Greg Van Avermaet lived up to his status as favourite and has again been selected to as the Flandrien of the Year. Dylan Teuns, Michal Kwiatkowski and Sven Nys also won prizes in the competition organized by Het Nieuwsblad.

Greg Van Avermaet went into the evening as the big favourite but the opposition was not to be neglected as he was up against Tim Wellens, Sep Vanmarcke, Tom Boonen and Philippe Gilbert.

Presenters Karl Vannieuwkerke and Peter Van de Veirs invited the Dutch Jan Mulder and Marianne Vos to present the trophy. And the orange delegation could indeed welcome Greg Van Avermaet on the podium as the winner. The BMC rider won the prize for the third time.

Van Avermaet was present the entire season with top results in the Tour of Flanders to the World Championships. He may have missed out on a great victory but his aggressive riding style fits perfectly with the Flandrien title.

"My first win in the Flandrien competition was the most unexpected, this is the most deserved. This award has great value because my fello riders have voted for me," said Van Avermaet who also won the trophy in 2008 and 2013.

Moreover, Van Avermaet won with a big margin. His point total was more than the double of second placed Tim Wellens who was rewarded for his surprisinglg good season.

Result

Greg Van Avermaet - 281 points
Tim Wellens - 119
Sep Vanmarcke - 97
Philippe Gilbert - 51
Tom Boonen - 28

Other prizes

Winner juniors: Enzo Wouters
Winner U23 riders: Dylan Teuns
Winner cyclocross: Sven Nys
Flandrienne of the year: Jolien D'hoore
International Flandrien of the year: Michal Kwiatkowski

Reactions

Dylan Teuns: "I didn't feel sure that I would win as I my rivals were relly strong too. Next year is a new season and a new beginning. We will see if I can take another step up."

 
Sven Nys: "Sometimes I am still amazed that I can continue winning prizes. Where do I put this big trophy? I have a room in my basement where I have my trophies. I still have room for more. Tonight I will stay here at my hotel in Oostende and tomorrow I will do the cross in Ardooie."
 
Jolien D'hoore: "It's a great reward as I am mainly a track rider. My greatest moment was my Belgian title."
 
Michal Kwiatkowski: "It's an honour to receive this trophy from Eddy Merckx. I have always liked Belgium, it is the home of my team Omega Pharma-Quick Step, it's like a big family."