Armitstead caps off successful year with World Cup title and first-ever rainbow jersey
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Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain) wins ahead of Anna Van Der Breggen (Netherlands) and Megan Guarnier (United States Of America)(Image credit: Tim de Waele)
The final Ladies Tour of Qatar podium: Ellen van Dijk, Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) and Chloe Hosking (Wiggle Honda)(Image credit: ASO/B. Bade)
Lisa Brennauer (Velocio-Sram) wins stage 1 at Thüringen Rundfahrt(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
The intermediate sprint line during stage 1 in Qatar(Image credit: ASO/Ladies Tour of Qatar)
Annalisa Cucinotta (Ale-Cipollini) victory salute(Image credit: ASO/Ladies Tour of Qatar)
Shelley Olds (Ale Cipollini) wins stage 2 at the Ladies Tour of Norway(Image credit: Sean Robinson)
Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) sits down after winning stage 1 at the Ladies Tour of Norway(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) gets congratulated by teammate Evelyn Stevens. (Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Megan Guarnier (Boels Dolmans) on the attack(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Lizzie Armitstead was the most consistent rider in season 2015 and was a worthy winner of the women's road race(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lizzie Armitstead and her Great Britain teammates can hardly believe they've won gold(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Emma Johansson with the overall trophy for Lotto Belgium Tour(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Karol-Ann Canuel (Velocio-SRAM) sits down after winning stage 7(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) wins Trofeo Alfredo Binda World Cup(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Friday' Giro Rosa podium.(Image credit: Flaviano Ossola)
Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv) moves into the overall lead after the stage 8 time trial(Image credit: Giro Rosa)
Mara Abbott (Wiggle-Honda) wins stage 9 at the Giro Rosa(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Coryn Rivera (United States of America)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Kendall Ryan (Tibco-SVB) wins US professional criterium title in Greenville(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) beats Coryn Rivera (UnitedHealthcare) in a breakaway sprint to the finish line(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Lauren Komanski (Twenty 16) happy to take over the race lead.(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Velocio-SRAM won its fourth and final team time trial in Richmond(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Velocio-SRAM riders celebrate winning the team time trial title(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jolien D'Hoore celebrates her second consecutive stage win at the 2015 Boels Rentals Ladies Tour(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Jolien d'Hoore wins(Image credit: Sean Robinson)
Elisa Longo Borghini after winning the Tour of Flanders
Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-Honda) wins La Route de France(Image credit: Wiggle-Honda)
Giorgia Bronzini (Italy) had a mechanical in the closing stages(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle-Honda) wins Chongming Island World Cup(Image credit: Wiggle-Honda)
The women's Strade Bianche(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Linda Villumsen (New Zealand)(Image credit: Tim de Waele)
Linda Villumsen (New Zealand)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Race leader Kasia Niewiadoma(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) takes the final stage win ahead of overall winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Rabo Liv Women)(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Wiggle Honda teammates Jolien D'hoore and Elisa Longo Borghini celebrate going one-two at Flanders(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jolien D'hoore won the bunch sprint for second place to make it a successful one-two for Wiggle Honda(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Anna van der Breggen (Rabo Liv) was second on the stage and won the overall title(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) in the World Cup overall(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv) wins the women's Flèche Wallonne world cup(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv) wins La Course by Le Tour de France
Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv) wins La Course by one second
Elizabeth Armitstead celebrates her win at the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic women's World Cup.(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
The peloton moves ahead under the tracks(Image credit: Marco Quezada/nyvelocity.com)
The women's field bunch up with a break up the road.(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Barbara Guarischi (Velocio-SRAM) wins Sparkassen Giro World Cup(Image credit: Velocio-SRAM)
Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) and Ashleigh Moolman (Bigla)(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (Bigla) finishes second overall(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Team USA driving the pace(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Kristin Armstrong (Twenty16 p/b Sho-Air)(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain)(Image credit: Tim de Waele)
It was an exciting season of racing for the women's peloton that saw Hannah Barnes (UnitedHealthcare) open it up with an overall victory at the Tour de San Luis in January and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Bigla) close it down with a win at 94.7 Cycle Challenge in November.
There was also a back-and-fourth wrestle for the overall jersey throughout the 10 World Cups between Jolien D'hoore (Wiggle-Honda), van der Breggen and Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans).
In the end, Armitstead took the World Cup series victory for a second year running and then capped off a successful season as the winner of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia, bringing home her first rainbow jersey.
Enjoy our selection of images for the best of women's racing in 2015 gallery.
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Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
