How Did They Never Win It..?

[Krzysztof_O]

And finally... How did Miguel Angel Lopez never win Paris-Roubaix???

When it comes to Superman, impossible is nothing. He's a born cobbles destroyer, they simply place him in wrong races.

 

[Mosul]

Double world champions who never won a national championship:

Briek Schotte - 2nd x 3 in the Belgian RR
Julian Alaphilippe - 3rd x 2, 5th x 2 in the French RR
Giorgia Bronzini - 2nd x 2, 3rd x 4, 4th x 2 in the Italian RR

 

[RedheadDane]

Alaphilippe still has a chance. In fact, QS seems to be taking turns having the French jersey these years, first Cavagna, now Senechal, well...














(Watch the French RR be flatter than Western Jutland.)

 

[Sciatic]

How did Purito not win Flèche Wallonne 4-5 times?

 

[Forever The Best]

Aru was usually also never at his best on the really hard multi mountain stages, most of his best performances have come on unipublic-style stages, and has a history of being bad in cold, rainy weather. Actually winning the Giro would have been hard for him. He probably could have podiumed in the 2017 Tour if his prep was geared towards it (Had a knee injury that forced him to miss the Giro and only raced the Tour because of that) and the whole team didn't start falling apart during that Tour, but that's it.

2017 Giro had several unipublic stages ( more than usual ) and didn't have many important cold/rainy stages, if any.

 

[Scarponi]

This one might be slightly outside rules but with how dominant Valverde became in Flèche, how did he not win it more in the first half of his career?

 

[tobydawq]

Emma Pooley, Giro d'Italia Femminile - one of the top 2 climbers in the world for half a decade, but never made it to the top step.

Freddy Maertens and all Monument Classics.

A real surprise one however is Ryszard Szurkowski and the Tour de Pologne. The best cyclist Poland ever produced, and arguably the greatest rider ever produced in the Eastern Bloc, a four time winner of the Course de la Paix (in its heyday too), a 12-time national champion across all disciplines, almost every major 'open' or amateur stage race he targeted for most of the 70s, a three time world champion (amateur road and 2x TTT) and the man who was largely responsible for the opening up of races to the Ostbloc teams with the 'open' format, after coming 2nd to Merckx in a stage and 28th overall in Paris-Nice as an amateur... and despite 14 stage wins and two GC podiums he never won his home Tour.

How is a guy barely nobody has heard of better than Kwiatkowski?

 

[limak_]

How is a guy barely nobody has heard of better than Kwiatkowski?

In Poland though, I suppose Szurkowski is still a better recognizable athlete amongst average people across different ages than Kwiato is. I guess 99% of people over 60 years would tell you who Szurkowski is, while I doubt if more than 50% of 20/30 year olds are familiar with Kwiatkowski's name.

Cycling was arguably more popular sport in Poland in the days of Szurkowski's days than it is now.

 

[Leinster]

This one might be slightly outside rules but with how dominant Valverde became in Flèche, how did he not win it more in the first half of his career?

Because Rebellin and Purito didn’t age as well as he did?

I mean, he won it on the 2nd attempt, it’s not like he was slacking before.

 

[Leinster]

How did Purito not win Flèche Wallonne 4-5 times?

He got 2nd behind World Champ Evans, and God-tier 2011-Gilbert. Anyone else would have those results carved on their tombstone.

 

[Koronin]

This one might be slightly outside rules but with how dominant Valverde became in Flèche, how did he not win it more in the first half of his career?

The obvious answer is lack of confidence in his own abilities. Also likely lost it a few times due to bad positioning.

 

[Blanco]

Also he was maybe 2-3kg heavier before his ban, better in flat sprints and ITT's, but a little bit worse in sprinting up a mountain.

 

[Blanco]

How did Purito not win Flèche Wallonne 4-5 times?

A little bit too short for him. 2-3 km with that gradients is absolutely Purito's teritory.

 

[Wyndbrook]

In Poland though, I suppose Szurkowski is still a better recognizable athlete amongst average people across different ages than Kwiato is. I guess 99% of people over 60 years would tell you who Szurkowski is, while I doubt if more than 50% of 20/30 years olds are familiar with Kwiatkowski's name.

Cycling was arguably more popular sport in Poland in the days of Szurkowski's days than it is

Snap poll, neither of my Polish work colleagues have unfortunately heard of Kwiatkowski.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

If Bala can pull off the impossible on Saturday, half the posts in this thread will be no longer relevant

 

[Red Rick]

The obvious answer is lack of confidence in his own abilities. Also likely lost it a few times due to bad positioning.

Always finished at least 6 seconds down before his ban.

 

[Koronin]

Always finished at least 6 seconds down before his ban.

He won it once before the ban. His first Ardennes double was 2006.

 

[Red Rick]

He won it once before the ban. His first Ardennes double was 2006.

I mean the other times.

 

[SHAD0W93]

And finally... How did Miguel Angel Lopez never win Paris-Roubaix???

I can see it now, MAL is in the lead by 5mins with a km left and gets a flat tire causing him to abandon the race.