Best rider of this year (2012)?

[Angliru]

____
сontador

Always the contrarian. When I first saw you were posting I was expecting you to say Andy.

 

[Kwibus]

I'm not going to vote. All 3 were exceptional in their own way.
My heart goes out to Purito and Boonen. Wiggins was absolutely formidable this year, but he won it by riding a smashing TT and then following wheels. This will never appeal to me. Nevertheless he had an magnificent season.

Most of all I wanted to post here, because I had a good laugh when woodenswam and Mubiro were accusing Libertine of trolling.

Specially loved it because LS was always posting and responding to their posts in a very civilized/rational way and then they replied with "OMG YOUR TROLLING".

I really enjoyed that. I'm sure LS was a bit like this when the accusations started.

 

[The Hitch]

Apparently you have never come across the ardent Vino fans on this forum. Vino is a favorite and appears in every poll. .

It was actually that i was doing a poll cant remember what, where vino was a feasable option but not a main 1, so just put him in together with other as "other/vino".

Then in another poll i did some months later about the most entertaining stage of the year i wrote as hte final option "other", but the computer remembering the option from months before autofilled it "other/vino" as i pressed submit.

Could a mod please change "Other/Vino" to just "other". I think it was autofill that did that.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=15886

After than some other poster thought it was a trend and posted vino/other as an option in some other poll and from then on when people see it they think its a trend and post it.

 

[ferryman]

Wiggins of course.

Of course, that is why 60% have voted for some else.

 

[brilleaben]

Wigans was lucky, Purito/Boonen was best.

 

[Richeypen]

Wigans was lucky, Purito/Boonen was best.

Wiggins was lucky? Care to elaborate?

 

[El Pistolero]

Wiggins was lucky? Care to elaborate?

Tour de France 2010:

Alberto Contador
Andy Schleck
Denis Menchov
Samuel Sanchez

Tour de France 2011:

Cadel Evans
Andy Schleck
Frank Schleck

 

[woodenswan]

woodenswam

thought i was more elaborate than "omg your trolling"
whatever
i very rarely get worked up over anything, still, the vos posts of ls seem to do the trick for some reason

Mr Hitchens? who's your rider of the year?

 

[Pricey_sky]

Tour de France 2010:

Alberto Contador
Andy Schleck
Denis Menchov
Samuel Sanchez

Tour de France 2011:

Cadel Evans
Andy Schleck
Frank Schleck

None of these riders I've highlighted had a chance of beating Wiggins this year. (Menchov LOL) You should have just replied with Bertie and Andy although one was out of form and probably wouldn't have won even if he had been fit and the other was not allowed to race as he had been caught cheating, Both not Wiggins fault.

 

[Afrank]

I'm not going to vote. All 3 were exceptional in their own way.
My heart goes out to Purito and Boonen. Wiggins was absolutely formidable this year, but he won it by riding a smashing TT and then following wheels. This will never appeal to me. Nevertheless he had an magnificent season.

Good post Kwibus, I agree

It was actually that i was doing a poll cant remember what, where vino was a feasable option but not a main 1, so just put him in together with other as "other/vino".

Then in another poll i did some months later about the most entertaining stage of the year i wrote as hte final option "other", but the computer remembering the option from months before autofilled it "other/vino" as i pressed submit.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=15886

After than some other poster thought it was a trend and posted vino/other as an option in some other poll and from then on when people see it they think its a trend and post it.

I always wondered how the other/vino first started .

 

[El Pistolero]

None of these riders I've highlighted had a chance of beating Wiggins this year. (Menchov LOL) You should have just replied with Bertie and Andy although one was out of form and probably wouldn't have won even if he had been fit and the other was not allowed to race as he had been caught cheating, Both not Wiggins fault.

Actually Contador never got sentenced for doping.

Wiggins was lucky, weakest Tour since years. Before this year people would have laughed at the thought of Wiggins winning the Tour, just saying. Andy would've attacked during the mountains and Wiggins would've been dropped forcing Froome to either follow or stay with him.

And he also lucked out big time on the easiest Tour route since years.

 

[ferryman]

None of these riders I've highlighted had a chance of beating Wiggins this year. (Menchov LOL) You should have just replied with Bertie and Andy although one was out of form and probably wouldn't have won even if he had been fit and the other was not allowed to race as he had been caught cheating, Both not Wiggins fault.

So a Wiggins fan has gone so far up his own that he can LOL at Menchov And just dis Evans and Sanchez like Wiggins had owned them before his miraculous 2012 season. No wonder the guy is disliked with **** comments and **** fans like this.

Of course it's not Wiggins's fault a fit AS and AC were not there but he sure was freeking lucky they weren't. Comprende?

 

[Pricey_sky]

So a Wiggins fan has gone so far up his own that he can LOL at Menchov And just dis Evans and Sanchez like Wiggins had owned them before his miraculous 2012 season. No wonder the guy is disliked with **** comments and **** fans like this.

Of course it's not Wiggins's fault a fit AS and AC were not there but he sure was freeking lucky they weren't. Comprende?

To be fair this post is rider of the year is it not? My point is that you cant compare years gone by when it is only this season. Sanchez, Menchov, Evans ect had no chance of beating Wiggins this year that was the point I was making.

I have no doubt whatsoever that Contador would have beat Wiggins this year had he been there and Froome would have had to have gone after him but the fact is Contador wasnt there.

My lol at Menchov was just aimed at his form at the Tour where i failed to notice him more than a couple of times.

 

[The Hitch]

thought i was more elaborate than "omg your trolling"
whatever
i very rarely get worked up over anything, still, the vos posts of ls seem to do the trick for some reason

Mr Hitchens? who's your rider of the year?

Purito for me. I was really happy to see him win Fleche and really surprised by his ability to contend for gts, as i thought he always cracked at some point, and holding onto the jersey through those 3 brutal giro stages, even winning 1 of them was extremely surprising.

But even then i wouldnt have said Purito. I wouldnt even have said Purito if he had won Lombardia in a sprint.

But to win Lombardia by holding a 10 second lead over 9k of flat and descent, to 4 chasing riders, that wins it for me.

 

[The Hitch]

To be fair this post is rider of the year is it not? My point is that you cant compare years gone by when it is only this season. Sanchez, Menchov, Evans ect had no chance of beating Wiggins this year that was the point I was making.

I have no doubt whatsoever that Contador would have beat Wiggins this year had he been there and Froome would have had to have gone after him but the fact is Contador wasnt there.

My lol at Menchov was just aimed at his form at the Tour where i failed to notice him more than a couple of times.

Menchov is past it, and probably Cadel but i dont think its a done deal that Evans on 2011 form would have lost to wiggins. Of course newspapers here said in 2011 that wiggins would have won that tour too if he hadnt crashed, so i see many hold a different opinion.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Actually Contador never got sentenced for doping.

Wiggins was lucky, weakest Tour since years. Before this year people would have laughed at the thought of Wiggins winning the Tour, just saying. Andy would've attacked during the mountains and Wiggins would've been dropped forcing Froome to either follow or stay with him.

And he also lucked out big time on the easiest Tour route since years.

Would Andy have beaten Wiggins this year? I'm not so sure with the amount of TT's involved. I couldn't see him pulling out a huge lead in the mountains perhaps 30/40 seconds here or there. Obviously Contdor would have been different as he is not too far of Wiggins in the TT and would take lots of time in mountains.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Menchov is past it, and probably Cadel but i dont think its a done deal that Evans on 2011 form would have lost to wiggins. Of course newspapers here said in 2011 that wiggins would have won that tour too if he hadnt crashed, so i see many hold a different opinion.

I don't buy into the rubbish thats printed in the newspapers over here to be honest. I believe Wiggins could have finished on the podium in 2011 but i dont think he'd have won it.

 

[The Hitch]

Would Andy have beaten Wiggins this year? I'm not so sure with the amount of TT's involved. I couldn't see him pulling out a huge lead in the mountains perhaps 30/40 seconds here or there. Obviously Contdor would have been different as he is not too far of Wiggins in the TT and would take lots of time in mountains.

Im surprised to see you underesell wiggins there. he probably would have taken minutes from Contador in the tts. Still would have lost the Tour, but I think on a 50k flat tt it wouldnt be out of the question to see Wiggins take 2 minutes.

 

[Richeypen]

So a Wiggins fan has gone so far up his own that he can LOL at Menchov And just dis Evans and Sanchez like Wiggins had owned them before his miraculous 2012 season. No wonder the guy is disliked with **** comments and **** fans like this.

Of course it's not Wiggins's fault a fit AS and AC were not there but he sure was freeking lucky they weren't. Comprende?

Just like Boonen was lucky with Canc, or Jrod with Gilbert at Lombardia. To win you have to have luck running with you, its all part of the sport. Dominate when the luck is on your side because when it goes against you its a absolute *****. Just look at Boonen and Wiggins last year.

Also I'm not sure that someone being banned counts as luck. Froome puncturing on the other hand was very lucky on Wiggins' behalf.

 

[El Pistolero]

Just like Boonen was lucky with Canc, or Jrod with Gilbert at Lombardia. To win you have to have luck running with you, its all part of the sport. Dominate when the luck is on your side because when it goes against you its a absolute *****. Just look at Boonen and Wiggins last year.

Also I'm not sure that someone being banned counts as luck. Froome puncturing on the other hand was very lucky on Wiggins' behalf.

Boonen won 7 Monuments and 1 WC.

Wiggins won 'only' one Tour so far. That's the difference, Boonen has been a superstar in his races for 7 years now. He has proven himself year after year that he has what it takes. Wiggins hasn't. If he comes back next year and defeats everyone again then people will stop calling it lucky.

 

[The Hitch]

Boonen won 7 Monuments and 1 WC.

Wiggins won 'only' one Tour so far. That's the difference, Boonen has been a superstar in his races for 7 years now. He has proven himself year after year that he has what it takes. Wiggins hasn't. If he comes back next year and defeats everyone again then people will stop calling it lucky.

Even so, if Canc hadnt have crashed Boonen would not have the record for Flanders and Roubaix. He would have had 2 and 3, but 2 and 3 is not the record, and its that record that makes his name ring out, just like the Tour for wiggins.

 

[ferryman]

Im surprised to see you underesell wiggins there. he probably would have taken minutes from Contador in the tts. Still would have lost the Tour, but I think on a 50k flat tt it wouldnt be out of the question to see Wiggins take 2 minutes.

I seriously doubt it if we are talking about a fully fit Contandor. And I would turn it around completely if it was at the back end of a 3 week tour. But as we all know after this year and Sky things are 'NOT NORMAL'

 

[El Pistolero]

Even so, if Canc hadnt have crashed Boonen would not have the record for Flanders and Roubaix. He would have had 2 and 3, but 2 and 3 is not the record, and its that record that makes his name ring out, just like the Tour for wiggins.

How do you know Cancellara would have beaten him in the Ronde and or Roubaix? Not sure if you noticed but Boonen was very strong in Roubaix.

2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 were editions where Boonen was clearly stronger than Cancellara in both Roubaix and the Ronde. In 2006 he was also clearly stronger in the Ronde and the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen.

Boonen has lost many races because of bad luck or tactics, so it evens out. He crashed at the beginning of the 2007 Ronde van Vlaanderen, his team-mate won the Ronde in 2008-2009 thanks to Boonen's presence. Pippo and everyone else kept marking Boonen. In 2011 he ****ed up big time, but could've won if you saw his final surge(doesn't mean he was the strongest man in the race of course. Cancellara lost that particular edition because he attacked too soon.).

In Roubaix 2007 Boonen was the strongest man in the race, but his team was too weak that year and couldn't control the peloton which led to a large breakaway getting away. In 2011 he was forced to abandon because of mechanicals and crashes.

Besides, Boonen was already a big name before this year, so your point is moot. He's also the record holder at the E3 Harelbeke and Gent-Wevelgem by the way. Of course he's a bigger name in the history of cycling now he's the record holder of all the cobbled classics. But Wiggins had won zero big races before this year. If Wiggins can repeat this year he will have proven he's not a "fluke". That's my whole point.

 

[Parrulo]

Even so, if Canc hadnt have crashed Boonen would not have the record for Flanders and Roubaix. He would have had 2 and 3, but 2 and 3 is not the record, and its that record that makes his name ring out, just like the Tour for wiggins.

you talk as if it's an absolutely guaranteed that canc would have beaten boonen which is pretty much pathetic. i am fairly inclined to say that despite the image you try to portrait of yourself of the ultimate cycling encyclopedia you haven't actually watched any classic before 2010.

Canc only had 1 year where both him and boonen were in top shape and canc was clearly stronger and that wast in 2010 every other year since both hit the scene around 2004 (they have less then 1 year of age difference) it has been either boonen being stronger on most occasions or them being equal.

 

[El Pistolero]

Boonen was a domestique for Johan Museeuw in 2004 Paris-Roubaix/Ronde though.