Best rider of this year (2012)?

[Netserk]

Are we talking about the 2009 where Cav podiumed the Giro and Vuelta, or the 2009 that actually happened?

I don't consider 2nd or 3rd places to be important.

 

[JRanton]

Slightly contradictory post there.

For most of the Giro, Purito held the leaders' jersey, and then he lost it. That is why you attack in the leaders' jersey - because someone might take time on you another day. Considering how dominant Sky in general and Wiggins and Froome in particular were, the margin of victory wasn't that big. I also believe that the reason Purito rode the way he did was because he is quite a limited bike rider. He has one huge talent - that uphill kick for 500m-1000m, other than that he can't really dominate other overall contenders. It seems like he has decided that if he is to win a GT, it will be by doing what he does best, not by trying to be a rider that he isn't.

@OP. For me, it's a really tough question. There are obvious answers if you believe classics are more important, stage races are more important or if you think that being good in both is very important. I would probably go with Boonen, because I like classics more than stage races (a lot more than 1-week races Brad wins) and I think winning is really important.

Excuse me?

Wiggins finished 6'19 ahead of the best non-Sky rider and 10'15 ahead of the second best one. That sure as hell looks like a pretty big margin of victory to me.

 

[airstream]

____
сontador

 

[LaFlorecita]

____
сontador

Yes indeed

 

[oldcrank]

Obviously Wiggins. Won the most important race and
added an Olympic Gold, as well as enough other wins
(i.e. not 2nds or 3rds) to make him clearly the best.
Not even close.

 

[maltiv]

Wiggins season is one of the all-time best in terms of both stage racing and ITT. I don't like him either, but his year has been completely outstanding. Better than any season Contador has ever had (in terms of results). I don't get how Rodriguez can be ahead in this poll. If he had won the Vuelta, then maybe...

 

[Yamato]

Wiggins and Vos.

 

[ferryman]

Wiggins season is one of the all-time best in terms of both stage racing and ITT. I don't like him either, but his year has been completely outstanding. Better than any season Contador has ever had (in terms of results). I don't get how Rodriguez can be ahead in this poll. If he had won the Vuelta, then maybe...

I favour Bertie's 2008 season personally.

 

[Yamato]

I don't understand why people keep hammering this. Purito was the best, because he achieved the most with his limited skills and sometimes subpar team. That's why he's the best rider of the year.

With limited skills and ability Purito has done the unthinkable and manage to podium 2 GT's in one year.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

How does this make sense?

Obviously it doesn't if you just cite the first sentence of the paragraphe, but not the rest of the paragraphe where I explain it................

 

[Bavarianrider]

Boonen and Wiggins on the same level imo

The biggest winner is Vino, though

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

Let's see...

J-Rod: The world's best puncheur on steep climbs and a world class cllimber.

Wiggins: The world's best TT'er and a world class climber.

Seems like a tough one! Now, let's have a look at their victories in 2012.

J-Rod: Fleche, Lombardia and a bunch of stage wins.

Brad: P-N, Romandie, Dauphiné, TdF, the olympic TT and a bunch of stage wins.

Yeah, this is a tough one...

 

[cineteq]

I don't get how Rodriguez can be ahead in this poll. If he had won the Vuelta, then maybe...

I guess members are very knowledgable.

 

[Dedelou]

I guess members are very knowledgable.

"Originally Posted by maltiv View Post
I don't get how Rodriguez can be ahead in this poll. If he had won the Vuelta, then maybe..."
I voted Purito even though it was close call with Wiggins.. The difference for me is simple: Wiggins won most races when Contador was Not riding. Rodriguess did better against the real champ

 

[Afrank]

Wiggins season is one of the all-time best in terms of both stage racing and ITT. I don't like him either, but his year has been completely outstanding. Better than any season Contador has ever had (in terms of results). I don't get how Rodriguez can be ahead in this poll. If he had won the Vuelta, then maybe...

Wiggins never really had to fight hard to win the tour and other stage races this season, in the tour there really wasn't anyone that was able to attack Wiggins and the Sky train and make them dig deep to preserve Wiggins lead. Plus all the other really good TT specialists like Martin and Cancellara had seasons plagued with injury making it easy for Wiggins to win the Olympic TT and all the other TT's in stage races.

Rodriguez on the other hand had to fight hard to get on the podium in the Giro and Tour. And the guys Rodriguez had to compete with were much better than Wiggins main competitors. The fact that Purito was able to be competitive in both the GT's and classic races convinced me at least to vote for him.

And he was just overall more impressive in every he won and also in the races he didn't win IMHO.

 

[Richeypen]

Wiggins never really had to fight hard to win the tour and other stage races this season, in the tour there really wasn't anyone that was able to attack Wiggins and the Sky train and make them dig deep to preserve Wiggins lead. Plus all the other really good TT specialists like Martin and Cancellara had seasons plagued with injury making it easy for Wiggins to win the Olympic TT and all the other TT's in stage races.

Rodriguez on the other hand had to fight hard to get on the podium in the Giro and Tour. And the guys Rodriguez had to compete with were much better than Wiggins main competitors. The fact that Purito was able to be competitive in both the GT's and classic races convinced me at least to vote for him.

And he was just overall more impressive in every he won and also in the races he didn't win IMHO.

So your argument is that Jrod was better than Wiggins because Wiggins was too strong for anyone to challenge him? So if Wiggins was weaker so that he was challenged more he would have had a better season? That makes no sense. Wiggins beat everyone in front of him (without needing the time trials) in the biggest race in the world. Jrod lost 2 GTs that he probably should have won. Cycling is all about winning and in that respect Wiggins and Boonen are leagues ahead of anyone else this year.

 

[palmerq]

Purito did good in very different kind of races, Wiggo was a one trick pony IMHO

it is a pretty good trick to be fair :S hard to say wiggins did great but so did boonen and vinokourov winning the olympics was amazing, i just woke up and put the tv on and i saw this guy in blue waving his arms in celebration I was fully expecting cavendish to win it easily so my first thought was how the **** did vino do that, great work from him, so i voted for vino due to his age and great win..

although i think it's really between boonen and wiggins

 

[greenedge]

Why on earth does Purito lead the poll
Victories: A Monument, a semi-classic and a bunch of stage wins.

Win wise he isn't really any more impressive than Cav in '09

Except that he finished on the podium in two GT's.

I voted for JROD as he did go well in a wide variety of races over the year.

 

[greenedge]

Wiggins beat everyone in front of him (without needing the time trials) in the biggest race in the world.

Only because Froome punctured on the flats.

 

[Afrank]

So your argument is that Jrod was better than Wiggins because Wiggins was too strong for anyone to challenge him? So if Wiggins was weaker so that he was challenged more he would have had a better season? That makes no sense. Wiggins beat everyone in front of him (without needing the time trials) in the biggest race in the world. Jrod lost 2 GTs that he probably should have won. Cycling is all about winning and in that respect Wiggins and Boonen are leagues ahead of anyone else this year.

My arguement for why Purito was better than wiggins is because he did well in GT's and classic races. Where Wiggins only did well in stage races, more specifically the TT's.

By saying Wiggins never had to dig deep to preserve his lead I meant 2 things, 1. that the races he won were well adapted to him (especially the tour) and 2. the guys he was competeing with weren't at the same level as the guys that Purito had to compete with. Purito's competition was much better and IMO stronger than Wiggins competitors (I'm talking mostly about the Vuelta here so don't start talking about guys like Nibali or Froome vs. Hesjedal or De Gendt ).

Theres no doubt that Wiggins was one of the strongest riders of the year. I was responding to Maltiv's question of why Rodriguez was ahead in the poll with what I think the reasons are (and my own reasons for thinking he was better than Wiggins).

 

[maltiv]

Rodriguez on the other hand had to fight hard to get on the podium in the Giro and Tour. And the guys Rodriguez had to compete with were much better than Wiggins main competitors. The fact that Purito was able to be competitive in both the GT's and classic races convinced me at least to vote for him.

Indeed, Nibali and JVDB aren't even close to the level of Rodriguez' main competitors in the Giro, Hesjedal and De Gendt

Ok, in the Vuelta Rodriguez had to compete with Contador and Valverde...but he didn't beat them. He only beat guys like Chris Froome (who was exhausted) and Moreno (his own domestique). So no, saying that the guys Rodriguez beat in the Giro and the Vuelta respectively are better than those Wiggins defeated in the TDF is just plain wrong really.

 

[cineteq]

Jrod lost 2 GTs that he probably should have won.

This is exactly why I voted for him.

Cycling is all about winning and in that respect Wiggins and Boonen are leagues ahead of anyone else this year.

Probably for you, but not for most people. Btw, this thread is about the best rider of 2012, not who won the most stage races. Moreover, the way Wiggins won those races is what makes it for me a no contest.

 

[Afrank]

Indeed, Nibali and JVDB aren't even close to the level of Rodriguez' main competitors in the Giro, Hesjedal and De Gendt

Ok, in the Vuelta Rodriguez had to compete with Contador and Valverde...but he didn't beat them. He only beat guys like Chris Froome (who was exhausted) and Moreno (his own domestique). So no, saying that the guys Rodriguez beat in the Giro and the Vuelta respectively are better than those Wiggins defeated in the TDF is just plain wrong really.

But he only lost to Valverde and Contador because of his and Katusha's tactical mistakes on stage 17. he beat Valverde and Contador on stage 6,9, 12, 14, 16, and 20. And for the majority of the Vuelta Rodriguez lead both of them in the GC. There is no denying Purito was right next to Contador the strongest in the Vuelta.

Probably for you, but not for most people. Btw, this thread is about the best rider of 2012, not who won the most stage races. Moreover, the way Wiggins won those races is what makes it for me a no contest.

+ 1

 

[TheEnoculator]

Best rider of this year is Marianne Vos.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

Purito did good in very different kind of races, Wiggo was a one trick pony IMHO

Yes, high mountains and flat TT's are so much more alike than long steep climbs and short steep climbs.