2015 Top 15 GC Riders for Grand Tours

[Der Effe]

1. Froome
2. Quintana
3. Contador
4. Nibali
5. Uran
6. Porte
7. Pinot
8. Valverde
9. Aru
10. Bardet
11. Talansky
12. Majka
13. Pozzovivo
14. Van Garderen
15. Peraud

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

Uran ridiculously underrated by most here.

He's 5-10 on most lists, how is that ridiculously underrated?

 

[Vesica]

Nobody is picking Mollema?? No way Talansky, Peraud and TJvG for example are better GC guys.

1. Contador
2. Quintana
3. Nibs
4. Froome
5. Valverde
6. Aru
7. Uran
8. Pinot
9. Mollema
10. Purito
11. Majka
12. TJvG
13. Bardet
14. Pozzovivo
15. Talansky

 

[HelloDolly]

I am not sure I understand what this pole is based on ...potential??, recorded success ?? biased preferences ?? what ??

Let take someone like Majka who appears on everyone's list ...He has been 6th & 7th in the Giro
Contrast that to Kreuziger who has been 5th, 7th & 8th in the Tour & 5th in the Giro...I would say infinitely better in GTs. So you could say Makja is young but so was Kreuziger when he chalked up most success ...There is no guarantee that Majka will do any better than say Robert Gesink who has been 5th in the Tour and 6th, 6th & 7th in the Vuleta from the age of 20

Or take Dominco Pozzovivo who is in most lists ...Best he has done is 5th in the Giro & 6th in the Vuelta but where is Hamier Zubeldia who has 5 top 10 in the Tour (2 top 5s) and 2 top 10s in the Vuelta

Rui Costa is on lists even though at the age of 28 he has never been higher that 18th place in a Grand Tour..Compare that to Nicolas Roche who has 7 top 15th in GTs inc a 5th & 6th at the Vuellta

GT are about consistency & strength in 3 weeks rather than a stage race ...Richie Porte has only one GT result ...7th in the Giro...he is a very good rider but how is he based on his results in top 15 GT riders ??

I have to laugh at cycling fans....you are only as good as your last race ...Take JC Peraud.....2 results 9th & 2nd in the Tour ...very good but last year was an exceptional year for crashes and missing riders ....do those results make him top 15 given his potential is limited by age ? but JVDB has 2 4th place in the Tour , 8th in the Vuelta & 7th in The Giro ...infinitely better but he doesn't appear at in any lists here

 

[Angliru]

Re:

1. AC
2. Froome
.....
3. Nibali
4. Quintana
....
5. Piti
6. Aru
7. Kreuziger
8. TJVG
9. JRod
10. Uran Uran
....
11. Majka
12. Peraud
13. Pinot
14. Fuglsang
15. Talansky

Did the guy in your avatar fall off the face of the earth???

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

1. AC
2. Froome
.....
3. Nibali
4. Quintana
....
5. Piti
6. Aru
7. Kreuziger
8. TJVG
9. JRod
10. Uran Uran
....
11. Majka
12. Peraud
13. Pinot
14. Fuglsang
15. Talansky

Did the guy in your avatar fall off the face of the earth???

He is 5th on his list.

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

1. AC
2. Froome
.....
3. Nibali
4. Quintana
....
5. Piti
6. Aru
7. Kreuziger
8. TJVG
9. JRod
10. Uran Uran
....
11. Majka
12. Peraud
13. Pinot
14. Fuglsang
15. Talansky

Did the guy in your avatar fall off the face of the earth???

He is 5th on his list.

I have a problem acknowledging that as his name especially outside of the clinic such that I've apparently blanked it out! My bad!

 

[DBotero]

1.Froome
2.Contador
3.Nibali
4.Porte
5.Valverde
6.Quintana
7.Uran
8.J.Rod
9.TVG
10.Aru
11.Majka
12.Mollema
13.Pinot
14.Kwiatkowski
15.Kelderman

 

[Akuryo]

1. Contador
2. Froome
3. Quintana
4. Nibali
5. Uran
6. J.Rod
7. Valverde
8. Aru
9. Pinot
10. Mollema
11. Majka
12. Pozzovivo
13. Kelderman
14. Van Garderen
15. Kwiatkowski

 

[De Snelle Duif]

How is anyone seriously not including JVDB?

 

[Tonton]

1. Contador
2. Froome
3. Quintana
..........
4. Nibali - The Joker
..........
5. Pinot
6. Aru
7. Uran
8. Piti
9. TVG
10. Porte
11. Bardet
12. JCP
13. Majka
14. Purito
15. Talansky or Vino

 

[Jspear]

Re:

I am not sure I understand what this pole is based on ...potential??, recorded success ?? biased preferences ?? what ??

Let take someone like Majka who appears on everyone's list ...He has been 6th & 7th in the Giro
Contrast that to Kreuziger who has been 5th, 7th & 8th in the Tour & 5th in the Giro...I would say infinitely better in GTs. So you could say Makja is young but so was Kreuziger when he chalked up most success ...There is no guarantee that Majka will do any better than say Robert Gesink who has been 5th in the Tour and 6th, 6th & 7th in the Vuleta from the age of 20

Or take Dominco Pozzovivo who is in most lists ...Best he has done is 5th in the Giro & 6th in the Vuelta but where is Hamier Zubeldia who has 5 top 10 in the Tour (2 top 5s) and 2 top 10s in the Vuelta

Rui Costa is on lists even though at the age of 28 he has never been higher that 18th place in a Grand Tour..Compare that to Nicolas Roche who has 7 top 15th in GTs inc a 5th & 6th at the Vuellta

GT are about consistency & strength in 3 weeks rather than a stage race ...Richie Porte has only one GT result ...7th in the Giro...he is a very good rider but how is he based on his results in top 15 GT riders ??

I have to laugh at cycling fans....you are only as good as your last race ...Take JC Peraud.....2 results 9th & 2nd in the Tour ...very good but last year was an exceptional year for crashes and missing riders ....do those results make him top 15 given his potential is limited by age ? but JVDB has 2 4th place in the Tour , 8th in the Vuelta & 7th in The Giro ...infinitely better but he doesn't appear at in any lists here

I think this is where people can post who they think will do the best in GT's this year. Previous years don't really matter. My list:

1. Contador
2. Froome
3. Quintana
4. Nibali
5. Aru
6. Uran, Valverde
7. Jrod
8. Pinot
9. Pozzovivo, Majka
10. Bardet
11. TJVG
12. Talansky
13. Porte
14. Mollema
15. Kelderman

 

[SeriousSam]

Re:

I am not sure I understand what this pole is based on ...potential??, recorded success ?? biased preferences ?? what ??

Let take someone like Majka who appears on everyone's list ...He has been 6th & 7th in the Giro
Contrast that to Kreuziger who has been 5th, 7th & 8th in the Tour & 5th in the Giro...I would say infinitely better in GTs. So you could say Makja is young but so was Kreuziger when he chalked up most success ...There is no guarantee that Majka will do any better than say Robert Gesink who has been 5th in the Tour and 6th, 6th & 7th in the Vuleta from the age of 20

Or take Dominco Pozzovivo who is in most lists ...Best he has done is 5th in the Giro & 6th in the Vuelta but where is Hamier Zubeldia who has 5 top 10 in the Tour (2 top 5s) and 2 top 10s in the Vuelta

Rui Costa is on lists even though at the age of 28 he has never been higher that 18th place in a Grand Tour..Compare that to Nicolas Roche who has 7 top 15th in GTs inc a 5th & 6th at the Vuellta

GT are about consistency & strength in 3 weeks rather than a stage race ...Richie Porte has only one GT result ...7th in the Giro...he is a very good rider but how is he based on his results in top 15 GT riders ??

I have to laugh at cycling fans....you are only as good as your last race ...Take JC Peraud.....2 results 9th & 2nd in the Tour ...very good but last year was an exceptional year for crashes and missing riders ....do those results make him top 15 given his potential is limited by age ? but JVDB has 2 4th place in the Tour , 8th in the Vuelta & 7th in The Giro ...infinitely better but he doesn't appear at in any lists here

That's a fair point. I think most of us are guilty of rating those too highly that have only recently shown promise. Even though the names of yesterday will continue to populate the top 15 somewhat consistently. It's just boring because we already know they will never be really elite.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

1. Contador
2. Froome
3. Quintana
4. Nibali
5. Aru
6. Uran, Valverde
7. Rodriguez
8. Pinot
9. Majka, Bardet
10. Pozzovivo
11. Van Garderan
12. Talansky
13. Porte
14. Mollema
15. Kelderman

Nocking on the door:
Yates brothers, Chaves, Henao the older, Kwaitowski, Bargeuill, Van den Broeck, Schleck, Costa, Peraud

 

[AussieBob]

Quintana
Mollema
Bardet
Froome
Contador
Aru
Uran
Nibali
TJVG
Rolland
Bardet
Valverde
Pinot
Zubeldia
Peraud
Talansky

Would have liked to have slotted in JVDB but I understand he isn't doing the Tour. I shake my head at Rolland - teases so much. Not sure about Porte as he seems to have a couple of awful days. Pozzovivo will always be thereabouts. Would like to see what Rohan Dennis does in a GT.

 

[the asian]

1. Quintana
2. Contador
3. Froome
4. Nibali

5.Uran
6. Aru
7.Purito
8.Valverde
9.Pinot

10.TJVG
11 Peraud
12. Rolland
13.Bardet
14. Majka
15.Talansky

 

[LaFlorecita]

Quintana
Mollema
Bardet
Froome
Contador
Aru
Uran
Nibali
TJVG
Rolland
Bardet
Valverde
Pinot
Zubeldia
Peraud
Talansky

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Re:

How is anyone seriously not including JVDB?

Why would anyone?

His own team doesn't even have faith in him anymore. Wellens is already higher up in the team's hierarchy. He gets to go stage hunting in the Tour with little chance of success, whereas Van Den Broeck is in the "B-squad" that is forced to ride the Giro.

 

[grizzlee]

Kwiatowski is on a lot of peoples list which I cant understand at all. If he is there then surely to god Dan Martin should be there, Similar type of rider though Martin in my opinion is a much better climber. Vuelta has the first time he targeted gc last year and he finished 8th overall. Probably would have been higher if he hadn't have crashed and fallen into a ravine.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Re:

Kwiatowski is on a lot of peoples list which I cant understand at all. If he is there then surely to god Dan Martin should be there, Similar type of rider though Martin in my opinion is a much better climber. Vuelta has the first time he targeted gc last year and he finished 8th overall. Probably would have been higher if he hadn't have crashed and fallen into a ravine.

I don't think that was the first time Martin targeted GC in a GT...

But yes, Kwiatkowski is massively overrated as a climber. His climbing was okay in 2013, but that seems to have been his peak level.

 

[grizzlee]

Re: Re:

Kwiatowski is on a lot of peoples list which I cant understand at all. If he is there then surely to god Dan Martin should be there, Similar type of rider though Martin in my opinion is a much better climber. Vuelta has the first time he targeted gc last year and he finished 8th overall. Probably would have been higher if he hadn't have crashed and fallen into a ravine.

I don't think that was the first time Martin targeted GC in a GT...

But yes, Kwiatkowski is massively overrated as a climber. His climbing was okay in 2013, but that seems to have been his peak level.

He targeted the tour the previous year for gc and I think was 11th during the 3rd week before he got sick. All other GT rides were for stages or he crashed out.

Im not saying he is a GT winner but definitely think he is in the top 15. Some of the names being mentioned have never even finished top 15 in numerous attempts at a gt. Just seems like its a poll for who is your favourite rider, or name the best rider from your own country.

 

[Jspear]

Quintana
Mollema
Bardet
Froome
Contador
Aru
Uran
Nibali
TJVG
Rolland
Bardet
Valverde
Pinot
Zubeldia
Peraud
Talansky

Would have liked to have slotted in JVDB but I understand he isn't doing the Tour. I shake my head at Rolland - teases so much. Not sure about Porte as he seems to have a couple of awful days. Pozzovivo will always be thereabouts. Would like to see what Rohan Dennis does in a GT.

Dennis will be working his butt off for Tejay if he rides the Tour. His climbing isn't good enough for him to mix it up with the top 15 climbers in any gt.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

Just seems like its a poll for who is your favourite rider, or name the best rider from your own country.[/quote]

You're a bit unfair IMO. The way I see it, it's very close 1-4 and 5-12, or even 5-20, really, depending on the course. Looking at the '15 calendar and what we can predict the riders' schedules to be, we can come up with some ranking: subjective of course. All things being pretty much equal in each tier of riders, a little bias is to be expected. Hey, I have Pinot at #5

Actually, I wonder if I should not have put Nairo at #1: with a course like this, he's the man to beat at the TdF IMO. But I can smell his team disintegrating when Piti plays his own card.

When it's all said and done, let's check our pre-season rankings, and see who had it right. Then, the arguments will become: what is better? One win or two podiums? Or one podium and PR, plus a podium at the Ronde (Hi Echoes )... great debates to come.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

You're a bit unfair IMO. The way I see it, it's very close 1-4 and 5-12, or even 5-20, really, depending on the course. Looking at the '15 calendar and what we can predict the riders' schedules to be, we can come up with some ranking: subjective of course. All things being pretty much equal in each tier of riders, a little bias is to be expected. Hey, I have Pinot at #5

Actually, I wonder if I should not have put Nairo at #1: with a course like this, he's the man to beat at the TdF IMO. But I can smell his team disintegrating when Piti plays his own card.

When it's all said and done, let's check our pre-season rankings, and see who had it right. Then, the arguments will become: what is better? One win or two podiums? Or one podium and PR, plus a podium at the Ronde (Hi Echoes )... great debates to come.

And when exactly Valverde played against Quintana? I remember he helped him couple of times, but not a single time he rode against Quintana and only for himself!

 

[Jagartrott]

Re:

I am not sure I understand what this pole is based on ...potential??, recorded success ?? biased preferences ?? what ??

Let take someone like Majka who appears on everyone's list ...He has been 6th & 7th in the Giro
Contrast that to Kreuziger who has been 5th, 7th & 8th in the Tour & 5th in the Giro...I would say infinitely better in GTs. So you could say Makja is young but so was Kreuziger when he chalked up most success ...There is no guarantee that Majka will do any better than say Robert Gesink who has been 5th in the Tour and 6th, 6th & 7th in the Vuleta from the age of 20

Or take Dominco Pozzovivo who is in most lists ...Best he has done is 5th in the Giro & 6th in the Vuelta but where is Hamier Zubeldia who has 5 top 10 in the Tour (2 top 5s) and 2 top 10s in the Vuelta

Rui Costa is on lists even though at the age of 28 he has never been higher that 18th place in a Grand Tour..Compare that to Nicolas Roche who has 7 top 15th in GTs inc a 5th & 6th at the Vuellta

GT are about consistency & strength in 3 weeks rather than a stage race ...Richie Porte has only one GT result ...7th in the Giro...he is a very good rider but how is he based on his results in top 15 GT riders ??

I have to laugh at cycling fans....you are only as good as your last race ...Take JC Peraud.....2 results 9th & 2nd in the Tour ...very good but last year was an exceptional year for crashes and missing riders ....do those results make him top 15 given his potential is limited by age ? but JVDB has 2 4th place in the Tour , 8th in the Vuelta & 7th in The Giro ...infinitely better but he doesn't appear at in any lists here

Some people somehow think that results during one-week races also count. It has been shown over and over again that you cannot extrapolate those results to 21-day races. Yet Porte figures on almost every list.

That, and the short-term memory you mention.