Crown Collector of the Year

Heavy is the head that wears this many crowns. Pro cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten not only conquered a legendary number of gold medals during her career but also snagged more Strava segment records than we can count – earning her the prestigious title of Strava’s Crown Collector of the Year.

In the whirlwind of wheels and crowns, Dutch pro cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten of Movistar spun 2023 into a tale of triumph and a sprinkle of tears. As one of the greatest riders the sport has ever seen, she announced her retirement this year, wrapping up her illustrious career with two final stage races – the Tour of Scandinavia and the Simac Ladies Tour. Annemiek is a dominant force on and off the road. Not only did she clinch victory at the Tokyo Olympics and the inaugural Tour de France Femmes in 2022, but she is also a four-time World Champion, as well as the monarch of a mind-blowing number of Strava leaderboards. What a way to pedal into retirement. 

With a staggering tally of over 757 Queen of the Mountain (QOM) Strava records this year, Annemiek has practically filled a digital trophy case with her online conquests. QOMs are coveted titles bestowed upon the fastest athlete in a given segment and Annemiek has proven to be the undisputed ruler in this virtual realm, effortlessly claiming the top spot time and time again.

While her digital accolades are impressive, Annemiek has one of the most enviable palmarès in the peloton. She conquered the inaugural 2022 Tour de France Femmes, secured four Giro d'Italia Donne titles, clinched Olympic time trial gold at the Tokyo Games, won La Vuelta Femenina for the past three years, was the first woman to complete a Giro–Tour double in the same year, and proudly wears four World Championship jerseys – to name a few of her accomplishments.

In an historic feat at the 2022 UCI World Champs, she shattered age barriers at 39 years old to claim gold, displaying unparalleled resilience with a broken elbow. Despite mechanical setbacks in Glasgow this year, keeping the rainbow jersey at bay for her final hurrah, Annemiek's indomitable spirit prevailed as she valiantly raced to assist teammate Demi Vollering in securing a well-deserved silver medal.

Give it up for Annemiek, crowned as Strava's reigning queen in the Crown Collector of the Year category! As she wraps up her pro cycling dominion, Queen Annemiek can finally take a well-deserved break, basking in the knowledge that her phenomenal influence on women's pro cycling will echo through the roads and digital leaderboards for years to come. But something tells us she won’t be sitting still for very long.