Can anyone beat these 6

[Bonimenier]

It’s obviously hard to compare with other sports but it seems like that’s not a very remarkable record. Especially if the original point was that these 6 are head and shoulders above the rest? If you picked the six best cross country skiers, wouldn’t they win a higher percentage? The six best tennis players would (on the men’s circuit) win, what, 95 % of the tournaments they played in?

Not sure comparing it to other sports is valid. In most sports there are way less tactics and luck required in getting a win. But this is what makes cycling so exciting to watch. In tennis for example it's always 1 vs 1. The best player usually wins. It's still ridiculous how the Big 3 in tennis pretty much won all grandslams in over a decenium though. In cycling it's not just 1 vs 1, but there are tons of riders who can go for the victory, plus they can all collectively ride against the favourite.

 

[BlueRoads]

It’s obviously hard to compare with other sports but it seems like that’s not a very remarkable record. Especially if the original point was that these 6 are head and shoulders above the rest? If you picked the six best cross country skiers, wouldn’t they win a higher percentage? The six best tennis players would (on the men’s circuit) win, what, 95 % of the tournaments they played in?

True, compared to some other sports that's not a lot - but compared to cycling in other years? In cycling there are so many different routes, the difference is much bigger than in skiing, and then there are tactics which play a much bigger role.

 

[Sciatic]

True, compared to some other sports that's not a lot - but compared to cycling in other years? In cycling there are so many different routes, the difference is much bigger than in skiing, and then there are tactics which play a much bigger role.

Yes, agreed it’s hard to compare to other sports. The point I was trying to make is that the reason the thread became meme-bait is that the title is “Can anyone beat these six?” It’s like if someone exclaims “Wow, can anyone top that?” We understand that someone probably will top it. But it becomes funny when the answer turns out to be, “why yes, as it turns out, a whole bunch can top that.!”

 

[HelloDolly]

This thread will never die. Put it in a reactor and it will just bounce back somewhere else. Like Arnie in The Terminator

 

[SHAD0W93]

This thread will never die. Put it in a reactor and it will just bounce back somewhere else. Like Arnie in The Terminator

This and the Chamber of Lies!
That will be our forum history.

 

[BlueRoads]

Cavendish has replaced Bennett.
Alaphilippe 1
van der Poel 1
Pogacar 1
van Aert 1
(Bennett ->) Cavendish 3

Roglic crashed and out.

Merlier, Mohoric, Dylan Teuns and O'Connor broke into the Olymp of 2021.
Who else will?

Anyway, pretty crazy what these riders continue to achieve despite all our jinxing.

 

[Bonimenier]

Cavendish has replaced Bennett.
Alaphilippe 1
van der Poel 1
Pogacar 1
van Aert 1
(Bennett ->) Cavendish 3

Roglic crashed and out.

Merlier, Mohoric, Dylan Teuns and O'Connor broke into the Olymp of 2021.
Who else will?

Anyway, pretty crazy what these riders continue to achieve despite all our jinxing.

Also interesting that the first 4 all have won a stage where 1 of the other 4 was the bookmaker's favourite. I suppose in Alaphilippe's and van der Poel's case it's not that weird, but predicting that Pogacar would win the TT and van Aert would win the double Ventoux stage is special.

 

[BlueRoads]

I took a look again. In WT races, EC, WC or Olympics, that were contended by at least one of them, they were beaten by these riders:

Ballerini, Schachmann, Stuyven, Asgreen, van Baarle, Carapaz, Powless, Cosnefroy, Colbrelli.
However, Ballerini only beat Alaphilippe (his teammate), Schachmann only Roglic (who crashed badly), Powless only Alaphilippe.
So only Stuyven, Asgreen, van Baarle, Carapaz, Cosnefroy and Colbrelli managed to win a race of the highest category when more than one of these were present. I would therefor like to call them 6B from now on...
Stuyven, Asgreen and Carapaz each managed to beat three of them at once and thereby won MSR, Flanders and the Olympics respectively. Congratulations! I guess that's what you call world beater...

Interesting to see that Ineos, apart from Carapaz and van Baarle, didn't win a WT race where any of those six (well, actually it's more like 5...), were present. And the Olympics are not even a WT race. So, slightly controversial statement... is van Baarle the best rider Ineos have?...
At least the wins of Yates, Bernal, Thomas and Porte all came where none of them were present.