dirkprovin wrote:The Hegelian wrote:Well earlier in the season in the mid-east, Ewan was = with the big three. Won one, could have won two.
And of course we all say 'jeez, he's super quick now, but okay, let's wait until a GT when everyone is in form.'
Okay - well it is a GT, in the heart of season and I think both Gaviria and Ewan are/were going a touch quicker than Greipal. Could be that the Gorilla has a lost a tiny bit of top end speed, but more plausible that the two young guns have arrived. Interesting to note Bennett and Groenewegen knocking on the door too.
I'd agree that on a tdf early flat stage, Kittel is still favourite. But the other four are even in my book.
So I'd go:
Kittel
Cav, Gav, Ewan, Greipal
Sagan, Bouhanni, Demare, Bennett, Groenewegen, Vivianni, Degenkolb, Kristoff.
With due respect, when are we realistically going to have the opportunity to see all of them head to head ? QS aren't going to send both Kittel & Gav to the TDF; ORS sure as hell aren't sending Ewan; maybe 3/4 of those listed may go but maybe not. How well supported they may be is also pivotal
In any case, any such ranking hinges around the specific terms of reference you choose to set. A pure flat sprint may have one outcome; just tweak it a little and its somewhat different; ask "who is/are the most competitive over the widest variety of finishes and most likely your outcome is turned on its head.
1. Sure, it ain't going to happen this year. It may never happen. If it does, the passing of time may mean some decline and some progress. Nonetheless, we can still have opinions on who are the elite bunch sprinters in the now of any given epoch.
2. Such things are just opinions on a bike forum. Is it speculative? Of course! What else could it be? The rankings hinge on many variables and there is nothing remotely well established about it. What is well established is the claim that both Gav and Ewan have stepped up a notch this year. What we make of that is up to our imaginations.