Wout van Aert crowned Belgian Sportsman of the Year again
Jumbo-Visma star wins national title for the second year in a row


Wout van Aert added to his growing trophy cabinet with a second successive win of Belgian Sportsman of the Year on Sunday.
The Jumbo-Visma rider, who is also Belgian national champion on the road and in cyclo-cross, finished ahead of runner and Olympic bronze medallist Bashir Abdi and Matthias Casse, who won Belgium's first ever senior judo title this year.
The competition is organised by Belgian newspaper Sporza. The newspaper reported that he said: "I thought it would be difficult to win again, certainly with this opposition. But that makes it all the more beautiful."
Van Aert had a prolific season, winning 13 races in total, which meant he finished only behind Tadej Pogačar on the UCI's WorldTour rankings.
His wins included a rare hat-trick of victories at the Tour de France, made up of a mountain stage, a bunch-sprint, and a time-trial. His silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics was one of only seven medals that Belgium won.
>>> Crashes scupper Tom Pidcock's surge, settles for second at Namur World Cup
In winning successive Sportsman of the Year titles, Van Aert becomes only the sixth man to win back-to-back titles, and follows Eddy Merckx and Philippe Gilbert in this feat. Gilbert went on to win three in a row, while Merckx managed six titles between 1969 and 1974. Only this pair and Tom Boonen are cyclists with more wins in the competition than Van Aert.
The other male cyclists who made the final list were Remco Evenepoel in 11th, a previous winner; Jasper Stuyven in 18th; Tim Merlier in 19th; and Jasper Philipsen in 30th.
In the women's competition, the only cycling representative was Lotte Kopecky, who finished fourth. The rider, who is departing Liv Racing for SD-Worx in 2022, won eight races this season, which included the Belgian national road race and time-trial events.
Nina Derwael, a gymnast who won the Olympic gold on the uneven bars was crowned the Belgian Sportswoman of the Year.
In the UK, cyclist Dame Sarah Story finished outside of the top three for Sports Personality of the Year. The award was won by Emma Raducanu, the tennis player who became Britain's first female grand slam winner for 44 years when she won the US Open in 2021.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Adam is Cycling Weekly’s senior news and feature writer – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing, speaking to people as varied as Demi Vollering to Philippe Gilbert. Before cycling took over my professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.
-
-
EF Education-EasyPost and Israel-Premier Tech to race all-new Maryland Classic in September, one of just 4 UCI races in the US
A truly international field slated to attend America's newest UCI race
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Kristen Faulkner cools down after making a splash at the Giro Donne
The American headed straight for the sea to after winning the stage and taking the Giro Donne overall lead
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Jumbo-Visma stopping Wout van Aert from sharing Strava rides: 'We want to prevent speculation'
General manager Richard Plugge said the team won't risk Wout van Aert's involvement in Paris-Roubaix if he isn't fully fit
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Wout van Aert shouldn't race Paris-Roubaix after positive Covid-19 test, doctors claim
His Jumbo-Visma team will wait to see if he is fully fit before confirming his involvement, or lack thereof, in the Monument
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Cross-country ski podiums and maybe racing mountain biking again: Sepp Kuss and his own unique trajectory, 'not wanting to feel too much pressure, or have an over-necessity to win'
The Jumbo-Visma rider takes his cycling seriously, but enjoyment takes precedence
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
David Dekker miraculously escapes serious injury after disappearing into ravine at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
The Jumbo-Visma rider crashed 12 kilometres from the finish line of the second stage of the tour in Valencia
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
From piste to peloton - Anna Henderson's rapid rise through the ranks
Jumbo Visma's British time trial champion Anna Henderson talks budget bikes, team dynamics and ski school
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Jumbo-Visma cancels training camp after positive Covid-19 test
The positive Covid-19 result means the Belgian team ends their training camp after just a couple of days
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Nathan Van Hooydonck opens up about the loss of his newborn son
Jumbo-Visma rider credits his girlfriend Alicia with helping him get through the death of his son Thiago
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Jumbo-Visma signals ambitious 2022 intentions by revealing Tour de France and Giro d'Italia squads
Primož Roglič, Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert will lead the Tour, while Tom Dumoulin and Tobias Foss will head the Giro
By Ryan Dabbs • Published