The best climbers in the world?

[jobiwan]

For the top 10 CLIMBERS (not GT-ers):

1. Contador
2. A. Schleck
3. Basso
4. Anton
5. Sanchez
6. Rujano
7. Gesink
8. Nibali
9. Scarponi
10. Evans

EDIT: Stupid me, Valverde should be in there somewhere.

 

[Parrulo]

It was a hairline fracture, which is, by all means, still a fracture
It heals itself. But you suffer much more from it 2 days after it originated, on a cobble stage, than 2 weeks later on a mountain stage. Wouldn't you say???
Do I have to explain every letter. Cmon, do a bit of thinking yourself.

And again, 6km climbs are no mountains in cycling. Ofcourse, officially anything above 500m height is a mountain. But you know darn well what I mean with mountains. Cmon, again, do a bit of thinking yourself.
Besides, in Pais Vasco Gesink lost 6 seconds on an entire week of hills... so how is that "being shot of the back everywhere?"

i just like teasing you. seriously D_T you are such an easy flame subject

anyway i still keep my opinion that gesink needs to really prove himself this tour/vuelta. even tho he finished 6th on last years tour his presence was "barely noticeable"

p.s. notice the " "

 

[Angliru]

Been a glut of riders recently claiming to be amongst the best in the world.

Horner claimed he is second only to contador, Rujano claimed he is 3rd best in the world after finishing 4th in the mountain timetrial. Hesjedal has claimed he is 3rd best in the world.

Seems like they are all fighting to be seen as the best.

So who is.

1st Contador
2nd ????
3rd ????
4th ????

Don't forget Andy Schlecks's proclaimation of being the "best climber in the world" during the 2009 Tour and Horner never said that he was 2nd best just that no one can drop him but Contador so to me that implies that he is the equal of everyone else or better (in his own opinion of course!).

I would love to see an annual event that is mandatory for all the Pro/World Tour teams, it's sole purpose being to give the fans and riders a competition to establish who is the best climber. Maybe consisting of a mtf ITTstage, a multiple mountain stage with an mtf and an LBL/FW type of event with a finish up a steep grade to the finish.

In answer to the OP's question, here are mine:

1. Contador
2. Andy Schleck
3. Ivan Basso
4. Alejandro Valverde

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

i just like teasing you. seriously D_T you are such an easy flame subject

anyway i still keep my opinion that gesink needs to really prove himself this tour/vuelta. even tho he finished 6th on last years tour his presence was "barely noticeable"

p.s. notice the " "

Barely noticable?

Didn't he do nearly all the pacemaking behind Schleck and Contador on both the Madeleine stage and the Tourmalet stage?
Yes he did.

But ofcourse, Rodriguez, who only did a 1km attack after wheelsucking the entire climb, is much more noticable???

Cmon, admit you're wrong about that one also.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

i just like teasing you. seriously D_T you are such an easy flame subject

anyway i still keep my opinion that gesink needs to really prove himself this tour/vuelta. even tho he finished 6th on last years tour his presence was "barely noticeable"

p.s. notice the " "

To be fair, Gesink also had to pull menchov at times. This year he has arguably one of the strongest teams supporting him.
DT also mentioned he had a fracture. And it appeared as if he might have peaked earlier (Suisse), because he didn't look his best. however this might have been the fact it was his first tour (not gonna count the 5 stages in 09'. They never hit a climb) and the pace really was too much for him, in which case a 6th place is very good. The tour, is a very difficult race to adjust to. It is ridden harder then any other, and in hindsight a 6th place very impressive (in a pretty tough field + helping leader). A.schleck only came 12th on his first attempt (true he animated the race more, but it was a weaker field also), Alberto Contador came 31st on his first attempt

People don't give gesink credit, his tour performance last year was very good.

 

[inri2000]

Will be interesting to see this summer but...

1. Contador
2. A. Schleck
3-5. Basso/Brajkovic/F. Schleck
6. Rujano

As a Saxo fan I am very worried about Brajkovic this summer, considering the climbing and especially tt abilities he showed at the Dauphine L.

 

[jobiwan]

1. Contador
2. A. Schleck
3-5. Basso/Brajkovic/F. Schleck
6. Rujano

As a Saxo fan I am very worried about Brajkovic this summer, considering the climbing and especially tt abilities he showed at the Dauphine L.

BRAJKOVIC??????????????
No. He should be really happy with a top 10.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

BRAJKOVIC??????????????
No. He should be really happy with a top 10.

yeah. DL is a warm up race in modern day cycling.

 

[El Imbatido]

I think instead of squabbling for minor places we could instead do something a bit like this:

1. Albert
2. Andrew
-------------------
3. More explosive type riders - Anton, Valverde, Rodriguez etc
4. More diesel type riders - Menchov, Evans, Basso, Samu etc


***NOTE:***
Groups 3 and 4 are very similar in the time it will take to get to the top. Just differ in how they can do it. Group 3 by trying to go with attackers and Group 4 by just setting their own pace/rhythm and grinding away. Groups 3 & 4 basically overlap if someone is on a good day he could put some time into the others but are all around the same and also depending on how the climb is raced will decide who comes out best.

As always feel free to pick, prod, poke at my idea. Just my 2cents

 

[Christian]

A.schleck only came 12th on his first attempt (true he animated the race more, but it was a weaker field also)

He also worked for the overall winner

 

[Ildabaoth]

1. Contador
2. A. Schleck
3-5. Basso/Brajkovic/F. Schleck
6. Rujano

As a Saxo fan I am very worried about Brajkovic this summer, considering the climbing and especially tt abilities he showed at the Dauphine L.

Brajkovic and F. Schleck 3-5? Not a brilliant first post, I think.

 

[JPbianchi]

Nibali vs Gesink in head-to-head competition on mountains and Gesink is far far ahead. Almost every MTF they have done against eachother Gesink comes out on top.

However, since 2010 they barely raced eachother anymore because Nibali riides Giro/Vuelta and Gesink Tour.
However this year Gesink does the Vuelta as well, so he can show his superior climbing ability.
Also, Gesinks best TDF result (6th) is ahead of Nibali's (7th)

Gesink just won the tour of Oman Nibali won the vuelta and being on the podium for the second time in the row. Yes maybe Gesink is a better climber, I hope though he wakes up and try other tour or he will finish like Schleck great cyclist , but no wins under his belt

 

[inri2000]

Maybe...

but I have only seen him climb at the Dauphine last year where Contador couldn't drop him, and he will be Radioshacks leader this summer according to the hog.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

He also worked for the overall winner

might have been different if he didn't complete blow on an earlier stage, where he helped no one, but merely wasn't good enough

 

[jobiwan]

but I have only seen him climb at the Dauphine last year where Contador couldn't drop him, and he will be Radioshacks leader this summer according to the hog.

Contador was not close to peak form, Brajkovic was on top form.
Tejay Van Garderen finished 3rd. Puts in into perspective.

 

[inri2000]

I knew Brajkovic would be controversial but Frank Schleck?

Name one rider who has done better than him in the mountains at cyclings main event (TDF) besides AC and AS in the last two years? (I know he crashed last year)

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Gesink just won the tour of Oman Nibali won the vuelta and being on the podium for the second time in the row. Yes maybe Gesink is a better climber, I hope though he wakes up and try other tour or he will finish like Schleck great cyclist , but no wins under his belt

gesink has done 'just the tour' once in his career so far.
he has ridden the vuelta twice. This year he plans on riding the vuelta also, well so he said last year. Bit early to call him a one trick pony.
I do hope he mixes it up a bit in the future tho.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Name one rider who has done better than him in the mountains at cyclings main event (TDF) besides AC and AS in the last two years? (I know he crashed last year)

09 was a terrible course.
not at all a good indication of good climbers. I mean yes Schleck did well, but he isn't consistancty better then the other 2nd tier guys (after as and ac). I rate him as a pretty good climber, just can't label him superior to others.

 

[Duartista]

Hmm... its difficult after the first 2.

I would say 3: Basso, 4: Rujano, 5: Anton.

Guys like Sanchez and Valverde are obviously more consistent than Rujano and Anton, but I wouldn't really call them climbers. I can't recall either of them winning a mountain stage in a GT after attacking or dropping the opposition, which has to be a basic qualification for any list like this. Same goes for Nibali, Menchov, Evans etc.

 

[Christian]

might have been different if he didn't complete blow on an earlier stage, where he helped no one, but merely wasn't good enough

Yeah that was too bad, he forgot to eat and drink and got a hunger knock

Name one rider who has done better than him in the mountains at cyclings main event (TDF) besides AC and AS in the last two years? (I know he crashed last year)

You don't want to get into it regarding F. Schleck ... we've had many a heated discussion regarding his place among the top climbers

But I agree that Brajkovic's performance was outstanding, I'd like to see more of that in the TdF this year

 

[Parrulo]

Barely noticable?

Didn't he do nearly all the pacemaking behind Schleck and Contador on both the Madeleine stage and the Tourmalet stage?
Yes he did.

But ofcourse, Rodriguez, who only did a 1km attack after wheelsucking the entire climb, is much more noticable???

Cmon, admit you're wrong about that one also.

Even with me hinting it to you you completely missed the " ". . . . sight

Did gesink work for menchov? yes a great work mostly on madeleine . Did gesink paced every1 on the tourmalet? he prolly did tbh there wasn't a lot of tv time for that group as every1 was focused on the battle up the road but i will take your word and say he did.

i never mentioned rodriguez but i will bite here, did rodriguez win a stage? yes. gesink? hmm . . . .

did gesink ever attacked at the tour? any breakaways? was he at the front on the chain gate stage? or was he struggling to keep up on a group paced by VDB2?

so his presence even tho noticeable on the GC ranks wasn't that much noticeable on the road for the normal person not completely obsessed with him and his awesomeness

see i like gesink and think he is amazing talent and has a bright future ahead of him but he still has to prove himself on a GT and to do that he first needs to peak for the tour and not get to his peak on the TdS

now you can go ahead with your "" smilies thats just my opinion

p.s. and i have to agree with you on rodriguez being massively overrated as a climber. this giro is proving that

 

[Christian]

I also always like to point to the Tour de Suisse 2008 where Anton got dropped by such climbing talent as Stijn Devolder among others

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Even with me hinting it to you you completely missed the " ". . . . sight

Did gesink work for menchov? yes a great work mostly on madeleine . Did gesink paced every1 on the tourmalet? he prolly did tbh there wasn't a lot of tv time for that group as every1 was focused on the battle up the road but i will take your word and say he did.

i never mentioned rodriguez but i will bite here, did rodriguez win a stage? yes. gesink? hmm . . . .

did gesink ever attacked at the tour? any breakaways? was he at the front on the chain gate stage? or was he struggling to keep up on a group paced by VDB2?

funny, gesink attacked on the stage jrod won (after struggling on the earlier slopes). He got caught by andy, then jrod and ac countered,. But yeah gesink didn't do a lot of attacking, like I said in an earlier post I think the pace was difficult for him to adjust too.

 

[Parrulo]

I also always like to point to the Tour de Suisse 2008 where Anton got dropped by such climbing talent as Stijn Devolder among others

was it 2008 or 2009 where anton had a annus horribilis due to a very hard fall?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I also always like to point to the Tour de Suisse 2008 where Anton got dropped by such climbing talent as Stijn Devolder among others

That's right up there with Andy Schleck getting dropped by Matt Busche at the ToC.