Tour de France winner Cadel Evans has described Mathew Hayman's rise to the top of Australian cycling as a "monumental win" for one of the sport's most dedicated athletes.
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But Australian great Evans endorsed another Canberran, Michael Matthews, as the man poised to step on to the throne to be country's great international hope at the biggest races around the world.
Canberra rider Hayman won Australian cycling's top prize on Friday night, claiming the Sir Hubert Opperman Medal after a stellar year that included a famous Paris-Roubaix triumph.
Evans was Hayman's roommate at the 1998 under-23 world championships and said the 38-year-old veteran deserved every accolade thrown his way.
"I've always said cycling is a sport that the more you put in, the more you get out of it," Evans told Fairfax Media.
"Over the years, Mat has put in so much and the results he got this year and the award [on Friday night] shows how much he has put in. He totally deserves it.
"He's been around a long time and he's been consistent year after year.
"I got to know him in 1998 when we were roommates and I found out everything about him. He's a hard-working, dedicated professional who always puts in everything he's got.
"When you take a monumental win like he did this year, and let's not forget he won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games [in 2006], he's been such an important part of Australian teams."
Evans met with fans and signed autographs for more than two hours at Dymocks Belconnen on Saturday morning as part of a promotional tour for his autobiography.
The 2011 Tour de France champion traded his bike for a pen and spent 22 months writing his book and detailing the journey of his cycling career.
The 39-year-old retired at the start of 2015 and Australian cycling is searching for the man to replace him as a contender on the world stage.
Matthews is a contender to step up and take the reins as the 26-year-old continues to establish himself as a world-class sprinter.
He will join Team Sunweb for the 2017 cycling season and Evans believes the Matthews, nicknamed "Bling", has what it takes to rise to the top.
"I think at the moment, [Matthews] is Australia's best chance to win a world title," Evans said.
"His results indicate that and his development has been fantastic. I think he's the one who's probably going to be bringing in most of the big results for Australia.
"He'll be the guy over the next five to 10 years bringing in our results on the road.
"He's completely different to a Mat Hayman, it's probably fair to say they're at opposite ends of the spectrum, but it works for Michael Matthews.
"Green jerseys [at the Tour de France] and Classics are things he can aim for over the next decade."
Hayman and his Orica Bike Exchange team will be at the AIS at the start of December to complete their annual testing as they search for an edge against international competitors.
Evans used the AIS' programs throughout his career and says the institute has a crucial role in helping Australian cyclists compete against the world's best.
Evans still holds the record for the highest VO2 max recorded at the AIS.
"I worked with Dave Martin throughout my mountain bike career, I would come [to Canberra] once a year for some lab testing," Evans said.
"For me, it was a really crucial part of the bridge going from being good at nationals to international. It was integral for and there's definitely a role for the AIS to play."
