Philippe Gilbert is the best cyclist in the world

[rhubroma]

He can't climb the high cols and he can't time trial.

How can he be the "best" in the world?

He's what say Bettini was to Pharmstrong. A great racer, but, until you can win the Tour, you aint the best rider in the world.

 

[LukeSchmid]

This is clearly an era of 4 riders: Gilbert (only this year), Contador, Cavendish & Cancellara
No one can beat them on their terrain.

I agree with this. These 4 are the elite of th elite. The top stage racer, the top sprinter, the top TT and Cobbles rider and Gilbert the best 1 day rider.

 

[Anonymous]

He's number one according to the igmarkets index

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Depends on what you consider a parcours of specialisation, but Cancellara regularly wins prologues with over a second per kilometer on the number two.

But not as much as he used too. Not in prologues anyway.

Now he is sometimes beaten by others in prologues

 

[PCutter]

I don't remember the last time a rider was so untouchable in one-off events. Can anybody debate this?

Um yes. 12 months ago. His name was Fabian, he rode cobbles, and he was just as untouchable. Probably would have been the same story this year if not for a combination of being marked completely out of it/weaker team/weaker DS's. He also rode pretty much a ITT against TTT's yesterday. Gilbert is dominant, and Im a fan, but no more dominant than Fabian was last year on the cobbles, but maybe you only have an 11 month memory.

 

[greenedge]

He is not the best rider, just a great one. Congrats FTW.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Marianne Vos > Philippe Gilbert.

she is so dominant, and it is hard to believe how young she is considering all she has achieved. Not just in road either.

Amazing cyclist.

 

[Carl0880]

She has won two out of the three stages raced up to this point in the Giro Donne. I wonder how many more she will take before the end of said stage race. She's one up on Gilbert If it were judged in a unisex manner, Vos would definitely be the best racer on the planet.

To address the posed statement, Gilbert is indeed the best racer in his terrain at the moment. No two ways about it. However, I would have loved to see him racing against a top Valverde and see how that plays out. I can't wait for Sagan to develop a bit more and start challenging Gilbert, which I'm certain is well within his capabilities. His potential is scary, more so than Gilbert.

I agree with Sagan, and what made him seem even scarier is the the stage he won in the Tour de Suisse over Cunego going over those mountains, grant it he was in the break, but he climbed with those climb and the only one that could stay near Cunego, and he just turned 21. How many cyclist in recent memory can say they had 13 victories just a month after his 21st birthday. Shoots how many cyclists are even pros at the the age of 21 on a Top team, maybe 10%?

For her sport, the difference between Vos and the rest of the pack is the largest difference I have seen in sport. Closest I can think of in recent 50 years of female sports is that 2-3 year run that Martina Nav. had in tennis in the late 70s, early 80s.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

with cancellara and contador they stick out huge

 

[Benotti69]

with cancellara and contador they stick out huge

it's not an area of their anatomy i look at to be frank.

 

[Swabian Lass]

Maybe back in the day you could say that Merckx was the best rider in the world and it would be mostly true. Nowadays I don't think that you can say that of any one rider - they are the best at one or two specialisms.

Gilbert is the best in the world at what he does, this year.

I don't want to see him aiming at GTs, I want to see him concentrating on the Classics. I think that he will, sure he'll win stages in the TdF when they suit him, but it will never be his main focus.

 

[Swabian Lass]

Nowadays I don't think that you can say that of any one rider

Sorry - I meant to say except Marianne of course! She is a phenomenon!

 

[theyoungest]

she is so dominant, and it is hard to believe how young she is considering all she has achieved. Not just in road either.

Amazing cyclist.

In the year 2011, Marianne Vos has won:

22 road races (and podiumed in Flanders)
5 cyclocross races (including the Worlds)
and the Worlds scratch race on track.

And I probably forgot a few races. Bunch sprints, time trials, climbs, she can do it all.

 

[Spine Concept]

In the year 2011, Marianne Vos has won:

22 road races (and podiumed in Flanders)
5 cyclocross races (including the Worlds)
and the Worlds scratch race on track.

And I probably forgot a few races. Bunch sprints, time trials, climbs, she can do it all.

In all of the tour fanfare it's easy to forget that the Giro Donne is taking place simultaneously. She's 2 out of 3 up to this point, after today it will probably be 3 out of 4. What a woman.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Sorry - I meant to say except Marianne of course! She is a phenomenon!

I thought we were talking about real top sports here?

 

[theyoungest]

I thought we were talking about real top sports here?

Ah, it's the attention ***** again.

In all of the tour fanfare it's easy to forget that the Giro Donne is taking place simultaneously. She's 2 out of 3 up to this point, after today it will probably be 3 out of 4. What a woman.

Isn't today's stage the Mortirolo finish? Seems a bit more Pooley than Vos to me.

 

[Captain_Obvious]

I thought we were talking about real top sports here?

You small pathetic man.


Love to see some SRM data from Marianne; see how she ranks up againts some of the boys.

 

[Spine Concept]

Ah, it's the attention ***** again.


Isn't today's stage the Mortirolo finish? Seems a bit more Pooley than Vos to me.

The best thing you can do is just ignore that pompous sexist.

As far as today's stage goes, here is the profile, what do you reckon? Mortirolo is on the 7th and does indeed suit Pooley more than Vos.

Stage 4: Forlimpopoli - Forli', 101km

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Gilbert's certainly had the best year so far of all the riders on the mens tour. That's not up for debate, although if Bertie wins the Tour, that eclipses Gilbert's achievements.

You have to look a little beyond that though to say who the best rider in the world is - the last 2 or 3 years seems a fairer way to do it. Looking at the palmares of the big 4 over the last 2 and a half years...

Gilbert - 3 Monuments, 4 other Classics, 2 Vuelta stages, 1 Tour stage

Cancellara - 2 Monuments, 2 World TTs, 3 Tour stages, 2 Vuelta stages, 1 Tour de Suisse win

Cavendish - 1 Monument, 11 Tour stages, 5 Giro stages, 3 Vuelta stages and a points jersey

Contador - 2 Tour wins, 1 Giro win, 1 win each of Catalunya, Pais Vasco and P-N.

I don't think Gilbert compares favourably with any of the other 3 based on this. Comparing Gilbert to the other great Classics riders in history, in terms of Palmares, and then comparing the above 3 with the other great TTers, sprinters and GC men, respectively, shows that Gilbert has some way to go, but the other 3 are probably right up there already.

In summary, the best rider so far this year, but probably only the 4th best rider in the world, looking objectively.

 

[Spine Concept]

You small pathetic man.


Love to see some SRM data from Marianne; see how she ranks up againts some of the boys.

Ditto. I just think it's incredible what she does. Contesting road, field, and track cycling isn't an easy feat in itself, not to mention being on the very top in every one of those categories. She is the first - and only? - woman to have held world championship titles on the road, track and cyclo-cross.

 

[theyoungest]

Ditto. I just think it's incredible what she does. Contesting road, field, and track cycling isn't an easy feat in itself, not to mention being on the very top in every one of those categories. She is the first - and only? - woman to have held world championship titles on the road, track and cyclo-cross.

Check out this attack (video) from yesterday's stage. On the hills, she's really the female equivalent of Gilbert.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ditto. I just think it's incredible what she does. Contesting road, field, and track cycling isn't an easy feat in itself, not to mention being on the very top in every one of those categories. She is the first - and only? - woman to have held world championship titles on the road, track and cyclo-cross.

A LOT less then the man.

15-year old Mathieu van der Poel passed all women, including Vos, who started in front of him in a cyclocross that was combined Women+junior men...
And those women started 15 minutes earlier (!!)

So if a 15-year old male cyclo crosser can do that. Then no way can Vos even survive a male junior race at top level.

 

[ultimobici]

Gilbert's certainly had the best year so far of all the riders on the mens tour. That's not up for debate, although if Bertie wins the Tour, that eclipses Gilbert's achievements.

You have to look a little beyond that though to say who the best rider in the world is - the last 2 or 3 years seems a fairer way to do it. Looking at the palmares of the big 4 over the last 2 and a half years...

Gilbert - 3 Monuments, 4 other Classics, 2 Vuelta stages, 1 Tour stage

Cancellara - 2 Monuments, 2 World TTs, 3 Tour stages, 2 Vuelta stages, 1 Tour de Suisse win

Cavendish - 1 Monument, 11 Tour stages, 5 Giro stages, 3 Vuelta stages and a points jersey

Contador - 2 Tour wins, 1 Giro win, 1 win each of Catalunya, Pais Vasco and P-N.

I don't think Gilbert compares favourably with any of the other 3 based on this. Comparing Gilbert to the other great Classics riders in history, in terms of Palmares, and then comparing the above 3 with the other great TTers, sprinters and GC men, respectively, shows that Gilbert has some way to go, but the other 3 are probably right up there already.

In summary, the best rider so far this year, but probably only the 4th best rider in the world, looking objectively.

I think you're being a little unfair to Gilbert.

When you trim down the duplicates between them he doesn't stack up badly at all. All that the comparison does is highlight their specialities.

Gilbert - 1 Monument, 4 other Classics Classics & Stage Hunter

Cancellara - 2 World TTs, 2 Tour stages, 1 Tour de Suisse win Tester & Stage Hunter

Cavendish - 1 Monument, 10 Tour stages, 5 Giro stages, 1 Vuelta stage and a points jersey Sprinter

Contador - 2 Tour wins, 1 Giro win, 1 win each of Catalunya, Pais Vasco and P-N. GC Stage Racer

IMO, Gilbert has or is in the process of overhauling Cancellara but due to the difference between him and the other two can never be compared to them as they are too far different.

 

[Spine Concept]

A LOT less then the man.

15-year old Mathieu van der Poel passed all women, including Vos, who started in front of him in a cyclocross that was combined Women+junior men...
And those women started 15 minutes earlier (!!)

So if a 15-year old male cyclo crosser can do that. Then no way can Vos even survive a male junior race at top level.

I never said she would survive in a male race. I just thought it would be interesting to have a look-see. Nohing more, nothing less. Not that the notion is that far-fetched seeing how dominant she is in almost every race she enters.

When was this race you mentioned? Any links, video? Would love to see it.

 

[ultimobici]

I never said she would survive in a male race. I just thought it would be interesting to have a look-see. Nohing more, nothing less. Not that the notion is that far-fetched seeing how dominant she is in almost every race she enters.

When was this race you mentioned? Any links, video?

To use 'cross to illustrate the point is grossly unfair too.