The Better Overall Rider: Evans or Contador

[Wigwan]

We had Boonen vs Cancellara, now it's time to the Evans vs Contador debate

Cadel Evans:

2 x Romandie, 1 T-A, 1 Flèche Wallone, 1 WC RR, 1 TDF, 1st UCI Pro Tour 2007, 2 x 2nd TDF, 1 x 3rd Vuelta, 2x World Cup MTB

Alberto Contador:

2 x TDF, 1 x Giro, 2 x Vuelta, 2 x Paris-Nice, 2x Pays Vasco, UCI World Ranking 2009, Milano-Torino (1 TDF and 1 Giro lost for clinic reasons)

 

[auscyclefan94]

Again, the issue becomes quite ambiguous when you include MTB results for Evans and then comparing them to other riders who are not MTB riders, like Contador. I voted for Evans.

 

[biopass]

Easy choice.

Evans, competetive all season if he wants to. Has even showed some skills in the cobbles in TDF 2010.

 

[Ferminal]

Wigwan, remember to tick the "show users votes" next time, makes it more fun

Went for Contador. Far better climber than Evans (at least up to 2010), equal in TT. So Contador the better stage racer Vs Evans superior on a single day. Do not think we see enough of Evans at his best in Classics though.

 

[Afrank]

Yep, it's the off season.

The answer is Contador. The only thing Evans is better at is short uphill sprints, like we see in the classics. And Contador is still pretty close to him there. Plus results-wise 7 GT's beats 1 GT, 1 Fleche Wallone, and 1 World RR.

 

[ElChingon]

Thanks for keeping the Polls alive Wigwan!

Contador by at least several GT wins Worlds, egh not much of a factor in this vs poll. A past wheelsucker can't really compare to a rider who has always attacked and made the race.

The only vs poll Evans might win is Sastre v1.0 v Sastre v2.0 (Evans).

 

[Wigwan]

Wigwan, remember to tick the "show users votes" next time, makes it more fun

Went for Contador. Far better climber than Evans (at least up to 2010), equal in TT. So Contador the better stage racer Vs Evans superior on a single day. Do not think we see enough of Evans at his best in Classics though.

I'll make sure I tick it the next time

 

[woodenswan]

not on the same level

Contador is in the building. Evans? front yard.
or, as elchingon put it: Contador by several GTs

on to the next one

 

[movingtarget]

Evans more versatile : Worlds, Montalcino etc and a shame he did not do more in classics. Contador the superior stage racer.

 

[the asian]

Contador as a road cyclist. Including MTB isn't fair.

Cadel, for all his talk of a good all rounder hasn't won a monument , and until his WC victory, was a gutless wheel sucker.
Contador's ability to dominate Grand tours puts him at the top.

5 GTS & 4 WT stage races> 1 Gt, 1 WC, 1 WT one day race and 3 WT stage races.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

The next poll should be Who is the better rider Robo Basso 2006 or Cyborg Wiggins 2012.btw I think not evans in this poll.

 

[movingtarget]

Contador as a road cyclist. Including MTB isn't fair.

Cadel, for all his talk of a good all rounder hasn't won a monument , and until his WC victory, was a gutless wheel sucker.
Contador's ability to dominate Grand tours puts him at the top.

5 GTS & 4 WT stage races> 1 Gt, 1 WC, 1 WT one day race and 3 WT stage races.

Evans was never a gutless wheel sucker. He rode defensively because he wasn't good enough to attack and confident enough to do it without burning himself out. The times he did try and attack in the early Tours he paid for it later. That's not wheel sucking, that's knowing what he was capable of. Even without the MTB results, Evans is the more versatile across all types of road races.

 

[the asian]

Evans was never a gutless wheel sucker. He rode defensively because he wasn't good enough to attack and confident enough to do it without burning himself out. The times he did try and attack in the early Tours he paid for it later. That's not wheel sucking, that's knowing what he was capable of. Even without the MTB results, Evans is the more versatile across all types of road races.

But doesn't have the palmares to show it.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Contador as a road cyclist. Including MTB isn't fair.

Cadel, for all his talk of a good all rounder hasn't won a monument , and until his WC victory, was a gutless wheel sucker.
Contador's ability to dominate Grand tours puts him at the top.

5 GTS & 4 WT stage races> 1 Gt, 1 WC, 1 WT one day race and 3 WT stage races.

That is a very short sighted view of Evans. You don't attack when you don't have the legs. Clearly Evans in many instances just didn't have the legs. Unless you think committing suicide (figuratively) on the bike is the best way to get a good palmares, then yes Evans is a 'gutless wheel sucker'.

Personally I think Evans is a better time trial rider when both are at their best, Contador a better climber but Evans is a more versatile rider.

 

[calinmarian]

That is a very short sighted view of Evans. You don't attack when you don't have the legs. Clearly Evans in many instances just didn't have the legs. Unless you think committing suicide (figuratively) on the bike is the best way to get a good palmares, then yes Evans is a 'gutless wheel sucker'.

Personally I think Evans is a better time trial rider when both are at their best, Contador a better climber but Evans is a more versatile rider.

Contador is a better rider than Cadel Evans because Cadel when someone attacks on a climb,he is already on that wheel and stays there.And in the 2013 Tour he will have no chance against Contador and Froome.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Alberto, duh. He is the best

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Contador takes it. Will likely be clearer with time.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

@Zam
yes that would be an interesting discussion.

 

[Miburo]

That is a very short sighted view of Evans. You don't attack when you don't have the legs. Clearly Evans in many instances just didn't have the legs. Unless you think committing suicide (figuratively) on the bike is the best way to get a good palmares, then yes Evans is a 'gutless wheel sucker'.

Personally I think Evans is a better time trial rider when both are at their best, Contador a better climber but Evans is a more versatile rider.

Yeah indeed Evans didn't have the legs as often as Contador, why would that be? Maybe cause he's better lol

Contador can also win classics like Evans. Contador just has a bigger chance in GT's than Evans thus he focuses more on that. Evans has a way better sprint though.

In TT they're equal at their best. No way Evans is better.

I can't believe some many people voted for Evans. This is Contador we're talking about.

Btw Contador is 5 years younger. Doesn't anyone think you've to keep that in mind?

 

[airstream]

palmares - contador
actual strength - contador
versatility - evans

 

[movingtarget]

[/B]

But doesn't have the palmares to show it.

I think the World's and the Fleche and stage wins on relatively flat stages have to count for something. I don't think he is better than Contador just more versatile and if Contador was more confident he probably would ride the classics more often. I don't deny Contador's qualities in grand tours. But you are right about the palmares. Evans has plenty of top 10 finishes in classics and a huge help to Gilbert in a few of his wins but I think Evan's fans would have liked to see have seen him maybe miss the early spring stage races and attack the Ardennes classics more seriously because he was always suited to those races.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Contador is a better rider than Cadel Evans because Cadel when someone attacks on a climb,he is already on that wheel and stays there.And in the 2013 Tour he will have no chance against Contador and Froome.

Firstly, I already acknowledged Alberto was the better climber. We are not judging the vote on simply just climbing. Secondly, why would you judge this contest just on the 2013 Tour?

Yeah indeed Evans didn't have the legs as often as Contador, why would that be? Maybe cause he's better lol

Contador can also win classics like Evans. Contador just has a bigger chance in GT's than Evans thus he focuses more on that. Evans has a way better sprint though.

In TT they're equal at their best. No way Evans is better.

I can't believe some many people voted for Evans. This is Contador we're talking about.

Btw Contador is 5 years younger. Doesn't anyone think you've to keep that in mind?

I was referring to Mountain stages and some of those races where he couldn't attack were in races where Alberto was not even competing (i.e. 2008 Tdf). Your final sentence also summarises the futility of your post. How could you possibly consider Alberto being 5 years younger and what is to come? We don't know what Alberto will do and that is pure speculation.

 

[Alphabet]

There's more to being a cyclist than just climbing and time-trialling. I reckon Evans is a better descender than Contador (though there isn't much difference there), and has been mentioned earlier, he's better on the cobbles and on hills.

I'd still be inclined to go with Contador, though.

 

[The Hitch]

Yep, it's the off season.

The answer is Contador. The only thing Evans is better at is short uphill sprints, like we see in the classics. And Contador is still pretty close to him there. Plus results-wise 7 GT's beats 1 GT, 1 Fleche Wallone, and 1 World RR.

Evans beat contador by a nose hair in the tdf sprint on that uphill stage in 2011. Contador was coming off the giro while Evans was in the form of his.life.

Also look.at the short climbs in short stage races where.Contador has excelled like mende where he won twice, and also flew away from sanchez and schleck as if they were sprinters in the tdf 2 years ago. And samu and schleck are 2 of the best hill riders in the world.

Contador is one of the best at hills, just that with his mountain and tt skills, he rarely focuses on it.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Evans beat contador by a nose hair in the tdf sprint on that uphill stage in 2011. Contador was coming off the giro while Evans was in the form of his.life.

Also look.at the short climbs in short stage races where.Contador has excelled like mende where he won twice, and also flew away from sanchez and schleck as if they were sprinters in the tdf 2 years ago. And samu and schleck are 2 of the best hill riders in the world.

Contador is one of the best at hills, just that with his mountain and tt skills, he rarely focuses on it.

Evans beat Contador when Evans lead out in the sprint in a headwind uphill finish. Contador coming off the Giro would have very minimal effect on the way he sprints in a hilly stage in the 1st week of the Tour.