Christmas is just a month away and a memorable 2014 will soon be behind us.

But before attention turns to the new season, there’s still time to reflect on the successes of the past campaign – a year which saw a series of notable breakthroughs.

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While attention at the start of the year focussed on the likes of Chris Froome, Alberto Contador and Nairo Quintana, or sprinters such as Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel, several other riders also came to the fore this year.

In our latest review of the 2014 season, we’ve picked out five of the best surprise packages of the year.

Read on to see if you have agree with our selection, or take a look back through our other picks of the season in the menu on the left.