Rudi Selig clears the mud from his eyes after a crash during Dwars door Vlaanderen(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
There were plenty of fans out for Bradley Wiggins during Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan gets a push from his teammate(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff outsprinterd Niki Terpstra to win the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Floortje Mackij wins the women's Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
There were podium boys for Floortje Mackij at Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The weather was not on the side of the riders at the men's Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
An unhappy looking Mark Cavendish at Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The wind takes Geraint Thomas by surprise during Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Riders gather themselves after a crash at Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A wet and windy Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara in obvious pain after crashing at E3 Harelbeke(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Geraint Thomas wins E3 Harelbeke(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
One of the banners deflates at the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The pace during the Tour of Flanders strings the peloton out(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A fan waves a French flag during Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
John Degenkolb gets his cobble for winning Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lars Boom with his family at the end of Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
This level crossing was one of the most controversial moments of Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan caught short(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Elisa Longo Borghini digs deep during the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Unlike her attack, Elisa Longo Borghini's Tour of Flanders podium celebrations were a bit early(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A Stijn Devolder fan during the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Bruges fills with cycling fans ahead of the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexander Kristoff gets aero(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Iljo Keisse goes on the attack(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Geraint Thomas attacks his break companions at E3 Harelbeke(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Paris-Roubaix was Bradley Wiggins' final race in Team Sky colours(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Roy Curvers celerates with John Degenkolb after the latter won Paris-Roubaix(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Sep Vanmarcke, Greg Van Avermaet and Zdenek Stybar ride together during Omloop Het Nieuwsblad(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
As the peloton take to the bike path, Ian Stannard takes the trickier cobbled route(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Lukasz Wisniowski takes a tumble during the windy Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Gert Steegmans heads for the canal at Gent-Wevelgem(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
A muddy Niki Terpstra after finishing second at the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Alexander Kristoff's son clings to his leg on the podium of the Tour of Flanders(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
The podium at E3 Harelbeke(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Fabian Cancellara tries to continue E3 Harelbeke after crashing heavily(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Jelle Wallays is emotional after winning Dwars door Vlaanderen(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
The peloton on the Pont Gibus sector of cobbles(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Elisa Longo Borghini after winning the Tour of Flanders
Maciej Bodnar ends up in a ditch at Dwars door Vlaanderen(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jelle Wallays on the podium after Dwars door Vlaanderen(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish hugs Lukazs Wisniowski after he wins Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen and Maarten Wynants attack at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mark Cavendish outsprints Alexander Kristoff at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Iris Slapendel at the women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Anna van der Breggen beats Ellen van Dijk to win the women's Omloop Het Niewsblad(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen leads up the Taaienberg as one of his teammates tries to make it back into the bunch(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tom Boonen and Niki Terpstra look behind them to see Ian Stannard has infiltrated their group at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Tayler Wiles drives up the Paterberg
Lizzie Armistead on the Oude Kwaremont
Nairo Quintana took to the cobbled for the first time in 2015(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
The cobbled classics gave us some of the best racing this season, in fact it gave us three of the top five one-day races in this year’s Cyclingnews Reader Poll.
It all kicked off with the double header of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, won by Ian Stannard and Mark Cavendish respectively, at the beginning of March. After a brief lull for some of the early-season stage races, things amped up at Dwars door Vlaanderen, which saw Nairo Quintana take to the cobbles for the first time.
Geraint Thomas put himself forward as a favourite for the monuments a little further down the line with his win at E3 Harelbeke. The same race marked the end of Fabian Cancellara’s campaign when he crashed and broke two vertebrae.
Gent-Wevelgem caused controversy as riders were blown across the road and into the canal in horrible conditions. The eventual winner Luca Paolini would later court controversy himself when he tested positive for cocaine. The women’s race garnered attention for a very different reason. As well as the exciting action, it also saw winner Floortje Mackaij greeted by podium boys.
After several weeks of build-up, the major goals Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix came at the start of April. Elisa Longo Borgini got things off to a cracking start with an impressive solo victory in the women’s Flanders race. The men’s event came down to a two-way duel between Niki Terpstra and Alexander Kristoff, with the Norwegian coming out victorious.
At Paris-Roubaix, John Degenkolb’s never-say-die attitude saw him bridge the gap to a threatening looking escape to seal victory in a sprint in the Roubaix velodrome.
Flick through the gallery above to relive the 2015 cobbled classics season.
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