The Tour de France multiple stage winner claimed three of the top gongs from the Cycling Australia awards in Melbourne on Friday - the "Oppy", for the Australian cyclist of the year, the men's elite road cyclist of the year and the people's choice award.

The Monaco resident was unable to be there to receive the Sir Hubuert Opperman medal and trophy in person, but Matthews got up at 4am to accept the honour via a video hook up.

He got to watch the highlights package of his year that was and it brought tears to his eyes and shake as he thought about his efforts in France.

Most experts had written him off in the race for the green jersey, but he fought back to claim the sprinter's points award with a stunning final week of the Tour.

"From watching the video and hearing all the emotion of the win, the Tour de France and the green jersey it still puts tears in my eyes and I still shake a little bit thinking about the Tour de France this year," Matthews said from Monaco on Friday.

"It's really incredible winning this award."

On top of his two stage wins and the green jersey triumph at this year's Tour, the 27-year-old also won the team trial world title with Team Sunweb and finished third in the men's road race at the world championships.

Fellow Canberran Caroline Buchanan took out her sixth straight BMX women's award after she won a silver medal at the world champs and the gold medal at the nationals.

Chloe Hosking was edged out of the women's elite road cyclist award by Katrin Garfoot, who won it for the third straight year following her medals in the road race and individual time trial at the worlds.

Canberrans have a strong track record in the Oppy, with Mathew Hayman winning it last year following his Paris-Roubaix victory, while Buchanan won it in 2013 and three-time world champ Michael Rogers claimed it in 2003.

As always, Matthews was thankful for all the support he's received from all quarters - his wife Katarina, his coach Brian Stephens, his Sunweb team, plus everything the Australian Institute of Sport and Cycling Australia had done in his development to get him to this point.

His only regret was not being in Melbourne to receive the award in front of his peers, but it was the "cherry on top" of a very impressive cake.

It's a cake that will be hard to top in 2018, with Matthews having already revealed to Fairfax Media he might not return to the Tour to defend his green jersey and instead chase new goals.

"To receive the Oppy and the people's choice award is a huge honour to me. To be amongst the biggest names in [Australian] cycling is amazing," Matthews said.

"It was really a dream come true, especially for it to happen this early in my career.

"It's such a highlight for me in my cycling career this year to come out at the end of the year and to win the cyclist of the year, the people's choice and the Oppy it just puts the cherry on top of the cake."

Stephanie Morton and Cameron Meyer were the elite track cyclists of the year, Carol Cooke and David Nicholas won the Para-cycling crowns and Logan Martin won the men's BMX gong.