Australian Opperman Awards - Evans collects his third 'Oppy' Medal
Cadel Evans collected multiple acknowledgements for his 2009 season accepting his fourth 'Oppy' medal and 2nd People's Choice award.

World Champion Cadel Evans has been named the 2009 Australian Cyclist of the Year and received his third Sir Hubert Opperman 'Oppy' medal at the Jayco 2009 Australian Cyclist of the Year Awards staged tonight at Melbourne's Plaza Ballroom.

Evans is only the second cyclist in the 51 year history of the 'Oppy' to win it for a third time. He also won in 2006 and 2007. Peter Besanko was the recipient of the highest honour in Australian cycling in 1979, 1981 and 1984. Evans made his debut in the Cyclist of the Year Awards winning the Male Mountain Bike Cyclist of the Year in 1997 and followed up for the next two years on the honor roll.

Evans was also named the Scody People's Choice Cyclist of the Year and the Cycling Central Elite Male Road Cyclist of the Year.

2009 World Road Champion, Cadel Evans Photo © 2009 Fotoreporter Sirotti

Cadel posted his biggest ever result this year when he became the first Australian to win the elite men’s road race at the World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland. His season also saw him wear the leader’s jersey on stage nine of the Vuelta a España in which he finished third overall.

The finalists for the Sir Hubert Opperman medal were Cadel Evans; World Cup Series and World Champion Mountain Bike rider, Jared Graves and Cameron Meyer, who this year claimed the points race gold medal and two silver medals at the Track World Championships. This is Cameron's third award as top Australian male on the boards.

Anna Meares winner of 3 gold medals at the recent UCI Track World Cup in Melbourne,  won her fifth award as top women trackie.

The complete list of award winners is below and for more detailed information on all the winners and finalists please go to the Cycling Australia website.

The Jayco 2009 Australian Cyclist of the Year Awards winners are:

• Sir Hubert Opperman Medal - 2009 Australian Cyclist of the Year - Cadel Evans
• 2009 Scody People's Choice Cyclist of the Year: Cadel Evans
• Toshiba Elite Track Cyclists of the Year:
  Cameron Meyer & Anna Meares OAM
• Cycling Central Elite Road Cyclists of the Year:
  Cadel Evans & Ruth Corset
• Cycling Central Elite Mountain Bike Cyclists of the Year:
   Jared Graves & Caroline Buchanan
• Elite Male BMX Cyclists of the Year:
  Sam Willoughby & Caroline Buchanan
• Elite Male Para-cyclists of the Year:
  Michael Gallagher OAM & Susan Powell
• Malaysia Airlines Masters Cyclists of the Year:
  Graeme Allbon & Michelle Crawford
• Junior Track Cyclists of the Year: Michael Hepburn & Megan Dunn
• Junior Male Road Cyclists of the Year:
  Luke Durbridge & Kendelle Hodges
• Junior Male Mountain Bike Cyclists of the Year:
  Shaun O'Connor & Holly Baarspul
• Junior Male BMX Cyclists of the Year:
  Sam Willoughby & Lauren Reynolds
• SBS Television Coach of the Year:  Matt Gilmore
• Australian Sports Commission Volunteers of the Year:
   Jason Parkes ACT
  Michael Coffee NSW
  Stuart McDonell NT
  Merv McDonald OAM QLD
  Lee Hubbard SA
  David Buckingham TAS
  Brian Harwood VIC
  Murray Hall WA
  Frank Mitchell BMXA
• Cycling Australia Event Merit Award:
  UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships 2007-2009
• National Road Series Champions
  Men - Will Clarke
  Women - Bronwyn Ryan
  Team - Fly V Australia
•  Australian Club Premiership - Midlands Cycling Club WA
• Norm Gailey Trophy for Champion State- NSW
• Cycling Australia Media Awards:
  Keith Esson Regional Media Award- Jim Trail, ABC Radio Canberra
• Cycling Australia Media Awards - Best Photo:
  CJ Farquharson, womenscycling.net
• Cycling Australia Media Awards - Best Story:
  Mark Falahey, Michael Tomalaris & John Flynn, SBS Television

Sir Hubert Opperman Trophy and 'Oppy Medal'
The Sir Hubert Opperman Trophy has been presented to the Australian Cyclist of the Year since 1958. For the years 1958 to 1995 the Award was under the custodianship of Mr Bill Long, a life member of Cycling Australia, and it was presented for the 'ride of the year' by an Australian Cyclist.

Cycling Australia took custodianship of the Award in 1996 and it is now presented to the best all-round performing cyclist each year who also displays a high level of sportsmanship and is an ambassador for the sport of cycling.

Oppy Medal Honor Roll

Australian Cyclist of the Year Honor Rolls
1997 - 2008
Male Cyclist of the year Awards
Female Cyclist of the Year  Awards 
Volunteers, Coach, Event & Media Awards

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