Best All-Rounder Rider Today?

[Alpe d'Huez]

Sure.

 

[nicholaaaas]

philippe gilbert couldnt even be an option?

 

[Captain_Cavman]

All-Rounder: A racing cyclist who excels in both climbing and time trailing, and may also be a decent sprinter and descender. He can win Grand Tours as well as Classics.

So who's the best in this department right now?

This question is just, "Who is the best GT rider?" and as such is a bit dull and has been done to death.

If the criteria are "A racing cyclist who excels in both climbing and time trailing, and may also be a decent sprinter and descender. He can win Grand Tours as well as any classic.", it becomes more interesting as you lose all the non-cobbles guys immediately: Evans, Valverde, Sanchez, etc.
(Although I wouldn't be surprised if Evans turned out to be good on the cobbles).

To my mind this leaves a field of one, Cancellara as we've had GT routes he could win on in the past. Then Gilbert as the runner up and Chavanel as the guy who, if you take the aspect each rider is worst at, has the best worst aspect.

But the rider who has shown brief glimpses that he could genuinely challenge for any prize in cycling is Edvald Boasson Hagen. It's just that the glimpses have been all too brief and not that many of them.

 

[Ferminal]

This question is just, "Who is the best GT rider?" and as such is a bit dull and has been done to death.

If the criteria are "A racing cyclist who excels in both climbing and time trailing, and may also be a decent sprinter and descender. He can win Grand Tours as well as any classic.", it becomes more interesting as you lose all the non-cobbles guys immediately: Evans, Valverde, Sanchez, etc.
(Although I wouldn't be surprised if Evans turned out to be good on the cobbles).

I hardly see this as being true. Look at the recent GT podiums.

Vuelta 2011
Cobo
Froome
Wiggins

Cobo may have done a little in his two super seasons, Froome may have the potential for something, you doubt Wiggins does.

Tour 2011
Evans
Schleck
Schleck

Evans is a top classics rider and the Schlecks may do something during Ardennes week.

Giro 2011
Contador
Scarponi
Nibali

Contador has never really tried himself in too many classics, so it's hard to say he would win them. Has Scarponi ever ridden a one day race outside of Italy? Nibali wouldn't be in the top10-15 hilly classics riders.

Vuelta 2010
Nibali
Mosquera
Velits

Velits got a 2nd in AGR once didn't he, which was a sprint more than anything?

Tour 2010
Contador
Schleck
Menchov

Denis and one day race, does not compute.

Giro 2010
Basso
Arroyo
Nibali

From all these the only one I'd consider a top echelon classics performer is Evans.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

I probably didn't make myself very clear. What I meant buy any classic was the ability to win PR for instance, as well as GdL or LBL. Can any of the GT guys win PR?

I think if Evans was to train for the cobbled classics he could be a genuine contender, but he doesn't and so he isn't.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Nibali wouldn't be in the top10-15 hilly classics riders.

That's quite a statement, IMO, considering he finished 8th in Liege this year and was arguably the best in Lombardy.

 

[theyoungest]

Stybar has actually shown quite impressive abilities in both sprints, hills and mountains this season, could definitely develop into a very fine all-rounder if he stops focusing on CX. As for Boom...well he can barely get over a hill, least of all a mountain, so definitely not

Depends on which Boom you're talking about... Stybar can't hold a candle to Boom in his first pro year, winning a hilly Vuelta stage, plus the Tour of Belgium, where he was the strongest in the Ardennes. Recently Boom's training seems to be geared more towards... I don't know what actually, becoming a pure Paris-Roubaix rider?

That's quite a statement, IMO, considering he finished 8th in Liege this year and was arguably the best in Lombardy.

Arguably the best? He was the best of a front group which got away on a descent, even Grischa Niermann was in that group! Those weren't the strongest riders in the race, except for a fading Gilbert maybe.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Arguably the best? He was the best of a front group which got away on a descent, even Grischa Niermann was in that group! Those weren't the strongest riders in the race, except for a fading Gilbert maybe.

Maybe Gilbert? Haha, okay. Gilbert was clearly one of the strongest riders that day, considering his 8th place and the energy he wasted in that breakaway. Pozzovivo who was very strong also, finished 6th, couldn't close the gap, either.

Zaugg, Basso and Rodriguez were in the group the whole day and still barely put time into Gilbert. So yeah, Nibali was arguably the strongest rider.

 

[roundabout]

You're all wrong. Paolini was the strongest.

 

[theyoungest]

Maybe Gilbert? Haha, okay. Gilbert was clearly one of the strongest riders that day, considering his 8th place and the energy he wasted in that breakaway. Pozzovivo who was very strong also, finished 6th, couldn't close the gap, either.

Zaugg, Basso and Rodriguez were in the group the whole day and still barely put time into Gilbert. So yeah, Nibali was arguably the strongest rider.

Has it crossed your mind that maybe Gilbert is a really clever rider who saw that the move had no chance and decided to conserve a little energy? Sure, Nibali was strong, but arguably the strongest? No, the strongest man won the day.

 

[El Pistolero]

Has it crossed your mind that maybe Gilbert is a really clever rider who saw that the move had no chance and decided to conserve a little energy? Sure, Nibali was strong, but arguably the strongest? No, the strongest man won the day.

If Gilbert didn't react to Nibali's attack he could have won as well.

Gilbert said he let Nibali go because it was too far from the finish line and the peloton was too close.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Has it crossed your mind that maybe Gilbert is a really clever rider who saw that the move had no chance and decided to conserve a little energy?

That's why Gilbert and Fuglsang tried to close the gap with Nibali, right? The point being, Gilbert continued to waste energy after he got dropped. The break wasn't doomed at that point. Gilbert and Fuglsang just weren't as strong.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfGxTZiDy60

Gilbert at 1:59 "conserving" energy

 

[El Pistolero]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfGxTZiDy60

Gilbert at 1:59 "conserving" energy

Gilbert said in interviews afterwards that he was afraid of going all out when Nibali went, so he hold back a little.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Gilbert said in interviews afterwards that he was afraid of going all out when Nibali went, so he hold back a little.

Yes, I saw and read the interviews. I just don't see the point of chasing Nibali then, i.e. wasting more energy, if what the youngest says is true and Gilbert already knew the break was doomed.

 

[Angliru]

I don't get why Wiggins and Levi are in this. Valverde has not raced for a while so he should not be considered "TODAY"

Scarponi should be in this he's great up climbs, and has a good uphill sprint. If Levi and Wiggins are in here for GC why not PG for his qualities that let him win all the Ardennes or Cancellara who we saw drag everyone up to Contador on stage 16 TDF and also rides everyone off his wheel at Cobbles.

I'll go with Evans because Valverde is not in yet, Contador cannot win sprints ( stage 4 TDF ) and EBH might not be able to ever challenge at a GT. Nibali, Contador 2nd and 3rd.

Missing a sprint win by half a wheel length should be indicative of someone that may have a measure of sprinting ability. What does it say about Evans that the sprint was that close? Not lessen Evans sprinting abilities but it should show that Contador's sprint is better than many thought.

 

[El Pistolero]

Don't see why Contador would ever need a sprint, but oh well.

 

[Ferminal]

It was hardly a sprint, everyone was broken after the steep part and then Evans' pace for the final ~500m was too hard for anyone else.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Don't see why Contador would ever need a sprint, but oh well.

Contador doesn't need a sprint to do what he does. That's why he isn't an all rounder, but he's so good at the things he is good at that he shouldn't care that he isn't an all rounder either.

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador doesn't need a sprint to do what he does. That's why he isn't an all rounder, but he's so good at the things he is good at that he shouldn't care that he isn't an all rounder either.

But from my pov he is an all-rounder. There's only one cyclist that can sprint, climb, tt and descend and that's Valverde. He's not the rule, but an anomaly.

Contador, despite being a lightweight, is good at time trials and descends. That's why I think of him as an all-rounder. Valverde has the body of someone like Gilbert and doesn't look so skinny. Contador is also great as hills as evidenced in a lot of stage races already like Pais Vasco. He just doesn't focus as much on the one day hilly races, but that doesn't mean he ain't good at them. Because there are hilly races outside the one day races you know

I'm looking forward to see him at Tirreno-Adriatico next year, a hilly stage race. I predict an epic duel between Gilbert(depending on the route), CE and Contador.

My definition of an all-rounder is someone who is good at multiple disciplines of cycling, not necessarily all disciplines in cycling. Because what has Valverde ever done of the cobbles or Milan-San Remo?

 

[Siriuscat]

He just doesn't focus as much on the one day hilly races, but that doesn't mean he ain't good at them.

He's already shown that tackling a few more would bring him wins, the two that Contador did tackle last year he was at the shapr end in the finale in both, Fleche Wallone and LBL as the foil for Vino.

He has enough of a sprint to do what he did on the uphill drag at the Mur de Bretagne in the tour

 

[gustienordic]

Contador doesn't need a sprint to do what he does. That's why he isn't an all rounder, but he's so good at the things he is good at that he shouldn't care that he isn't an all rounder either.

+1

Contador is a GC rider. Simple.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

My definition of an all-rounder is someone who is good at multiple disciplines of cycling, not necessarily all disciplines in cycling. Because what has Valverde ever done of the cobbles or Milan-San Remo?

I agree with you, noone can do everything, thats why to use a similar mesure devise like in the pcm games are a nice indicator

 

[ultimobici]

How can we vote for Valverde when he hasn't raced in a long time and we don't know what his current level is.

And bearing in mind his history, we have no idea yet what his true level is (or ever was).

So Evans has to be the most rounded of the choices.

 

[vcampbell]

It's an easy answer, Hushovd. Spring classics, fair enough time trialling, winning moutain stages in Tour, great descending, sprinting.