Van Avermaet controversial winner of award

Silence-Lotto's Greg Van Avermaet was awarded the title of best Belgian cyclists this weekend in Gent, Belgium, but his being named to the honour came with a bit of controversy. Van Avermaet, who took home the points jersey from the Vuelta a España this year beat out Tom Boonen and Stijn Devolder for the Flandriens trophy.

"I am very pleased with this award," Van Avermaet said. "I am enormously pleased when I hear what people think of me."

Some people were quick to come out with complaints that Van Avermaet wasn't the deserving winner of the prize, however. Quick Step manager Patrick Lefevere was surprised by the outcome. "I think Stijn Devolder should have won," Lefevere said to Sporza.be. "There are five monuments in cycling and Devolder won one of them. Tom Boonen won one, too."

"Boonen also won 15 races in the season," said Lefevere, but quickly added that he had great respect for Van Avermaet, and considered him a rider for the future. "But I do not think he deserved to be winner of the Flandriens."

Van Avermaet had four wins in 2008 – stages of the Tour of Belgium, Tour de Wallonie, Tour de l'Ain and the Vuelta a España. Devolder had six wins, including the Ronde van Vlaanderen – the main Classic of Flanders, as well as the Belgian time trial title, the overall win and a stage of the Tour of Belgium and the overall and a stage of the Volta ao Algarve.

Boonen, the winner of Paris-Roubaix won two stages of the Tour of Spain and numerous other races, but his season was marred by a positive out-of-competition doping control for cocaine, which kept him out of the Tour de France.

Other awards were given for "Internationale Flandrien" to Fabian Cancellara, the Olympic time trial champion and Milan-Sanremo winner; Flandrienne, Grace Verbeke; under-23 rider Jan Bakelants; Junior Nicolas Vereecken and beginner Jasper Stuyven.