Rough Attempt at an All-Time Ranking

[Berniece]

He was a phenomenal classics rider with amazing palmares, no doubt. But in which years would you say he was the best classics rider overall?

2015, he won LBL, Fleche and NC, podium on AGR (2nd), Strade (3rd), San Sebastian (3rd), and 4th Lombardia and 5th WC.

Maybe also even in 2014.

 

[Peyroteo94]

2015, he won LBL, Fleche and NC, podium on AGR (2nd), Strade (3rd), San Sebastian (3rd), and 4th Lombardia and 5th WC.

Maybe also even in 2014.

Valverde's best year was 2015 or even 2017. His crash in the 2017 Tour was such a pity because he was flying that year

 

[Jan the Man]

I guess in the debate between Valverde and Contador it depends on what you rate more versatility or specialism. For me Contador was more dominant in GTs than Valverde was in classics at their peak but Valverde was clearly more versatile, could win a far broader range of races and in fact did so over a longer period of time.

I am not a huge fan of comparing cross generations particularly Eddie v Pog. Times were so different, different races had different levels of importance, everybody raced loads, super teams weren't much of a thing and cycling has become far more global and specialised so there is more depth in competition.

Times change- people can spin arguments whichever way you suit and people will always have their favourites.

All I can judge is what I've seen since watching the sport. Since 1994 Pog is clearly all round the most dominant rider in that time although when people complain about team dominance by UAE I still remember the Gewiss dominance of the 1995 liege and Mapei's dominance of Roubaix 1996...

 

[Squire]

I'm as big a Valverde fanboy as they come, but even I have to admit that Contador was the greater and more mythical cyclist. For me Contador is easily the greatest cyclist of the 21st century pre-Pog (with only Armstrong as a possible discussion). And with 9 GTs for Contador, I don't even think Pog is head-and-shoulders ahead yet in terms of palmares.

All I can judge is what I've seen since watching the sport. Since 1994 Pog is clearly all round the most dominant rider in that time although when people complain about team dominance by UAE I still remember the Gewiss dominance of the 1995 liege and Mapei's dominance of Roubaix 1996...

In terms of dominance in one particular race, I think Jumbo-Visma's 2023 Vuelta beats the Gewiss and Mapei monuments hands down. At least those races were over after a few hours, and we didn't have to watch a team playing on easy mode for three weeks.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

2015, he won LBL, Fleche and NC, podium on AGR (2nd), Strade (3rd), San Sebastian (3rd), and 4th Lombardia and 5th WC.

Maybe also even in 2014.

Yeah, great year, but nothing compared to Contador winning Giro-Vuelta in 2008, clearly head and shoulders above anyone else in GTs, becoming all the sixth person to ever win all 3 GTs, or beating his own teammate/team, against his DS’s wishes, for his second Tour, or being the third person to win all 3 GTs more than once. He also won the Velo d’Or 4 times. He burned much brighter and faster than Valverde.

Valverde was definitely more versatile and his longevity was insane, but I put Contador above him for the reasons listed. Also, yes, Valverde won 4 Monuments, but they were all the same Monument, and not the most prestigious. (Plus a WCRR, which is more prestigious). Again, very good, but below Contador’s 3-3-3 across GTs. 9 big wins vs 6. 7 vs 6 if you go by the books.

Regardless, Pogacar is miles above them both.

 

[Pantani_lives]

After LBL it's time for an update. So what does this spring mean for this all-time ranking?

• Tadej Pogačar had an incredible spring campaign, scoring exactly 100 points. He jumps over Sean Kelly and Alejandro Valverde, which makes him undeniably the BROCC (Best Rider of Current Century). As the sixth rider ever to break the barrier of 1000 points he joins the pantheon of cycling gods.
• Mathieu van der Poel is the other stand-out. He enters the top 50 of road cycling, in spite of combining that with other disciplines. He still hasn't caught fellow Dutchman Jan Raas and grandpa Poupou, but he's getting close.
• Mads Pedersen makes the biggest leap by gaining thirty-six places.

Here's an overview of the biggest changes in position compared to December:

(8) 6. Tadej Pogačar
(58) 48. Mathieu van der Poel
(158) 122. Mads Pedersen
(192) 174. Filippo Ganna

And hidden behind spoiler tags is an overview of the updated list:

Spoiler: Top 200 of All Time

1 | Eddy Merckx | 2027
2 | Bernard Hinault | 1266
3 | Jacques Anquetil | 1075
4 | Fausto Coppi | 1032
5 | Gino Bartali | 1009
6 | Tadej Pogačar | 1007
7 | Sean Kelly | 958
8 | Alejandro Valverde | 921
9 | Roger De Vlaeminck | 873
10 | Francesco Moser | 830
11 | Alfredo Binda | 789
12 | Felice Gimondi | 778
13 | Costante Girardengo | 765
14 | Miguel Induráin | 740
15 | Rik Van Looy | 733
16 | Primož Roglič | 695
17 | Joop Zoetemelk | 657
18 | Chris Froome | 656
19 | Fabian Cancellara | 637
20 | Louison Bobet | 621
21 | Alberto Contador | 619
22 | Laurent Jalabert | 619
23 | Tony Rominger | 600
24 | Giuseppe Saronni | 599
25 | Vincenzo Nibali | 594
26 | Freddy Maertens | 594
27 | Tom Boonen | 523
28 | Peter Sagan | 520
29 | Rik Van Steenbergen | 484
30 | Fiorenzo Magni | 475
31 | Learco Guerra | 474
32 | Ferdi Kübler | 473
33 | Philippe Gilbert | 454
34 | Franco Bitossi | 452
35 | Remco Evenepoel | 450
36 | Johan Museeuw | 446
37 | Erik Zabel | 442
38 | Luis Ocaña | 441
39 | Mario Cipollini | 436
40 | Paolo Bettini | 432
41 | Greg LeMond | 429
42 | Raymond Poulidor | 425
43 | Jan Ullrich | 423
44 | Gianni Bugno | 423
45 | Mark Cavendish | 420
46 | Laurent Fignon | 418
47 | Jan Raas | 416
48 | Mathieu van der Poel | 412
49 | Moreno Argentin | 409
50 | Nairo Quintana | 388
51 | Nicolas Frantz | 385
52 | Alex Zülle | 378
53 | Joaquim Rodríguez | 377
54 | Herman Vanspringel | 369
55 | Oscar Freire | 359
56 | Alexander Vinokourov | 356
57 | Wout van Aert | 351
58 | Charly Gaul | 348
59 | Hugo Koblet | 339
60 | Walter Godefroot | 336
61 | Michele Bartoli | 335
62 | Gaetano Belloni | 334
63 | Jan Janssen | 332
64 | Henri Pélissier | 332
65 | Antonin Magne | 331
66 | Charly Mottet | 324
67 | André Leducq | 323
68 | Stephen Roche | 322
69 | Pedro Delgado | 322
70 | Giovanni Brunero | 322
71 | Bernard Thévenet | 317
72 | Claudio Chiappucci | 317
73 | Jonas Vingegaard | 314
74 | Julian Alaphilippe | 311
75 | Cadel Evans | 309
76 | François Faber | 307
77 | Philippe Thys | 305
78 | Vittorio Adorni | 303
79 | Abraham Olano | 303
80 | Rudi Altig | 303
81 | Alessandro Petacchi | 300
82 | Hennie Kuiper | 296
83 | Roberto Heras | 289
84 | Gustave Garrigou | 284
85 | Davide Rebellin | 276
86 | Briek Schotte | 275
87 | Gianbattista Baronchelli | 273
88 | Bradley Wiggins | 269
89 | Fred De Bruyne | 265
90 | Gianni Motta | 264
91 | André Darrigade | 263
92 | Nino Defilippis | 262
93 | Lucien Van Impe | 261
94 | Gilberto Simoni | 258
95 | Phil Anderson | 255
96 | Federico Bahamontes | 254
97 | Marino Lejarreta | 253
98 | Damiano Cunego | 252
99 | Stan Ockers | 249
100 | Tony Martin | 246
101 | Geraint Thomas | 245
102 | Michał Kwiatkowski | 245
103 | Julián Berrendero | 242
104 | Eric Vanderaerden | 242
105 | Marco Pantani | 241
106 | Michel Pollentier | 237
107 | Danilo Di Luca | 234
108 | Rolf Sørensen | 234
109 | Francesco Casagrande | 234
110 | Jean Stablinski | 232
111 | Samuel Sánchez | 231
112 | Pascal Richard | 227
113 | Delio Rodríguez | 226
114 | Raymond Impanis | 224
115 | Richard Carapaz | 223
116 | Greg Van Avermaet | 222
117 | Sylvère Maes | 221
118 | Lucien Petit-Breton | 218
119 | Gastone Nencini | 218
120 | Dietrich Thurau | 218
121 | Alexander Kristoff | 216
122 | Mads Pedersen | 213
123 | Ivan Basso | 211
124 | Octave Lapize | 210
125 | Marcel Kint | 210
126 | Tom Dumoulin | 208
127 | Gerrie Knetemann | 208
128 | Arnaud Démare | 207
129 | Thor Hushovd | 206
130 | Carlos Sastre | 205
131 | Robbie McEwen | 204
132 | Denis Menchov | 203
133 | Stefano Garzelli | 202
134 | Adrie van der Poel | 202
135 | Claude Criquielion | 200
136 | Luis Herrera | 198
137 | Miguel María Lasa | 198
138 | Michele Dancelli | 197
139 | Pavel Tonkov | 196
140 | Ottavio Bottecchia | 195
141 | Giovanni Battaglin | 195
142 | Eddy Planckaert | 195
143 | Giuseppe Olmo | 194
144 | Richard Virenque | 193
145 | Georges Ronsse | 192
146 | Miguel Poblet | 192
147 | José Manuel Fuente | 189
148 | Jean Alavoine | 189
149 | Guido Bontempi | 187
150 | Georges Speicher | 186
151 | Egan Bernal | 185
152 | Heiri Suter | 185
153 | Maurizio Fondriest | 182
154 | Andy Schleck | 181
155 | Andrei Tchmil | 181
156 | Frans Verbeeck | 181
157 | Mariano Cañardo | 180
158 | Filippo Pozzato | 176
159 | Peter Van Petegem | 174
160 | Adolfo Leoni | 174
161 | Carlo Galetti | 172
162 | John Degenkolb | 172
163 | Joaquim Agostinho | 172
164 | Rui Costa | 171
165 | Maurice De Waele | 171
166 | Ercole Baldini | 171
167 | Jakob Fuglsang | 170
168 | Luigi Ganna | 170
169 | Italo Zilioli | 170
170 | Louis Trousselier | 168
171 | Germain Derycke | 168
172 | Frank Vandenbroucke | 168
173 | Erik Breukink | 168
174 | Filippo Ganna | 167
175 | Andreas Klöden | 167
176 | Pasquale Fornara | 166
177 | Roger Pingeon | 164
178 | Roger Lapébie | 164
179 | Alphonse Schepers | 164
180 | Franco Balmamion | 164
181 | Simon Yates | 163
182 | Tom Simpson | 163
183 | Jef Planckaert | 163
184 | Tom Steels | 161
185 | Firmin Lambot | 160
186 | Gaston Rebry | 159
187 | Domingo Perurena | 158
188 | Laurent Dufaux | 157
189 | Robert Millar | 156
190 | Ritchie Porte | 156
191 | Andrew Hampsten | 155
192 | Andrea Tafi | 155
193 | Giovanni Valetti | 154
194 | Daniel Martin | 154
195 | Steven Rooks | 154
196 | Eric Leman | 154
197 | Fränk Schleck | 154
198 | Rigoberto Urán | 154
199 | Marino Basso | 153
200 | André Greipel | 153

 

[Krzysztof_O]

So Teddy in 1000 pts club, so close to Coppi & Bartali now.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Does Rogla get more points for wins due to the age or it's the same criteria involved for all competitors?

 

[Salvarani]

Does Rogla get more points for wins due to the age or it's the same criteria involved for all competitors?

Being on a pension usually means less coming in than what you used to make.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Being on a pension usually means less coming in than what you used to make.

Froome?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Froome?

He doesn't earn that much according to himself, but it may be dementia kicking in.

 

[hayneplane]

So Pogi is very likely to be 3rd at the end of the year and dependent on schedule could well be 2nd by this point next year.

Catching Merckx is now looking possible though would still take a phenomenal level of dominance for another 5-7 years.