Can anyone beat these 6

[memyselfandI]

I'm fairly confident that after Evenepoel comes back from rehab, he makes these bunch of hippies look like Dave.

View: https://youtu.be/mIW1MAvyPD4

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I'm fairly confident that after Evenepoel comes back from rehab, he makes these bunch of hippies look like Dave.

View: https://youtu.be/mIW1MAvyPD4

Remco would have won the TA with a 10+ minutes gap over Weakacar.

 

[memyselfandI]

Remco would have won the TA with a 10+ minutes gap over Weakacar.

That's what I'm afraid of..

 

[42x16ss]

Bennett is definitely the most vulnerable on this list but that's more of a reflection on the chaotic nature of bunch sprints than anything else. Ewan appears to be the main threat when at his peak.

The top 5 are easily the 5 best bike racers in the world over the last 12 months.

 

[gunara]

I only started following closely again in late 2000s early 2010s, MvdP and co. make me sometimes think that probably I started watching again in a rather low-level generation. I remember Sagan looked so good and special when he emerged, then he proceeded to not win crazy amount of races despite looking so special.
But again, maybe I just started watching in an era of extreme specialization, when Sagan was the only new rider at that time that bore some sort of resemblance to the great all-rounders of the past, while other top riders at their peak age would have probably been called one trick pony in other eras. Maybe that uptight era is ending and we're back to seeing new talents who were built to focus on and can do almost everything, some of them with crazy high level.
Too bad Moreno Moser was not one of them -:

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

I only started following closely again in late 2000s early 2010s, MvdP and co. make me sometimes think that probably I started watching again in a rather low-level generation. I remember Sagan looked so good and special when he emerged, then he proceeded to not win crazy amount of races despite looking so special.
But again, maybe I just started watching in an era of extreme specialization, when Sagan was the only new rider at that time that bore some sort of resemblance to the great all-rounders of the past, while other top riders at their peak age would have probably been called one trick pony in other eras. Maybe that uptight era is ending and we're back to seeing new talents who were built to focus on and can do almost everything, some of them with crazy high level.
Too bad Moreno Moser was not one of them -:

I dunno if I would say a low level generation. Remember there have been some pretty special riders in the last 10-15 years. I think it is more of a case that cycling is now in a "Golden Generation" where we are seeing generational type riders that somewhat resembles the 60s and 70s.

You got to see Cavendish, Boonen, Valverde, Cancellara, Greipel , Gilbert, Contador, Froome etc.

The difference is that we are seeing riders in their teens early 20s dominate and it's going to be very difficult to win a race that includes some combination of WVA, MVDP, Alaphillipe, Pogacar, Evenepoel, Hirschi, et al.

 

[HelloDolly]

I was wrong
I was wrong
I was wrong
I was wrong


And I am delighted ....yaaaaaah
Best thing for cycling that a few DONT dominate

 

[Bonimenier]

I was wrong
I was wrong
I was wrong
I was wrong


And I am delighted ....yaaaaaah
Best thing for cycling that a few DONT dominate

They do dominate though. They just don't win 100% of the races

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Just change the title to "Can anyone beat these 7"

 

[chinaski]

Just change the title to "Can anyone beat these 7"

In the end of the classics season we might rename it to these 15 or 20

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

In the end of the classics season we might rename it to these 15 or 20

exactly

 

[gunara]

I dunno if I would say a low level generation. Remember there have been some pretty special riders in the last 10-15 years. I think it is more of a case that cycling is now in a "Golden Generation" where we are seeing generational type riders that somewhat resembles the 60s and 70s.

You got to see Cavendish, Boonen, Valverde, Cancellara, Greipel , Gilbert, Contador, Froome etc.

The difference is that we are seeing riders in their teens early 20s dominate and it's going to be very difficult to win a race that includes some combination of WVA, MVDP, Alaphillipe, Pogacar, Evenepoel, Hirschi, et al.

"low level generation" was the first phase of my train of thought, which I diverted later to the more broad skillset of current top riders. I mean I won't say that anyone racing today is better than top Contador/Froome in climbing, top Boonen in cobble, top Cav in sprinting, or any top riders of 8-10 years ago in any discipline. But even riders like Gilbert seems so fixated in one discipline for awhile early to mid 2010s. It looks that things have changed, you can wish for refined Valverde-Cancellara hybrid these days.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

the answer is yes, yes they are beatable.

Same way Boonen and Cancellara were beatable
or Valverde and Sagan

etc

 

[hayneplane]

I dunno if I would say a low level generation. Remember there have been some pretty special riders in the last 10-15 years. I think it is more of a case that cycling is now in a "Golden Generation" where we are seeing generational type riders that somewhat resembles the 60s and 70s.

You got to see Cavendish, Boonen, Valverde, Cancellara, Greipel , Gilbert, Contador, Froome etc.

The difference is that we are seeing riders in their teens early 20s dominate and it's going to be very difficult to win a race that includes some combination of WVA, MVDP, Alaphillipe, Pogacar, Evenepoel, Hirschi, et al.

I would not include Greipel in that list as he was clearly below Cavendish head to head and never won a monument or Worlds unlike Cav.

The rest of the riders on that list all won Grand Tours or multiple monuments/world championships.

 

[Anderis]

Cycling is such a beautiful sport because every rider is beatable in a tactical race.

 

[Pantani_lives]

I'm confident one of the Big Sixteen will win the Tour of Flanders.

 

[Leinster]

I'm confident one of the Big Sixteen will win the Tour of Flanders.

Would Kristoff have been in the top 16 favourites in 2015? Or Bettiol in '19 for that matter.

 

[Bonimenier]

Would Kristoff have been in the top 16 favourites in 2015? Or Bettiol in '19 for that matter.

Kristoff 100%. He rarely finishes out of the top 16 in a classic race anyway. He dominated in De Panne in the week leading up to de Ronde.

Bettiol in 2019 was one of the best riders in E3, which almost always is a good benchmark for de Ronde, so probably yes.

 

[Sciatic]

Would Kristoff have been in the top 16 favourites in 2015? Or Bettiol in '19 for that matter.

Kristoff probably would have—he was already getting established for having a good sprint at the end of long, very hard races, and in some interview he said he realized he made a mistake not staying with the leaders in the previous edition b/c he thought he would blow up, but then was surprised how strong he felt at the race finish. He might not have among the top 5 favorites, but top 10-16, yes.

ed. Ah, I see Boni beat me to it!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

MVdP
Roglic
Allaphillipe
Pogacar
Wout van Aert
Sam Bennet

These six riders seem unbeatable at the moment in races (except by each other) in every discipline

6 6 6
the number of the Beasts

 

[SafeBet]

Would Kristoff have been in the top 16 favourites in 2015? Or Bettiol in '19 for that matter.

Kristoff had been in the RVV top5 both in 2013 and 2014, and started 2015 in stellar form (he was close to 10 wins before riding Flanders). I can only think of Sagan and maybe GVA being bigger favorites than him entering the race.

 

[jaylew]

Would Kristoff have been in the top 16 favourites in 2015? Or Bettiol in '19 for that matter.

As others have mentioned, absolutely for Kristoff. I just looked back at the predictions and most also had Bettiol in the top 16 of their star ratings so yes for him too.

I did not, however.

 

[happytramp]

Bennett is definitely the most vulnerable on this list but that's more of a reflection on the chaotic nature of bunch sprints than anything else. Ewan appears to be the main threat when at his peak.

The top 5 are easily the 5 best bike racers in the world over the last 12 months.

Ironically, it actually looks like he's probably the least vulnerable right now. Only one other rider capable of beating him regularly and he's currently winning that head to head 5—1 in terms of wins.

 

[Anderis]

After adding Asgreen to the list, we're on "Can anyone beat these" how many exactly?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Quick Step says yes.