Bike tech, Sagan, Froome's Pyrenean Tour de France romp top the list
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Chris Froome wins stage 10 of the 2015 Tour de France.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Roy Curvers celerates with John Degenkolb after the latter won Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
About half of the Cofidis riders choose bar-top brake levers for their race bikes(Image credit: Jason Sumner)
Peter Sagan (Slovakia) held off the chasing bunch to win(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Yes! Tony Martin (Etixx-Quick Step) celebrates(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Cyclingnews posted thousands of photos this season, and we've picked out the most popular galleries of the year for your viewing pleasure. From Chris Froome's romp in the Pyrenees on stage 10 of the Tour de France, Bradley Wiggins' Hour Record and Peter Sagan's World Championship victory, there were many memorable moments. We've narrowed it down to 10.
Our readers can't get enough of the glimpse inside the paddock where the mechanics keep all of the secrets to getting their riders through the 57km of pavé of Paris-Roubaix. Bar top braking levers, fat tyres, cantilever brakes and other special modifications - even a small piece of wood for knocking on for good luck - were all captured in our gallery.
2. Sagan storms to solo victory at the World Championships
Peter Sagan's victory in the UCI Road World Championships elite men's road race was our reader's number one moment of the year. Sagan also won road rider and overall rider of the year in addition to Twitter personality in our Reader Poll. But we are sure that it wasn't just the Slovakian champion that made our gallery so popular. The drama of Libby Hill and 23rd Street, attacks including Ben King, Tom Boonen and Taylor Phinney all helped amp up the excitement in this memorable race.
When it comes to the Tour de France, riders want and demand the best equipment. The best, however, is not always the team's sponsor's gear. BikeRadar went behind the scenes to get the scoop on which rebadged, blacked-out or otherwise subtly concealed gear lurked in the peloton.
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The UCI held its first Cycling Gala at the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi Tour in October. They were meant to honour the top three in the WorldTour overall - Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez and Nairo Quintana - and Grand Tour winners Alberto Contador, Chris Froome and Fabio Aru.
But it was World Champion Peter Sagan who stole the show, ignoring the rules to wear a suit and instead turning up in a leather jacket and red t-shirt to collect his rainbow jersey.
When the UCI relaxed the rules for equipment for Hour Record attempts and riders began topping the new classification, all eyes looked to Sir Bradley Wiggins to set the mark that would finally stand. Despite adverse conditions in the London velodrome, Wiggins crushed the previous mark set by compatriot Alex Dowsett and set a record of 54.526km.
Cyclingnews doesn't normally go for celebrity weddings, but Peter Sagan is no normal cycling celebrity. His panache and flash extends beyond the bike, and made his November 11 marriage ceremony a memorable moment in images for the year.
Bike racers are at the whim of mother nature more than any other professional athletes, and 2015 served up some pretty wicked challenges. From the extreme heat of the Tour of Oman that led to a rider protest and stage cancellation to the snow in Tirreno-Adriatico, they endured it all. The adverse conditions served as a dramatic backdrop for the photographers at the races, and the best images were compiled in this gallery.
Stage 4 of the 2015 Tour de France was a winning combination of the ASO's two biggest races. By pitting the Grand Tour contenders against the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, the organisers raised the excitement exponentially. Although the shorter, drier pavé sectors didn't alter the overall standings as they did when Vincenzo Nibali left his competitors behind in 2014, the stage was made thrilling by Tony Martin's daring solo attack to win the stage.
Voted our tech innovation of the year, SRAM's wireless drivetrain was a major curiosity before it was made fully public. Kristin Armstrong rode to victory using the group at the USA Pro Challenge in Colorado. BikeRadar captured images of the gear, and much more in August.
Already in the lead of the Tour de France after a smart first week, Chris Froome drove a huge wedge into the gap to his competition on the first summit finish on stage 10. Before the stage, he had just 12 seconds over BMC's Tejay van Garderen. After the climb, it was out to 2:52, a margin which would prove unassailable. The images of the stage were a classic 'thrill of victory/agony of defeat' gallery.
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