SA’s Rohan Dennis named Cycling Australia ‘cyclist of the year’ for second time

South Australia’s time trial world champion Rohan Dennis has won his second Oppy Medal as Australian cyclist of the Year.

Rohan Dennis of Australia during the Men Elite Individual Time Trial in Innsbruck, Austria. Picture: Getty Images

Time trial world champion Rohan Dennis has won his second Oppy Medal as Australian cyclist of the Year.

The 28-year-old from Adelaide won Cycling Australia’s highest individual honour for the first time in 2015 and on Friday made it a double at a gala awards presentation in Melbourne.

Dennis won his first road time trial rainbow jersey by dethroning reigning world champion Tom Dumoulin of The Netherlands in Innsbruck, Austria, in September, which was one of six time trial victories throughout the year.

Winner Rohan Dennis of Australia celebrates on the podium after winning the Men's Individual Time Trial during the UCI Cycling Road World Championships. Picture: AFP

He also won TT’s in the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana in a dominant final season with the BMC Racing Team, and was named Cycling Australia’s elite male road cyclist of the year as well.

In other major awards, Amanda Spratt won elite female road cyclist of the year after her silver medal in the road race at the world championships and podiums in the Ardennes at Amstel Gold and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Australia’s world record-breaking men’s team pursuit, which became the first in history to ride sub 3mins 50secs at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, won the elite male track award — edging Matthew Glaetzer who this year became the first Australian in 16 years to win the individual sprint world title.

In a double celebration for the men’s team pursuit, their coach Tim Decker was named coach of the year.

Adelaide’s Stephanie Morton won elite female track cyclist of the year after winning a silver medal at the world championships and three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.

Originally published as SA’s Rohan Dennis named Cycling Australia ‘cyclist of the year’ for second time