SirLes said:I've been thinking about this quite a bit and imo Cavendish is the most complete sprinter in that time. (NB not rider that can sprint!)
During the last 25 yrs there have been the super fast men who have excelled when their have been long, flat sprints and their trains have lead them out. eg Cipo and Pettacchi.
Then there have been the guys with the really fast "jump" that can read the situation and win with little support and excel when the run in is tricky. The best example here is McEwen.
Then you have the power men who still perform in uphill sprints or if the course has been tough eg Boonen, Hushovd.
In the last couple of years Cav has demonstrated the ability to win in all these ways. (OK not the really really tough finishes but certainly far from easy.)
10 tdf stages plus a few Giro stages but I can't remember exactly off the top of my head!(and neither this year's nor last could be described as sprinter friendly in the way some have been in the past) and a classic at the age of 24 is incredible.
You have to go back to '76 for someone to get more than 6 in one year and then there were 26 stages. (Cav should have got 7 if they'd hadn't misstimed catching the breakaway)
It will be interesting to see where his career takes him. He has got tougher and tougher but doesn't appear to have lost any speed.
The best rider who could sprint imo was Sean Kelly.
So my top ten:
1 Cipo
2 Zabel
3 Cavendish (he will be no 1 soon!)
4 Kelly
5 McEwen
6 Petacchi
7 Freire
8 Abdu
9 Boonen
10 Steels
and lemond out did him (kelly) at the 1989 worlds
cav could and should get even better. a big talent.