contador could be the greatest of all time

[ManInFull]

could contador be the greatest by the end of his career i think not as all the greats performed in the classics as well.. but what yous think

He's given us some great performances from 2007 through May 2011. The real question is what will he like in 2013 when he is close to 31 years old? I don't think we will see him until then.

 

[Wallace]

why? you guys are real funny...

you guys pick gimondi merckx and Mr roubaix as the best ever and forget that those 3 were the only ones wining in those days (weak competition, amateurs comparing to these riders). the same days were only ONE KIND OF CYCLIST EXISTED. all rounders. they were all "merckx".

This statement proves that you know absolutely nothing about the sport of cycling.

 

[gatete]

I'll like to see what Merckx had at 28 to compare, granted that as previous posters said, he had GTs and monuments, but I think GTs count more than Monuments, again some people may disagree and that's ok, but the guy has been unstopable since 07, and it's only getting better and stronger, LA doesn't even qualify at the moment becuase he had what? a Worlds and some other small race when he won his firs TDF at age 28, I'll like to see what Hinault, and all the great ones were when they were ACs current age

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

I heard Andy Schleck can eat 21 & a whole roast turkey without throwing up.

I heard Andy Schleck can drink gallons of beer without taking a GT seriously.

 

[ultimobici]

I'll like to see what Merckx had at 28 to compare, granted that as previous posters said, he had GTs and monuments, but I think GTs count more than Monuments, again some people may disagree and that's ok, but the guy has been unstopable since 07, and it's only getting better and stronger, LA doesn't even qualify at the moment becuase he had what? a Worlds and some other small race when he won his firs TDF at age 28, I'll like to see what Hinault, and all the great ones were when they were ACs current age

Merckx was born in June 45 so was 28 in june 73. By then he had won 4 Tours, 4 Giros and 1 Vuelta. He'd also won all three classifications in both the Tour and Giro as well as the Vuelta points & another couple of classification jerseys to boot. His Classics record is similarly immense, with 5 MSR, 1 RVV, 3 PR, 4 LBL & 2 GdL. The icing on the cake that is Eddy is the 67 & 71 Worlds Titles.

Hinault was also a prodigious talent. Born in late 54 he was 28 at the end of the disastrous 83 season. But by then he had 4 Tours, 2 Vueltas & 2 Giros as well as 2 LBL, 1 PR, 1 GdL not to mention the 1980 Worlds.

So all in all Bertie has a very, very long way to go to even be in the league below Merckx or Hinault for that matter, based on palmares.

It's difficult comparing riders from different eras, but up to the end of the Super Prestige Pernod the season was very similar for several decades. Modern day riders race far far less and are allowed to specialise perhaps too much. For this reason Contador is unlikely to win any Monuments in sufficient variety and thus can never join Merckx, Coppi, Anquetil & Hinault.

 

[kablebike]

Bazang!

+1. What he said. Directly above. Bam! Facts.

Having said that...I am amazed by the TT abilities and climbing abilities of Contador. Oh the JUICE!

 

[greenedge]

Contador can't win a tour by over 10 minutes on 2nd as the milan ITT is now only 26km. That win would have surely elevated him to a good status on the other thread about who he is better than.

 

[ultimobici]

Contador can't win a tour by over 10 minutes on 2nd as the milan ITT is now only 26km. That win would have surely elevated him to a good status on the other thread about who he is better than.

How? He hasn't a single monument to his name, nor has he ever been seen near the podium of one. Without any monuments or Worlds titles he will never be in the club. The door is not only closed, but also locked at present.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

How? He hasn't a single monument to his name, nor has he ever been seen near the podium of one. Without any monuments or Worlds titles he will never be in the club. The door is not only closed, but also locked at present.

Throw in the hour record as well...

You can only wonder what Merckx would have achieved if he had not injured himself on the track.

 

[Echoes]

Are you a Rod Laver fan? He said something to that extent using the word "guesswork" too.

Lol I am but you already knew it.

you guys pick gimondi merckx and Mr roubaix as the best ever and forget that those 3 were the only ones wining in those days (weak competition, amateurs comparing to these riders). the same days were only ONE KIND OF CYCLIST EXISTED. all rounders. they were all "merckx". between them, the best won (or maybe he wasn't even the best...we know about all the "help" he had).

Documentate please.

And I don't know about the help they had. I know about the help Contador had. That's sufficient.

 

[henryg]

Two different eras.

Today riders and training are highly specialized. You can't campaign in the classics, compete to win every race and then beat a team that focuses all its training and resources on one GT.

Then there is the advent of EPO/blood doping which changed the doping game completely.

I don't think it will be possible for any cyclist to do what Merckx or Hinault did in the modern sport. If he doesn't get suspended Contador might take the triple crown which would make him the greatest stage racer of all time but he would the have to turn his focus to the classics to try and round out his resume. He still has time, again providing he is not suspended.

 

[dlwssonic]

eddy merckx palmares
Grand Tours
Tour de France
General Classification (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974)
Points Classification (1969, 1971, 1972)
Mountain Classification (1969, 1970)
Combativity award (1969, 1970, 1974, 1975)
Combination Classification (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974)
34 Individual Stages (1969–1975)
Giro d'Italia
General Classification (1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974)
Points Classification (1968, 1973)
Mountain Classification (1968)
24 Individual Stages (1968–1974)
Vuelta a España
General Classification (1973)
Points Classification (1973)
Combination Classification (1973)
6 Individual Stages
Stage Races
Paris–Nice
General classification (1969, 1970, 1971)
Tour de Suisse
General classification (1974)
Single-Day Races and Classics
Road Race World Championships (1967, 1971, 1974)
Belgian National Road Race Championship (1970)
Milan – San Remo (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976)
Ronde van Vlaanderen (1969, 1975)
Paris–Roubaix (1968, 1970, 1973)
Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975)
Giro di Lombardia (1971, 1972)
Super Prestige Pernod International (1969,
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975)

Alberto Contador Palmares

Grand Tours
Tour de France
(2007, 2009, 2010)
Giro d'Italia
(2008)
Vuelta a España
(2008)
Stage Races
Paris–Nice
(2007, 2010)
Vuelta al País Vasco
(2008, 2009)
Volta a Catalunya
(2011)
Vuelta a Castilla y León
(2007, 2008, 2010)
Volta ao Algarve
(2009, 2010)
Vuelta a Murcia
(2011)
Single-Day Races and Classics
Spanish National Time Trial Championship
(2009)
Other
UCI World Ranking
(2009)
Velo d'Or
(2007, 2008, 2009)

No need for anymore discussion this thread is totally crazy.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Contador is already one of the best cyclists ever. Someone mentioned engines way back in the first few pages of this thread, and that's the decider for me. He could retire today, and he'd be in my top ten for sure, possibly top five--regardless of palmares. (Though they are impressive, too.)

He's proven himself to be the dominant GT rider of this generation. In the races, in the situations where it matters, he can climb with Schleck and TT with Spartacus. That's talent. Though he may not have the heft and muscle for the stones, he rides to win all year long, and he wins all year long.

The big comparison here seems to be Merckx. Contador would have never beaten Merckx at Roubaix, but how well would Merckx fare against Contador on l'Alpe?

Contador would feature in my list as a top ten, probably top five.

1 - Merckx
2 - Hinault
3 - ...?

 

[Angliru]

Contador is already one of the best cyclists ever. Someone mentioned engines way back in the first few pages of this thread, and that's the decider for me. He could retire today, and he'd be in my top ten for sure, possibly top five--regardless of palmares. (Though they are impressive, too.)

He's proven himself to be the dominant GT rider of this generation. In the races, in the situations where it matters, he can climb with Schleck and TT with Spartacus. That's talent. Though he may not have the heft and muscle for the stones, he rides to win all year long, and he wins all year long.

The big comparison here seems to be Merckx. Contador would have never beaten Merckx at Roubaix, but how well would Merckx fare against Contador on l'Alpe?

Contador would feature in my list as a top ten, probably top five.

1 - Merckx
2 - Hinault
3 - ...?

At number 3 you have to remember that Coppi had 4-5 years of his peak years interrupted by having to serve in the military. At that point he had
compiled an already impressive resume. He has to be in this conversation.

 

[No_Balls]

why? you guys are real funny...

you guys pick gimondi merckx and Mr roubaix as the best ever and forget that those 3 were the only ones wining in those days (weak competition, amateurs comparing to these riders). the same days were only ONE KIND OF CYCLIST EXISTED. all rounders. they were all "merckx". between them, the best won (or maybe he wasn't even the best...we know about all the "help" he had).

+1

It is basically the same thing in football. No one could be compared with the guys competing when the picture was black and white. Nostalgia of course.

It speak volumes about the class back then when winning all year long is considered "impossible" given modern standards.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

Lance Armstrong?

I mean if you are going to accept guys who have never been found guilty of failing a dope test but who everybody suspects was as dirty as a dirty thing, then Alberto's record is still in the foothills of Armstrong's.

If you are going to discard those riders with huge question marks over their cleanness, Alberto gets binned toot sweet as they say at the Tour de France.

So I guess that makes the answer, 'No' or 'Too early to say'. Not 'Yes' in other words.

 

[luckyboy]

AC at this point is doing way better than Armstrong was. Lance was 28 when he won his first Tour, Contador is 28 now and is on his way to his sixth GT.

 

[Carl0880]

AC at this point is doing way better than Armstrong was. Lance was 28 when he won his first Tour, Contador is 28 now and is on his way to his sixth GT.

2 quick points....

Lance was 27 when he won his first tour, his birthday is Sept 1971, so he didn't turn 28 till 2 months after the 99 Tour.

Not saying that with these additions his palmares are better at the age, but he also had Victories in The Semi Classics San Sebastian, La Fleche Wallone, along with 2 seconds in L-B-L, and of course being a world champion in 93.


I think when you consider palmares, I think you also have to include the way they won them. Indurain had very few wins outside of his overalls, but to do the Giro-Tour Double in back to back year is extraordinary. Also include that the following year he won the Tour and finished 3rd (Maybe 2nd) in the Giro, is impressive. These type of exploits just says your a level above the rest of the competition. Pulling the Ardennes double, the Cobbled Double, Eddy winning all jerseys in one Grand Tour, these type of exploits are more memorable then Someone That has just won each Ardennes race, Each Cobble race, etc.

I would have to say, if Alberto tried to win all 3 grand tours in one year, and even just win 2 of them and podium on the 3rd, that would be one of the most impressive exploits ever. In fact, just attempting all 3, is pretty impressive, especially for a proven champion.

 

[Walkman]

...he can climb with Schleck and TT with Spartacus. That's talent.

Do you seriously believe that? Talent?

 

[mr. tibbs]

Do you seriously believe that? Talent?

Yeah, I do. I understand the implications of what you're saying, and I'm assuming that Schleck and Cancellara have access to similar programs. Based on this, Contador's superior performances must come down to some other factor.

It was either talent or higher cadence.

EDIT: Angliru: Good call on Coppi. There are quite a few guys who I think would be in contention for spots 3 - 7 or 8, hence the "...?". Of those, Coppi would be near the top.

 

[luigiV]

my reason for this thread was that i looked into the recent tour history and realized for the past 20 years or so maybee even more i havnt reallly seen anyone thats even really looked capable of winning the three grand tours in the year.Most riders had singled out one grand tour and gone for broke but contador actually gives them all a good throw down and looks like if anyone will ever win the big three it will be contador !!

So if he continues in smashing oppositions like how he does hes still got a good 5 or 6 years left could see him as one of the greats once he hangs up the boots

 

[luigiV]

The modern cycling world these days refers to the greatest cyclist ever as the man won the tour de france the most times so therefor lance is the greatest ever !... The true real cyclist knows who the greatest is thats mercx !!
The normal person on the street around the world will always refer the greatest as Lance

so whos the ****ing greatest **** knows

 

[khardung la]

The normal person on the street around the world will always refer the greatest as Lance

The world is a bit bigger than Australia, the USA and the like...In my world and neighboring countries Armstrong does not even make a top 10 in history. That without entering in doping issues...

 

[robertocarlos]

Lance Armstrong?

I mean if you are going to accept guys who have never been found guilty of failing a dope test but who everybody suspects was as dirty as a dirty thing, then Alberto's record is still in the foothills of Armstrong's.

If you are going to discard those riders with huge question marks over their cleanness, Alberto gets binned toot sweet as they say at the Tour de France.

So I guess that makes the answer, 'No' or 'Too early to say'. Not 'Yes' in other words.

then we will have to take eddy's #1 and coppi's top 5. that is 2 names for somebody that started to watch cycling 3 years ago.

 

[Mshengu]

no doubt he is