Gilbert V Cancellara - who is the best one day rider of this generation?

[Ragerod]

Why would I do that?
I have a slight feeling that Gilbert will perform better in the classics this year than Boonen will.....

Boonen disagrees...

Besides, why wouldn't you? Comparing Boonen and Cancellara makes a lot more sense than comparing Cancellara with Gilbert. They both focus on the same races and have equally impressive palmares. No need to add stipulations to make the comparison fair.

 

[Froome19]

Boonen disagrees...

Besides, why wouldn't you? Comparing Boonen and Cancellara makes a lot more sense than comparing Cancellara with Gilbert. They both focus on the same races and have equally impressive palmares. No need to add stipulations to make the comparison fair.

Personally i believe that Cancellara is the dominant one day racer in his domain and Gilbert is in his domain, so I was comapring the 2 one day racers who are the best in their respective areas.

 

[Ragerod]

Personally i believe that Cancellara is the dominant one day racer in his domain and Gilbert is in his domain, so I was comapring the 2 one day racers who are the best in their respective areas.

It's your prerogative as thread maker. I agree both are currently dominant but Boonen is of this generation and he shouldn't be excluded just because he has had a couple of lean years after dominating the classics for so many.

It's just my opinion but in ten years time I can see myself in pub debating whether Boonen or Cancellara was a better classics rider and Gilbert will be nowhere near the discussion.

 

[Froome19]

It's your prerogative as thread maker. I agree both are currently dominant but Boonen is of this generation and he shouldn't be excluded just because he has had a couple of lean years after dominating the classics for so many.

It's just my opinion but in ten years time I can see myself in pub debating whether Boonen or Cancellara was a better classics rider and Gilbert will be nowhere near the discussion.

Point taken but i think the only reason that people like discussing Boonen and Cancellara is because they are considered great rivals, i dont think people understand that i'am bringing together 2 not rivals but rather respective greats of the one day world who represent the different sectors of one day and together encompasse it all.

 

[robertocarlos]

Point taken but i think the only reason that people like discussing Boonen and Cancellara is because they
are considered great rivals, i dont think people understand that i'am bringing together 2 not rivals but rather respective greats of the one day world who represent the different sectors of one day and together encompasse it all.

But the reason why we have riders, become legends is an epic rivalry. unfortunately Gilbert doesn't have an Enkidu, or a Boonen to make him great.

 

[The Hitch]

But the reason why we have riders, become legends is an epic rivalry. unfortunately Gilbert doesn't have an Enkidu, or a Boonen to make him great.

Who was Eddys great rival? Who was Indurains? Who is Contadors? Sometimes riders become legends just by being better than everyone else.

£10 says Pistoleo posts the video of Merxc saying Ocana was his main rival.

 

[Wallace]

I seem to remember that Eddy did have a rival in the classics. I think one of the mods here uses his name in his signature. Roger... Roger something...

 

[The Hitch]

I seem to remember that Eddy did have a rival in the classics. I think one of the mods here uses his name in his signature. Roger... Roger something...

Yes for the classics. But those 11 gt victories which RDV didn't really contest, also go a long way to making him the best ever.

 

[Wallace]

Yes for the classics. But those 11 gt victories which RDV didn't really contest, also go a long way to making him the best ever.

True. At this time of year I keep forgetting that the season doesn't end with LBL.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yes for the classics. But those 11 gt victories which RDV didn't really contest, also go a long way to making him the best ever.

Roger de Vlaeminck and Eddy Merckx had a very big rivalry. But so did Rick van Looy and Eddy Merckx. Rick was already old at that point of his career though. For the Grand Tours, he had many rivals and Ocana was the biggest one of them for one year only.

Roger de Vlaeminck was always there at the Giro by the way.

The rivalry between Roger de Vlaeminck and Freddy Maertens is more legendary though.

Valverde can become Gilbert's Enkidu I guess. Although I doubt they'll ever become friends like the tale

 

[The Hitch]

Roger de Vlaeminck was always there at the Giro by the way.

So what.

I said that RDV didn't really contest Grand Tour overalls, not claiming that he was not there.

Thats like arguing that the Wiggins Cancellara tt rivalry transcends into the cobbled classics because wiggins rode PR

 

[El Pistolero]

He was there for the overall a few times? They were battling it out on all kinds of stages(mountains, hills, flat) and also for the points jersey which was won by real hard man back then. Eddy Merckx was just a lot more consistent.

Let's just say RDV GT record is a bit better than Wiggins atm

Besides, this IS a classics thread. Merck had plenty of rivalries. In fact, a lot of times the whole peloton hated his guts.

Merckx also had some epic duels in the Giro with José Manuel Fuente, one of the best climbers in the 70s.

To say Merckx had no rivalries is the understatement of the year.

 

[The Hitch]

To say Merckx had no rivalries is the understatement of the year.

But did anyone say that

 

[El Pistolero]

Yep, you said he had no great rivalries. Too bad you can't watch this great show called the Flandriens, but he talks about it a lot there.

 

[The Hitch]

Yep, you said he had no great rivalries. .

No I said he had no 1 great rivalry.

The fact that you chose not to quote me but rather declare that I had said what you claim I said, shows that you yourself don't have great confidence in me having said that.

I however can bring in a quote to put this to rest.

Who was Eddys great rival?

Done and done.

 

[shalgo]

Not this generation
Edit: The title should really be from 2009+ as Gilbert wasnt really a force before and this generation is probably more applicable for such a time period.

Boonen was born in 1980, Cancellara in 1981, and Gilbert in 1982. Of course they are in the same generation.

And it is silly to focus on 2009 to the present. What, does Boonen get penalized in a comparison of the best one-day riders of his generation because he was not a late bloomer?

Any real discussion of this topic has to include all three and I see legitimate arguments for each of them.

 

[El Pistolero]

No I said he had no 1 great rivalry.

The fact that you chose not to quote me but rather declare that I had said what you claim I said, shows that you yourself don't have great confidence in me having said that.

I however can bring in a quote to put this to rest.


Done and done.

In the classics, which this thread is about, definitely Roger de Vlaeminck. You do know Eddy has won 19 Monuments and 3 WC right? Just as impressive as his GT record.

And people are still talking about the legendary Tour of 1971.

 

[barmaher]

Cancellara > Boonen > Gilbert

In my opinion.

But the margins are very small, and I could cope with almost the exact opposite opinion.

Cobbles FC 9, TB 9, PG 5
Sprint FC 6, TB 8, PG 6
Uphill Sprint FC 7, TB 4, PG 9
Stamina FC 9, TB 9, PG 8
X-Factor FC 9 TB 7, PG 8
Tactics FC 6, TB 9, PG 8

Totals FC 46, TB 46, PG 44

But I call the photo finish for Fabu, as I love him.

 

[El Pistolero]

Considering Cancellara has never won a sprint in his life I wouldn't put him on the same place as Gilbert... Sprinting isn't all about speed, it's about positioning and starting your sprint at the right time, etc

 

[barmaher]

Fair enough....but this counts for a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJNLMYpr2TM

To me.

 

[spalco]

Fair enough....but this counts for a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJNLMYpr2TM

To me.

In Yellow no less, yeah, that video still makes me smile every time I see it.

 

[barmaher]

In Yellow no less, yeah, that video still makes me smile every time I see it.

It is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in a race.

I think we live in a golden generation for great riders. They're all great, for different reasons. I enjoy my cycling because of lads like Tom, Fab and Phil.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Fair enough....but this counts for a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJNLMYpr2TM

To me.

Love that finish

But I'd suggest it falls under X-Factor (if I'm understanding that right as super human antics) or maybe even Stamina on your scale, and not Sprint. Actually when I saw the X-Factor thing on your scale, I thought of that finish and Fab's MSR win.

 

[Froome19]

For the Grand Tours, he had many rivals and Ocana was the biggest one of them for one year only.

I cant recall the exact years but Ocana was certainly up there against Merkx in the tour for more than one year.

And it is silly to focus on 2009 to the present. What, does Boonen get penalized in a comparison of the best one-day riders of his generation because he was not a late bloomer?

Any real discussion of this topic has to include all three and I see legitimate arguments for each of them.

No Boonen isnt getting penalised because he wasnt a late bloomer but because he isnt currently dominating his discipline. (well at least from 2010+ we'll see what happens in Flanders this year before we say anything conclusive)

 

[The Hitch]

In the classics, which this thread is about, definitely Roger de Vlaeminck. You do know Eddy has won 19 Monuments and 3 WC right? Just as impressive as his GT record.

And people are still talking about the legendary Tour of 1971.

Whats that got to do with my post.

You said that I said Eddy had no rivalries.

I showed you the original quote which said he had no 1 major rival singular.

WTF kind of a response to that is the above?