Teams & Riders Best riders never to win a monument

[Lorzenz08]

An other one who I think should be on the list, for at least current riders : Filippo Ganna

 

[Peyroteo94]

An other one who I think should be on the list, for at least current riders : Filippo Ganna

This must be a joke...

 

[rallybanana]

There's at least four riders who have had a top-10 finish in all monuments and a podium in three (and haven't won any)

Maertens: 5 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 5 = 17
Verbeeck: 4 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 3 = 17
Lemond: 2 + 7 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 18
Dierickx: 8 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 5 = 19

 

[Devil's Elbow]

An other one who I think should be on the list, for at least current riders : Filippo Ganna

Lol. There are 100+ riders who also didn't win/are yet to win a monument who should be considered before him. And even among currently active riders you have Pedersen, Ciccone and Matthews who are all clearly ahead of him, as well as Moscon and Hirschi who got screwed out of ≥50% chances of winning one by bad luck.

 

[Pantani_lives]

This question can be approached in two ways. The best riders in general who never won a monument are Indurain, Zoetemelk, Contador, Froome, Maertens and Ocaña - but most of these are specialists of stage races. A more interesting question is who were the best riders in monuments without winning one.

Here's a list of the riders with the most top 10 places in monuments without winning one. Between brackets is their number of podium places.

1. Frans Verbeeeck 28 (8)
2. Freddy Maertens 20 (3)
3. Michael Boogerd 16/11* (7/6*)
4. George Hincapie 16/11* (2/0*)
5. Carlo Galetti 16 (4)
6. Marc Sergeant 15 (1)

*Boogerd and Hincapie both have five disqualifications.

So Frans Verbeeck is the right answer. He's won Amstel, Flèche, Omloop, E3, Brabantse Pijl and a Belgian title in the era of Merckx and De Vlaeminck, but never a monument. They were going 5 km/h too fast for him.

And here are some other interesting ones. Mads Pedersen should certainly be in the debate with five podium places.

• Fabio Baldato 12 (4)
• Samuel Sanchez 12 (4)
• Mads Pedersen 11 (5)
• Francesco Casagrande 11 (2)
• Zdeněk Štybar 10 (2)
• Joop Zoetemelk 10 (0)
• André Dierickx 9 (4)
• Juan Antonio Flecha 9 (4)
• Michael Matthews 9 (3)
• Max Sciandri 9 (2)
• Thor Hushovd 8 (4)
• Sep Vanmarcke 8 (3)
• Leif Hoste 6 (3)
• Greg LeMond 6 (3)

[Edited]

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

To avoid too much recency bias I would like to restrict this to only retired riders and active riders 30 and older thus increasingly less likely to make that breakthrough.

I'm out of those discussions where bias is even mentioned. And number '30' is just extra artificial layer on top of the 'active riders' layer. But I've already gotten over that a long time ago. Much more interesting to become wiser and expand your horizons by having the discussions delve into the history books. Also the pages you yourself have experienced, but which you have forgotten in the meantime.

 

[hayneplane]

I'm out of those discussions where bias is even mentioned. And number '30' is just extra artificial layer on top of the 'active riders' layer. But I've already gotten over that a long time ago. Much more interesting to become wiser and expand your horizons by having the discussions delve into the history books. Also the pages you yourself have experienced, but which you have forgotten in the meantime.

Please do contribute because I certainly am interested to dig a little deeper and uncover the classy riders time has not remembered in vivid detail because they could not quite conquer the generational talents of their era.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

This question can be approached in two ways. The best riders in general who never won a monument are Indurain, Zoetemelk, Contador, Froome, Maertens and Ocaña - but most of these are specialists of stage races. A more interesting question is who were the best riders in monuments without winning one.

Spot on. When I read the thread title I automatically thought "among classic riders"

Here's a list of the riders with the most top 10 places in monuments without winning one. Between brackets is their number of podium places.

1. Frans Verbeeeck 28 (8)
2. Freddy Maertens 20 (3)
3. Michael Boogerd 16/11* (7/6*)
4. George Hincapie 16/11* (2/0*)
5. Carlo Galetti 16 (4)
6. Marc Sergeant 15 (1)

*Boogerd and Hincapie both have five disqualifications.

So Frans Verbeeck is the right answer. He's won Amstel, Flèche, Omloop, E3, Brabantse Pijl and a Belgian title in the era of Merckx and De Vlaeminck, but never a monument. They were going 5 km/h too fast for him.

And here are some other interesting ones. Mads Pedersen should certainly be in the debate with five podium places.

• Fabio Baldato 12 (4)
• Mads Pedersen 11 (5)
• Zdeněk Štybar 10 (2)
• Joop Zoetemelk 10 (0)
• André Dierickx 9 (4)
• Michael Matthews 9 (3)
• Thor Hushovd 8 (4)
• Sep Vanmarcke 8 (3)
• Greg LeMond 6 (3)

Now it's free from memory without looking up the numbers, but others pop up on my retina;

• Claude Criquielion
• Edwig Van Hooydonck
• Adrie van der Poel
• Juan Antonio Flecha
• Leif Hoste
• Sean Yates
• Dirk De Wof

Maybe it's just their impressions to me before my eyes and their history, I don't have their exact palmares in my memory or have done any kind of lookups, just my lazy memory. But strong riders in any case.
(atm writing and reading during a coffee break. Speaking, my memory comes to mind as I drink the coffee, now I also think of Jelle Nijdam and Rudy Dhaenens).

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Please do contribute because I certainly am interested to dig a little deeper and uncover the classy riders time has not remembered in vivid detail because they could not quite conquer the generational talents of their era.

Contributed in the meantime while you were posting

 

[ingsve]

He did crash, in the same corner, a couple of times in PR. I dont know if that could be entirely attributed to the bike or weak team.

That was on his Cervelo if I remember correctly. What I'm talking about are flat tires or other issues much earlier in the races like in the Arenberg forest.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Now it's free from memory without looking up the numbers, but others pop up on my retina;

• Edwig Van Hooydonck

(...) I don't have their exact palmares in my memory or have done any kind of lookups, just my lazy memory.

It seemed (how could I forget perfect victories in RvV )

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Lol. There are 100+ riders who also didn't win/are yet to win a monument who should be considered before him. And even among currently active riders you have Pedersen, Ciccone and Matthews who are all clearly ahead of him, as well as Moscon and Hirschi who got screwed out of ≥50% chances of winning one by bad luck.

It all depends on whether the definition is the numbers or "strong riders". Current and former riders in the peloton have been hit by avalanches of accidents, especially in the cobblestone monuments, such as punctures and crashes, also years when they were clear favorites and then years when they get through more easily with a top 5.

I would definitely say that Pippa is well covered under the thread title by "best riders".

I am surprised that Hincapie is actually also visible in the statistics, every year hoped for the best for him and yet you could predict his accidents as misfortunes as you have been able to watch Rogla recent years.

 

[vappaxbipmv]

Spot on. When I read the thread title I automatically thought "among classic riders"

Now it's free from memory without looking up the numbers, but others pop up on my retina;

• Claude Criquielion
• Edwig Van Hooydonck
• Adrie van der Poel
• Juan Antonio Flecha
• Leif Hoste
• Sean Yates
• Dirk De Wof

Maybe it's just their impressions to me before my eyes and their history, I don't have their exact palmares in my memory or have done any kind of lookups, just my lazy memory. But strong riders in any case.
(atm writing and reading during a coffee break. Speaking, my memory comes to mind as I drink the coffee, now I also think of Jelle Nijdam and Rudy Dhaenens).

I'm 100%.sure Adrie won LBL and Flanders so I wonder how much else of this list is wrong

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

I'm 100%.sure Adrie won LBL and Flanders

That's why I can't rely on my memory anymore
(And yes, indeed embarrassing when you've actually witnessed the indeed memorable RvV '86)

so I wonder how much else of this list is wrong

I should definitely have chosen the espresso instead of a thin American in the coffee lounge!
Now comes to my mind that I missed the winner of the preceding years RvV, my Belgian idol of the time Criquielion, and also ofc De Wolf's '92 LBL victory

But the shortlist should be right (after taking some time on looking it up).

• Juan Antonio Flecha
• Leif Hoste
• Sean Yates

(I'm sure my misconceptions were based on the fact that these were riders I had hoped for for several years and the disappointments were greater than the joy of the actual victories)

 

[Peyroteo94]

This question can be approached in two ways. The best riders in general who never won a monument are Indurain, Zoetemelk, Contador, Froome, Maertens and Ocaña - but most of these are specialists of stage races. A more interesting question is who were the best riders in monuments without winning one.

Here's a list of the riders with the most top 10 places in monuments without winning one. Between brackets is their number of podium places.

1. Frans Verbeeeck 28 (8)
2. Freddy Maertens 20 (3)
3. Michael Boogerd 16/11* (7/6*)
4. George Hincapie 16/11* (2/0*)
5. Carlo Galetti 16 (4)
6. Marc Sergeant 15 (1)

*Boogerd and Hincapie both have five disqualifications.

So Frans Verbeeck is the right answer. He's won Amstel, Flèche, Omloop, E3, Brabantse Pijl and a Belgian title in the era of Merckx and De Vlaeminck, but never a monument. They were going 5 km/h too fast for him.

And here are some other interesting ones. Mads Pedersen should certainly be in the debate with five podium places.

• Fabio Baldato 12 (4)
• Mads Pedersen 11 (5)
• Zdeněk Štybar 10 (2)
• Joop Zoetemelk 10 (0)
• André Dierickx 9 (4)
• Michael Matthews 9 (3)
• Thor Hushovd 8 (4)
• Sep Vanmarcke 8 (3)
• Greg LeMond 6 (3)

Great post!

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Cristian scaroni

 

[Netserk]

samoo sanges

 

[Lorzenz08]

Lol. There are 100+ riders who also didn't win/are yet to win a monument who should be considered before him. And even among currently active riders you have Pedersen, Ciccone and Matthews who are all clearly ahead of him, as well as Moscon and Hirschi who got screwed out of ≥50% chances of winning one by bad luck.

I don't think so in terms of raw potential.

Look at 2025 MSR when Pogi attacked. When Ganna somehow managed to follow, I don't see many names who could have done that no matter their shape. Especially not Hirschi or Moscon.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I don't think so in terms of raw potential.

Look at 2025 MSR when Pogi attacked. When Ganna somehow managed to follow, I don't see many names who could have done that no matter their shape. Especially not Hirschi or Moscon.

Ganna has never been in a race situation where he had even an outside shot of winning a monument and also hasn't been at the pointy end of one very often at all. Hirschi got screwed out of a 50/50 shot at winning Liège 2020 by Alaphilippe, and Moscon was odds on to win Roubaix 2021 prior to his mechanical. The first criterion to be considered is IMO that you've ridden at a potentially monument-winning level. They have, Ganna hasn't. Of course Hirschi and Moscon go near the bottom of the pile of riders who meet the criterion, but that still puts them ahead of everyone who doesn't meet it.

I also would not entirely rule out the 2020 version of Hirschi matching Ganna if you airdropped him into 2025 Sanremo with the added benefit of 2025 nutrition, training and other factors influencing watt output. For a very short space of time, the guy was borderline mutant level. But that's a different story.

Potential is completely irrelevant here, because the question is why someone has not won a monument *yet*, not who has the best chance of winning their maiden monument at the wrong side of 30. If you simulate Ganna's career 100 times, he will win a monument in very few of those simulations because he would need radically different race situations to even have had a shot, let alone actually win one. For that reason, he does not belong in the discussion.

 

[Red Rick]

Ganna has never been in a race situation where he had even an outside shot of winning a monument.

I stopped reading there

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I stopped reading there

I'm sorry, I don't think completely burying yourself to survive Cipressa and Poggio and then having zero left after it counts as having a shot. Ganna was about as likely to win from that situation as Masnada was to win from the situation where he finished second in Lombardia, and not even Ilmaestro is arguing for Masnada here.

 

[proffate]

What I wanna know is the most number of times someone finished on the podium but s.t. with the winner.

 

[rallybanana]

Here's a list of the riders with the most top 10 places in monuments without winning one. Between brackets is their number of podium places.

Here's another one. Most interesting fact is that he has top 5 finishes in four of the five monuments (and a best result of 12th in Roubaix).

• Max Sciandri 9 (2)

 

[Ulle97]

Could Jan Ullrich have won a monument if he targeted one given his talent?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Could Jan Ullrich have won a monument if he targeted one given his talent?

It depends. If he was focusing more on monuments, would he have been better about managing his weight during the off-season? If not, his opportunities would have been limited to only Lombardia, and considering that his best one-day results were the Olympic title on a not particularly climby route, the brace of second places in Zürich and a win and a third place in Hamburg I don't think that was the monument that suited him best. And his 1999 season, where he entered Lombardia off the back of the TT world title and good results at the WCRR and Milano-Torino but flopped, underlines the point.