Rider of the Year 2012?

[El Pistolero]

Are you purposely ignoring the reason for my referencing that particular Tour stage's result or is it that you can't take my inference that Gilbert's dominance actually has an expiration date?

A stage in a Tour is something different than a one day race. Never mind he already won every single race he entered since Brabantse Pijl till the first stage of the Tour. It's called not being in your best shape anymore after a long peak. Don't start whining when someone disagrees with your nonsense. You said dominance was short lived, yet it isn't with most dominant cyclists. A period of around 5 years. Is that short lived? Sorry that I use evidence to back up my arguments.

Cancellara's and Boonen's dominance wasn't short lived. While you used them as an evidence to say it was. Besides, Cancellara was pretty dominant this year as well in the cobbles

I was only talking about the part of your post I disagreed with. But hey, if I also have to debunk your reference to a particular Tour stage, I'll bite. Being dominant is not the same as being unbeatable(as Cancellara proved this year). Someone who is really unbeatable obviously doesn't exist. Though I never said Phil was unbeatable.

 

[Angliru]

It was very much his point.

Contador top dog from 2007- till now

Also short lived?

Ps: Cancellara's time trial dominance: 2006-2010. Also short lived?

In hindsight "shortlived" was not the best word to choose but my point is that nothing is etched in stone prior to the start of a race. After Gilbert's early success in the Tour most everyone expected him to get his second stage win of the Tour on stage 4 and yet it didn't happen as scripted.

 

[El Pistolero]

In hindsight "shortlived" was not the best word to choose but my point is that nothing is etched in stone prior to the start of a race. After Gilbert's early success in the Tour most everyone expected him to get his second stage win of the Tour on stage 4 and yet it didn't happen as scripted.

Yet he won a stage and was the best at 2 other stages(where the breakaway survived)

Pretty dominant to "win" 3 stages in the Tour, no? He had one bad day, it happens in a stage race when someone hasn't got super great recuperation.

Nothing is etched in stone, but if comes down to a sprint at the Cauberg I don't rate the chances of someone other than Phil to win very high.

 

[Afrank]

I think Fabian Cancellara will have a good year, he came into the 2011 season with a new team and after winning flanders and roubaix in 2010 he had a lot of expectation going into the new season. I think he will be able to prepare better and be under less pressure at the new radioshack-nissan team. Plus he will have Johan Bruyneel to coach him. He had a rough 2011 season just missing out on the win in both flanders, roubaix, and milan san remo. I think he will be going into the 2012 season in much better form and will come out of it strong.

 

[Angliru]

A stage in a Tour is something different than a one day race. Never mind he already won every single race he entered since Brabantse Pijl till the first stage of the Tour. It's called not being in your best shape anymore after a long peak. Don't start whining when someone disagrees with your nonsense. You said dominance was short lived, yet it isn't with most dominant cyclists. A period of around 5 years. Is that short lived? Sorry that I use evidence to back up my arguments.

Cancellara's and Boonen's dominance wasn't short lived. While you used them as an evidence to say it was. Besides, Cancellara was pretty dominant this year as well in the cobbles

I was only talking about the part of your post I disagreed with. But hey, if I also have to debunk your reference to a particular Tour stage, I'll bite. Being dominant is not the same as being unbeatable(as Cancellara proved this year). Someone who is really unbeatable obviously doesn't exist. Though I never said Phil was unbeatable.

Since my admission to my error in my choice of wording ("shortlived") makes this debate/discussion pointless, I'm going to refrain from further derailing this thread's intended topic except to say that it's apparent from the tone of your posts that I touched on a sensitive topic, which wasn't my intent.

 

[The Hitch]

It only took Tony Martin to dethrone him as best time trial specialist(not the entire peloton).

I never said it took the entire peloton to dethrone him as a tt specialist though.

 

[Nick C.]

I don't think Bruyneel has shown any aptitude (or given a damn about) for the one day races. When he had Hincapie they would from time to time do the old Tour mountain stage strategy and ride on the front, to no effect or he would do the cagey sit on and let others bring moves back (and miss the move but head the futile chase). At any rate I think Dirk Demol actually DS most of the Belgian races.

 

[Netserk]

Tom Boonen

3 Monument victories, the RR @ both Olympics and worlds, together with a couple of stage wins in the tour + the points jersey

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cadel Evans - He will go back to back at the Tour de France, win the worlds, win the olympics and win Liege (sorry Phil Gilbert and El Pistelero).

 

[will10]

Cadel winning the Olympics requires a lolcat but I CBA

 

[Mambo95]

Cadel winning the Olympics requires a lolcat but I CBA

The TT isn't an unrealistic possibility, if he's so inclined.


Anyway, back to the question.

I think Contador will be banned which opens up the stage races a lot, so I'm going for two classics riders and a slight wild card:

1. Edvald Boasson Hagen. I think he will be over his heel problems, he will winter well (with KAA as a constant guide), won't have to do the big sprints and he will thrive in the classics with a team that has lots of options. Wins galore and a major step to being a modern day Sean Kelly.

2. Fabian Cancellara. He'll consider 2011 a failure and his ego will be bruised. Others will not see him as the unbeatable foe that they did this year, and he will make them pay for that complacency.

3. Slight wild-card. Dan Martin. I think in the latter months of the year he has showed that he can be a real threat to Gilbert on his territory.

 

[ferryman]

Contador, lean, mean and in his prime. Simply irresistible.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

Just to put up a new name:

Matthew Goss:

Now that he's at a team where he's the star, he will now ride with full support in any race he desires. He's ready to take a step up in the sprints and compete with the best, as well as being a major force to be reckoned with in the flat classics and semi classics. Watch out for him in Milano San-Remo, Paris-Tours and the Olympics.

Very good shout imho. Could give Cav a real run for his money and if he has good early season form, will probably be top favourite for MSR, and going back to back on a monument is pretty special.

 

[El Pistolero]

The TT isn't an unrealistic possibility, if he's so inclined.


Anyway, back to the question.

I think Contador will be banned which opens up the stage races a lot, so I'm going for two classics riders and a slight wild card:

1. Edvald Boasson Hagen. I think he will be over his heel problems, he will winter well (with KAA as a constant guide), won't have to do the big sprints and he will thrive in the classics with a team that has lots of options. Wins galore and a major step to being a modern day Sean Kelly.

2. Fabian Cancellara. He'll consider 2011 a failure and his ego will be bruised. Others will not see him as the unbeatable foe that they did this year, and he will make them pay for that complacency.

3. Slight wild-card. Dan Martin. I think in the latter months of the year he has showed that he can be a real threat to Gilbert on his territory.

They only raced together in 2 races this year lol...

 

[greenedge]

For me it is a toss up between Gilbert and Contador. Gilbert should win the WC RR and M-SR or RVV and a few Ardennes and he has a stronger team for next year. Contador will win one of the TDF/ Vuelta and still podium the other ( Cadel Evans bars his chance for a 4th TDF title/ i think if he wins the TDF he would be too tired to win the Vuelta ). He is also trying for the Olympic gold in the ITT. Sagan will also have to be considered as he shall win a few GT stages, be good in M-SR and hopefully win G-W. ( can this part be submitted )

I also hope that Richie Porte can win the ToC/ WC ITT and that Dan Martin wins the TDF KOM. Instead of Cav winning the Olympic gold i shall side with one of Goss ( now at GE he shall be team leader ) and Farrar ( who should feel confident in his sprinting ability from now ). Basso shall win the Giro and Cancellara will have a great season winning at least one Classic.

 

[greenedge]

rider to shock with great results may not be the rider of the year but a huge year - Alan Davis

I totally agree. He showed how good he was in 2010 ( finishing 3rd at the WC ). it's just a pity Astana did not motivate/ use him at races this year. Next year he shall be quite motivated at an Aussie team and he and Goss can work in tandem.

 

[Mambo95]

They only raced together in 2 races this year lol...

So what? I'm talking about next year.

Some people are saying that Kittel and Guardini will challenge Cavendish. And they've never raced against each other.

You don't half get touchy when someone doesn't share the worship of your gods.

 

[AussieGoddess]

gotta go with the majority

Contador - I think his 2012 will be awesome. He will dominate every race he enters.

Gilbert - has a point to prove with moving to BMC, and he wants the other monuments ... and the worlds!!! With his will to win, opponents should watch out.

 

[El Pistolero]

So what? I'm talking about next year.

Some people are saying that Kittel and Guardini will challenge Cavendish. And they've never raced against each other.

You don't half get touchy when someone doesn't share the worship of your gods.

How has he shown that he can be a threat to Gilbert on his territory if they didn't race together? Martin didn't even finish FW and LBL.

I didn't see Dan Martin all that much on Phil's "territory", so yeah I'm wondering how you came to that conclusion. Kittel won a bucket load of sprints at least. I'm not getting touchy, I'm just making an observation here.

 

[Panda Claws]

If the cooperation between BMC and Gilbert goes well then it will be Gilbert.

If not

Alberto Contador.

 

[DenisMenchov]

1. Denis Menchov (Winner of the Tour de France 2012, with the best form of his life. Even though he was 2 minutes down of the defending champion Evans and 3 times winner Alberto Contador, Russian produced the TT of his life to win the Tour, by winning the ITT. Strong man from Oryol fought hard in the mountain stages but struggled a little in the second week loosing a minute to the top contenders. As Tour progresed he was better and better, coming 2nd twice and 3rd once, before reaching his 2nd stage win in the Tour. After winning the race, with Grand Boucle in his hand with the smile on his face Denis promised to all of his fans that he will come back again to win 100th edition of the best sporting event in the World)
2. Phillipe Gilbert(Wins a new set of classics)
3. Fabian Cancellara(Becomes Olimpic road race champion)
4. Pierre Rolland(Maillot blanc)
5. Ivan Basso(Wins the Giro)

 

[Mambo95]

How has he shown that he can be a threat to Gilbert on his territory if they didn't race together? Martin didn't even finish FW and LBL.

I didn't see Dan Martin all that much on Phil's "territory", so yeah I'm wondering how you came to that conclusion. Kittel won a bucket load of sprints at least. I'm not getting touchy, I'm just making an observation here.

Well we shall see, won't we.

And yes you are touchy - any suggestion that Gilbert or Contador may be beaten, you jump on like some sort of cult defender.

 

[El Pistolero]

Well we shall see, won't we.

And yes you are touchy - any suggestion that Gilbert or Contador may be beaten, you jump on like some sort of cult defender.

No, I just find your logic strange. It seems like you base all of this from Lombardia. Shouldn't Oliver Zaugg be a bigger threat then than Dan(lol) Martin?

There's plenty of people that can beat Phil if they race tactically, but to say someone like Dan Martin was (becoming) a threat to Phil in the later months of 2011... No. Perhaps if your sentence was in the future tense I wouldn't have reacted to it...

ACF thinks Cadel can win LBL, I don't get touchy about that because that's a possible scenario.

 

[Mambo95]

No, I just find your logic strange. It seems like you base all of this from Lombardia.

No it's also based on the manner of his stage wins in the Vuelta and the Tour of Poland as well as his win in Toscana and Tre Valli Varesine (2010) and various other podiums in those sort of races. I think, at 25, he's ready to take the next step, and will get support to do so.

 

[luckyboy]

Gilbert - Liege, Worlds, Lombardia.