Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) and Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-Scott) have taken home Cyclist of the Year honours at the Cycling Australia annual awards function in Brisbane on Monday.
Ewan won the Sir Hubert 'Oppy' Opperman Medal as the Cyclist of the Year for his achievements during the 2019 season that included three stage wins at the Tour de France, two stage wins at the Giro d'Italia and 22 podium appearances.
"It's a massive honour for me to win this award. It's the biggest award you can get as a cyclist in Australia," Ewan said via video link to the awards dinner from the Lotto-Soudal team training camp in Majorca.
"I was up against some quite good competition, with Rohan Dennis winning the [time trial] world championship again this year amongst other great results from plenty of cyclists.
"I just want to say a big thanks to my team, my coach and my family for being so supportive this year," Ewan said.
"It's been my most successful season, yet without them I couldn't have gotten the results that I got, and I wouldn't be winning this award, so a big thank you to them."
Spratt honoured by second achievement award
Spratt was honoured to win her second consecutive elite female road Cyclist of the Year award at the Cycling Australia dinner.
"An honour to be named Female Road Cyclist of the Year at the Cycling Australia Awards," Spratt wrote in a post on Twitter. "I'm forever grateful to 'my team' for making everything I do possible - family, partner, coach Gene Bates, Mitchelton-Scott, Australian Cycling Team, NSWIS and my amazing teammates."
Her 2019 achievements included a bronze medal at the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire, third overall at the Giro Rosa, second overall at Emakumeen Bira, second at Trofeo Alfredo Binda, and the overall victory at the Santos Women's Tour Down Under.
Awards also went to Ashlee Ankudinoff and Sam Welsford, who took home the Elite Track Cyclist of the Year honours.
The Marsh Australian Cycling Moment of the Year went to Australian road race champion Sarah Gigante for her victory as the youngest winner of an elite road nationals title. Gigante also earned the under-23 Cyclist of the Year award.
Paige Greco took out the Para Female Track Cyclist of the Year award, Alistair Donohoe claimed the Para Male Track Cyclist award, and Carol Cooke and Darren Hicks were judged the Para Road Cyclists of the Year.
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Madison gold medallists Brett Aitken and Scott McGrory, Olympian and world champion Kate Bates and Australia's first world champion Bob Spears were inducted into the Cycling Australia Hall of Fame.
