Best climber

[marcantony]

When in top form who do you think is the best climber in the peloton? Contador, Igor Anton, Sastre, Basso or someone else?

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Contador
.

 

[theyoungest]

Graeme Brown.

 

[-shady-]

Pantani..


oh in the current peloton def pistola

 

[Moondance]

Contador. When he gets out of the saddles and goes into overdrive mode there's noone who can hold that wheel.

 

[Inner Peace]

Assuming they are both in top 'form' (we all know what 'form' means, don't we?) i'd give it to Ricco over Contador

Problem is tho, Ricco may never face Contador again unless The Cobra gets onto a higher level team for the Giro or Tour

That said, I actually prefer to watch Diesels grind out their pace on mountain stages - it's way more realistic of how the body is supposed to respond to an incline after 200km of racing...

 

[Shardi]

Contador.

He uses the whole body in a way that noone can match when out of saddle. Thus not burning out the quadriceps to the same extent as others. Combine that with an extremely light weight. Just unmatchable.

 

[theswordsman]

Contador. When he first started using the Specialized bike, he said that the extra stiffness would be really good for when he's out of the saddle on a climb. I haven't read anything about it since training camp, but at the time, Contador and his mechanic gave the engineers a lot of useful feedback that they expected to put into a new model for the TdF.

 

[issoisso]

Contador. He can hold the same pace as Andy Schleck over the length of a climb, but he can also accelerate in a short burst and gain a small advantage that Andy will never close.

 

[sartoris]

Alberto Contador!!!

 

[ttrider]

Contador by a mile then perhaps A schleck or Basso
Contadors acceleration is way better than anyones but when be burns everyone off the gap goes out so his total pace is miles ahead

 

[Christian]

Contador, then afterwards Andy, Frank and Ivan Basso on one level I'd say

 

[scribe]

Contador. When he gets out of the saddles and goes into overdrive mode there's noone who can hold that wheel.

yeah. Except for when the schleks are behind him. 'member the time he actually paced those brothers to their victory?

 

[theswordsman]

yeah. Except for when the schleks are behind him. 'member the time he actually paced those brothers to their victory?

Yep. Except the attack was the Schlecks idea. Stage 17 on Le Grande-Bornard. They tried to shake him, but couldn't. The next day he beat Cancellara and everyone else in an individual Time Trial with no race radio. He said afterward that he had intentionally taken it a bit easier the day before because he really wanted to win the TT in the maillot jaune. Race recap from Steephill.TV:

The two Schleck brothers attacked the field on the Col de Romme in a play for the stage victory and the general classification. They could not shake race leader Alberto Contador, who successfully defended his Yellow Jersey. But the two Schleck brothers now sit second and third in the general classification, while Lance Armstrong dropped to fourth and Bradley Wiggins fell to sixth.

http://www.steephill.tv/2009/tour-de-france/

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Contador. When he gets out of the saddles and goes into overdrive mode there's noone who can hold that wheel.

Le Mevel did hold his wheel for a full 20 meters in Paris Nice when Contador accelerated

anyway Contador, then A. Schleck, then a group of riders that are more less on the same level where daily form makes the difference

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

Graeme Brown.

You're a liar. It's Francesco Chicchi.

 

[SpartacusRox]

Possibly Contador but more likely it's one of the posters in the Clinic but they choose not to go to the dark side and so limit their chances

 

[tgsgirl]

You're a liar. It's Francesco Chicchi.

Surely it's gotta be Napolitano.

 

[Jamsque]

Mario Cipollini.

Even having been off the bike for a few years I'm sure he could outclimb anyone in the peloton.

 

[Parrot23]

You're a liar. It's Francesco Chicchi.

Wrong. It's Pat McQuaid when it comes to Mt. Conflict of Interest. Highest VAM by far.

 

[Publicus]

It very well could be Ricco, but I've never seen him and AC at full form in the same race. That being said, I don't know if Ricco has the right stuff (mentally) to be consistent with his climbing. Which leaves me with AC.

 

[issoisso]

Mario Cipollini.

Even having been off the bike for a few years I'm sure he could outclimb anyone in the peloton.

Joke all you want, but make no mistake: the guy could climb when he wanted to
He once did top 10 in a Giro mountain TT.

 

[42x16ss]

Wrong. It's Pat McQuaid when it comes to Mt. Conflict of Interest. Highest VAM by far.

I reckon Hein might be even better again

 

[Pantani_lives]

Michael Rasmussen?

 

[ericthesportsman6]

When in top form who do you think is the best climber in the peloton? Contador, Igor Anton, Sastre, Basso or someone else?

Why is Anton even in the disscussion? It's got to be Contador, but Pozzovivo is pretty damn fast as well. And maybe Ricco.