Best photos of the 2018 season from the lens of Sirotti

Italian photographer Sirotti captured some of the biggest moments in men’s international cycling in 2018. The season delivered emotional victories, spectacular finishes, and winners who delivered exciting racing for fans. Here are some of our favourite images from the 2018 season:

Tiesj Benoot wins Strade Bianche

There were few races all year that delivered the excitement of Strade Bianche. Tiesj Benoot took his first professional win in style at a wet and muddy edition over the white gravel roads of Tuscany. He rode into Sienna’s  Piazza del Campo covered in residue from the race for a truly memorable win making for a memorable finish line photo kn one of cycling’s most iconic finishes.

Vincenzo Nibali narrowly holds off the peloton to win Milan-San Remo

There nothing more satisfying than seeing a late attacker narrowly hold off the peloton for the win. When Vincenzo Nibali did just that at Milan-San Remo, it instantly became one of the greatest victories of the season. This photo of Nibali crossing the line as he is caught and passed by a speeding peloton shows just how close of a finish it was.

Niki Terpstra goes solo at de Ronde van Vlaanderen

Niki Terpstra won the tactical game to escape the peloton with a powerful attack that was briefly marked by Vincenzo Nibali to win the Tour of Flanders. The Dutchman benefited from the tactical dominance of Quick Step Floors on the classics and rode in for a famous victory. In this picture from the last time up the Oude Kwaremount, Terpstra is solo having caught and passed a group of later attackers which included Mads Pedersen who would hold on for second place.

Peter Sagan rides with Sylvain Dillier at Paris-Roubaix

Peter Sagan won his second Monument in the rainbow jersey at Paris-Roubaix. While the outcome of a sprint between Sylvain Dillier who survived from the early breakaway and the three-time World Champion seemed inevitable, the way the two rode together was impressive over the final sections of cobbles.

Chris Froome wins Stage 19 of the Giro to take the pink jersey

Arguably the most exciting race day of the season was Stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia. Chris Froome, who looked too far back from race leader Simon Yates to have a shot at overall victory, went on the attack with a mind-boggling 80 km solo move. Yates cracked spectacularly while Tom Dumoulin was unable to keep the Brit in check. As Froome crossed the line, he set himself up to hold all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously.

John Degenkolb celebrates his Stage 9 win at the Tour de France

John Degenkolb has had a tough couple of seasons since a horrific training crash before the 2016 season even started. His win on the cobbles of Northern France on Stage 9 of the Tour de France was a huge relief for the German and showed his utter determination. His emotional podium celebration is capture in this picture.

Geraint Thomas wins atop Alpe d’Huez in yellow on his way to winning the Tour de France

Few things in cycling are more iconic than the yellow jersey and Alpe d’Huez making Geraint Thomas win atop the famed mountain in the French Alps all the more special. Everyone thought Thomas was riding in support of Chris Froome but after two consecutive mountaintop stage wins it was undeniable that he was in fine form. His celebration upon crossing the line was understated but is one of the iconic images of this years Tour.

Michael Woods wins Stage 17 of the Vuelta a España

Michaels Woods emotional victory at the Vuelta a España was incredible to watch. The Canadians sheer determination got him across the finish line and the triumphant victory celebration was followed by Woods dedicating the victory to his deceased son. This image captures the emotionsal victory perfectly.

Michael Woods and Romain Bardet keep a close eye on Alejandro Valverde at the world championships

Woods followed his Vuelta victory up with an incredible ride at the UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck. He looked the strongest on the brutally steep Höttinger Höll climb but didn’t quite have the sprint to finish off the race. This image of Romain Bardet and Woods eyeing eventual winner Alejandro Valverde captures perfectly who the favourite in the group was.

Thibaut Pinot delivers at Il Lombardia

Thibaut Pinot performs very well on Italian soil and he took one of the biggest wins of his career at the ‘Race of the Falling Leaves’. To earn that victory Pinot had to drop last years winner Vincenzo Nibali who was determined to get another big victory after being crashed out of the Tour de France by a spectator. This image captures the relif on Pinot’s face as he takes his first Monument win after a dissapointing season where he had to drop out of the Giro d’Italia because of exhaustion after looking like a contender for the podium after nearly three weeks.