Most impressive rides of all time?

[sir fly]

Where Andy was 10 seconds ahead of the other GC guys? I wouldn't call that very impressive (in an all time category.)

O.K., O.K...
Tourmalet the same year.

 

[The Hitch]

Schleck 2011

Contador 2012

Talansky 2014

Contador 2014 Tirreno>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Talansky in that Dauphine, if that's the one you meant.

 

[The Hitch]

O.K., O.K...
Tourmalet the same year.

What?

Galibier Andy, which was by far his best performance, and it was a tremendous performance, one of the best ever, wasn't as good as Landis 2006.

Some sprint stage wins he won the year before meanwhile. You seriously claiming they are even in the same stratosphere as Landis 2006

 

[zlev11]

Chiappucci Sestrieres 1992
Pantani Aprica 1994
Ugrumov Cluses 1994
Virenque Courchevel 1997

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador 2014 Tirreno>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Talansky in that Dauphine, if that's the one you meant.

What?

Galibier Andy, which was by far his best performance, and it was a tremendous performance, one of the best ever, wasn't as good as Landis 2006.

Some sprint stage wins he won the year before meanwhile. You seriously claiming they are even in the same stratosphere as Landis 2006

Lol Hitch ranting

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Sergey Sukhoruchenkov, 1980 Olympic RR.
José Manuel Fuente in the last week of the 1974 Giro.
Fiorenzo Magni in the 1956 Giro with the broken collarbone and the inner tube.

Of ones in comparatively recent memory, so ones I've actually seen rather than looked back on with retrospect:
Floyd Landis, Morzine, 2006 Tour
Paolo Bettini, 2006 Giro di Lombardia
Fabian Cancellara, 2009 Worlds ITT
Mikel Nieve, Rifugio Gardeccia, 2011 Giro
Alberto Contador, Fuente Dé, 2012 Vuelta

 

[staubsauger]

It definitely may be because of this pop idol glorification nowadays , but if you just rewatch some of Pantani's big stage wins:

Alpe d'Huez , Oropa, Madonna Di Campiglio, Mont Ventoux, Courchevel etc.

They're somehow all impressive.
The way he climbs. The passion, the panache, the willingness, the enthusiasm of the spectators.

It's just wow. Still big cinema!

 

[sir fly]

What?

Galibier Andy, which was by far his best performance, and it was a tremendous performance, one of the best ever, wasn't as good as Landis 2006.

Some sprint stage wins he won the year before meanwhile. You seriously claiming they are even in the same stratosphere as Landis 2006

Maybe you should go through the entire discussion before responding.

 

[Christian]

In my country the story of Charly Gaul's victory atop Monte Bondone in the 1956 Giro d'Italia is often retold, and features in elementary school books for example.

During that stage, the "angel of the mountain", as he was called, rode through a snow storm/blizzard to win the stage roughly 10 minutes in front of the second rider, with about half of the field abandoning that day. Today, there is an annual cyclosportive on Monte Bondone, to commemorate this heroic feat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charly_Gaul#Giro_d.27Italia

 

[Walkman]

Contador 2012

Alberto Contador, Fuente Dé, 2012 Vuelta

Contador in Fuente Dé

In a thread were we are supposed to discuss the most impressive rides of all time you guys comes dragging with Contador in the 2012 Vuelta?! Heck, piti was more impressive in that stage!

Andy and Floyd are in entire different league compare to Contador. I mean, come on, even die hard fan must see that.

 

[contador977]

I think the ones who show heart and courage deserve a place in this thread too. 2 example's of that are.

Laurens Ten Dam in the Tour De France, shreds his face on barbed wire fence, pedals home, face covered in bandages, lips swollen, what an image to see him ride home. A standing ovation was neccessary. This is inspirational, tough and admirable.

I also wanna mention Contador in this years Tour Stage 10, breaking his leg and pedals on for another 20k and then apoligizes to Roche in the fog because he cant continue.

 

[Sciocco]

In a thread were we are supposed to discuss the most impressive rides of all time you guys comes dragging with Contador in the 2012 Vuelta?! Heck, piti was more impressive in that stage!

Andy and Floyd are in entire different league compare to Contador. I mean, come on, even die hard fan must see that.

Unless I've lost my mind, Netserk's picture looks like TA 2014.

 

[Walkman]

Unless I've lost my mind, Netserk's picture looks like TA 2014.

Good point, my bad!

I can't speak for that race, I didn't see it.

 

[LaFlorecita]

In a thread were we are supposed to discuss the most impressive rides of all time you guys comes dragging with Contador in the 2012 Vuelta?! Heck, piti was more impressive in that stage!

Andy and Floyd are in entire different league compare to Contador. I mean, come on, even die hard fan must see that.

Paulinho gets a lot of slack but imo he deserves a statue for his performance on that stage

 

[ferryman]

Of all time a bit ambitious but an honourable mention in the mountains, in the last 30 years, has to go to Robert Millar and Stage 10 of the 1989 TDF.

Cauterets-Superbagneres, 136K, 1st over each of Tourmalet, d'Aspin and Peyresourde. Caught and dropped by Delgado on Superbagneres only to get back on and handily win the uphill sprint to the finish. Behind LeMond went pop as Fignon attacked and Fignon got yellow back. Amazing stage. Amazing Tour

 

[contador977]

It definitely may be because of this pop idol glorification nowadays , but if you just rewatch some of Pantani's big stage wins:

Alpe d'Huez , Oropa, Madonna Di Campiglio, Mont Ventoux, Courchevel etc.

They're somehow all impressive.
The way he climbs. The passion, the panache, the willingness, the enthusiasm of the spectators.

It's just wow. Still big cinema!

Also the 97' Galibier Pantani in the pouring rain and fog, taking 9 minutes out of Ullrich and going into yellow.

Jan Ullrich 96' Tour ITT on the penultimate day. The time gaps were absolutely massive.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Good point, my bad!

I can't speak for that race, I didn't see it.

It was pretty good. No tactics, no weather, no luck involved. Just one guy killing all other GC contenders 35k from the line. That guy then closed about 4 minutes of the gap to the break, caught them on the descent, proceeded to drag them through the valley, widening the gap to the GC contenders and then dropped all his breakaway companions on the final muro.

 

[Jspear]

O.K., O.K...
Tourmalet the same year.

Andy and Alberto were both pretty good on that climb, but personally I don't think it can go in the category of "most impressive rides of all time."

To be clear I agree with you on your first selection. If we are going to give Andy any "impressive ride of all time," then it would be 2011 Galibier.

 

[sir fly]

Andy and Alberto were both pretty good on that climb, but personally I don't think it can go in the category of "most impressive rides of all time."

According to the record books, Andy finished solo 1:20 ahead of the rest.
But you're right, the discussion was initiated by the evaluation of Galibier performance. And then you've jumped in.

To be clear I agree with you on your first selection. If we are going to give Andy any "impressive ride of all time," then it would be 2011 Galibier.

My first selection, actually, wasn't Andy's ride.

There's LBL 2009, too.

 

[rghysens]

Jan Ullrich 96' Tour ITT on the penultimate day. The time gaps were absolutely massive.

10 riders within 3 minutes for a 60+km TT is not that impressive.
Indurains 1992 TT in Luxemburg was what I would call impressive.

 

[Red Rick]

Tony Martin in the Vosges stage and in that flat Vuelta stage

 

[Netserk]

In a thread were we are supposed to discuss the most impressive rides of all time you guys comes dragging with Contador in the 2012 Vuelta?! Heck, piti was more impressive in that stage!

Andy and Floyd are in entire different league compare to Contador. I mean, come on, even die hard fan must see that.

You seriously need to (re)watch that stage. Valverde was behind Katusha for most of the time and when he ditched Purito he used different teammates to drag him further of the way.

 

[Red Rick]

I also really like what Contador did in the last stage of PN 2009, setting up a breakaway, doing more than half of the pulling and almost staying away over Col d'Eze

 

[The Hitch]

In a thread were we are supposed to discuss the most impressive rides of all time you guys comes dragging with Contador in the 2012 Vuelta?! Heck, piti was more impressive in that stage!

While I can understand why someone might consider Andy 2011 more impressive (because it was the TDF and because he attacked further out) to say that Piti was more impressive on Fuente De is outright delusional.

Contador was the one who attacked, Contador was the one who went solo for long periods and Contador was the one who won the stage. Not to mention he did it on the 1 stage that week that was actually fully suited to Valverde.

Valverde did nothing on that stage better than Contador. Its not even a question.

 

[The Hitch]

Also the 97' Galibier Pantani in the pouring rain and fog, taking 9 minutes out of Ullrich and going into yellow.
.

98 no?

For Pantani, I wanted to post that and the Mortirolo stage, which I've never seen but I hear he was the one what broke Indurain essentially.