(Reuters) – The Velo d’Or will receive an upgrade in pomp this year with the establishment of a ceremony for the annual cycling award, organisers Velo Magazine said on Monday, putting the prestigious honour on par with its footballing counterpart, the Ballon d’Or.
The ceremony will be held on Oct. 24 in Paris, and will have awards for the best men’s and women’s riders, as well as two new awards for classics and two awards for French cyclists.
“With the creation of new trophies, including a category outside road cycling, the entire discipline is represented at this ceremony, taking cycling into another dimension,” Velo Magazine chief editor Gilles Comte said of the award, which has been handed out since 1992.
Vuelta a Espana winner Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–Quick-Step) won the men’s prize in 2022, while Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) took home the inaugural women’s award following triumphs in the Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia Donne and La Vuelta Femenina.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)