Best ever single season by a rider?

[blackmamba]

Re: Re:

Maby not the best but deserves to be mentioned since it was historic and never before done.

Tom Boonen 2012!!

That Boonen wasn't that strong except for in PR.

In E3 and Gent he won a sprint, good but not insane and in the Ronde he was the 2nd (maybe even 3rd best) rider.

In '07 i thought Boonen was pretty good. Winning 2 stages in the tour (and the green), also DVV, E3 and KBK. In the Ronde he had an off day (also crashed early), but in PR he was easily the strongest rider. Of course not even close to an amazing season but still, not bad at all.

I thought Canc '08 was pretty insane, maybe even the best we've seen of him. What he did there in the olympic RR was amazing.

Hence why I wrote maby not the best but its still historic and never before done ever so it deserves honor even tho it wasnt won in the most fashionable way. Still a feat in the highest regards possible!

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Maby not the best but deserves to be mentioned since it was historic and never before done.

Tom Boonen 2012!!

That Boonen wasn't that strong except for in PR.

In E3 and Gent he won a sprint, good but not insane and in the Ronde he was the 2nd (maybe even 3rd best) rider.

In '07 i thought Boonen was pretty good. Winning 2 stages in the tour (and the green), also DVV, E3 and KBK. In the Ronde he had an off day (also crashed early), but in PR he was easily the strongest rider. Of course not even close to an amazing season but still, not bad at all.

I thought Canc '08 was pretty insane, maybe even the best we've seen of him. What he did there in the olympic RR was amazing.

Are you serious!? Wasn't that strong?! Name me one rider who did the same thing! What was he supposed to do, drop everyone 50km from the finish in every race, just for you to call him strong enough!!! What a bunch of crap! The guy tells that it's historic, and never done before, and that's exactly that!

 

[Miburo]

Go watch the races again, pozzatto was better than him in the RVV. In PR he was obviously the strongest but i never argued that did I?

What's your exact problem with my statement? That his victories in E3, GW en RVV weren't that impressive? Watch the race.

Maybe for you it's not important but the manner in how you win the race is for me a factor into deciding the best single season.

 

[Cannibal72]

Boonen 2012 was incredibly strong - and not just in Roubaix - but Boonen 2005 wasn't just dominant on the pavé, he was probably the best sprinter in the world. The Worlds win easily compensates for not taking G-W, while he also won 2 stages of the Tour and 2 stages of Paris-Nice. For me, his 2005 season is second only to Gilbert 2011 this milennium.

 

[Mr.White]

So why didn't he won then? Why didn't he drop Boonen if he was the strongest? Race isn't a pulling contest you know... Maybe that wins were not impressive to you, but to me impressive was the fact that he won all four major cobble classics of the year, which no one did before of after!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Boonen 2012 was incredibly strong - and not just in Roubaix - but Boonen 2005 wasn't just dominant on the pavé, he was probably the best sprinter in the world. The Worlds win easily compensates for not taking G-W, while he also won 2 stages of the Tour and 2 stages of Paris-Nice. For me, his 2005 season is second only to Gilbert 2011 this milennium.

Yep, the Gilbert season also stands out for me as the best since I didn't watch cycling in 05. Contador 2009 was pretty good, but he didn't attempt the Vuelta, otherwise it would be a good candidate to challenge the Gilbert-season. No doubt he was a monster that year, tho. Valverde's 2015 was super good, but lacks wins. Wiggo 2012 was a little more dominant than Alberto 2009, but that I will credit to extremely weak opponents, super strong team and a dull TdF-route.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Great thread, great posts. There has to be a Bernard Hinault entry, and I had many years to choose from. Some may disagree with the choice, but IMO, the '80 vintage was particularly great.

In '80, Hinault and his DS Guimard were going for the triple-crown, Giro-TdF-WC. The season began with one of the greatest monument wins even, the classic '80 LBL. Other results's worth noting: 3rd at the FW, 4th at PR, and 5th at the AGR. Then Hinault went on to win the Tour de Romandie. In the Giro, The Badger triumphed with style, including one stage win marked by his devastating attack on the slopes of the Stelvio. Unfortunately for him, Hinault DNS stage 13 at the TdF, while in yellow, after 3 stage wins. The French press was all over him, his detractors called him "soft" (ironic, weeks after his display of guts and b@lls in LBL). Hinault came back to crush opposition and win the rainbow jersey. Also, 15 wins in smaller races.

His 1979 was also really strong.

Tour de France with seven stage wins, Flèche Wallonne, Lombardia, Dauphiné Liberé. 36 wins this season.

Merckx 1970 for me. Winning 52 races out of 138 starts is insane.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

I agree on the Cav vs Cipo debate. That MSR sprint in 2009 is my favourite bunch sprint of all time

Cavendish had no right to close down that gap to Haussler and take that sprint. Incredible win

Yes, Haussler was the "moral winner".

 

[Mozart92]

Boonen 2012 was incredibly strong - and not just in Roubaix - but Boonen 2005 wasn't just dominant on the pavé, he was probably the best sprinter in the world. The Worlds win easily compensates for not taking G-W, while he also won 2 stages of the Tour and 2 stages of Paris-Nice. For me, his 2005 season is second only to Gilbert 2011 this milennium.

Best sprinter in the world in 2005? You forgot about Petacchi, go rewatch the Milan-Sanremo that year.

Although if we do not count the cannibal then Boonen 2005 is still a good candidate.

Pantani 1998 was also great, the last Giro-Tour double.

 

[skidmark]

Re: Re:

If any season from post 2000 is in for consideration it's Gilbert in 2011.

Wiggins 2012 shouldn't even be up for debate. Yes he won 3 WT stage races and he won the Tour, all of these were very tt heavy, with flattish climbs where his ridiculously strong team could drag him him to the top. Won the Tour, but his best competitor had to ride for him.

I think that Boonen's 2012 season deserves a mentioning as well if we're discussing this era.

I suppose one could brush Boonen's season aside by the same dismissive brush strokes as Wiggins - "well he was fast in the finale and could accelerate on cobbles, and had a good two weeks". I think both seasons were amazing, to be clear, I'm just saying it's silly to me to dismiss Wiggins' 2012 based on his TT abilities as TTing is a pretty key part of the sport. What's more amazing is that, in terms of accumulated top achievements, Purito's 2012 was better than both of them, but has much less luster because he didn't win everything, he just led the Vuelta and Giro forever and lost both in agonizing fashion.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

Honorable mention to Merckx '74. Triple Crown and all.

Merckx '70 is yet to be mentioned as well

1st Paris-Nice
1st Gent-Wevelgem
3rd Ronde van Vlaanderen
1st Paris-Roubaix
1st Flèche Wallonne
1st Giro d'Italia
3 stages in the Giro d'Italia
1st Tour de France
8 stages in the Tour de France

How about a bad year for Eddy : '67

26 wins including the RRWC, MSR, GW, FW. 2 stages in the Giro (9th - GC). 2 stages in Paris Nice (10th - GC), Criterium des As and Trofeo Baracchi.
Placings include 2nd at LBL, 3rd at RVV, 6th at GDL, 8th at PR...

 

[skidmark]

When I got into cycling ten years or so ago I saw this all-time ranking on the site cycling4all (which shut down not soon after that) that was kind of like a proto-CQ but only scored the major races. Out of interest I have sort of kept track every year with the same scoring system. Anyway, the rankings had a summary of the top seasons, and most of them were before my time, but I thought it might be interesting to list them as they mention a bunch of seasons that haven't been talked about here - I don't have time or knowledge to summarize any of them, but if anyone wants to use them as a starting point to learn more, dig in.

A couple of things: 1) the rankings value consistent placings more than one might like if one thinks that winning is the key component of greatness, so guys like Purito/Valverde/Rebellin are given higher overall rankings than lots of people here would give them (although only one individual season for any of them is on this list); 2) This season list really puts into perspective how much better Merckx was than any other cyclist, ever, or maybe how much better than anyone in his given sport he was, ever; 3) The highest scoring season is one that hasn't even been mentioned!

1 Merckx Eddy 1973
2 Merckx Eddy 1972
3 Merckx Eddy 1970
4 Merckx Eddy 1974
5 Merckx Eddy 1971
6 Merckx Eddy 1969
7 Maertens Freddy 1976
8 Jalabert Laurent 1995
9 Merckx Eddy 1975
10 Maertens Freddy 1977
11 Kelly Sean 1986
12 Roche Stephen 1987
13 Hinault Bernard 1979
14 Kelly Sean 1984
15 Moser Francesco 1978
16 Indurain Miguel 1992
17 Ocana Luis 1973
18 Coppi Fausto 1949
19 Rodriguez Joaquim 2012
20 Hinault Bernard 1981
21 De Vlaeminck Roger 1975
22 Hinault Bernard 1982
23 Coppi Fausto 1952
24 Hinault Bernard 1978
25 Bugno Gianni 1990
26 Saronni Guiseppe 1979
27 Zoetemelk Joop 1979
28 Fignon Laurent 1989
29 Binda Alfredo 1927
30 Anquetil Jacques 1961

 

[Cannibal72]

Well, Merckx's 1973 was pretty mediocre. He only won the Giro and the Vuelta (the first rider ever to do so, and even more impressive back when the Vuelta was in April/May), the points classifications of both, 5 stages of the Giro, and 6 stages of the Vuelta. He won Omloop Het Volk, Gent-Wevelgem, Amstel Gold, Liege-Bastoge-Liege, Roubaix, Paris-Brussels, the GP des Nations, and the Trofeo Lagueglia. That's not to mention the Tour of Sardinia, prestigious back then, when it actually existed, the overall of Fourmies, and a stage of Paris-Nice. And he was gracious enough to leave the Tour for the great Ocaña!

Edit: oh for god's sake, the second time I've made a post in this thread replicated by the post above!

Edit 2: actually, the great Ocaña's 1973 season (17th above) is worth considering. Second in the Vuelta, victory in Pais Vasco, bronze in the Worlds, and a Tour performance so dominant that even Merckx said he'd have struggled.

 

[Red Rick]

Man cycling was crazy in the 70s and 80s. They literally rode everything.

What did a top riders calendar look like?

 

[Jakub]

Wow, I am so glad, that I didn't live then and that those times are over. To watch someone who has a clear advantage to the others win everything would be as boring as football.

 

[Sciocco]

Lance 2001.

 

[jsem94]

Re:

Lance 2001.

not sure if srs

 

[GuyIncognito]

Most people's amazing years have been listed, here's the only ones that come to mind that haven't been mentioned so far:

Tony Rominger 1994

Vuelta Valenciana - 3rd Overall
Paris-Nice - Overall win + 1 stage
Critérium International - 2nd Overall
Vuelta al País Vasco - Overall win + 2 stages
Liège-Bastogne-Liège - 6th
Vuelta a España - Overall win + 6 stages
GP Telekom duo TT - 1st with Jens Lehman
GP Breitling - 1st
GP Eddy Merckx - 1st
Josef Vögeli Memorial - 1st
Grand Prix des Nations - 1st
Escalada a Montjuich - 1st + 2 stages
Increased Induráin's World Hour Record of 53.040 to set a 53.832km
Further increased World Hour Record to 55.291km
1994 UCI World Ranking - 1st


Rik van Looy 1959

Giro di Sardegna - Overall + 3 stages
Vuelta a Levante (Valenciana) - 1st Overall + 3 stages
Ronde van Vlaanderen - 1st
Paris-Roubaix - 4th
Vuelta a España - 3rd Overall + 4 stages + Points classification
GP Lérida - 1st
Clásica de Triana - 1st
Giro d'Italia - 4th Overall + 4 stages (would've won the points if that classification existed)
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen – 1st
Paris–Tours - 1st
GP Stad Vilvoorde - 1ston
Giro di Lombardia - 1st

 

[Cannibal72]

Wow, I am so glad, that I didn't live then and that those times are over. To watch someone who has a clear advantage to the others win everything would be as boring as football.

But Ocaña and Fuente were all time greats, who often pushed Merckx to his limit.

 

[Billie]

VDB


Results:
wins Marseille
wins Omloop
wins paris-Nice stage (4th overal)
2nd in de Ronde
7th in Roubaix (first participation)
wins Liege
2 Vuelta stages.
7th at the worlds

But was easily the strongest in de Ronde, LBL and the worlds and would have won all three if not for unfortunate crashes.

He scored many more victories at night ofcourse

3 iconic moments in one year:
- with Bartoli on la Redoute
- Dropping everyone on Saint-Nicolas right where he had told it would happen a couple days earlier
- navamoral with all those climbers dying in his wheel

All while being suspended for four months in the middle of the season

_0_

 

[mortand]

Although perhaps not Merckx'ian levels, Maurizio Fondriest had a pretty spectacular 1993:

World Cup
Milano-San Remo
Fleche Wallonne
Meisterschaft von Zürich
Giro dell'Emilia
Firenze-Pistoia
Grand Prix Telecom (with Bugno)
Tirreno-Adriatico GC + two stages
Giro del Trentino GC + three stages
Escalada Montjuich GC + two stages
A stage in Giro d'Italia
Stages in Volta Catalunya, Ruta del Sol, etc.

2nd Paris-Tours
3rd Liege-Bastogne-Liege
3rd Leeds Classic
4th Amstel Gold Race
5th World Championship RR
7th Grand Prix des Nations
8th Ronde Van Vlaanderen
8th Clasica San Sebastian
8th in Giro d'Italia

Massive season!

 

[luckyboy]

Re:

VDB


Results:
wins Marseille
wins Omloop
wins paris-Nice stage (4th overal)
2nd in de Ronde
7th in Roubaix (first participation)
wins Liege
2 Vuelta stages.
7th at the worlds

But was easily the strongest in de Ronde, LBL and the worlds and would have won all three if not for unfortunate crashes.

He scored many more victories at night ofcourse

3 iconic moments in one year:
- with Bartoli on la Redoute
- Dropping everyone on Saint-Nicolas right where he had told it would happen a couple days earlier
- navamoral with all those climbers dying in his wheel

All while being suspended for four months in the middle of the season

_0_

I spent hours earlier this week reading through cyclingnews archive news reports and watching the old videos of VDB's wins.
Really sad thinking about how things could've been.

There's nothing like VDB on the Avila stage in cycling.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Lance 2001.

Lance could never compete with anyone when it came to having a great season. He was too focused on the Tour.

 

[42x16ss]

1992 Miguel Indurain deserves a mention:

1º.- Tour de France
1º.- Giro d'Italia
1º.- Spanish National Champs
3º.- París-Nice
2º.- Tour de Romandie
3º.- Tour de l'Oise
1º.- Volta a Cataluña

As do 2008 and 2009 Contador, along with 2010 Cancellara

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Stephen Roche 1987

Wins -
Giro D'Italia (including 3 stage wins)
Tour De France (including 2 stage wins)
World RR Championship
(Triple Crown)

1st Overall Tour de Romandie - (1st Stages 5a & 5b (ITT)
Ist Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana - (1st Stage 4 (ITT)



2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
2nd Overall Critérium International
2nd Overall Tour of Ireland

1st Stage 7b (ITT) Paris–Nice & 4th overall

I think that one is very hard to beat. Of course most of Eddy Merckx's pro years were also great. Gilbert the best recent one in 2011.