No surprises as Lotte Kopecky and Remco Evenepoel become repeat winners of Crystal Bike awards

There were no last-minute upsets at the Kristallen Fiets – Crystal Bicycle – awards this year as Lotte Kopecky was voted best female Belgian rider for the fifth time in her career, while Remco Evenepoel received the same honour in his category for a fourth time as well.

Neither star name was present in the glitzy mid-week ceremony in the Belgian town of Kruisen. Evenepoel has gone down with a bad fever just days after finishing second in his last race of the season, Il Lombardia, and was too ill to attend, while Kopecky is currently en route to the Track World Championships in Denmark.