The best ever Northern Classics season?

[El Pistolero]

This is a huge fallacy. A small number of people capable of winning a race could just as easily mean you need to be highly specialized / it's a 'niche' race.

Not really, just compare Flanders with Roubaix.

Flanders is more tactical, Roubaix is brute force.

 

[B_Ugli]

I dont want to bring this thread to the lowest common denominator but check out the roll call of honours for LBL and how many winners have been busted in the past 15 years.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/liege-bastogne-liege/race-history

A monument? More like a monumental something else!

That aside I would say Boonen many times over for many of the other reasons others have already given, not least bike handling. I found it laughable the other year in the TDF when all the mountain goats bemoaned the fact that the race included some cobblestones on one stage. There are a number of riders who year in year out avoid the Northern Classics as they are scared of jeopardising their season. You have got to give Lemond and Fignons generation credit as they never avoided Roubaix.

 

[El Pistolero]

Look at the Giro, Tour and Vuelta and you'll get the same story(most of the winners in LBL got caught in GTs)

Keep it to the clinic, no one is interested in your little stories here.

 

[kurtinsc]

I'll go with the Ardennes.

I don't want to demean the northern classics because they are great races, but there are a fairly limited number of riders who contend in those races.

The ardennes races have a much wider variety of riders competing. You have your grand tour GC types (Contador, Schleck, Evans) who contend. You have your hill guys like Bettini, Gilbert and Rebellin. You have your combo guys like Valverde and Vino. Heck, in AG some of the better climbing sprinters can hang (Zabel).

Since 2005, 14 riders have won one of the Ardennes triple.

Since 2005 7 riders have won Roubaix or Flanders.

I think the Ardennes is tougher simply because there are a larger number of top riders trying for the win in those races.

 

[Bavarianrider]

I'll go with the Ardennes.

I don't want to demean the northern classics because they are great races, but there are a fairly limited number of riders who contend in those races.

The ardennes races have a much wider variety of riders competing. You have your grand tour GC types (Contador, Schleck, Evans) who contend. You have your hill guys like Bettini, Gilbert and Rebellin. You have your combo guys like Valverde and Vino. Heck, in AG some of the better climbing sprinters can hang (Zabel).

Since 2005, 14 riders have won one of the Ardennes triple.

Since 2005 7 riders have won Roubaix or Flanders.

I think the Ardennes is tougher simply because there are a larger number of top riders trying for the win in those races.

Less winners = tougher race.

There is only a limited number of alpine skiiers who can win a race like Kitzbühel or Wengen. Make a downhill on an easy women's course and there would be a few dozen man who could win.

There is only a limited number of people who can win the Ironman Hawai. There is a much greater grouup of peopekl who are capable of winning the Olympic Triathlon.

 

[will10]

I dont want to bring this thread to the lowest common denominator but check out the roll call of honours for LBL and how many winners have been busted in the past 15 years.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/liege-bastogne-liege/race-history

A monument? More like a monumental something else!

That aside I would say Boonen many times over for many of the other reasons others have already given, not least bike handling. I found it laughable the other year in the TDF when all the mountain goats bemoaned the fact that the race included some cobblestones on one stage. There are a number of riders who year in year out avoid the Northern Classics as they are scared of jeopardising their season. You have got to give Lemond and Fignons generation credit as they never avoided Roubaix.

Not for the first time, you are in the wrong forum.

 

[B_Ugli]

Not for the first time, you are in the wrong forum.

Apologies officer will and contstable pistolero!

 

[ultimobici]

If we look at the winners of each the Cobbled and Ardennes Classics there is not a lot of difference. If anything, up until 1990 to avoid clinic issues, Amstel, Liège & Flèche have hardly any surprise winners. By contrast Roubaix has several, anyone remember Dirk Demol winning anything else? How about Jean Marie Wampers?

But all this really proves is that arguing which is harder, better or more worthy is idiotic. You're all right and wrong at the same time. Neither is better, harder etc, they're different and that is what makes them all great.

in my opinion, and it is just my opinion, Flanders & Roubaix are the races I anticipate the most. I pray for rain in Belgium & Northern France in April every year, FFS! But the Ardennes Double is just as special an achievement.

 

[El Pistolero]

If we look at the winners of each the Cobbled and Ardennes Classics there is not a lot of difference. If anything, up until 1990 to avoid clinic issues, Amstel, Liège & Flèche have hardly any surprise winners. By contrast Roubaix has several, anyone remember Dirk Demol winning anything else? How about Jean Marie Wampers?

But all this really proves is that arguing which is harder, better or more worthy is idiotic. You're all right and wrong at the same time. Neither is better, harder etc, they're different and that is what makes them all great.

in my opinion, and it is just my opinion, Flanders & Roubaix are the races I anticipate the most. I pray for rain in Belgium & Northern France in April every year, FFS! But the Ardennes Double is just as special an achievement.

Dirk Demol won from a breakaway though.

 

[Angliru]

A win is still a win. Boonen bascially won 3 sprints too. He didn't attack either.

That was one epic sprint in Roubaix then. Remarkable stamina.

 

[Angliru]

I was about to post that about the treble vs double.

By the way the cobbled treble has been done by Van Looy in 1962, and Boonen in 2012. Ardennes treble twice by Rebellin in 2004 and Gilbert in 2011 too.

If the Ardennes were a double (since 1936, FW + LBL) then the people who have done that are..
1951 Kubler
1952 Kubler
1955 Ockers
1972 Merckx
1991 Argentin
2004 Rebellin
2006 Valverde?
2011 Gilbert

Cobbled double..
1923 Suter
1932 Gijssels
1934 Rebry
1954 Impanis
1957 De Bruyne
1962 Van Looy
1977 De Vlaeminck
2003 Van Petegem
2005 Boonen
2010 Cancellara
2012 Boonen

Edited your post. Is my memory correct?

 

[Parrulo]

Edited your post. Is my memory correct?

yes it is. pity's first FW and liege was a double

 

[hfer07]

This is better than winning BP, AGR, FW and LBL. Gilbert basically won 4 uphill sprint's, he didn't make one solo

pardon me, but-are you on crack?