Rough Attempt at an All-Time Ranking

[CyclistAbi]

Yeah, in many other rankings he was already ahead of him.

Fully agree.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Was the ranking updated post-Vuelta?

 

[Pantani_lives]

Was the ranking updated post-Vuelta?

The OP is updated. I'll do a complete update with comment at the end of the European season.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Thanks @Pantani_lives !

 

[KenFiamingo]

Post WC update of the https://www.kingoftheechelon.com/all-time-pro-cycling-ranking

• Pogacar passed Poulidor to 12th; Zoetemelk stays out of reach for this season.
• With the points of this season alone, Pogacar already would have made it to spot 112, preceding Ivan Basso's career total.
• MvdP entered the top-100 at 98.
• REV climbed to 84th.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

@Pantani_lives Pogacar is very close to 8th De Vlaeminck now. Next update soon or after Lombardy?

 

[Pantani_lives]

@Pantani_lives Pogacar is very close to 8th De Vlaeminck now. Next update soon or after Lombardy?

After Lombardy.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Would be a ridiculous list. Best of his generation

No, he wasn't. Every ranking relies too much on consistency and not in big wins. Winning Vuelta a Murcia 10x times gives more points than win a Giro. What is more relevant to a rider's palmares? Valverde wasn't better than Contador. Not in a million years!

 

[Berniece]

No, he wasn't. Every ranking relies too much on consistency and not in big wins. Winning Vuelta a Murcia 10x times gives more points than win a Giro. What is more relevant to a rider's palmares? Valverde wasn't better than Contador. Not in a million years!

You are a big fan of the opinion of other riders, well in this case Tom Boonen always said that Valverde was the best rider of his generation.

 

[BigCoward]

You are a big fan of the opinion of other riders, well in this case Tom Boonen always said that Valverde was the best rider of his generation.

Was he off his nut at the time?

 

[Peyroteo94]

You are a big fan of the opinion of other riders, well in this case Tom Boonen always said that Valverde was the best rider of his generation.

No, I'm not... I base my opinion in what is important in cycling. I follow this sport for almost 30 years, so I can say cycling is all about GT's, monuments, WC, Olympics and feets (for example Giro-Tour, Ardennes treble, Tour-Vuelta is starting to get important too due to Froome).
But nice move, you tried to hurt me with one of my all time favourites, my beloved Tommeke.

 

[Berniece]

No, I'm not... I base my opinion in what is important in cycling. I follow this sport for almost 30 years, so I can say cycling is all about GT's, monuments, WC, Olympics and feets (for example Giro-Tour, Ardennes treble, Tour-Vuelta is starting to get important too due to Froome).
But nice move, you tried to hurt me with one of my all time favourites, my beloved Tommeke.

The only thing Contador did was win GT’s. Valverde won a GT, monuments, WC, etc

 

[Peyroteo94]

The only thing Contador did was win GT’s. Valverde won a GT, monuments, WC, etc

"The only thing". That etc is very funny btw, what are you refering to? Contador won 3 Tours, 3 Giros, 3 Vueltas. 2 of them don't count officially. Vuelta won a Vuelta right, now let's talk about circunstances.
Do you know your problem when you try to argue with me? I follow cycling for too long and have been in love with this sport for almost 30 years (TV and live, following my Volta Portugal back in Vila Real where my grandparents lived). First: Terrible route with easiest third week ever made in a GT, tailormade for some uphill sprinter who wasn't great in high mountains. Somehow he improved a little bit after his doping suspension.
Second: Bonus seconds given were 20/12/8 seconds.
Third: Evans's mechanical changed a lot of dynamics in the race.
To end my opinion, HOW riders win their races are important too. Contador has a lot of legendary moments, Valverde's wins in LBL, Vuelta, WC are sprints.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The comparison for Valverde should always be Poulidor. Both of them mainly rely on their crazy longevity to push them up pretty high in any points-based system, and then it's basically Poulidor's endless raft of Tour podiums versus Valverde's array of Ardennes wins. Yes, that puts Valverde on top, but not by massive margins. So if you're arguing that Valverde is easily top-10 of all time, then you should by definition also be arguing that Poulidor is at the very least close to top-10 of all time. And both of those are IMO silly takes.

 

[Berniece]

Do you know your problem when you try to argue with me? I follow cycling for too long and have been in love with this sport for almost 30 years (TV and live, following my Volta Portugal back in Vila Real where my grandparents lived).

Is this a pissing contest? What's your point? You think you know more because you are older? That's not how it works. I've been following it with a passion since 2003, when Cycling Manager 3 came out, and I destroyed everyone with Fassa Bortolo and became a fan of Petacchi through the game in real life.

 

[BigCoward]

The only thing Contador did was win GT’s. Valverde won a GT, monuments, WC, etc

And the worst one.
And one monument repeatedly. He has the weakest best palmares of all time.

Looking at his results page on wiki is insane though. So many podiums/top 10s over so long.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Is this a pissing contest? What's your point? You think you know more because you are older? That's not how it works. I've been following it with a passion since 2003, when Cycling Manager 3 came out, and I destroyed everyone with Fassa Bortolo and became a fan of Petacchi through the game in real life.

No, not at all. I was just saying I have been following cycling for too long and I saw all Valverde's career (and Contador too) so I can judge and assess who is better between those two. It is my opinion based in results, prestige/popularity (Spain fall more in love with Contador, specially because they finally found the new Indurain. A rider able to dominate the Tour. Around the world there isn't really a debate, Contador is a God) and how they won their races.
But I have one question, the other day you said you watch Merckx race live, now you just start watching with passion since 2003, 30 years later?

 

[Berniece]

No, not at all. I was just saying I have been following cycling for too long and I saw all Valverde's career (and Contador too) so I can judge and assess who is better between those two. It is my opinion based in results, prestige/popularity (Spain fall more in love with Contador, specially because they finally found the new Indurain. A rider able to dominate the Tour. Around the world there isn't really a debate, Contador is a God) and how they won their races.
But I have one question, the other day you said you watch Merckx race live, now you just start watching with passion since 2003, 30 years later?

I never said I watched Merckx race live. I said I watched his races. Someone else also said he watched footage on youtube. That's a big difference.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I never said I watched Merckx race live. I said I watched his races. Someone else also said he watched footage on youtube. That's a big difference.

You clearly implied you watch him racing live. In fact I told only 60 years old members were able to watch him.
But I will not search for that. For you Valverde is better, for me Contador is better.

 

[Berniece]

You clearly implied you watch him racing live. In fact I told only 60 years old members were able to watch him.
But I will not search for that. For you Valverde is better, for me Contador is better.

My apologies, never meant to imply that. I'm not that old, like I said I only started following cycling since 2023.

 

[Panda Claws]

Valverde's palmares doesn't reflect how good he was imo. Some wasted opportunities and not enough flexibility in fully attempting some races (Lombardia, RVV, Giro, AGR even MSR).

Often hopelessly inflated on points systems because of shitty stage wins and/or Vuelta a Mallorca pretending to be one-day races.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I am 120 years old and I watched Fausto coppi in his prime . He is the best ever, pogacar or mercxk don't compare.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I am 120 years old and I watched Fausto coppi in his prime . He is the best ever, pogacar or mercxk don't compare.

Not arguing with this. Coppi had awesome achievements depite losing 5-6 years of his prime due to WW II.
The problem is that you (because of your age) confuse two Faustos all the time and too many compliments go to the alive one!

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Regarding Valverde vs Contador debate, Valverde was an awesome all-rounder: he excelled in one day races and stage races. He was also a gentleman (I will never forget how he give Mt Ventoux victory to weakening Szmyd at Dauphine 2009, I've never seen anything like this). But I still find it hard to rank him above Contador. 7 GT wins (including 2 Tours) is a serious business. I can't rank 4 Liege+Vuelta+WC+a few other important classics higher. Obviously Valverde gets some points for being more versatile across various races but OTOH for a few years Contador had the aura of invincibility in the biggest races on the planet. Their achievements are so hard to compare, I think they are very close.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I am 120 years old and I watched Fausto coppi in his prime . He is the best ever, pogacar or mercxk don't compare.

Did you watch him from the side of the road or in cinema news reels mainly? I doubt you can present us much footage of Coppi attacking, so I have concluded that he was a very boring rider.