22 photos from 2022: The most spectacular images of the cycling season

Wolfgang Papp

, Thomas Goldmann

, Thomas Musch

· 15.11.2022

Flying Circus: Briton Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) is adept in all saddles. The Olympic mountain bike champion celebrated his first major success of the 2022 season in January as cross world champion in Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.

Races through the desert are no longer new - but what is new in spring 2022 is that Saudi Arabia will also be the venue for a stage race. The main aim is to raise awareness of the region and boost tourism. 96 professional cyclists from 15 teams took part in the Saudi Tour. Here, the peloton battles against wind and sand on stage 3.

World road cycling champion Julian Alaphilippe's year is not going well. At the Strade Bianche race in March, he crashed headfirst into the field but was uninjured. After a serious crash in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège classic, however, he misses the Tour de France due to injury and later has to abandon the Tour of Spain after a crash.

Technology can win bike races - or at least help you to do so: The Slovenian Matej Mohoric wins the Milan-San Remo spring classic, benefiting from the Vario seat post on his bike, which helped him to take up a better aerodynamic position and escape his pursuers with a daring descent from the Poggio di San Remo.

Top timing: After his defeat in 2021, Mathieu van der Poel has the final of the Tour of Flanders 2022 better under control. In the sprint, the star from the Netherlands defeats his compatriot Dylan van Baarle (hidden) and another top favourite, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar.

22 Images

| Images: Getty Velo

The cycling year had a lot to offer: Drama, spectacular crashes, big victories and emotions characterised professional cycling in 2022. We show the most impressive photos of the year in our picture gallery.

From February to October, the World Tour battled for victories - and there was also a lot going on in the cross-country category. Tom Pidcock was crowned cross-country world champion at the end of January. Particularly impressive: his Superman cheer at the finish line.

Professional cycling 2022: World Tour kicks off in February

On the road, after the renewed cancellation of the Tour Down Under in Australia, it was not until February with the UAE Tour the first World Tour race, followed by Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, before the Strade Bianche cycling fans around the world with breathtaking images of the gravel roads of Tuscany. Spectacular and painful at the same time in this race: Julian Alaphilippe's crash. The Frenchman was one of the unlucky riders of the year. At Liège-Bastogne-Liège he fell heavily and also at the Vuelta a Espana he had to retire early.

Photo: Getty VeloSpectacular crash: Julian Alaphilippe at the Strade Bianche race

Milan-Sanremo, the first monument in professional cycling in 2022, took place in mid-March. The most memorable of these Matej Mohoric's trick with the lowerable seatpost, which caused a lot of discussion.

Dust in Roubaix - Bora jubilation at the Giro

Two weeks later, Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar battled it out in the Tour of Flanders a thrilling exchange of blowsbefore the peloton started 14 days later at Paris-Roubaix swallowed a lot of dust.

Team Bora-Hansgrohe succeeded in May at the Giro d'Italia the really big coup with Jai Hindley's overall victory. Shortly before the end of the tour, the Australian managed to knock Richard Carapaz, who had been the overall leader until then, out of the pink jersey.

Bora-Hansgrohe: Masterpiece at the Giro d'Italia 2022

Professional cycling 2022: a surprising slump

The Tour de France was no less exciting than the Giro. In the first part of the tour, everything looked set for Tadej Pogacar's third triumph, but the 11th stage had a surprise in store: a collapse by the Slovenian. Jonas Vingegaard took the yellow jersey from Pogacar and did not relinquish it until Paris.

Photo: Getty VeloJonas Vingegaard on his way to the yellow jersey

The following also remain from this Tour de France the downhill skills of Tom Pidcock on the way to Alpe d'Huez and the insane performances of all-rounder Wout van Aert. In Paris, the men and women then went head to head. There was a premiere in professional cycling in 2022.

Tour de France Femmes celebrates premiere

The first edition of the Tour de France Femmes characterised the 2022 professional cycling season, captivated the fans and provided spectacular images. In the end, Annemiek van Vleuten came out on top. It was her second Grand Tour victory of 2022 on the way to a historic quadruple of Giro DonneTour de France Femmes, Vuelta and Road cycling world championship title.

At the Vuelta Remco Evenepoel proved showed for the first time that he is also a force to be reckoned with in the grand tours. The exceptional talent provided another highlight in professional cycling in 2022: the first Belgian Grand Tour victory since 1978. Evenepoel initially had no time to celebrate, as he had another big goal for 2022: the Road World Championships in Wollongong. After Bronze in the individual time trial he had a great day in the road race and raced home with a impressive solo to the gold medal in Australia.