Greats among Active Riders (quick answer)

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Check out Procyclingstats.com all time cyclists ranking, Valverde is already 13th in that list.
This is the link:
http://www.procyclingstats.com/rankings/PCS_Specials_2014_11_08_All_Time

Zabel and Cippollini ahead of Contador???
Does the site take under consideration the GT wins?
If yes, the race and stage coefficients have to be rearranged ASAP.
Contador is the quickest answer.

The "problem" (arbitrary) with these rankings, is that you still score loads of points with a 2nd or 3rd place. And of course you can ride more 1 day races than stage races. But you get similar points for a GC top 10 spot and a 1 day race top 10.

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Check out Procyclingstats.com all time cyclists ranking, Valverde is already 13th in that list.
This is the link:
http://www.procyclingstats.com/rankings/PCS_Specials_2014_11_08_All_Time

Zabel and Cippollini ahead of Contador???
Does the site take under consideration the GT wins?
If yes, the race and stage coefficients have to be rearranged ASAP.
Contador is the quickest answer.

The "problem" (arbitrary) with these rankings, is that you still score loads of points with a 2nd or 3rd place. And of course you can ride more 1 day races than stage races. But you get similar points for a GC top 10 spot and a 1 day race top 10.

It gets even more ridiculous further down the list. Sagan (no monuments, no WC) ahead of Nibali and Museeuw. McEwen ahead of Bettini and... wait for it....Samuel Sanchez ahead of Pantani.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re: Re:

Check out Procyclingstats.com all time cyclists ranking, Valverde is already 13th in that list.
This is the link:
http://www.procyclingstats.com/rankings/PCS_Specials_2014_11_08_All_Time

Zabel and Cippollini ahead of Contador???
Does the site take under consideration the GT wins?
If yes, the race and stage coefficients have to be rearranged ASAP.
Contador is the quickest answer.

The "problem" (arbitrary) with these rankings, is that you still score loads of points with a 2nd or 3rd place. And of course you can ride more 1 day races than stage races. But you get similar points for a GC top 10 spot and a 1 day race top 10.

It gets even more ridiculous further down the list. Sagan (no monuments, no WC) ahead of Nibali and Museeuw. McEwen ahead of Bettini and... wait for it....Samuel Sanchez ahead of Pantani.

yep,its a solid piece of ***

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Contador, Boonen, Cancellara, Valverde, the real big 4, others are way behind. And in that order too...

This...

Aside from the big four who have already been identified, I think Cavendish deserves a mention. I know sprinters aren't very popular, and I'm certainly not his biggest fan, but 25 stage wins in the TdF is a hell of an achievement in any generation. Throw in a WC and Milan San Remo, and he will be remembered for a long time.

And this.

 

[SafeBet]

Boonen, Cancellara, Contador, Valverde.
In that order.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Boonen, Cancellara, Contador, Valverde.
In that order.

Alphabetic order it seems

 

[Red Rick]

Could make an argument for Nibali, has won all 3 GT's, 4th on WC, 2nd in LBL, and cojones

 

[SeriousSam]

Winning all 3 GTs is incredible but I can't help but feel like he kind of got really, really luck to achieve this. And he's just not a stage race rider of the class of a Hinault or Contador.

At any rate, what's better in everyone's opinion, winning worlds road race or having many days in the MJ, winning some stage races and winning a lot of time trial worlds?

 

[Velolover2]

We a category called "the lesser great 6" after the "the big great 4" (Boone, Valverde, Contador, Cancellara) and we'll have an unofficial top 10.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Winning all 3 GTs is incredible but I can't help but feel like he kind of got really, really luck to achieve this. And he's just not a stage race rider of the class of a Hinault or Contador.

At any rate, what's better in everyone's opinion, winning worlds road race or having many days in the MJ, winning some stage races and winning a lot of time trial worlds?

For me, winning the world road race is better than any number of days in MJ (assuming no overall GC victory).

Time trial is worth very little in my opinion. Most riders who have won it, have also won far more prestigious races and those that haven't (Rogers, Grabsch, Boardman) aren't generally seen as being great riders. Stage race depends on which race; there is a difference in winning Pais Vasco or Paris Nice than TDU or Tour de Pologne

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

Winning all 3 GTs is incredible but I can't help but feel like he kind of got really, really luck to achieve this. And he's just not a stage race rider of the class of a Hinault or Contador.

At any rate, what's better in everyone's opinion, winning worlds road race or having many days in the MJ, winning some stage races and winning a lot of time trial worlds?

For me, winning the world road race is better than any number of days in MJ (assuming no overall GC victory).

Time trial is worth very little in my opinion. Most riders who have won it, have also won far more prestigious races and those that haven't (Rogers, Grabsch, Boardman) aren't generally seen as being great riders. Stage race depends on which race; there is a difference in winning Pais Vasco or Paris Nice than TDU or Tour de Pologne

Yeah. In order to make a top 10 or top 25, we need a a well-functioning ranking system. For example, what is more prestigious, win Paris-Nice or third place in the Tour?

 

[Ataraxus]

Re:

Could make an argument for Nibali, has won all 3 GT's, 4th on WC, 2nd in LBL, and cojones

This fact of 3 GTs is a bit overrated IMO because:
-It isn't a direct target. For instance, a rider who has won 2 Giros and 2 Tours will not ride for the Vuelta win in the forthcoming year but will go for a third Giro or Tour instead.
-In the times of Coppi & Bartali Vuelta wasn't contested regularly
-Great champions generally have preferred multiple Tour(sometimes Giro) wins and have scheduled their racing accordingly.
-Riders with potential achievement of this target like Gaul, Delgado, Indurain etc. have (almost) omitted at least one of the GTs

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Contador, Valverde, Cancellara

From anyone who curiously skip one of my own picks, I demand an explanation What's so wrong with Boonen, Carols?

Nothing wrong with Boonen, Cancellera's equal in one day races, but Fabu has 3 more World golds than Tom plus an Olympic Gold.

 

[Carols]

Re:

Could make an argument for Nibali, has won all 3 GT's, 4th on WC, 2nd in LBL, and cojones

You could argue it and I love Lo Squalo but he's not there yet. Needs to do more, but he still has time

 

[markene2]

Boonen, Cancellara, Valverde, Contador and Rebellin.

No order.

 

[The Hitch]

Re: Re:

Contador, Valverde, Cancellara

From anyone who curiously skip one of my own picks, I demand an explanation What's so wrong with Boonen, Carols?

Nothing wrong with Boonen, Cancellera's equal in one day races, but Fabu has 3 more World golds than Tom plus an Olympic Gold.

TBF Worlds rr > Worlds tt, but I agree that 4 world tt + an olympic tt easily beats 1 worlds rr, especially since its harder for Canc to win an rr being from a weaker cycling country, and theres a lot of luck in getting a course suited for you. Canc was easily the strongest in 2009 for example. If he was Belgian he would have won it. If the course hadn't been a mountain course he probably would have won it too.

And then there's the gt yellow jersey history, which also helps Canc.

 

[Pricey_sky]

I'd say Boonen, Cancellara, Valverde, Contador, Cavendish and Wiggins.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

I'd say Boonen, Cancellara, Valverde, Contador, Cavendish and Wiggins.

Does Wiggins even count as an active rider?

 

[thehook]

Contador
Bonnen
Cancellara
Valverde
Cavendish

All different in there own way. But all in my eyes will go down as Greats. Spent many a days watching those chaps light up a bike race.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

I'd say Boonen, Cancellara, Valverde, Contador, Cavendish and Wiggins.

Does Wiggins even count as an active rider?

He's riding Yorkshire for his new team next weekend.

 

[gunara]

Re:

We a category called "the lesser great 6" after the "the big great 4" (Boone, Valverde, Contador, Cancellara) and we'll have an unofficial top 10.

From the responses so far, I think we have Cancellara, Contador, Boonen, Valverde - - - some distance --- and then Cavendish, behind him Rebellin and Nibali are mentioned several times, also Wiggins (yes, he's active), and probably Gilbert. Is it our top 9 there? But who's the 10th? I personally still go with Petacchi, I know it's not popular, but can't think of anyone else

 

[IndianCyclist]

Contador, Boonen, Cancellara, Cavendish(The greatest sprinter of all time deserves a mention), Valverde(for the number of podiums),

 

[SafeBet]

The lesser great 6 for me: Nibali, Purito, Cavendish, Gilbert, Cunego.
The last one is a bit harder for me. I guess it should be Wiggo, but if we're strictly talking road cycling he achieved 70% of his palmares in one year. Does having a sensational year in an average career qualify you as an all time great? I wouldn't say so.

 

[Miburo]

I give the cancellera the slight edge on Boonen. But if Boonen wins another PR and Canc nothing anymore, then it's gonna be a tough one.

In terms of pure classics it's definitely Boonen and without god damn freire he might have won MSR twice already.

I also dare to say that without pozzato on his team in '06 he would have won MSR. He said he wanted to attack himself on the poggio That Boonen was so good.

 

[gunara]

The lesser great 6 for me: Nibali, Purito, Cavendish, Gilbert, Cunego.
The last one is a bit harder for me. I guess it should be Wiggo, but if we're strictly talking road cycling he achieved 70% of his palmares in one year. Does having a sensational year in an average career qualify you as an all time great? I wouldn't say so.

Finally someone mention Cunego. Maybe it's difficult sometimes to remember that you were once really good, until you become somekind of relic like Rebellin (whose last big win is ironically more recent than Cunego's IIRC). But yeah, I agree Cunego deserves real consideration for this lesser greats category.