I think the perception depends on the coverage. Roche was a 5 star contender according to the English media, but Delgado, Bernard, and Fignon were considered pretty much equal with him going into the Tour. Hell I remember the coverage when it was happening.Was Roche 5-star in '87? He'd won Romandie and the Giro, (and nearly Paris Nice and Liege) but a GT double was always going to be a tough ask. With no Hinault or Lemond it was an open field.