Three special moments

There were three special cycling moments that stood out for Philip Gomes in 2011, two on the road and one on the dirt.

The first came from a young rider who announced his presence among the elite of road cycling, the second was by a veteran with too many missed chances and the third was by an athlete in a discipline we don't see enough of.

My picks? Matt Goss's win at Milan San Remo, Cadel Evans grinding away at his opposition on stage 19 of the Tour de France and Danny Hart's epic Downhill run at the UCI MTB World Championships.

Matt Goss's win at the Milan San Remo was a coming out of sorts, he was always close to breaking through for a big win and Milan San Remo was that race.

In the finale Goss was composed riding amongst a group of legendary riders, including Philipe Gilbert and Fabian Cancellara.

Today Goss heads into 2012 as GreenEDGE team leader with the weight of expectations on his shoulders. Judging by his Milan San Remo performance he'll handle it with aplomb.

All Australian cycling fans have lived and died with Cadel Evans through the years but 2011 was when all his ducks lined up and he was able to use his powerful but not explosive talents to claim his first Tour de France win. No need to rap on about it, you were all there caffeined up at 1am. Epic!

I won't admit to being any kind of MTB guru but I was totally hooked when Cycling Central decided to stream the 2011 UCI MTB World Championships.

It was my job to shepard the live stream through the night on the final day of racing and I'll admit to watching the gravity guys slip and slide their way down a greasy slope through one eye, until Hart began his run.

That he was on a blinder was obvious after just a few seconds and I was fully awake and bolt upright as he pinned every line to the wall. Spectacular, skillful and every inch world championship gold. Enjoy the call.

Special mentions go to anything Philippe Gilbert and Nathan Haas did in 2011.

What were your special moments for the year?

Twitter: Philip_Gomes