• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Rider of the year 2018

Page 8 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

Who is the rider of the year 2018

  • Chris Froome

    Votes: 23 21.5%
  • Geraint Thomas

    Votes: 6 5.6%
  • Simon Yates

    Votes: 17 15.9%
  • Alejandro Valverde

    Votes: 27 25.2%
  • Tom Dumoulin

    Votes: 22 20.6%
  • Vincenzo Nibali

    Votes: 3 2.8%
  • Niki Terpstra

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Peter Sagan

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Thibaut Pinot

    Votes: 3 2.8%
  • Other

    Votes: 2 1.9%

  • Total voters
    107
Re: Re:

dastott said:
A GT is a 3 week race over all terrains and tests all capabilities. How that be compared to winning a 1 day race is completely illogical.

1. Tour
2. Giro
3. Vuelta
4. World Road Race and TT, Monuments
5. Dauphine, Paris-Nice, País Vasco, Tirreno, Catalunya, Romandie
6. Lesser classics and stage races.

Even winning major stages of GTs (summit finishes like Alpe or Ventoux and TTs) would be equal to a monument for many riders I would imagine.

How to rank GR stage wins

Tour > Giro > Vuelta obvioulsy

Solo GC contender win > GC contender win > ITT win > sprinter win > breakaway win

Some exceptions to this (Echelons Sagan/Froome) etc obviously but as a rule, like I don't rate where an outside GC contender being giver a bit of leeway as a solo GC contender win
 
Re: Re:

bambino said:
sorry I lost you.

What I tried to say is that Froome did indeed have very good results, but looking inside the actual races he wasn't the most impressive rider what-so-ever. Except in one stage. Previous years in the GT's (and some other races) he has competed to win, he has normally been superior par none. This year that wasn't the case in either of the GT's. Therefore, in the context of best rider of the year, his overall performance was not as good as his results. Therefore I have hard times to put him over Thomas and particularly Yates, who bossed GT's over 39 stages during the year. Valverde is harder comparison, but to my taste even he was more consistently in very high level than Froome. Remember these are only opinions. This is mine.
the thing is that for many what froome managed to deliver in the stage 19 of this year's giro easily swipes away yates' giro, sappada raid, the vuelta, fantastic dimoulin's solidity during two consecutive gts, thomas' performance etc. that was what we see really rarely and it's unknown when we'll be able to see anything remotely close once again.
thomas is very good, but both froome and dimoulin remain stronger gc rider with good reason imo. don alejandro is at completely different scales. I don't see how grand tours can be compared to the most prestigious 1 day race.
 
I think the set of arguments to go for Thomas is very simplified and ignores 90% of cycling

According to that logic, the TdF winner gets it every year unless somebody specifically wins the Giro/Vuelta, or 2 monuments, and it ignores everything else.

I think that winning the Tour can be a tiebreaker at most, cause now what's almost the worst Tour winning season in a decade is rider of the year by default?

What?
 
Re:

Red Rick said:
I think the set of arguments to go for Thomas is very simplified and ignores 90% of cycling
This. It also ignores any kind of context. Although the prize remains the same on paper, not all Tour de France wins require the same level of performance - just the same as World Championships. For example, Thomas's two biggest rivals in the race came in at a massive disadvantage having just completed another GT.

Thomas is a worthy contender for the 'Rider Winning the Biggest Races of 2018' thread. But not for this one.
 
Re: Re:

del1962 said:
dastott said:
A GT is a 3 week race over all terrains and tests all capabilities. How that be compared to winning a 1 day race is completely illogical.

1. Tour
2. Giro
3. Vuelta
4. World Road Race and TT, Monuments
5. Dauphine, Paris-Nice, País Vasco, Tirreno, Catalunya, Romandie
6. Lesser classics and stage races.

Even winning major stages of GTs (summit finishes like Alpe or Ventoux and TTs) would be equal to a monument for many riders I would imagine.

How to rank GR stage wins

Tour > Giro > Vuelta obvioulsy

Solo GC contender win > GC contender win > ITT win > sprinter win > breakaway win

Some exceptions to this (Echelons Sagan/Froome) etc obviously but as a rule, like I don't rate where an outside GC contender being giver a bit of leeway as a solo GC contender win
But that is just ranking solely on big results. It's an incredibly tedious way to decide Rider of the Year. It simply ignores all the more intangible factors which actually make the discussion interesting and worth having: quality of opposition, style of win, overcoming setbacks, consistency throughout the year, landmark achievements, memorable moments etc...
 
[/quote]

I don't think Valverde would trade his Worlds win for anything, including a Tour.[/quote]

Given how happy Valverde was just to get on the Podium of the TDF in 2015 I do think so, but ofcourse its a guess and the worlds for sure meant very much for him too.
 
Re:

QuickZulu said:
There's usually no love for sprinters in these polls, but for me Viviani must be in the top 5 for 2018.
I think for a sprinter to even enter the conversation, he has to have won either MSR or the Worlds or something ridiculous like 7 or 8 stages in the Tour. Petacchi in 2005 for example, or Cipollini 2002 is the bar for sprinters being Rider of the Year. Viviani's miles away from that level.
 

I don't think Valverde would trade his Worlds win for anything, including a Tour.[/quote]

Given how happy Valverde was just to get on the Podium of the TDF in 2015 I do think so, but ofcourse its a guess and the worlds for sure meant very much for him too.[/quote]

The Worlds have been his obsession for at least 15 years, and it's something he's wanted to win since childhood (which he has stated). Granted he wanted a Tour as well. Here is the big difference, he's never come that close to winning the Tour and that podium gave him what he wanted most from the Tour. The Worlds are a different story. Not just his obsession, but the fact that he's had so many near misses AND he's made mistakes that have cost him the Worlds. He's never made a mistake that really cost him a Tour. He also made the comment after the Worlds that he can now be at peace when he eventually retires. He didn't need a Tour win for that, he NEEDED the Worlds win for that.
 
Re: Re:

DFA123 said:
QuickZulu said:
There's usually no love for sprinters in these polls, but for me Viviani must be in the top 5 for 2018.
I think for a sprinter to even enter the conversation, he has to have won either MSR or the Worlds or something ridiculous like 7 or 8 stages in the Tour. Petacchi in 2005 for example, or Cipollini 2002 is the bar for sprinters being Rider of the Year. Viviani's miles away from that level.
This...also check Freddy Maertens. '81, my favorite with rainbow, green and five TdF stages, ''77 probably his best with a dozen Vuelta stages and 7 Giro stages, won PN and Omloop. '76 rainbow plus AGR, GW, 5 stages in PN and a bunch more. Viviani, a lot of hype, not there yet.
 
Cav had a great year in 09 and only finished 8th on the UCI rankings.
Tour de France
1st Stages 2, 3, 10, 11, 19 & 21
Held Jersey green.svg after Stages 1–6, 10 & 11
Giro d'Italia
1st Stages 1 (TTT), 9, 11 & 13
Held Jersey pink.svgJersey white.svg after Stages 1 & 2
1st Milan–San Remo
1st Sparkassen Giro Bochum
Tour of California
1st Jersey green.svg Sprint classification
1st Stages 4 & 5
Three Days of De Panne
1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
1st Stages 2 & 3a
Tour de Suisse
1st Stages 3 & 6
Tour of Missouri
1st Stages 1 & 2
1st Stage 7 Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Stage 2 Tour of Ireland
4th Amstel Curaçao Race
8th UCI World Ranking
9th Overall Tour of Qatar
1st Stages 4 & 6

Compared to Petacchi 05
Giro d'Italia
1st Stages 10, 13, 16 & 21
1st Azzurri d'Italia classification
Vuelta a España
1st Jersey light blue.svg Points classification
1st Stages 3, 4, 8, 12 & 21
1st Jersey gold.svg Overall Vuelta Ciclista a la Comunidad Valenciana
1st Stages 1, 2 & 5
Tour de Romandie
1st Stages 1 & 2
Vuelta a Andalucía
1st Stages 4 & 5
Vuelta a Aragón
1st Stages 1 & 3
1st Milan–San Remo
1st GP Costa Degli Etruschi
1st Trofeo Luis Puig
2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Stages 1, 6 & 7
3rd Coppa Bernocchi

Thiugh of the 3 Cippo had the better yesr with MSR, Worlds, and 9 GT stages.
 
Koronin said:

I don't think Valverde would trade his Worlds win for anything, including a Tour.

Given how happy Valverde was just to get on the Podium of the TDF in 2015 I do think so, but ofcourse its a guess and the worlds for sure meant very much for him too.[/quote]

The Worlds have been his obsession for at least 15 years, and it's something he's wanted to win since childhood (which he has stated). Granted he wanted a Tour as well. Here is the big difference, he's never come that close to winning the Tour and that podium gave him what he wanted most from the Tour. The Worlds are a different story. Not just his obsession, but the fact that he's had so many near misses AND he's made mistakes that have cost him the Worlds. He's never made a mistake that really cost him a Tour. He also made the comment after the Worlds that he can now be at peace when he eventually retires. He didn't need a Tour win for that, he NEEDED the Worlds win for that.[/quote]


You are probably right in the Valverde case that he prefered the world championships to the Tour De France this year, but as you say its only due to his unique history in the race and the need to redeem himself after the Purito/Rui Costa flop most of all and not because its a more important race.

I have no doubt that most other riders would clearly prefer winning the TDF, even if its ofcourse much more unrealistic for many so they only dream of the Worlds. And for sure I have no doubt that all the other riders except Valverde in this vote (And especially all the stageracers) would trade their results this year with Thomas with no hessitation.



Red Rick said:
I think the set of arguments to go for Thomas is very simplified and ignores 90% of cycling

According to that logic, the TdF winner gets it every year unless somebody specifically wins the Giro/Vuelta, or 2 monuments, and it ignores everything else.

I think that winning the Tour can be a tiebreaker at most, cause now what's almost the worst Tour winning season in a decade is rider of the year by default?

What?

When you say we ignore 90% of cycling when I and others point the importance of the TDF out, I can only say that I feel you ignore the 10% that really matters talking of the TDF as a tie-breaker at most ...

Do you dissagree that Froome, Yates and Dumoulin all would trade their 2018 results with Thomas without haste?

As mentioned above Valverde might not due to his specific special situation, but for sure he would have traded 10 years ago

And ofcourse winning the TDF is not a automatic rider of the year, but winning it makes you a automatic candidate. But the manner its won and weather you make other results of course also matters, just as well as extraordinary other results can better it but needs to be special.

I just don't think anyone else has made such extraordinary results even if Valverde, Yates, Froome and Dumoulin all has been impressive.

And then Thomas won the race convinsingly including 2 important stagewins, and actually also had some other big results winning Dauphine and being 3. in Tirreno-Adriatico.

In 2006 for instance when Pereiro won the race by luck and made no other results he was clearly not the rider of the year.
 
MADRAZO said:
Koronin said:

I don't think Valverde would trade his Worlds win for anything, including a Tour.

Given how happy Valverde was just to get on the Podium of the TDF in 2015 I do think so, but ofcourse its a guess and the worlds for sure meant very much for him too.

The Worlds have been his obsession for at least 15 years, and it's something he's wanted to win since childhood (which he has stated). Granted he wanted a Tour as well. Here is the big difference, he's never come that close to winning the Tour and that podium gave him what he wanted most from the Tour. The Worlds are a different story. Not just his obsession, but the fact that he's had so many near misses AND he's made mistakes that have cost him the Worlds. He's never made a mistake that really cost him a Tour. He also made the comment after the Worlds that he can now be at peace when he eventually retires. He didn't need a Tour win for that, he NEEDED the Worlds win for that.[/quote]


You are probably right in the Valverde case that he prefered the world championships to the Tour De France this year, but as you say its only due to his unique history in the race and the need to redeem himself after the Purito/Rui Costa flop most of all and not because its a more important race.

I have no doubt that most other riders would clearly prefer winning the TDF, even if its ofcourse much more unrealistic for many so they only dream of the Worlds. And for sure I have no doubt that all the other riders except Valverde in this vote (And especially all the stageracers) would trade their results this year with Thomas with no hessitation.
[/quote]


Most other stage racers most likely would trade what they did for a Tour win. However, I don't think sprinters or many classics specialists or pure time trialists would. Valverde is likely the only stage racer that wouldn't. With Valverde, it had sunk in that he finally had his Tour podium by the time he had gotten home from the Tour that year. This World's win still hasn't fully sunk in for him.
 
Re:

Red Rick said:
The 'would I trade x for y' doesn't directly mean that it's better either. It's more of a sentimental/wishful thinking thing than about quality.

The whole question "rider of the year" is a lot down to how one define that. For me such sentimental/wishful feelings on what is important would have a lot to say in deciding the "rider of the year", maybe in some sort of balance also with an cynical estimate of how much salary one would make based on such a season (hard to estimate as past and future expectations will always influenze also).

If we were discussing "the strongest rider of the year" instead such things would not matter nearly as much, and then it would be a lot more open question for me who it was, especially also since both Froome and Dumoulin handicapped themselves doing the Giro/TDF-double.
 
Re: Re:

del1962 said:
dastott said:
A GT is a 3 week race over all terrains and tests all capabilities. How that be compared to winning a 1 day race is completely illogical.

1. Tour
2. Giro
3. Vuelta
4. World Road Race and TT, Monuments
5. Dauphine, Paris-Nice, País Vasco, Tirreno, Catalunya, Romandie
6. Lesser classics and stage races.

Even winning major stages of GTs (summit finishes like Alpe or Ventoux and TTs) would be equal to a monument for many riders I would imagine.

How to rank GR stage wins

Tour > Giro > Vuelta obvioulsy

Solo GC contender win > GC contender win > ITT win > sprinter win > breakaway win

Some exceptions to this (Echelons Sagan/Froome) etc obviously but as a rule, like I don't rate where an outside GC contender being giver a bit of leeway as a solo GC contender win

Yes, agree 100%. I should have been clearer, when the GC contenders are fighting it out for the stage and the GC THEN these mythical summit finishes (Alpe, Ventoux, Zoncalan, Angliru and a few others) certainly rate very highly. As we are talking about rider of the year, that is the context. For the record, Thomas won on Alpe in yellow (first time that has officially been done although you could say Lemond in 86 too) after winning solo the previous day's summit finish. Winning the Tour this way, plus the Dauphine (and only losing Tirreno to a team mate) makes him rider of the year. Not as impressive as Wiggins 2012 or Froome 2013 but pretty impressive all the same.
 
Re: Re:

DFA123 said:
tobydawq said:
Jungle Cycle said:
that`s why `good`and ˜very good˜ not excellent or unbelievable.. anyway those are big races witch are very difficult to get a result. The point was he was there going good in the early season but from what i`ve read for you the focus is the Tour, than the Giro, than Vuelta and the rest..
If that is the case the name of the thread should be the best GC rider of the year..

Then you read wrong. I specifically stated that the WCRR, Flanders and Roubaix rate close to the Giro (so above the Vuelta). Additionally, I have pointed at Valverde for this year as best rider, so you must have mixed me with someone else.

I'm just saying that for a rider of Dumoulin's calibre, outside the top 10 results are not really noteworthy. Especially not in Strade where he finished more than 6 minutes behind Benoot.
This. When you see a 21st place in Strade Bianche (not just six minutes behind Benoot, but also a minute behind a neo-pro from FDJ) being referenced, you know that the barrel is well and truly being scraped to fit an agenda.
Plus that wasn't even a good race from him, as he was ill. He was 5th the year before
 
I do love a heated debate. I was torn between Valverde, Yates and Froome. All three had fantastic years, with consistency, big results and providing memorable moments. I'd struggle with Frooome as a winner, well, just because I would ... though his Giro spectacular was easily the single most astonishing and brilliant ride I have seen in years. For sheer chutzpah he could be top of the heap .... and would have been on any other year.
Yates, I'm fond of. A local lad (even if he does sound like he comes from no place on earth) and the season's best climber ... also a punchy rider, unafraid of risks. He's my runner up to Valverde.
Bala just shades it for me on the strength of his incredible ability to be in the shake up race after race after race .... across all kinds of terrain ... winning in different styles too. He also seems to depend upon his team far less than Froome and Yates. Ie. He is able to freelance with some aplomb. I used to despise him .... this year, he turned me into a fan. I love a racer .... someone who clearly just loves racing. The WRR win sealed the deal .... he's world champion at an age and in circumstances where he should have been at home in his slippers with his feet up.
 
Re:

armchairclimber said:
I do love a heated debate. I was torn between Valverde, Yates and Froome. All three had fantastic years, with consistency, big results and providing memorable moments. I'd struggle with Frooome as a winner, well, just because I would ... though his Giro spectacular was easily the single most astonishing and brilliant ride I have seen in years. For sheer chutzpah he could be top of the heap .... and would have been on any other year.
Yates, I'm fond of. A local lad (even if he does sound like he comes from no place on earth) and the season's best climber ... also a punchy rider, unafraid of risks. He's my runner up to Valverde.
Bala just shades it for me on the strength of his incredible ability to be in the shake up race after race after race .... across all kinds of terrain ... winning in different styles too. He also seems to depend upon his team far less than Froome and Yates. Ie. He is able to freelance with some aplomb. I used to despise him .... this year, he turned me into a fan. I love a racer .... someone who clearly just loves racing. The WRR win sealed the deal .... he's world champion at an age and in circumstances where he should have been at home in his slippers with his feet up.


That's cool that the Yates twins are local to you. I'm sure you cheer just a bit harder for them.
 
Its Geraint Thomas
A man no one thought would win a Grand Tour, not even the British media .. A man who has several world and Olympic medals on the track , has the experience and pedigree to win a Paris Roubaix and has come close .Has been a superlative Domestique Royal and then to win the Tour (not the Vuelta nor the Giro) ...the Tour..out climbing everyone, keeping his cool , great performances in TT and cohabiting in SKY with Froome and all the pressure that must bring

While Valverde , Froome,and Dumoulin were great ...Thomas the outsider showed his class at last in the Grand Boucle and he doesn't get enough credit for his perseverance and talent
 
Re:

HelloDolly said:
Its Geraint Thomas
A man no one thought would win a Grand Tour, not even the British media .. A man who has several world and Olympic medals on the track , has the experience and pedigree to win a Paris Roubaix and has come close .Has been a superlative Domestique Royal and then to win the Tour (not the Vuelta nor the Giro) ...the Tour..out climbing everyone, keeping his cool , great performances in TT and cohabiting in SKY with Froome and all the pressure that must bring

While Valverde , Froome,and Dumoulin were great ...Thomas the outsider showed his class at last in the Grand Boucle and he doesn't get enough credit for his perseverance and talent
You list why he was unexpected, not why he had a better year than any other rider.
 
Re: Re:

Red Rick said:
HelloDolly said:
Its Geraint Thomas
A man no one thought would win a Grand Tour, not even the British media .. A man who has several world and Olympic medals on the track , has the experience and pedigree to win a Paris Roubaix and has come close .Has been a superlative Domestique Royal and then to win the Tour (not the Vuelta nor the Giro) ...the Tour..out climbing everyone, keeping his cool , great performances in TT and cohabiting in SKY with Froome and all the pressure that must bring

While Valverde , Froome,and Dumoulin were great ...Thomas the outsider showed his class at last in the Grand Boucle and he doesn't get enough credit for his perseverance and talent
You list why he was unexpected, not why he had a better year than any other rider.

He won the Tour for one...still the one everyone wants to win
He won in style and was unexpected
He is class rider
 
Btw, I voted for Tibopino...I have a fanboy reputation at stake here :) . I had to stuff the ballot, but in all seriousness, Simon-says-catch-me-if-you-can has an edge on everybody else IMO. To answer the "how much credit should he get for almost winning Il Giro, I'd say something like 75%. Fignon Tour '89 would be 90% or so. I agree that it's debatable, but more importantly, Yates was there pretty much year round at the top of the food chain.

1. Simon Yates

Ahead of Geraint TooFast and Dawg, I have to give the second place to Valverde, although he only peaked for 296 days in '18 :eek: . Winning big races, small races, and winning more year round. The definition of Rider of the Year, no? Not a great GT campaign for The Don, but GTs are not everything, as many here know. And the rainbow jersey, if we talk about rating comparisons, that's just below a GT IMO. It's a massive accomplishment...which is why Sagan takes a hit in many of the rankings posted here.

2. Alejandro Valverde

Giro and TdF podium with two mythic stage wins vs. Tour and Dauphine. Close call, but it's true, Le Tour is the biggest race in the World. Movistar's miserable showing can't take away or diminish Thomas' masterful performance on the biggest stage.

3. Geraint Thomas
4. Christopher Froome

Then we get to a second tier of riders who had great year but missed something or lacked year-round dominance. Dumourain finished second of his three main objectives; only two wins, ITT at Il Giro and ITT at the TdF, that's light. I suspect that those who voted for him did so while enjoying a good time at a Bulldog Cafe in Amsterdam ;) . Not serious.

Sagan fell short according to the standard that he's held to: that's the price to pay for being a genius on a bike. GW, PR, a green jersey and stages, really good but not great. Lost his rainbow jersey...a meh year for him, a dream year for many tho'.

Il Squalo, best monument rider of the year but not much else, his season was ruined because of an idiot on the side of the road. Too bad.

It's becoming a habit to mention Il Squalo and Tibopino in the same sentence. Big brother, younger brother of a different mother. One day away from a Giro podium and an absolutely massive year. That would have him dominate this tier. Tibopino, Il Grandissimo, won Trentino, died in Italy, resurrected at Los Lagos, won again, then dominated the Italian fall classics. I will never forget this Lombardia. Wow!!! Tears :) .

5. Tom Dumoulin
6. Vincenzo Nibali
7. Thibaut Pinot
8. Peter Sagan

After that, Alaf', Nikki, others, even Viviani...
 

Latest posts