Best descender in the world

[Hawkwood]

Lemond was known as a good descender, as was Kelly. Kelly made a great final descent at MSM to catch up with Argentin!

I think Merckx did that twice in Milan San Remo. otherwise Indurain was an incredible when he wanted to be. French TV said did 120 kms on one TdF descent, and the footage showed Pantani and Virenque struggling to keep up (the former didn't) and both of them were good as well.

 

[The Hitch]

Alberto Contador Velasco.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

Alberto Contador Velasco.

C'mon, this tour has proven it's Thor.

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

We all know it is Cunego. All these retired guys that are being mentioned are too fat now to make it to the top of the hills.

 

[cineteq]

Other: Paolo Salvodelli

(You didn't specify past or present )

If Armstrong is there, then il falco is a must

 

[The Hitch]

C'mon, this tour has proven it's Thor.

Has it? He outdescended Moncoutie and Roy on Aubisque/

On 16 he got back to Hejsdal with Ebh but then stayed with them.

I think this Tous has proven its Nibali. he made both Evans in 10 and Contador in 11 look like poor descenders and these have been among the creme of descending this time round.

 

[Kopuliak]

btw i think peter sagan is actually quite good descender if you watch some of his videos...havent seen him on the road though

Sagan looks fantastic on a 7km long downhill finish in Stage 3 T d. Suisse 2011. He's definitely much faster than Cunego as you can see on this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtpQ_7Bj_YM

 

[180mmCrank]

The Italians are the best descenders... Cunego and Salvodelli

T

 

[UpTheRoad]

I voted Nibali, but I can see Cancellara getting the nod as well.

Nibali's descending skills provided the greatest unintentional comedy bit from the Paul Sherwen circus. The scene: 2009 TdF. Armstrong was descending the Columbiere and Sherwen is going on and on and on and on about how Armstrong is descending faster than a Stuka dive bomber. Nobody in the history of the world has descended a mountain faster.

How majestic and awe inspiring it was to see a certain Lance Armstrong rocketing down the mountain. The Schlecks and Contador, who were wayyyy ahead, should take a look behind and see Armstrong right there.

And then Nibali catches and passes.

Oops!

 

[Blakeslee]

Sagan looks fantastic on a 7km long downhill finish in Stage 3 T d. Suisse 2011. He was definitely much faster than Cunego as you can see on this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtpQ_7Bj_YM

That was an incredible performance by Sagan, that stage was one of my favorite races I've watched this year. I would also mention the descent Cancellara did in the time trial of that race, it was breathtaking watching the speed he was able to carry through all those corners.

 

[Ragerod]

Amongst the GC contenders Nibali's top dog but the guys we don't see remain unknowns. We caught a glimpse of sprinters' descending ability today when Farrar hit the front and took a 10-15 second gap over Voekler at the front of the peloton and was forced to wait. In the post-stage interview with Cavendish today he claimed they took approximately 3 minutes out of a guy that was voted one of the peloton's top descenders a while back.

So who knows? I expect Nibali to be as good as anyone technically but may lose a few seconds to the heavier sprinters and I'd like them to stick a camera at the back on Friday so we can see how quickly Cav & Co. descend the Galibier.

 

[Jakob747]

Toms Skujins without a doubt!

 

[spanky wanderlust]

my girlfriend. in a close contest with yo mama!

 

[LukeSchmid]

I voted Nibali, but I can see Cancellara getting the nod as well.

Nibali's descending skills provided the greatest unintentional comedy bit from the Paul Sherwen circus. The scene: 2009 TdF. Armstrong was descending the Columbiere and Sherwen is going on and on and on and on about how Armstrong is descending faster than a Stuka dive bomber. Nobody in the history of the world has descended a mountain faster.

How majestic and awe inspiring it was to see a certain Lance Armstrong rocketing down the mountain. The Schlecks and Contador, who were wayyyy ahead, should take a look behind and see Armstrong right there.

And then Nibali catches and passes.

Oops!

That was a classic. No sooner had he finished how good Armstrong was than Nibali comes flying up from Armstrong much, much quicker.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

i love that we can talk about descents again. when the gc race tightens up they become so important. watching savoldelli defend a closely fought giro victory by shaving critical seconds on the descent was just about as exciting as cycling gets.

i think nibali is great.

tom danielson, not so much.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

I voted Nibali, but I can see Cancellara getting the nod as well.

Nibali's descending skills provided the greatest unintentional comedy bit from the Paul Sherwen circus. The scene: 2009 TdF. Armstrong was descending the Columbiere and Sherwen is going on and on and on and on about how Armstrong is descending faster than a Stuka dive bomber. Nobody in the history of the world has descended a mountain faster.

How majestic and awe inspiring it was to see a certain Lance Armstrong rocketing down the mountain. The Schlecks and Contador, who were wayyyy ahead, should take a look behind and see Armstrong right there.

And then Nibali catches and passes.

Oops!

armstrong's bike handling skills are highly undervalued here. but yeah, nibali is an artist.

 

[benpounder]

Because today's syage is highlighted with a very long descent off the madeline I was wondering who do people think is the best desender in the wordl. Apologise if I miss anbody obvious pick for the poll.

Dude, are you drunk? No worries, for a number of my late night posts (late night for here in US mountain time) are... aided.

Paolo Savoldelli is the best road cyclist to ever descend. Well, except for me. But I'd have to have 164% of his climbing abilities to be considered in the equation.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

i propose a 15km downhill time trial next year to settle this once and for all!

 

[spanky wanderlust]

The Italians are the best descenders... Cunego and Salvodelli

T

why cunego?

 

[UpTheRoad]

Dude, are you drunk? No worries, for a number of my late night posts (late night for here in US mountain time) are... aided.

Paolo Savoldelli is the best road cyclist to ever descend. Well, except for me. But I'd have to have 164% of his climbing abilities to be considered in the equation.

This thread was bumped from a long way back, so ACF was discussing descenders in the context of the 2010 TdF, not 2011.

Greg LeMond was rumored to have had an amazing descent after his flat while chasing Chiappucci in 1990. His teammates who had dropped back to help him rejoin said they were visibly shaken by the ordeal and that GL took some unbelievable risks at an insane speed.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'll vote for Thor as well. It's been said many times that sprinters make great descenders. More body mass, fearless, fast twitch muscles, reflexes, etc.

As far as the GC guys over the last few years, Salvodelli, sure. They didn't call him the Falcon for nothing.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

i propose a 15km downhill time trial next year to settle this once and for all!

They did that in the 1980s. Stephen Roche won. And then he gave an extremely angry interview where he said that the organisers were trying to get somebody killed.

 

[Sidbike]

Other: Paolo Salvodelli

(You didn't specify past or present )

my vote also

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I see Kristin Armstrong has one vote

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

As far as the GC guys over the last few years, Salvodelli, sure. They didn't call him the Falcon for nothing.

Savoldelli created his own nickname, much like Ricco and George Costanza.