Better Cobblestone rider: Boonen or Cancellara?

[distanced]

if they both had only one race left in their career and thus could completely empty themselves physically/emotionally on paris roubaix then surely there can be little doubt that cancellara's brute strength/force and endurance would make him unbeatable,he would attack 70km out and simply keep going.

imo.

 

[Wallace]

if they both had only one race left in their career and thus could completely empty themselves physically/emotionally on paris roubaix then surely there can be little doubt that cancellara's brute strength/force and endurance would make him unbeatable,he would attack 70km out and simply keep going.

imo.

You mean if Cancellara did what he always does? After his dominance in 2010 all the other teams readjusted, and that whole "I'm the strongest cyclist alive and can just ride the whole peloton off my wheel" thing didn't work in 2011 and it didn't work at the 2012 M-SR. It's amazing to watch but starting to fall into the standard definition of insanity. If Cancellara was on a real classics team, a team that could really support him and had another rider or two of near quality, so they had some tactics in hand, then he'd be almost unbeatable. Working for the Cr@pshack, however, he's going to get a bunch of podium places, but not the top step.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Working for the Cr@pshack, however, he's going to get a bunch of podium places, but not the top step.

The bosses at Shack sees Devolder returning to former glory.

 

[Panda Claws]

I doubt Fabian could drop Boonen on the cobbles when both are in 100% shape. Fabian did not drop Boonen on the cobbles in 2010 either.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Boonen's better on the fiercest cobbles. Cancellara's beast on short hills and the asphalt sections.

So since this poll is about cobbles, I'm going with Boonen. Even though Cancellara didn't feature in it (which is another good point: Boonen almost always features in Roubaix and Flanders), Boonen's Roubaix win in 2009 seals the deal for me. He controlled that race, was always in the right place, and created the selections. You can talk about bad luck and crashing and all that, but remember that there's a reason why Boonen survived it all.

 

[Afrank]

The best cobblestone rider I would say Boonen, mostly because of his versatility. I would even consider Boonen the best cobblestone rider of all time.

But I see Cancellara as the stronger one of the two; partly because I am far far more impressed by him when he wins than I am when Boonen wins. I think Canc could have won PR and as well as RVV this year had he not crashed out of RVV.

(Now watch all the Boonen fanboys jump all over this post for me saying I thought canc would have beaten Boonen this year)

 

[The Hitch]

I doubt Fabian could drop Boonen on the cobbles when both are in 100% shape. Fabian did not drop Boonen on the cobbles in 2010 either.

But he can tire boonen out enough to drop him pn tje asphalt. See e3 that year.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

The best cobblestone rider I would say Boonen, mostly because of his versatility. I would even consider Boonen the best cobblestone rider of all time.

But I see Cancellara as the stronger one of the two; partly because I am far far more impressed by him when he wins than I am when Boonen wins. I think Canc could have won PR and maybe even RVV this year had he not crashed out of RVV.

(Now watch all the Boonen fanboys jump all over this post for me saying I thought canc would have beaten Boonen this year)

RVV? Cancellara could have just powered away on that hill where Boonen almost got dropped by the two Italians. I like both riders a lot, but it wouldn't have been close, IMO.

 

[Panda Claws]

RVV? Cancellara could have just powered away on that hill where Boonen almost got dropped by the two Italians. I like both riders a lot, but it wouldn't have been close, IMO.

Let us not exaggerate. Boonen lost 1-2 bike lengths maximum (while pushing a much heavier gear than the others) and very easily caught up with them again. Then he easily countered all Ballan attacks and dominated the sprint.

Boonen might indeed have been weaker on the hills, but I doubt it was by that much.

 

[Matthijs]

It's easy guys: I've never seen Cancellare riding all the cobbles as first man of the peloton like Boonen does, every year...

Besides, Boonen is way better in strategy. He adapted to being the best, people follow him for years and still he wins. While Cancellara is a one trick pony that could not manage to change his tactics now everybody sit on his wheels since 2010.
Besides: Cancellara was better in 2010. But one year of top form is something different then domination in allmost every year like Boonen does. It's like saying Cobo is a better rider than Froome because he was better in one year in the Vuelta.

Hitch argument is not applying: Boonen is not fading away for 5 years like Garzelli and actually was the 2nd rider in Cancellara's glory year. Boonen is every year at the top, while there are years Cancellara is missing entirely like 2009 where everybody talked about Pozzato and Devolder and Cancellara was nowhere.

Peolpe who thik Cancellara is stronger are making the strange assumption that cobbled classics are a sort of ITT which is obviously not true.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I doubt Fabian could drop Boonen on the cobbles when both are in 100% shape. Fabian did not drop Boonen on the cobbles in 2010 either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6z7uUe0tVA

they call that asphalt where you live?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

It's easy guys: I've never seen Cancellare riding all the cobbles as first man of the peloton like Boonen does, every year...

Besides, Boonen is way better in strategy. He adapted to being the best, people follow him for years and still he wins. While Cancellara is a one trick pony that could not manage to change his tactics now everybody sit on his wheels since 2010.
Besides: Cancellara was better in 2010. But one year of top form is something different then domination in allmost every year like Boonen does. It's like saying Cobo is a better rider than Froome because he was better in one year in the Vuelta.

Hitch argument is not applying: Boonen is not fading away for 5 years like Garzelli and actually was the 2nd rider in Cancellara's glory year. Boonen is every year at the top, while there are years Cancellara is missing entirely like 2009 where everybody talked about Pozzato and Devolder and Cancellara was nowhere.

Peolpe who thik Cancellara is stronger are making the strange assumption that cobbled classics are a sort of ITT which is obviously not true.

I'm not making that assumpion at all speak for yourself

 

[Panda Claws]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6z7uUe0tVA

they call that asphalt where you live?

We call that a hill. My comment was about Paris-Roubaix.

I assume everyone is in 100% shape for this.
I still do not think that Cancellara can drop Boonen on the cobbles, unless Boonen (like in 2010)is at the back of a large group and has to let to big of a gap.

I could say more about cobbled hills, but let us stick to these 2 riders.

 

[Peyote]

Who is better cobblestone rider?

Boonen:

Cancellara:

Obviously Boonen. If you look at palmares.

 

[El Pistolero]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6z7uUe0tVA

they call that asphalt where you live?

The Ronde 2010 and E3 2010 are the only times Cancellara has straight up dropped Boonen. One year. I can give you countless examples of Cancellara getting dropped by just about anyone in a cobbled classic.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Let us not exaggerate. Boonen lost 1-2 bike lengths maximum (while pushing a much heavier gear than the others) and very easily caught up with them again. Then he easily countered all Ballan attacks and dominated the sprint.

Boonen might indeed have been weaker on the hills, but I doubt it was by that much.

That's all I meant. Except I think Cancellara would have dropped all three of them quite easily.

 

[Afrank]

RVV? Cancellara could have just powered away on that hill where Boonen almost got dropped by the two Italians. I like both riders a lot, but it wouldn't have been close, IMO.

Yes, I agree with you. Canc probably would have been able to win RVV more easily than Roubaix. Not sure why I said "maybe" in my post , will edit.

It's easy guys: I've never seen Cancellare riding all the cobbles as first man of the peloton like Boonen does, every year...

Besides, Boonen is way better in strategy. He adapted to being the best, people follow him for years and still he wins. While Cancellara is a one trick pony that could not manage to change his tactics now everybody sit on his wheels since 2010.
Besides: Cancellara was better in 2010. But one year of top form is something different then domination in allmost every year like Boonen does. It's like saying Cobo is a better rider than Froome because he was better in one year in the Vuelta.

Hitch argument is not applying: Boonen is not fading away for 5 years like Garzelli and actually was the 2nd rider in Cancellara's glory year. Boonen is every year at the top, while there are years Cancellara is missing entirely like 2009 where everybody talked about Pozzato and Devolder and Cancellara was nowhere.

Peolpe who thik Cancellara is stronger are making the strange assumption that cobbled classics are a sort of ITT which is obviously not true.

How is believing Cancellara is stronger making the assumption that the cobbles are a ITT?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

The Ronde 2010 and E3 2010 are the only times Cancellara has straight up dropped Boonen. One year. I can give you countless examples of Cancellara getting dropped by just about anyone in a cobbled classic.

pls give me one example of boonen dropping cancellara anywhere

 

[ILovecycling]

pls give me one example of boonen dropping cancellara anywhere

RvV this year,big time dropped by Boonen in the feed zone

 

[serfla]

pls give me one example of boonen dropping cancellara anywhere

Take a look at De Ronde 2005, 2006, 2008.
Also Roubaix 2005, 2009.

 

[El Pistolero]

pls give me one example of boonen dropping cancellara anywhere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBagHWwuYsk

I can give you many more examples, but you only asked for one.

 

[Echoes]

Peolpe who thik Cancellara is stronger are making the strange assumption that cobbled classics are a sort of ITT which is obviously not true.

Solo rides in a classics are obviously ITT's. So yeah Cancellara is a stronger rider overall.

For the last time I repeat, you don't necessarily have to be a cobble specialist to win Paris-Roubaix.

De Vlaeminck said: "Hinault and Raas won Paris-Roubaix because they were champions but not cobble specialists."

Boonen was born on the cobbles (or close to it). Not Cancellara. As a U23, Cancellara was nowhere in cobbled races and was up-and-coming time trial specialist. If you have a tt in the back, you can normally do anything.

Cancellara is not a one-trick pony. He can do everything because he's the best time trialist of his generation, period. He's more versatile than Boonen. He's more than a cobble specialist. He can win a long distance asphalt classic, tt's, strade bianche and mountain stage races.

 

[El Pistolero]

Bradley Wiggins can't ride on cobbles, neither can Tony Martin or David Millar. Roubaix isn't about time trial skills, but bike handling on cobbles, positioning and a lot of endurance.

Boonen can win races solo, in a small group sprint and in a bunch sprint. Cancellara can only win solo.

Cancellara only rode one year in the U23 ranks(and even then only a few races), so that argument makes no sense. He was 23 years old when he got fourth in Roubaix. He rode his first Ronde van Vlaanderen at age 22.

Boonen got second once in LBL for espoirs back in 2001.

Cancellara has also never won a mountain stage race in his life. Tirreno-Adriatico 2008 wasn't even Protour that year and only had one tough Muro stage. Tour de Suisse was tailor made for him. Tony Martin was second that year and he's no climber either(but better than Cancellara anyway).

Also Strade Bianche is just a 1.1 race, something a lot of people tend to forget. I don't even think Boonen wants to win that race lol. Long distance asphalt classics? Which one would that be? Milan-San Remo? As if Boonen did not have the capabilities to win that race. He finished on the podium twice already. They ride the same classics every year you know. With the exception of the Amstel Gold Race.

 

[serfla]

Here he pulled them down all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=_E_OiPw2kvA&feature=endscreen

 

[Afrank]

Bradley Wiggins can't ride on cobbles, neither can Tony Martin or David Millar. Roubaix isn't about time trial skills, but bike handling on cobbles, positioning and a lot of endurance.

Being good in the TT doesn't hurt a rider on the cobbles either.