Best Classics rider of the 21st Century

[Panda Claws]

Who do you think is the best classics rider of the 21st century (2000-2011)

 

[Tank Engine]

Three names spring to mind. Spartacus, Bettini (especially if you count the World Championships) and Gilbert. I can't remember anyone dominate like Phil this year, so I'll go for him. Honourable mentions to Valverde, Friere, Boonen, Cunego and JaJa (still had a few good races in him in this millenium).

 

[The Hitch]

Boonen is a good shout having 5 monuments compared to Fab's 4 and Gilberts 3, multiple monument podiums and a WC.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Close call between Bettini and Boonen, both have 5 monuments and a WC under their belt, but Paolo has one more WC, so I'll go for him.

 

[Zoncolan]

Michele Bartoli

 

[will10]

2 World Championships, would've won 5 World Cups if it wasn't for the introduction of the Pro Tour, there can be only one: Paolo Bettini.

Gilbert is well on his way to overtaking him though.

 

[The Hitch]

Close call between Bettini and Boonen, both have 5 monuments and a WC under their belt, but Paolo has one more WC, so I'll go for him.

And an olympics. Thats big too. Probably better since he won his 5 in 3 different races.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Rebellin is pretty good too

1 liege, 3 wallone, 1 san sebastian and 1 amstel + TA, PN and many others

 

[jamiephillips]

Are all monuments equal though? Is two wins in Lombardy or Milan-San Remo the same prestige as two wins in the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix for example??

 

[maltiv]

Cancellara, mainly because he has won 3 different monuments, and because of how he won them...Hopefully he gets "back to business" next year or Gilbert will pass him.

 

[El Pistolero]

And an olympics. Thats big too. Probably better since he won his 5 in 3 different races.

I consider Roubaix too be more prestigious than Milan-San Remo. Though right now, Bettini has the upper hand because of the Olympics and the extra world title.

 

[Greenflame]

Voted for Cancellara, though it's hard to make a decision here. Bettini is a good candidate, but for me personally Roubaix and Flanders are more important than the Ardennes and Italian races.

Between Boonen and Cancellara it's still close, but personal favouritism and Cancellara's 2010 dominance led me to vote for him.

 

[El Pistolero]

Cancellara, mainly because he has won 3 different monuments, and because of how he won them...Hopefully he gets "back to business" next year or Gilbert will pass him.

Paolo Bettini:

2 Liège
2 Giri Lombardia
1 Milan-San Remo
1 Clasica San Sebastian
2 Zürich-Metzgete
2 World championships on the road
1 Olympic title on the road

Cancellara doesn't even come close. He has won 4 Monuments and not a single real classic besides those.

And I also think this is slightly better:

2 Giri Lombardia
1 Liège
2 Amstel Gold race
1 Flèche Wallonne
1 Clasica San Sebastian
2 Paris-Tours

 

[Havetts]

Bettini is the best for now, but if Gilbert rides even close to this year he'll overtake him soon.

 

[maltiv]

Paolo Bettini:

2 Liège
2 Giri Lombardia
1 Milan-San Remo
1 Clasica San Sebastian
2 Zürich-Metzgete
2 World championships on the road
1 Olympic title on the road

Cancellara doesn't even come close. He has won 4 Monuments and not a single real classic besides those.

Then why even have a thread about it? I agree that Bettini's palmares are better, but Cancellara's performances are historic. Attacking with 50k to go in P-R, as the clear favorite, and winning by 3 minutes...

 

[El Pistolero]

Then why even have a thread about it? I agree that Bettini's palmares are better, but Cancellara's performances are historic. Attacking with 50k to go in P-R, as the clear favorite, and winning by 3 minutes...

Paolo Bettini's Giro di Lombardia in 2006 is also historical, if not a lot more than anything Cancellara has done.

 

[jens_attacks]

no doubt gilbert will be the best of all

rebellin has a terrible consistency.and that's since 1993!

 

[Panda Claws]

I actually ran some math on this and if we consider this to be the 10 classics.

- The 5 Monuments
+

- San Sebastian
- Amstel
- Fleche Wallone
- Gent-Wevelgem
- Parijs-Tours

Then Gilbert wins and Boonen is a close second

BUT


This does not include world championships or the world cup races that were prestigious back then but suck now.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Without a more precise description or closer look, it is hard to pick a winner here.

Worlds ? I would consider this a classic. Or you mean monuments ?
We have cobbled races, we have hills, we have M-SR, Lombardy.
Also we need less focus on just winning. Top3 is also great, even Top10.

Ok, to make it short and ugly, brain outputs "Boonen" after a first quick look
I pick Boonen.
Because he won much, and competes in 4-5 of all the great "classics", and because in his prime, he even competed in the sprint/yellow/green jersey fight in 1-2 GTs.

 

[jamiephillips]

Museeuw? Ok most of his wins were in the 90's but he still won Paris-Roubaix twice in the 21st century.

 

[The Hitch]

Cancellara doesn't even come close. He has won 4 Monuments and not a single real classic besides those.

Eroica and E3 Prijs twice are pretty good.

 

[will10]

Eroica and E3 Prijs twice are pretty good.

Semi-classics.

 

[El Pistolero]

Eroica and E3 Prijs twice are pretty good.

Those are semi-classics. E3 Prijs will someday become a real classic perhaps, but not nearly there right now. I rank E3 Prijs about as high as the Brabantse Pijl.

Because if we include semi-classics Cancellara will lose out even more in this contest.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Tomeke Boonen!

 

[markene2]

Paolo Bettini. Enough said!