the voting the previous two years.
The 29-year-old Team SD Worx-Protime rider won 16 races this season and successfully retained the world title.
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Kopecky was named the women's rider of the year at the Velo d’Or awards.
Image credit: Getty Images
"I really wanted to add this to my list of honours," she said during a video message from Finland where she is training with her team. "I’m really happy with my achievements this year."
This season, Kopecky triumphed at Paris-Roubaix, was crowned the world champion in Zurich and won an Olympic bronze medal.
She also secured her second consecutive Strade Bianche, won the Nokere Koerse, UAE Tour and Tour of Britain.
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