Mat Hayman's Paris-Roubaix triumph has earned himself the "Oppy" medal as Australian cyclist of the year.
The 38-year-old won three major categories at the Cycling Australia annual awards on Friday night in Melbourne.
Apart from his first Sir Hubert Opperman medal, Hayman also took out the People's Choice award and the men's elite road cycling category.
The other Oppy finalists were freshly-retired track legend Anna Meares, Olympic track silver medallist Sam Welsford and two-time Rio Paralympic champion Carol Cooke.
Meares retired from competition last month and the night also featured a tribute to her record-breaking career.
In April, Hayman won one of cycling's most famous races just 10 days before his 38th birthday.
It was also only six weeks after he had broken his forearm in a race crash.
Originally, his team Orica-BikeExhchange ruled Hayman out of a Paris-Roubaix start.
But he made a stunning recovery to contest the race known as the Hell Of The North for the 15th time.
He is only the second Australian to win Paris-Roubaix after Stuart O'Grady in 2007.
"The Oppy is recognition from Australia that you are among the very elite," Hayman said.
"It caps a year of firsts for me and it is a privilege."
Also this year, Hayman finished the Tour de France for the first time.
Hayman's only other Tour start was 2014.
"My life has changed and has been validated in many ways," he said of this season's big successes.
"I feel more confident when racing, like the weight of having to prove myself has been lifted."
There was also an emotional tribute during the dinner to BMX star Sam Willoughby, who is paralysed below the chest after a post-Rio training crash.
Meares paid a tearful tribute to her long-time coach Gary West, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease after the Olympics.
Also on Friday night, Cycling Australia inducted its latest hall of fame members - track sprinter Ryan Bayley, road cyclist Oenone Wood, six-day legend Alf Goullet, mountain biker Mary Daubert (nee Grigson) and pioneering women's cyclist Iris Dixon (nee Bent).
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