Photo Essay: Memorable scenes from 2016

A reduced peloton traversed the endless rolling hills of Tuscany as the gravel and fierce winds took their toll on the riders. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Fabian Cancellara and Zdenel Stybar — both former winners of the race — battled it out over the final kilometers through the historic city of Siena. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media

Stage 6 proved Greg Van Avermaet is no longer just a second-place rider with yet another convincing victory in his pocket. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

In typical dramatic fashion, Fabian Cancellara prepared to climb aboard his time trial bike on the final stage of the 2017 Tirreno-Adriatico. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media

A traditional sight during Milano-Sanremo is the snaking peloton on the Italian Riviera at Capo Noli some 200 kilometers in. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Classics icon Tom Boonen took a moment to read about himself in the days leading up his beloved Paris-Roubaix. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

At the summit of the Paterberg for the final time, Peter Sagan was clear of all his rivals with only 13 kilometers remaining to the finish in Oudenaarde. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

In what was quickly renamed “Neige-Bastogne-Neige” on Twitter, the riders went through numerous extreme weather patterns that included short pockets of snowfall, hail, rain, ice, and sunny blue skies across the day. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

The first teams rolled across the pink carpet of the Market square in Apeldoorn for the official Giro Gelderland team presentation. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Steven Kruijswijk took a seat on the stage to soak in the limelight and relish his moment in the maglia rosa as the arduous stages of the Dolomites came to a close. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

As the race etched its way across the Dolomites, the landscape and conditions went from sunny and warm on the grassy undulating slopes of the Passo Pordoi to the snow-covered barren granite of the Passo Giau. Photo: Sonoko Tanaka / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Vincenzo Nibali attacked hard on the final climb to Risoul and capitalized on the crash of Kruijswijk on the descent of the Agnello to win the stage and take the maglia rosa. Photo: Arne Mill / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

The grand depart of the 2016 Tour de France was set against the majestic backdrop of Mont-Saint-Michel in the Normandy region. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

The Lotto – Soudal squad joined together to support their fallen teammate Stig Broeckx — still in a coma — with “Fight for Stig” wristbands. Photo: Léon van Bon / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Mark Cavendish was treated to a surprise visit on the start line from a troupe of Moulin Rouge dancers before the start of stage 2 in Saint-Lo. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

World champion Peter Sagan continued his dominance in the 2016 season with a stage win and the yellow jersey on stage 2 of the Tour de France. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Chris Froome surprised his rivals once again with a daring escape on the descent into the village of Bagneres-de-Luchon. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

On the climb of the Port del Cantó, Alberto Contador climbed off the bike and left the 2016 Tour de France. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Almost impossible to comprehend, a hush fell over the crowd with 700 meters left on the climb up Mont Ventoux when race leader Chris Froome was running up the mountain without his bike. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Stage 20 started dry and relatively calm for the battered race leader Chris Froome, but the weather turned again as the leaders tackled the first round of climbs on this final mountain stage of the 2016 Tour de France. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Chris Froome and his band of Sky teammates rode together again at the finale of the greatest race on Earth, the Tour de France. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

The Vuelta a España is never short on climbs or dramatic scenery as Ian Boswell made his way up the day’s final climb. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Bart De Clercq showed the true grit of a pro cyclist by finishing the stage despite crashing heavily in the closing kilometers. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

David de la Cruz went from the red leader’s jersey to out of it in the span of 24 hours, showing how quickly the race can change at La Vuelta. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Stage 14 concluded among some of the most majestic vistas seen in this edition of the Vuelta a España. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Loïc Chetout of Cofidis provided some comic relief despite the searing heat and a final climb peaking at more than 25 percent. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

Llucena. Camins del Penyagolosa was a classic mountaintop finish for the Vuelta with narrow roads, steep grades, and fans hanging off cliffs for a bird’s-eye view of the action. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com

It was a daily battle on the climbs at the Vuelta that brought the sport’s biggest hitters together day after day. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Nicolas Dougall of Dimension Data survived the final mountain stage, but just barely as the toll was evident on his face meters past the finish line. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com

Nairo Quintana savored the spoils of victory in Madrid over his rival Chris Froome by taking some measure of revenge for his Tour de France loss in July. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | www.brakethroughmedia.com