Cycling's corner of the Twitter-sphere was in overdrive from the beginning of 2013 when Lance Armstrong gave that interview to Oprah Winfrey. We look back at cycling on the social network and pick some of the famous, and infamous, tweets from the year past.
Shimano road disc prototype leaked
Whether authorized or not, in Febuary 2013, Dutch pro Michiel Van Der Heijden posted to his Twitter account an image of his new Giant TCX Advanced SL cyclocross bike rigged with Shimano's upcoming Dura-Ace Di2 hydraulic disc brakes. The tweet was later removed but the image had already been picked up by eagle-eyed industry members and spread around the world.
Michiel Van Der Heijden's disc-equipped road bike caused a stir
#Imaginate
The man - Danny MacAskill - needs no introduction and his latest film, Imaginate, was a predictable hit, given the extraordinary skills on show from the man also known as MegaSkill.
Imaginate became a viral sensation
Die-in in London
Following the deaths of six cyclists in London in 13 days in November, hundreds of cyclists gathered to protest outside the Transport of London Headquarters in an #TFLDiein. It was chronicled on Twitter. Social media has been a key channel for commentators to demand action on cycle safety and #space4cycling also become a ubiquitous hashtag for the cause in the UK.
London's cyclists were furious at the slow pace of improved cycle safety in the capital
#BloodyCyclists
Young motorist Emma Way posted a tweet in which she admitted knocking a cyclist, Toby Hockley off his bike while he rode a sportive. “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier – I have right of way he doesn’t even pay road tax! #bloodycyclists,” she tweeted. The tweet and account were quickly deleted after cyclists on Twitter and the local police force were made aware of it resulting in a fine and points on her license.
Norwich Police were quick to ask Way to come forward
Specialized Roubaix gaff
@CafRoubaix and @iamspecialized made Twitter pulsate late this year, when the cycling giant tried to pressure a small Canadian bike shop to drop the name 'Roubaix' which also happens to be the name of one of its bike frames. It triggered a spate of negative publicity for Specialized, but was eventually resolved peaceably...
All's well that ends well - Cafe roubaix and Mike Sinyard come to an agreement
Road Bike Party 2 (#RBP2)
Trials and stunt supremo Martyn Ashton showed extraordinary tenacity in the aftermath of a life-altering accident to complete Road Bike Party 2. It was a massive success and has 7.1m hits and counting in less than a month. If you haven't seen it yet, catch it here.
Road Bike Party 2 has been notching up the hits
SRAM's total recall
The tweet American component maker SRAM must have dreaded having to send: the notice of a total recall of its road hydraulic disc brake systems earlier this month. The recall led to some very irritated early-adopting customers and a contrite apology from Stan Day, SRAM's president on YouTube.
SRAM was forced into embarrassing recall of all its hydraulic brakes systems in circulation
Virgin Media van in virgin bike lane
As London's mayor Boris Johnson spoke to ITV about his first fully segregated section of cycle Super Highway in East London, a Virgin Media van brazenly mounted the high curb and stopped in the lane to service a junction box. Twitter was not impressed.
McGarry's72ft backflip
Kelly McGarry's 72ft back flip on the Canyon Gap jump at the Red Bull Rampage was a sensational stunt. Red Bull posted this tweet of the epic jump following the competition.
Kelly McGarry's incredible back flip
Sagan's bottom pinch
Youthful exuberance got the better of Cannondale rider Peter Sagan. After finishing second at the Tour of Flanders, the 23-year-old racer pinched the posterior of podium girl Maya Leye's in of the blinking press cameras. Sagan apologised for the sexist stunt shortly thereafter.
Peter Sagan's apology to Maya Leye and women everywhere