Eras in cycling - what will be the new ones?

[Panda Claws]

How would you define the different eras of cycling since the '90s?

My guess is that there was the Armstrong era (1999-2005) which Landis & co tried to prolong. Next there was the Contador era (2007-2011) which got cut short by you know what.

I am a bit relunctant about calling it the Sky era now as they have only dominated 2 GT seasons so far. The only real alternative seems a revival of the Contador era though, or a Colombian era.

This way of working leaves cyclists like Bettini and Cancellara out of the picture though.

 

[dlwssonic]

2011-
The BMC era

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

2012-2022 Bionic Sky superhuman era

 

[RedheadDane]

Personally I hope that if it hasn't begun already then we'll soon have an Open Era.
The era in which there will not be one team/rider who just smashes everything, the era in which the pre-favourites before any race will be at least five.

 

[jens_attacks]

Chris Horner era.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

How would you define the different eras of cycling since the '90s?

My guess is that there was the Armstrong era (1999-2005) which Landis & co tried to prolong. Next there was the Contador era (2007-2011) which got cut short by you know what.

I am a bit relunctant about calling it the Sky era now as they have only dominated 2 GT seasons so far. The only real alternative seems a revival of the Contador era though, or a Colombian era.

This way of working leaves cyclists like Bettini and Cancellara out of the picture though.

Not sure to what extent that you want to claim that Sky have dominated the Giro and Vuelta in the last two years, or even how Armstrong dominated cycling for 7 years (he won, prior to removal of results, 14 events in 7 years).

There have, undoubtedly, been eras of Tour domination: that is a much more specific thing.

The dominations you describe are not of cycling

 

[The Hitch]

Not sure to what extent that you want to claim that Sky have dominated the Giro and Vuelta in the last two years, or even how Armstrong dominated cycling for 7 years (he won, prior to removal of results, 14 events in 7 years).

There have, undoubtedly, been eras of Tour domination: that is a much more specific thing.

The dominations you describe are not of cycling

Obviously he mainly means Tour de France since that is the biggest race and that's what the dominators save themselves for. Anything else is a bonus.

People have always referred to the early 2000's as the "Armstrong era". It clearly was his era since he won every race he wanted to.

Yes we know Armstrong got those wins taken away, but this is the prr section where we are supposed to pretend like that other thing doesn't exist. We all know what he did to get there but that thing has been so common it is easier when looking at history in this secton to just take whoever won the race as the winner than follow the flawed politics that decide that Pereiro was the winner rather than Landis, or that Ullrich and Pantani won Tours but Armstrong didn't.

Early 2000's was his era, just like the last 8 years in International football is the Spanish era even though they do the exact same thing Armstrong did. Other sports fans get to discuss eras over the last 20 years without a mention of the d word, so I think its fair to cycling fans that they get that chance too.

Early 1990's was the Indurain era clearly too. Post that it was an interregnum.

Late 2000's is more difficult. One might even say it was the Spanish era since in 6 years they won 4 TDF's, 2 Giros, 3 Vueltas, an Olympic road race, 4 Monuments, and in 2008 one of each of the above.
More specifically, the Contador era but 2007 he was assisted heavily by politics, so Contador era is 2008-2011 Id say.

Since then, well 2 years have been absolute Sky domination of course, but 2 years isn't an era, so we'll see if it continues.

 

[metaCYCLE]

Those wore the days when carrots climbed the realm...

Pfff... This is trivial. This is will go down in history as the post-euskaltel era. Nothing else rivals that in importance.

 

[SoeSach]

Flintstones era I guess

 

[the asian]

Hopefully it's the Colombian Era.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

After Kudus breaks through, it will be the Eritrean era

 

[the asian]

After Kudus breaks through, it will be the Eritrean era

East African Domination will begin in the next decade.

Too early for that

 

[DenisMenchov]

Since when is cycling only Tour de France???

 

[Pippo_San]

If the trend keeps going...it's gonna become the Eastern Europe era, what with Kwiatko & Sagan...

 

[karlboss]

<1990 prehistory
1990 to 1997 free for all. Mapei
1997 to 2009 just don't die. USPS
2009 to 2011 what is this new creation? HTC
2011 to present we've worked out your new creation. Sky followed by others

 

[ILovecycling]

Colombian era.Hilly classics and GTs.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

I rather recall a Museeuw era, a Bettini era, and a Boonen era. Currently a Cancellara era (this is the last year though)

But let's keep reducing cycling to GTs, why not.

 

[Panda Claws]

I care a LOT more about the classics than GT's myself, but that is not the general trend with the public that watches cycling (who often only watch the Tour).

Thus, the most popular riders are the ones that ride the
Tour etc.

This was not about my definition of the Era's either, I am just curious what you guys can come up with and who you think 'll dominate in the future.

 

[ebandit]

francais

viva francais.................... total sweep classics / GTs next year LOL

Mark L

 

[Afrank]

I care a LOT more about the classics than GT's myself, but that is not the general trend with the public that watches cycling (who often only watch the Tour).

Thus, the most popular riders are the ones that ride the
Tour etc.

This was not about my definition of the Era's either, I am just curious what you guys can come up with and who you think 'll dominate in the future.

Colombians
British
Froome
Kwiatkowski (his time is a little longer down the line)
Quintana
Ewan (again, longer down the line)

 

[del1962]

Colombians
British
Froome
Kwiatkowski (his time is a little longer down the line)
Quintana
Ewan (again, longer down the line)

No mention of Sagan?

 

[Afrank]

No mention of Sagan?

Thought about Sagan, but need to see where his career is going. This is his second year targeting the monuments and classics and coming off without a monument win. The potential for a Sagan era is there though.

 

[BeagRigh]

Thought about Sagan, but need to see where his career is going. This is his second year targeting the monuments and classics and coming off without a monument win. The potential for a Sagan era is there though.

With Sagan, Kwia and Majka we could see a Eastern European era...

 

[Jspear]

We are now in the Brian Cookson era. Don't worry boys and girls, everything will soon get better.

 

[roundabout]

boring era