The "Kristallen Fiets" (Dutch for "Crystal Bicycle") is a cycle racing award, created in 1992 by the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws . The award is given annually to the Belgian rider considered to have performed the best over the year.
As of 2013, Johan Museeuw holds the record, winning the award five times. Only two cyclo-cross riders have won the award, Paul Herygers and Sven Nys, although Wout van Aert also won the trophy twice after already having shifted focus to road racing.
Other categories have been introduced at later stages, including the Best Young Rider award in 1994, the Best Cycling Manager award in 2000, the best domestique award in 2005 (commonly referred to as the Crystal Drop of Sweat), the Best Female Rider in 2016, and finally the Best Young Female Rider in 2023.
Hendrik "Rik" Van Steenbergen was a Belgian racing cyclist, considered to be one of the best among the great number of successful Belgian cyclists.
Alberic "Briek" Schotte was a Belgian professional road racing cyclist, one of the champions of the 1940s and 1950s. His stamina earned him the nickname "Iron Briek".
Kim Gevaert is a former sprinter and Olympic champion from Belgium.
Willy Lauwers, also known as 'Rupske' Lauwers, was a professional cyclist. He was born in Hemiksem, Belgium.
Jean-Pierre "Jempi" Monseré was a Belgian road racing cyclist who died while champion of the world.
Tom Boonen is a Belgian former road bicycle racer, who competed as a professional between 2002 and 2017 for the U.S. Postal Service and Quick-Step Floors teams and a professional racing driver who currently competes in Belcar, having previously competed in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. Boonen won the 2005 UCI World Road Race Championships, and was a single-day road specialist with a strong finishing sprint. He won the cycling monuments Paris–Roubaix 4 times and the Tour of Flanders 3 times, among many other prestigious victories, such as prevailing 5 times in the E3 Harelbeke, winning 6 stages of the Tour de France and winning the Overall title of the Tour of Qatar 4 times.
Het Laatste Nieuws is a Dutch-language newspaper based in Antwerp, Belgium. It was founded by Julius Hoste Sr. on 7 June 1888. It is now part of DPG Media, and is the most popular newspaper in Flanders and Belgium.
In association football, the Belgian Golden Shoe is an award given in Belgium at the beginning of each civil year to the best footballer of the Belgian Pro League for the past year. The trophy is sponsored by the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
Robin François De Hert was a Belgian film director.
Gilbert Bodart is a Belgian football manager and former player.
Merho, is a Belgian comic-book writer and artist, best known for creating the comic strip De Kiekeboes.
Tessa Wullaert is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Belgium national team.
Simon Pierre F. Gougnard is a Belgian professional field hockey player who plays as a midfielder for Racing and the Belgium national team.
Rik De Saedeleer was a Belgian footballer, columnist and television sports commentator.
Lotte Kopecky is a Belgian road and track racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Team SD Worx–Protime, and the 2023 and 2024 UCI Elite Women's World Road Race Champion. She is a multiple world champion on the track, having won six gold medals across four UCI Track Cycling World Championships; she won the madison in 2017 and 2022, the points race in 2021 and 2023, and the elimination race in 2022 and 2023.
Corine van der Zijden is a Dutch former professional racing cyclist, who rode for UCI Women's Team Feminine Cycling Team in 2015. In 2012, she won the junior women's time trial at the UEC European Road Championships.
Bryan Heynen is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for Belgian club Genk. He plays as a midfielder.
Emiel Planckaert is a Belgian road cyclist, who rides for Belgian amateur team Decock–Van Eyck–Van Mossel Devos–Capoen. He previously rode professionally between 2017 and 2020 for the Lotto–Soudal and Sport Vlaanderen–Baloise teams, before retiring from professional racing at the end of the 2020 season, planning to continue to compete as an amateur.
Remco Evenepoel is a Belgian professional cyclist and Olympic gold medalist who rides for UCI WorldTeam Soudal–Quick-Step.