The Vélo d'Or (French for "Golden Bicycle") is a cycle racing award, created in 1992 by the French cycling magazineVélo Magazine. The award is given annually to the rider considered to have performed the best over the year and since 2022 there is also an award for the best female rider.
Originally, Lance Armstrong won the Vélo d'Or five times, but his results were removed after USADA stripped him of his Tour victories. The Vélo d'Or for these years was not given to the second-ranked cyclist.[1]Alberto Contador holds the record of winning the award four times.
There is also a distinction for French racers named, from 1992 to 2022 "Vélo d'Or français": from 2023 this was subdivided between an award for road cycling, the "trophée Bernard Hinault", and the "trophée Daniel Morelon" for other disciplines. Since 2023 there have been awards for the best male and female classics riders, the "Trophée Eddy Merckx", and in 2024 a further award was introduced for non-road Olympic cycling disciplines.
