All that's needed is at least one peer better that him at every race. He's been racing against the likes of Valverde, D.Martin, Yates Bros, Alaphilippe, Pogacar and Roglic.
Being outsprinted by someone in the saddle doesn't help him either.
- Feb 20, 2012
- 53,923
- 44,308
- 28,180
Hes probably 5th best in the world at a very narrow niche. Not surprising he doesnt get that many wins
- May 8, 2014
- 4,273
- 5,300
- 21,180
I don't get Purito vibes from Woods tbh. At least not yet. Purito was much more explosive on muritos. Nobody could follow his accelerations, only prime Valverde and prime Dani Moreno could at times. Purito was also a better pure climber, a top 5 climber in the world in his days. We'll see. Maybe Woods makes another step forward this year, but for last season I think I'd easily find 10, maybe 15 better climbers than him.
- Sep 20, 2017
- 12,407
- 23,453
- 28,180
- Aug 3, 2015
- 22,743
- 10,688
- 28,180
Speaking of Purito, do we agree that anyone in history of cycling wouldnt be able to beat a peak Purito on exactly this climb? I wouldnt bet on anyone against him
- Jun 6, 2017
- 6,170
- 3,703
- 23,180
Yeah, there are 10-15 climbers better than him certainly, but on a wall like this, I'm not sure anybody could drop him. Remember Innsbruck, that was a wall similar to Ezaro, he was the strongest also, forcing the pace all the time, but just couldn't drop Valverde. Mur de Huy is too short for him, his ideal distance is 2-4 km, like Purito's (that's where I found similarity), although Purito was indeed more explosive, and generally much better climber.
- Feb 20, 2012
- 53,923
- 44,308
- 28,180
These finishes are relatively new though. Id pick Roglic probably, but the climbing level overall has increased in the 10 years since then
- Apr 30, 2011
- 47,133
- 29,761
- 28,180
Contador. I'm quite sure the order would have been different if it wasn't peak Purito against sub-peak Contador in 2012.
- Feb 20, 2012
- 53,923
- 44,308
- 28,180
Yeah Contador basically did almost 0 muritos at the height of his powers, but 7 minutes is long enough for him.
- Feb 20, 2010
- 33,064
- 15,272
- 28,180
There are a fair few across the editions of País Vasco he did in that era.
Lazkaomendi (2009 stage 1):
Aia (2008 stage 5, 2010 stage 5, 2016 stage 4):
Olaberria (2013 stage 5):
Gaintza (2014 stage 1 - he won this one):
Garrastatxu (2016 stage 2):
- Aug 3, 2015
- 22,743
- 10,688
- 28,180
Aight, Roglic and Contador are good shoutouts. I guess the problem is, if its too short and 'easy', Valverde probably has his number (Mur de Huy), while a bit too long, Roglic and Contador might win. The perfect effort is probably around 5 minutes, ultra steep, then I doubt theres anyone better.
- Apr 30, 2011
- 47,133
- 29,761
- 28,180
In Paris-Nice Contador was far ahead of Purito, in the other two occasions it's not clear to me that Purito was stronger, I'd call them equal. I think Contador's best performance in this range was in the 2014 Itzulia.
- Feb 20, 2010
- 33,064
- 15,272
- 28,180
Peak Igor Antón could have been a contender, he liked it at any distance the steeper it got. He mistimed the Mur de Huy in 2010 but was as strong as Purito and Evans (similar issue to Evans in 2008 when he was probably the strongest but got the timing wrong and hit the wall before the line), won in Valdepeñas de Jaén in the Vuelta, won the Romandie stage over the brutal Ovronnaz climb, the Subida a Urkiola, on Monte Zoncolan, on Flumserberg in 2008, and even in his late career doldrums his best moments were on double digit gradients - 8th in Flèche Wallonne 2013, to Hazallanas in the 2013 Vuelta, winning the Vuelta a Asturias in 2015 by winning the stage over 2x Cobertoria, 3rd to Lubián in 2015 in Castilla y León, 7th to Mirador de Ézaro (ahead of self-same Contador) in 2016, and top 5 of both Vuelta a Burgos MTFs in 2018.
His problem would be that he would probably fall off and break every bone in his body before he got to the base of the climb, and even if he was fit to continue his team would have 0 rouleurs to help him back to the bunch.
His problem would be that he would probably fall off and break every bone in his body before he got to the base of the climb, and even if he was fit to continue his team would have 0 rouleurs to help him back to the bunch.
- Apr 12, 2015
- 7,060
- 1,204
- 20,680
- Sep 20, 2017
- 12,407
- 23,453
- 28,180
- Sep 20, 2017
- 12,407
- 23,453
- 28,180
Javier Guillen, are you watching?
Never mind, he would put the finish line atop this steep section anyway.
Never mind, he would put the finish line atop this steep section anyway.
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