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I would say Dennis was the best climber of the third week. Only Quintana in the spring could rival that climbing performance.Voted Evenepoel and Almeida.
Evenepoel...well of course I picked him. Don't think anyone is crazy enough to bet against him. Of course anything can happen but this sort of talent is simply unheard of in modern cycling.
Almeida isn't as obvious. After all in the only gt he has ever ridden he got beaten by 3 riders, of which two are on this list and two were so young he even only got third in the young riders classification. But then again, he is just 22, I feel like in any other season I wouldn't stop about how Almeida looks like a generational talent, but apparently getting fourth in the giro aged 22 just isn't that special anymore in 2020. At the end the crucial reason why I voted for him is because he is a really good TT'er and while most gc riders are pure climbers, the most successful ones are usually the ones who are also great TT'ers.
That's also the reason why most of the guys on that list will probably never make it to the top step. It's why I thought Pogacar was overhyped before his Tour win (and actually I wasn't wrong because a pure climber ended up winning the Tour, but because it turned out the guy I labeled a pure climber is actually a superb TT'er) and it's why I fear guys like Hindley, Carthy or Kuss, as talented as they have looked, will have the same fate as Lopez, Landa and Kruijswijk (and Mas to a lesser extent) who have been on this list for years but could never take it a step further.
I mean it's kinda funny how we all thought Landa was the best climber in the world in 2015, were proven wrong in 2016 before believing it yet again in 2017. Winning gt's as a pure climber is hard.
It's also why I think there are some other guys worth mentioning. I've talked about how highly I rate Kämna for some time now and while I don't know if he is more likely to win a gt than any of the guys on this list, I at least want to mention him.
Then there are guys like Dennis or even Ganna and WVA. After a few performances they have showed this year I wouldn't at all be shocked if they can transition into a gc rider IF that is actually what they want. Dennis in particular basically won Ineos the giro by being the third best climber of the last week.
Probably out there b*tching about something on his blog.WHERE IS FUGLSANG!?!?!?
Probably out there b*tching about something on his blog.
Filippo Ganna.
Right, there is one GT, nothing more.If it's about the Tour the France, only one of the list is a candidat : Evenepoel. If it's also about the Giro and the Vuelta, than I"ll add Hindley, Almeida and Lopez
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That's also the reason why most of the guys on that list will probably never make it to the top step. It's why I thought Pogacar was overhyped before his Tour win (and actually I wasn't wrong because a pure climber ended up winning the Tour, but because it turned out the guy I labeled a pure climber is actually a superb TT'er) and it's why I fear guys like Hindley, Carthy or Kuss, as talented as they have looked, will have the same fate as Lopez, Landa and Kruijswijk (and Mas to a lesser extent) who have been on this list for years but could never take it a step further.
WHERE IS FUGLSANG!?!?!?
Carthy, Hindley and Ganna are the biggest prospects for me. I enjoyed Almeida but he reminds me of JA during the Tour. Remco is yet to proof his strength.
This is interesting. Big TT engine who still has time to improve his climbing - he'll have to lose at least a few kilos and I don't think he's willing to do it (at least that's what he mentioned in one interview). His frame may be too big for GTs anyway but maybe he will become a cobbles monster (like Cancellara).
Rohan Dennis is another interesting example: 10 kilos lighter than Ganna and more suited to the mountains. With his Giro form he could be a GT pretender but at Ineos he'll never get a chance to be a leader.
Not Carapaz, Bernal, Thomas, Froome or Sivakov but Hart of all people just won a GT for INEOS. There will be opportunities for him if he's up for it.