We’ve once again been privileged to experience so many amazing images in the 2018 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards, there were so many epic images entered – in all four categories including our new category Proud Cycling Moment. The final week was a last minute rush with hundred of images flooding in; you can see some of these images in Showcase Five.

Our judges this year – Graham Watson, Wouter Roosenboom, and Russ Ellis – definitely had a tough task on their hands to decide the winners amongst a field of high quality work.

The judging process – of just under one thousand images – was gruelling. They first had to select the images – without knowing the who the photographer was – then narrowed down a shortlist for each category. Then collectively they chose the winning images.

We are proud to showcase the winners here, their images, and the story behind their image. Plus this year, with such a high standard of images, we’ve decided to showcase the Top Ten in each category.

Thanks to Cyclingtips for making the 2018 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards happen again, it’s very special for me to able to keep Mark’s legacy alive four our son Lucas, who’s now 4 years old.

The wait is over…. here are the winners and your Top Ten in each category! Congratulations to you all.

1st Prize Professional category: Dario Belingheri (Italy)

Image by Dario Belingheri @dariobelingheri: “Huge crowd in Catania, the “snake” running through the streets of the city invaded by the crowd, under the Volcano Etna, during the start of the 4th stage of the Giro d’Italia 2018.”

2nd Prize Professional category: Pauline Ballet (France)

Image by Pauline Ballet @paulineballet: “Under the rainbow. Arctic Race of Norway 2018, Stage 3. This picture can be summarize in the first sentence I pronounced after taking off my motorbike helmet at the end of the stage: ‘Well, it will take me some time to recover from this stage’.”

3rd Prize Professional category: James Startt (United States / France)

Image by James Startt @jstartt: “Quite often the Paris-Nice race is decided on the final week-end, but this year my favorite shot came from one of the opening stages as the peloton rolled across the plains of northern France. As we came across this field of wind turbines, I stopped and waited for what seemed like hours. I expected to see the peloton strung out, racing by. Instead when the pack arrived, they were clearly in a down moment. But as the peloton inched towards the turbines they formed a perfect composition.”

4th Place Professional category

Image by Kristof Ramon @kramon_velophoto: “As a former race winner, John Degenkolb finds his personal cube in the famous showers and allows for the race (effort/emotions) to sink in after finishing (Paris-Roubaix 2018).”

5th Place Professional category

Image by Eloise Mavian @eloisemavian: “Christopher Froome climbing the Colle delle Finestre during his epic breakaway on stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia.”

6th Place Professional category

Image by Simon Wilkinson @swpix_cycling: “Alena Amialiusik, Alice Barnes, Hannah Barnes, Elena Cecchini, Lisa Klein and Trixi Worrack celebrate winning the Women’s Team Time Trial at the 2018 UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria.”

7th Place Professional category

Image by Alex Whitehead @@alex_swpix: “Alena Amialiusik, Alice Barnes, Hannah Barnes, Elena Cecchini, Lisa Klein and Trixi Worrack of Canyon-SRAM on their way to winning the Women’s Team Time Trial at the 2018 UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria.”

8th Place Professional category

Image by Dan Monaghan @cadence_images: “3 Peaks Cyclocross, UK – This has to be one of the toughest CX races going. The landscape and terrain make for some outstanding views and the parcours makes for an unbelievable race.

9th Place Professional category

Image by Kristof Ramon @kramon_velophoto: “Sjoerd van Ginneken (NED) smoked out on top of the infamous Kapelmuur/Muur van Geraardsbergen during the 2018 Ronde Van Vlaanderen.”

10th Place Professional category

Image by Natalie Starr @natalierstarr: “My good friend builds his own bikes. Him and his friends take them anywhere, there is no limits. They ride these “gravel” bikes like mountain bikes and it’s amazing to see what they clear on them.”

1st Prize Enthusiast category: Jordan Benjamin-Sutton (United Kingdom)

Image by Jordan Benjamin-Sutton @peloton_perspective: “Wout Van Aert collapses after crossing the finish line at this years Strade Bianche.”

2nd Prize Enthusiast category: Jordan Benjamin-Sutton (United Kingdom)

Image by Jordan Benjamin-Sutton @peloton_perspective: “The peloton passes the Colosseum on Stage 21 of this years Giro d’Italia.”

3rd Prize Enthusiast category: Wilco Dragt (Netherlands)

Image by Wilco Dragt @wilcodragtphotography: “Team LottoNl-Jumbo chasing a leader group in the Dutch semi-classic Veenendaal-Veenendaal 2018. They succeeded in bringing their world-class sprinter Dylan Groenewegen to the front, who rewarded them with winning the race.”

4th Place Enthusiast category

Image by Anthony Leutenegger @anthonyleutenegger: “Wout van Aert, wearing the world championship jersey, powers through the muck and mud of of the Grand Prix Nommay on a cold day in France.”

5th Place Enthusiast category

Image by Zac Williams @z_w_photography: “Sometimes just finishing is all that matters.”

6th Place Enthusiast category

Image by David Gillam @djgillam: “Admission is free and the views are primo at the Gastown Grand Prix in Vancouver BC.”

7th Place Enthusiast category

Image by Reid Neureiter @reidnewphoto: “The break has a half mile lead on the peloton. this image was taken in mid-summer during the practice races at the Colorado State Patrol training track on South Table Mesa in Golden, Colorado. The track is not entirely flat, allowing me to capture the three break-away riders in sharp focus the foreground, with the chasing bunch in the background.

8th Place Enthusiast category

Image by Tyler Haab @carbonstattkondition: “@Szymonbike on the Grosse-Scheidegg in the Swissalps (Canon)”

9th Place Enthusiast category

Image by Mats Palinckx @matspalinckx “During the six days of Ghent the changing is key at the 500m sprint. The speed is high, so it’s very difficult to get it right. With a slow shutter speed I tried to capture the speed and the difficulty.”

10th Place Enthusiast category

Image by Emanuele Barbaro @emanuele__barbaro “Three different lines captured from the window during the Last laps of the Red Hook Criterium. Milano, final stage, 06/10/2018.”

1st Prize Smartphone / Action Camera category: Wouter Hoogenboom (United States)

Image by Wouter Hoogenboom @bicycle.racing.pictures: “Painting with city lights. Bronx, New York.”

2nd Prize Smartphone / Action Camera category: Pete Canny (Australia)

Image by Pete Canny @ _elcamino: “Pinning on a number. It’s always to good to finish a race in wet conditions upright. Despite the rain stopping before this race around Latrobe Uni there were still wet roads, slippery painted lines and fire engines responding to a fire to contend with. All whilst trying to be first over the line.”

3rd Prize Smartphone / Action Camera category: John Braynard (United States / Austria)

Image by John Braynard @jbraynard: ”That time of year where the clouds hang in the valley all morning. It’s great to get above it and think about all the people having cloudy miserable days down below while you soak up the rays :).”

4th Place Smartphone / Action Camera category

Image by Graeme Langhorne @graemelanghorne: “”G riding into Yellow’ Time trialling up a mountain with a stage winner on your wheel. La Rosiere. 1330 Tour de France Week. July.”

5th Place Smartphone / Action Camera category

Image by Daniel Mai @sailinbum: “Easy does it.”

6th Place Smartphone / Action Camera category

Image by Wouter Hoogenboom @bicycle.racing.pictures: “Jumping over the barriers at Rainey Park Cyclocross, Astoria, New York.”

7th Place Smartphone / Action Camera category

Image by David Fussell @d.fussell: “Sunrise above the clouds – Banks Peninsula, Christchurch, New Zealand.”

8th Place Smartphone / Action Camera category

Image by Emily Alexander @eealxndr: “Reflection”

9th Place Smartphone / Action Camera category

Image by David Willsher @thegoldcoastcyclist: ”Bike and beach.”

10th Place Smartphone / Action Camera category

Image by Matt Fee @mattfee: “Sunrise miles in The Netherlands.”

1st Prize Proud Cycling Moment category: Sergio Ros de Mora (Spain)

Image by Sergio Ros de Mora @rosdemora: “This picture may just seem a bunch of people cheering a woman up while cycling. But it’s not that simple, the cyclist is Olga and was detected a breast cancer back in 2015. Since she was under a genetic testing she was diagnosed at an early stage and overcame it. Nowadays she is capable of doing sports again and able to face a challenge such as a time trial. What’s more, the woman in black standing on the left is her current genetics oncologist and the reason she seems deeply moved and proud of.”

2nd Prize Proud Cycling Moment category: Alex Law (United Kingdom)

Image by Alexander Law @alex_law_photo: “In August 2012 my Dad was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and although it was discovered quickly, it had spread to 5 of his internal organs and required an intensive 12 hour operation to remove the disease.It has always been his dream to compete for his country so we persuaded him to compete in the UCI amateur Time Trial Championship, the winners of which would qualify for Team GB.I had the privilege of following my Dad’s journey and am very proud to say he is now a Team GB athlete.”

3rd Prize Proud Cycling Moment category: Wouter Hoogenboom (United States)

Image by Wouter Hoogenboom @bicycle.racing.pictures: “Once a cyclist, always a cyclist. This spectator came out with his cycling friends to proudly support and watch the races at a local criterium event in Harlem, New York City.”

4th Place Proud Cycling Moment category

Craig Huffman @craigsclicks: “I Never Gave Up…” – Just 166 days after a horrific cycling accident: 25 broken bones, serious internal injuries, 10 days in a Trauma Center and the long road of rehabilitation, an emotional Annette Williams (USA) embraces her husband Kenny following her Gold Medal performance during the UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships, Women 55+ Scratch Race Final at the Velo Sports Center in Carson, California, USA on October 9, 2018.”

5th Place Proud Cycling Moment category

Image by Lukáš Ronald Lukács @lucassaganronald: “I’m suffering the GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) for more than 2 years. I’m always so nervous and I’m losing energy so faster than before. Because of this, I had to stop studying and I’m at home now. But for some seconds I don’t feel this. When I got at the top of my dream mountain after more than hour and it took 2 times longer than before, I just lift my bicycle with the last remaining energy and I felt the freedom again. So this is my proud cycling moment, when I defetead myself.”

6th Place Proud Cycling Moment category

Image by Katie Busick @katiebusickphotography: “”Biggest Fan’ Ellen Noble’s grandmother tries to go to as many of her races as possible. You can see her posting up on the sidelines as Ellen takes the win at the Exeter Classic.”

7th Place Proud Cycling Moment category

Image by Alexander Law @alex_law_photo: “In August 2012 my Dad was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and although it was discovered quickly, it had spread to 5 of his internal organs and required an intensive 12 hour operation to remove the disease.It has always been his dream to compete for his country so we persuaded him to compete in the UCI amateur Time Trial Championship, the winners of which would qualify for Team GB.I had the privilege of following my Dad’s journey and am very proud to say he is now a Team GB athlete.”

8th Place Proud Cycling Moment category

Image by Wouter Hoogenboom @bicycle.racing.pictures: “Balancing cycling with a busy family life is a challenge that many people can relate to. After Luiz’ daughter Mia was born, it wasn’t easy for him to stick to a structured training program. But that was exactly what he did and not without success: He went on to win the New York State Criterium Championship! However, the best part of this story is that Luiz got to celebrate this highlight with his daughter – a dream come true!”

9th Place Proud Cycling Moment category

Image by Nicolas Abad @nicoabad: “September rainy morning didn’t stop beginners from competing.”

10th Place Proud Cycling Moment category

Wouter Hoogenboom @bicycle.racing.pictures: “Peter is a USA Cycling Coach, Co-executive Director of the Star Track Youth Program, and proud cycling dad of Billy, an aspiring junior racer. You will find Peter roadside and trackside at races all over the country and abroad supporting riders in whatever weather Mother Nature brings. This photo – taken in subzero temperatures moments before the start of a local New York City Crit – perfectly illustrates this.”

People’s Choice Award: Mats Palinckx (Belgium)

Image by Mats Palinckx @matspalinckx “During the six days of Ghent the changing is key at the 500m sprint. The speed is high, so it’s very difficult to get it right. With a slow shutter speed I tried to capture the speed and the difficulty.”

And a special mention to Zac Williams (Australia) who was the runner up in the People’s Choice Award.