Chris Sutton topped Yauheni Hutarovich (FDJ) and André Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) in the field sprint finale.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Cancellara was a cut above early in the season.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
It was a day for the true hard men of cycling(Image credit: ispaphoto.com)
The peleton on on a cobbled section of E3 Prijs(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur - Sojasun) try to hold off the peloton in the final kilometres.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank) celebrates the biggest win of his career(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Langeveld and Flecha sprint to the line (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Cervélo) proposed to his girlfriend after winning Paris-Roubaix. "Some people give a ring," he said. "I give a rock."(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Johan Van Summeren raises the famous Pari-Roubaix winner's cobblestone trophy(Image credit: AFP)
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Cervelo) celebrates his solo victory at Paris-Roubaix (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Cervelo) rides through the dust(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) and Bernhard Eisel (HTC-Highroad)(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) pushing the pace on the climb(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Nick Nuyens (Saxo Bank-SunGard) celebrates and Chavanel despairs(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nick Nuyens (behind) goes across to Fabian Cancellara and Sylvain Chavanel(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The crowds were out en force in Flanders(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
As usual there were huge crowds on the Muur(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Robbie McEwen (RadioShack), Theo Bos (Rabobank), Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) as Tyler Farrar (Garmin - Cervelo) goes down(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) has plenty of time to celebrate(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Cancellara and Lars Bak on the last lap of the velodrome(Image credit: ispaphoto.com)
Hands up if you think Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) is the favourite for the Tour of Flanders (Image credit: ispaphoto.com)
Paris-Roubaix is a hard, hard race (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Yoann Offredo (FDJ) sits on the tarmac in Wevelgem.(Image credit: Sirotti)
Nick Nuyens (Saxo Bank-SunGard) on the Muur (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) early in his solo move.(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) on a cobbled climb(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tom Boonen (Quick Step) takes the win(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Sylvain Chavanel didn't have enough to contend with Nick Nuyens(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Christian Knees (Omega Pharma - Lotto)(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) goes on the attack(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Philippe Gilbert on the Paterberg(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
The northern classics came to a spectacular finish on Sunday with Johan Van Summeren's gutsy victory in Roubaix. The Belgian's win capped one of the most unpredictable classics seasons in recent memory. It's easy to forget about the races earlier in the season, like CJ Sutton's win at Kuurne Brussel-Kuurne, or Fabian ‘Spartacus' Cancellara's powerful display finishing alone at E3 Prijs Vlaanderen.
Fortunately, we've put together a gallery of some of the best moments captured on film during the 2011 cobbled racing season; we've tried to capture the highs – and the lows.
Het Nieuwsblad celebrated the victory of an unsung rider in Sebastien Langeveld, who pipped Juan Antonio Flecha to the line in a rain-affected sprint.
E3 was threatened by strikes over race radios, but will be remembered for a strong, early season performance from Cancellara.
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne was won by Chris Sutton but he was only given the chance to sprint when the Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen felt ill late in the race.
Tom Boonen was not going to leave the classics season empty-handed with a lunge for the line at Gent-Wevelgem, and who could forget the strength on show at Flanders? Philippe Gilbert, Sylvain Chavanel, Nick Nuyens and that man again, Cancellara lit up one of the most explosive editions of the Ronde.
Scheldeprijs offered a final chance for sprinters looking to open their spring account, and Mark Cavendish took it decisively in a crash marred finish.
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The hell of the north offered a fitting finale to the season, as super-domestique Johan Van Summeren rode to the biggest win of his career in the velodrome at Roubaix and capped it off by proposing to his long-term girlfriend.
Alex Hinds is a graduate of Economics and Political Science from Sydney University. Growing up in the metropolitan area of the city he quickly became a bike junkie, dabbling in mountain and road riding. Alex raced on the road in his late teens, but with the time demands of work and university proving too much, decided not to further pursue full-time riding.
If he was going to be involved in cycling in another way the media seemed the next best bet and jumped at the opportunity to work in the Sydney office of Cyclingnews when an offer arose in early 2011.
Though the WorldTour is of course a huge point of focus throughout the year, Alex also takes a keen interest in the domestic racing scene with a view to helping foster the careers of the next generation of cycling.
When not writing for Cyclingnews Alex is a strong proponent of the awareness of cyclists on the road in Sydney having had a few close run-ins with city traffic in the past.
