Great riders without a National title

[Jagartrott]

Re: Re:

As cycling has become more specialized between tour and one-day racers it has happened more often in recent times and it will happen more often that a great tour rider doesn't win a national title.

Here are some big names who haven't won the road race in their country:

France: Anquetil, Mottet, Virenque
Belgium: Eddy Planckaert, VDB, Van Petegem
Netherlands: Jan Janssen, Knetemann
Spain: Delgado, Lejarreta, Escartin, Freire, Heras, Sastre, Contador
Italy: Pantani, Gotti, Petacchi, Basso
Germany: Kittel, Martin, Degenkolb
Switzerland: Rominger, Zülle
Denmark: Rasmussen
Russia: Tonkov, Menchov
UK: Boardman, Froome
USA: LeMond (Did he participate?)
Canada: Hesjedal
Colombia: Herrera, Botero, Quintana
Australia: Anderson, Evans

a TT is a national title.

of the last 3 GT top 10
Giro: Chavez, Kruijswijk, Amador
Vuelta: Aru, Quintana, Chavez, Nieve, Moreno
Tour: Froome, Gesink, Bardet, Rolland

As said above, cyclists good at riding GTs aren't necessary qualified to win one-day races.
Or they don't even bother, which is why I'll never be a 100% fan of Contador (with his qualities, he should've given serious thought of some classics and some world championships).

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Contador was 2nd in the nationals in 2011 after making all the key moves, he's just been removed from the results so you wouldn't know in retrospect.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Has Freire seriously never won the nationals? Thats probably the most surprising to me out of all the names. He was born for those races

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Óscarcito turned pro in 1998, from which point:

1998 & 1999 Ángel Casero
2000 Álvaro González de Galdeano
2001 & 2010 José Iván Gutiérrez
2002 Juan Carlos Guillamón
2003 & 2009 Rubén Plaza
2004 Paco Mancebo
2005 Juanma Gárate
2006 not held due to Puerto fallout
2007 Joaquím Rodríguez
2008 & 2015 Alejandro Valverde
2011 & 2016 José Joaquín Rojas
2012 Fran Ventoso
2013 Jesús Herrada
2014 Ion Izagirre

The big problem for Óscar was that after 1999 he left Vitalicio for Mapei and from that point on he was hugely outnumbered in the nationals, usually with only Horrillo for company if they even entered (which he often didn't) as against almost entire teams from Kelme, Banesto/Balears/Caisse/Movistar, ONCE/Liberty, Relax, Euskaltel, and a sizable Saunier Duval contingent too. There are very few proper sprinters' editions of the Spanish nationals too; even the super flat Albacete ones in 2010 were broken up completely by the wind (which tends to be the case in Albacete in fairness, it has historically been known for the echelon ordeals that ruined national riders' hopes in La Vuelta's early days).

 

[jaylew]

Bala only winning once is almost more surprising than Oscar not having won at all.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Bala's won twice, 2008 and 2015.