Best Climber (2000's)

[Dutchsmurf]

Once again a strange poll. Maybe when making polls you should try to keep your personal opinion out of it. There sure are some names on it that don't belong there. A guy that finishes 3rd or lower (Beloki) gets included, but the two that beat him uphill all the time (Ullrich and Armstrong) don't.
Then this is a poll about 10 years, yet you include a rider who was only really good in 1 year and totally useless after that (Mayo). And a rider like Piepoli doesn't belong there either, seeing as he often was riding for people climbing even better like Ricco. And you can't use doping as excuse not to include Ricco, seeing as they both got caught at the same time.

 

[galaxy1]

ludicrous poll, and ludicrous distinction about "pure climber".

it has to be armstrong. he dropped almost everyone on that list, on big mountains, in the biggest races, far more than any of them ever dropped him.
ullrich should probably be #2, even though he didn't accelerate repeatedly either and didn't win much.

 

[BullsFan22]

Tight race between Cav and Cancellara.

 

[simoni]

You just can't win a GT without being a "climber" of considerable strength. Surely every GT winner (certainly every TDF winner) deserveds consideration, especially someone who won in 7 times (and dominated the key mountaintop finishes in most of them). Excluding Armstrong is ludicrous.

WRT Rasmussen - was he really that good? Even Evans wasn't all that far behind him that year and its unlikely he'd make anyones top10.

 

[Scatto]

Simoni

Simoni, climbing is in his veins (pun not intended) and he presents himself as a leader, as a king in the mountains, even when princes stand up. He mostly failed in the Tour, but for climbers, the Giro is the place to be anyway.

 

[ttrider]

For me its close, Armstrong i think has to take it on consistency but in terms of peak nothing would touch super ivan in the 2006 Giro he was a monster like nothing else
Contador 3rd behind these two for me
Gave Basso the vote, i doubt there are any more naturally talented riders than him to be honest

 

[scribe]

I'm picking other. Nobody can climb, when it's summer, better than Floyd Landis.

 

[Rocksteady]

My Other was also in the Armstrong category. The fact that he was climbing so MUCH in the 2000s that persuaded my vote. While Pantani would be a good name to call out, the 2000s were his waining years. Also the fact that Armstrong came back as an old Geezer in 09 and still stayed near the front of the tour gave him extra points (He wasn't the best, but was the best Old Man on the MTs.)

 

[Climbing]

Probably Armstrong (especially for consistency), but Basso 2004, 2005 was as strong as he was.
Basso Jesus Reincarnated 2006... never saw anyone else that strong.

 

[DenisMenchov]

I'm picking other. Nobody can climb, when it's summer, better than Floyd Landis.

What about Rasmussen? Best climber ever, nowadays I think the best duo is Sella and Ricco.

 

[dlwssonic]

i agree with the rest no la. His 7 dominating victories are enough to prove it. But for the later part of this decade alberto takes the title. However for the overall decade lance takes it

 

[scribe]

What about Rasmussen? Best climber ever, nowadays I think the best duo is Sella and Ricco.

It was a very subtle attempt at tongue and cheek humor. FL's not really a mountain goat. Decent all around, but that's about it.

 

[El Pistolero]

Lance Armstrong, Contador and Andy Schleck are way above everyone else.

Yes, doping is still in the sport today, but at least we don't see a fat *** like Ullrich climbing with the best anymore. Owh, and Floyd has the biggest *** I've ever seen.

 

[scribe]

Floyd has the biggest...... lol hahahaha

 

[BeachBum]

Other-Armstrong.

If we went with favorite mountain stage for the decade, I'd pick the 2003 Giro stage 12 with Gibo winning on Zoncolan.

 

[Angliru]

Other-Armstrong.

If we went with favorite mountain stage for the decade, I'd pick the 2003 Giro stage 12 with Gibo winning on Zoncolan.

+1000

Great classic battle between Gibo, Garzelli and Pantani. If I recall correctly this was the final time we saw Pantani at least resembling the champion of old. That Giro cemented me as a Gibo fan for life. Simoni deserves consideration for winning stages on Zoncolan (twice), Angliru and Mt. Faron (in Paris-Nice).

 

[kurtinsc]

I'll go other with Lance.

We're ignoring extra-curriculars... and they guy was almost never outclimbed in an ascent that mattered at the biggest race of the year from 2000 to 2005. That's 6 years of keeping up/surpassing the top climbers. I have trouble remembering too many times where he cracked on a climb prior to his first retirement.

 

[The Hitch]

You know your poll has truly failed when, after 70 polls the winner is other

 

[Altitude]

You know your poll has truly failed when, after 70 polls the winner is other

Get over it