Looking back on 2014, it's very difficult to choose a selection of photographers that best capture the wide range of stories we've produced this year.
We've come up with the selection below, not because they are necessarily the best photos of the year or were carried in the most read stories.
But collectively they represent the often positive and uplifting, but sometimes sad, news we've done our best to bring you every day this year.
We've picked one photo per month and have gone for as varied a selection as possible.
We hope you like them and please feel free to leave your comments at the end.
January
Tim Barry is the manager of the Cork-based Aquablue team and wrote us a great piece in January about the team's training camp in Kerry, with this photo among the many images in the story. It's a simple shot but we loved it because of what it represents; a group of riders from different backgrounds and parts of the country all wrapped up against the elements getting the miles in as the build towards their goals for the year ahead. “We forego training in Spain; our pilgrimage is to the freezing fog in the hills of Kerry”
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February
A 6' 8" Conor Dunne was enjoying his first outing in France for the An Post-Chainreaction team when he posed for this shot with Sam Dumoulin (5′ 2″) at the Etoile de Bessege pro stage race. Dunne wrote a great blog for us about the suffering he endured against some of the best riders in the world. But he wrote too about his gratitude for getting the chance to compete on the big stage, his passion for the life he has chosen very evident in the piece. “I suffered in the gutter in the fastest line-outs ever; it’s amazing to be part of the madness”
March
When there was a major crash in the women's race at the Boyne GP, photographer Brendan Culleton was on hand to capture the aftermath and produced the most dramatic set of photos of the year. We contacted the women identifiable in the shots and published them with their permission. We did so on basis crashing is a part of racing and should not be ignored in the media's coverage. Not everyone agree with our view, but there is no doubting the impact of Culleton's photos. Above, Anita Egan suffered nasty facial injuries but she seemed upbeat when we contacted her after the crash. Dramatic photos by Brendan Culleton of Boyne GP women’s race crash and aftermath
April
One of the most dramatic images to emerge in April was Chris Froome's ripped legs ahead of Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He'd clearly been going easy on the pies and getting the miles in. This photo emerged around the same time as a shot of his mesh skin suit. Like the shot of his legs, it wasn’t for the feint hearted. Anyone see how skinny & ripped Chris Froome’s legs are ahead of Liège–Bastogne–Liège?
May
The photo nobody wanted to see; a dazed Dan Martin on the deck in Belfast with a broken collar bone and out of the Giro d'Italia just moments after it had begun. The Irish rider hit a sunken man hole cover and came down hard during the team time trial, with some of his Garmin-Sharp team mates also crashing. It was bitterly disappointing for Martin and the Irish fans, but the race's trip to Ireland was still a triumph. Our set of 10 photos capture the moment of carnage that ended Dan Martin’s Giro d’Italia
June
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If the national road championships belonged to one man it was Ryan Mullen. The An Post-Chainreaction teenager was quickest in the time trial and a few days later he was also the clear winner of the combined U23 and elite road race. This shot by George Doyle captures the moment that most Irish riders can only dream of; riding solo up the finishing straight at the nationals with arms aloft in triumph. Young prince comes of age; 19-year-old Ryan Mullen powers to National Champs lone win
July
The Tour de France got underway in Britain and aside from some great racing the two talking points were the sheer size of the crowds and the number of people taking selfies. The latter, often with their backs to the passing riders, were regarded as a major safety risk, a factor that did not deter them. A headache for the race organisers was that it was they who urged people to capture the shots in the first place. Ouch! Selfie Debate: Why Tour de France big wigs are regretting this photo and the message with it
August
Sam Bennett moved up to the ProContinental ranks in 2014 with NetApp-Endura and we featured a number of his wins in our coverage this year. But it was this image rather than his sailing across the finish line in triumph that best captures his life as a pro rider; getting the intervals in on his turbo trainer at home in Belgium. It is this less than glamorous suffering that gets his race winning condition into his body and it’s the same for all of the Irish racing cyclists at home or abroad. Think pro cycling is glamorous? Check out this photo of Irish star Sam Bennett
September
Fiona Meade sprinted to a fantastic win in the rescheduled elite women's national road championships in Westmeath, the delighted on her face clear for everyone to see in this photo by Jimmy McElroy. Her happiness aside, it was her honesty in her post race interview that was as memorable as her winning ride. She recalled riding the race before and being hopelessly dropped, a fact that made her success this time around all the sweeter. “I was dropped so badly in first champs I thought I’d gone off course”
October
That little look that tells you you've just won Giro di Lombardia. Dan Martin's win was the biggest of any Irish rider this year and a great personal moment given how difficult his season had been. In a nod to his recent crashes, he was brutally honest after the finishing saying he only knew hewas going to win after he rounded the last bend and stayed upright; something he did not manage at Liège–Bastogne–Liège. “I only knew I’d won after rounding the last corner without crashing”
November
Not all of our coverage was easy reading this year. One story we published was of the death after a training accident of popular Bray Wheelers member Dermot McGrath. A former stage winner and yellow jersey in the Rás, Dermot was known all over the country and was an absolute gentleman. Sadly, his passing was just one of a large number of cyclist fatalities on the roads this year. Popular Rás stage winner, yellow jersey dies after training crash
December
Most of our coverage this year was of domestic racing, and one piece we loved publishing was the collection of photos by Toby Watson from the Falls Park cyclocross in Belfast early in December. Watson’s VC Glendale promoted the race, which was new to the Irish scene, and put on a range of support events for kids. The photos revealed a whole group of very young riders already bitten by the bug and determined not to let the cold and mud of winter stop them whipping around the course as quickly as possible. Need a bit of inspiration today? These kids are creating their own stories
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