Vélo d'Or

{{Short description|Cycle racing award}}

{{Infobox award

| name = Vélo d'Or

| image = Velo d'Or-logo.png

| alt = Logo for Vélo d'Or award, depicting a stylized bicycle wheel in gold

| caption =

| location = France

| presenter = Vélo Magazine

| year = {{start date and age|1992}}

| holder_label = Current holders

| holder = {{flagicon|SLO}} Tadej Pogačar
(2nd award)

{{flagicon|BEL}} Lotte Kopecky
(1st award)

| most_awards = {{flagicon|ESP}} Alberto Contador
(4 awards)

| most_nominations =

| previous =

| main =

| next =

|firstawarded=|awardname=|image size=150}}

The Vélo d'Or (French for "Golden Bicycle") is an annual cycle racing award, given to the cyclist considered to have performed the best over the racing season. It is awarded by the French cycling magazine Vélo Magazine, with the winner chosen by a panel of international cycling journalists.{{cite web |last1=Hood |first1=Andrew |title=Ranking the Best of 2024: Who Gets Your Vote for the Vélo d’Or Prize? |url=https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-culture/ranking-the-best-of-2024-who-gets-your-vote-for-the-velo-dor-prize/ |website=Velo |access-date=7 December 2024 |date=15 October 2024}} The Vélo d'Or is considered one of cycling's highest individual honors, similar to the Ballon d'Or in football.{{cite web |title=Vélo d'Or 2024: the ceremony rewarding the best cyclists returns to Paris |url=https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/what-to-do-in-paris/sport-wellness/articles/299288-velo-d-or-2024-the-ceremony-rewarding-the-best-cyclists-returns-to-paris |publisher=Sortir a Paris |access-date=7 December 2024 |date=18 October 2024}}

Since 2022, the Vélo d'Or Femmes has also been awarded to the best female cyclist of the season.{{cite web |last1=Fletcher |first1=Patrick |title=Annemiek van Vleuten, Remco Evenepoel win 2022 Velo d'Or awards |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/annemiek-van-vleuten-remco-evenepoel-win-2022-velo-dor-awards/ |publisher=CyclingNews |access-date=7 December 2024 |date=1 December 2022}} Both trophies are presented each year at the Pavillon Gabriel in Paris, alongside several sub-categories: the Eddy Merckx Trophy, awarded to the best classics rider since 2023, and the Chris Hoy Trophy, awarded to the best Olympics discipline rider since 2024.{{cite web |title=La toute première cérémonie du Vélo d'Or aura lieu le 24 octobre |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Medias/Actualites/La-toute-premiere-ceremonie-du-velo-d-or-aura-lieu-le-24-octobre/1408782 |publisher=L'Équipe |access-date=7 December 2024 |date=17 July 2023}} There are also awards for French riders: from 1992 to 2022, the Vélo d'Or français was given to the best overall French cyclist. Since 2023, this has been subdivided into two awards: the "Trophée Bernard Hinault" for road cycling and the "Trophée Daniel Morelon" for other cycling disciplines.

Alberto Contador holds the record for the most awards, winning the Vélo d'Or four times: in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2014. Lance Armstrong initially won the Vélo d'Or five times, but these victories were nullified after the USADA stripped him of his Tour de France titles following doping allegations and his eventual confession. The Vélo d'Or awards for these years were not reassigned to the runners-up.{{Cite news|url=http://www.europe1.fr/Sport/Multisports/Articles/Armstrong-tout-doit-disparaitre-1284805/|title=Armstrong : tout doit disparaître|work=Europe 1|access-date=2018-10-27|language=fr-FR}}