Kopecky breaks all-time record as she and Evenepoel win 'Crystal Bicycle' awards
The 'Kristallen Fiets' awards, conceived in 1992 by newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, were handed out in Belgium this week, with top gongs going to Lotte Kopecky and Remco Evenepoel. While Evenepoel's fifth 'Crystal Bicycle' brings him up alongside Johan Museeuw as the most-prolific man to win the title, Kopecky's sixth in a row makes her the outright record holder.
"I really did my very best to avoid all galas and award ceremonies this year," Kopecky joked to HLN, reflecting on what has been a disappointing season by her own standards. "Although at the same time, it's a bit of a mixed bag because I'm aware that I haven't had a fantastic season. I have no idea how big my lead [in votes] was in previous years, but I did expect it to be much closer this time."
Evenepoel, meanwhile, looked ahead to the future and his place in Belgian cycling history. "The name 'Johan Museeuw' has a huge resonance in the cycling world, but my ambition is to do even better and eventually become the sole record holder. I'll definitely be racing for another ten years or so. So there are still plenty of opportunities to win some Crystal Bikes."
Other categories voted on by the expert panel include Best Young Rider – which Evenepoel won in 2018 – won this year by Jarno Widar for the second year, and AG Insurance-Soudal's Lore De Schepper; Best Manager went to the Roodhooft brothers for the third time; and Victor Campenaerts won the brilliantly named 'Crystal Drop of Sweat' for best domestique.
