Vuelta champion Remco Evenepoel was rewarded for a prolific season in the saddle by winning the coveted Vélo d'Or trophy on Thursday.

Apart from his first Grand Tour triumph, the 22-year-old Belgian was also victorious in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the World Championships.

The award has been given annually since 1992 to honour the rider of the year, as voted by an international jury of journalists brought together by Velo Magazine.

The Quick-Step rider took the award with 139 points, well clear of his compatriot Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who polled 88 points, and Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar (Team UAE, 80 points).

Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) was fourth with 80.

Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten, who won the three grand tours and the world championships this year, was the comfortable winner of the first women's Velo d'Or.

The Movistar rider notched 145 points, more than twice as many as Belgian Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx, 69 pts).

Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (BMC MTB Racing then Ineos), tied for third with 48 points.