best descender

[Descender]

Are you the best, Descender?

Yes. Yes I am.

 

[ruamruam]

Yes. Yes I am.

But can you go down hills fast?

 

[SafeBet]

I'd love to see a DTT every now and then in GTs but some would argue they're too dangerous. I recently rewatched the Giro TT descending from the Poggio and it was undoubtedly great racing.

 

[Descender]

But can you go down hills fast?

Only if I'm fleeing from the police.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Most likely the best descender are the descenders we never get to see. Eg, the sprinters back in the peloton.

You can bet your *** that a guy like Mark Cavendish is a far more spectacular descender than Nibali.
It's logical too. Sprinters have to take a lot of time back in the descends to make the time cut.

 

[Frosty]

To be really good in bunch sprints you have to have nerves of steel and great bike handling skills, maybe also really enjoy going fast. Additionally you have to be able to corner fast, otherwise you can lose many places in the final few corners. Aside from needing to catch up lost ground on descents, it stands to reason that a sprinter would normally make a very good descender.

 

[Netserk]

I'd say Sagan.

I think he had the same time as Canc in the 2nd half of the 2012 Lugano prologue, which is descent + 1.8km of flat.

He also had the best time in the second split in this year's second ITT, but I doubt any of the other sprinters did their best.

SAGAN Peter11 CAN 0:06:48
KREUZIGER Roman94 TST 0:06:51
CURVERS Roy192 ARG 0:06:51
MOLLEMA Bauke164 BEL 0:06:55
FERRARI Roberto145 LAM 0:06:56
O'GRADY Stuart188 OGE 0:06:56
KITTEL Marcel197 ARG 0:06:57
KWIATKOWSKI Michal153 OPQ 0:06:57
PÉRAUD Jean-Christophe81 ALM 0:06:58
CONTADOR Alberto91 TST 0:07:03

Source

 

[brilleaben]

Elissonde.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Descender.

............

 

[Billie]

Sagan is definatly (and by far) the guy who dares to take most risks during a descent

 

[Broth3r]

This is only half-related, but I'm curious. Does anyone recall seeing any skilled descender getting some air and just carrying on?

 

[The Hitch]

A lot of riders possess great descending skills but you don't really see it apart form that one time.

Contador used to be seen as an average descender, and since then he hasn't made much of a case for himself either, but that 1 day in Pinerolo he blew the wheels off everyone. Made Cunego and Evans who were rated as world class descenders, look like they were going uphill, Samu who was at the time rated by many as the best descender in the world, barely missed a crash trying to keep up with him.

Arroyo also used to be in these polls all the time, because of that out of this world descent in the wet on Mortirolo.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I'd love to see a DTT every now and then in GTs but some would argue they're too dangerous. I recently rewatched the Giro TT descending from the Poggio and it was undoubtedly great racing.

Is this the one Roche won and then gave out yards about, saying the organisers were trying to get people killed?

 

[Pippo_San]

In that list the best are definitely Sagan and Cancellara when they want to go full out...in the Poggio descent at last year MSR Nibali was almost in trouble.

Moser is also known as a very good descender. Paolini definitely is a wonderful descender.

As said before many sprinters must be incredible descenders, but what do we know, never had a chance to really appreciate them. I recall some years ago Cipo saying they did crazy stuff on the descents.

 

[whittashau]

In that list the best are definitely Sagan and Cancellara when they want to go full out...in the Poggio descent at last year MSR Nibali was almost in trouble.

Moser is also known as a very good descender. Paolini definitely is a wonderful descender.

As said before many sprinters must be incredible descenders, but what do we know, never had a chance to really appreciate them. I recall some years ago Cipo saying they did crazy stuff on the descents.

In the TDF last year when Nibbles and Sagan went on attack it didn't look like Nibbles had any trouble keeping up with Sagan. In fact, Nibali was leading them down.

 

[SafeBet]

Is this the one Roche won and then gave out yards about, saying the organisers were trying to get people killed?

That's the one.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Elissonde.

lol he was truly awful wasn't he?

 

[personal]

Most likely the best descender are the descenders we never get to see. Eg, the sprinters back in the peloton.

You can bet your *** that a guy like Mark Cavendish is a far more spectacular descender than Nibali.
It's logical too. Sprinters have to take a lot of time back in the descends to make the time cut.

I think it is a myth.
They are probably very good, but not as guys on the front.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I think it is a myth.
They are probably very good, but not as guys on the front.

It's not a myth, they asked pro riders often who they think is a good descender and they always end up naming pure sprinters instead of Nibali, Cancellara etc.
Fex even crazy Kenny van Hummel is rated as a great descender

 

[Karl Max]

For me Savoldelli and Hushovd is the two greatest. Savoldelli was always a pleasure to watch in the giro and his skills was outstanding.
Hushovd is not so visable cause he is never in the front group. But when he go in breaks at the tour like the solo breake in the hunt for the green jersey in 2009 and not to forget his epic win on the 13 stage in 2011 you can see what he is capable of. This stage also shows his tactical abilitys on how to use his strength. The motorcyclist with the camera man had problems following Hushovd on the curves in this descent, and also commented on this after the stage.
Unfortunatly I can not finde some good videos if Hushovd descending.

 

[WillemS]

Good sprinters are excellent bike handlers, anyone who has ever watched from up close should realize that, and have strong set of nerves. Those two ingredients, combined with the need to make up time, make most of them at the least decent descenders. If they, on top of that, have good cornering skills, then they're probably even better than just decent.

Naming only those who descent in the spotlight of the camera's, is just a perfect example of the availability bias.

 

[Bushman]

Is this the one Roche won and then gave out yards about, saying the organisers were trying to get people killed?

I don't get this. How can riders complain that the organizers are putting in twisty descents? They are they so the skillful and brave riders can exploit the terrain. If you feel like it's too dangerous, you just go slowly. It's that simple really.

 

[Billie]

Anybody still remembers Cormet de Roseland in 2009? Hard rain, lots of attackers 1-2 minutes in front of the peloton at the top when Hushovd attacks. No clear images untill the end of the descent and suddenly Hushovd is alone in front

 

[velascoabuela]

Anybody still remembers Cormet de Roseland in 2009? Hard rain, lots of attackers 1-2 minutes in front of the peloton at the top when Hushovd attacks. No clear images untill the end of the descent and suddenly Hushovd is alone in front

That's who I thought of when I read the thread. That was an epic ride. The qualifier is "now" so it is Nibali who is awesome (Alberto, too).

 

[Arredondo]

Nibbles is not a good technical descender. He's just a guy who takes a lot of riks, and that's why he crashes rather frequently. I think Hushovd and Cancellara are really good descenders, just like Freddy Vichot back in the days.