Monday 28 December 2015 10:35, UK
The 2015 cycling season produced some memorable racing and iconic performances, but also some unforgettable one-liners.
Here, in chronological order, we look back on the best quotes of the year…
- "It's difficult to say how the loss of my teeth affected my performance, but it's really not nice to deal with it in such a big race. Because it's a bridge, it was moving, so I took it out. It's not the best feeling to ride without teeth" - Zdenek Stybar after being forced to take out his false teeth during the Tour of Flanders.
- "I was expecting horrific and it was just terrible" - Alex Dowsett after his successful UCI Hour Record attempt.
- "I got up, my shoulder was dislocated and, acting on instinct, I popped it back in. I was scared because I thought I had broken my collarbone, which I have never broken in my life. Then, when we were at the foot of the podium, it came out again" - Alberto Contador after dislocating his shoulder in a crash on stage six of the Giro d'Italia.
- "There are times when a race's plan changes and became more difficult. I like to see it as an opportunity to do something different. I'll remember this day forever" - Alberto Contador after taking a huge stride towards Giro d'Italia victory with a superb climbing performance on the legendary Passo di Mortirolo on stage 16.
- "I was in that much pain I couldn't walk. My glutes and my groin were so cramped and damaged. I think it was the closest I could feel to death without actually dying." - Jack Bobridge reflects on his unsuccessful UCI Hour Record attempt. (Source: Telegraph)
- "That's the closest I'll ever come to knowing what it's like to have a baby. It was just torture" - Sir Bradley Wiggins after his successful UCI Hour Record attempt.
- "We went to make an X-Ray directly after the finish because I was thinking, 'OK, maybe I am wrong. Maybe I can start tomorrow'" - Tony Martin after a crash on stage six of the Tour de France left him with a shattered collarbone and one shard of bone protruding through his skin.
- "I'm OK, just hit my head on the lamppost, but I'm all right. The doctor asked me a few questions, my name and stuff. I said I'm Chris Froome" - Geraint Thomas after hitting a lamppost head first on stage 16 of the Tour de France.
- "I was on my absolute limits. I felt like I was dying a thousand deaths up Alpe d'Huez today" - Chris Froome after resisting a barrage of attacks from Nairo Quintana on stage 20 to all but seal Tour de France victory.
- "It was too much today. I fought for all I was worth. I kept on fighting for the podium or top five and went full on to the finish, but there was nothing left in the tank. I was out of energy and it was one day too long" - Tom Dumoulin after falling from first to sixth overall on the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a Espana.
- "I think we were annoying some of the other teams, like Cav and all that, because there's a bit of a hierarchy in the peloton with Lotto and Team Sky. There are some of the top sprinters in the world, and then there's us lot. Everyone is looking at Cav and Greipel, and then there's us barging around" - Sir Bradley Wiggins after representing his new team, WIGGINS, on stage one of the Tour of Britain.
- "To be fair, it has got to the point that even if it's in synchronised swimming, an Olympic medal is the only thing I'm missing. I'm 30 years old. I want these challenges" - Mark Cavendish on his quest to win an Olympic medal in Rio next summer. (Source: Telegraph)
- "Everybody had to be tired after 240km. I just ate all the gels that I had" - Peter Sagan reveals what fuelled the attack that won him the World Championship road race.
- "I sat in those chairs before the 500m and thought, 'I'm going to win'. That was just my attitude. And I've definitely still got it" - Laura Trott looks back on the final event of the omnium at the London 2012 Olympic Games. She won the gold medal.
