Mathieu van der Poel has been elected Athlete of the Year in the Netherlands. The Dutchman will receive his award tonight at a gala in Amsterdam. Van der Poel defeated the other two nominees: Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, who has already won the title three times, and track cyclist Harrie Lavreysen.
The results of the Athlete of the Year election were announced at the NOC*NSF and NOS Sports Gala. The winner was partially determined by the digital votes of other athletes. All these votes counted for 50 percent, with the professional jury’s votes making up the other 50 percent.
Mathieu Van der Poel’s Victories
Mathieu van der Poel became the world champion away from home this year, after a heroic victory in Glasgow, where he secured the win alone despite a crash. Earlier in the year, he also won the Cyclocross World Championship and the Mon
Harrie Lavreysen
Lavreysen was the sprint king of the year in track cycling. In Glasgow, he won gold at the World Championship in the sprint and team sprint, while in Grenchen, he became a three-time European champion in the sprint, keirin, and team sprint.
Max Verstappen became the Formula 1 World Champion for the third consecutive year and recorded no less than nineteen victories in GPs out of the 22 races held. In 2016, 2021, and 2022, he received the Sportsman of the Year award, but this year, he had to give up that title to Mathieu van der Poel.
