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Flandrien of the Year


The Flandrien of the Year (Dutch: Flandrien-Trofee) is an annual award presented by the Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad to the best Belgian cyclist of the year. The prize has been awarded since 2003 and was originally awarded based on a vote by the public, and open to any nationality. Since 2008, people from within the world of cycling choose the winner from a jury's list of nominees, with only Belgian riders eligible to win the award. The first winner of the award was the Italian Paolo Bettini, and the current holder is Greg Van Avermaet. There are also separate awards for the best international cyclist, and best female cyclist.

The award is seen as prestigious in the world of cycling, especially since it is voted on by fellow cyclists. It is also seen as rewarding the cyclist who most embodies the tough and hard-working values of the Flandrien cyclists of years gone by, such as Briek Schotte. International Flandrien of the Year 2013 Chris Froome summed up these sentiments when he accepted the award, saying: "A Flandrien is to me someone, no matter how tough the conditions are, never gives up. Someone who has the character of a fighter."


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