Teams & Riders The Big 6

[Berniece]

For example last year in Kigali, the race was pretty underwhelming for entertainment. Remco finished the race in the first checkpoint.

So exactly like last years TDF where it was over in week 1?

 

[AmRacer]

So exactly like last years TDF where it was over in week 1?

Much can happens in two weeks of racing

 

[Peter von]

Tony Martin not a big name in cycling is one of the more bizarre things to read on this forum.

Apparently there is a very high bar to clear in order to be a big name.

I think it’s because some people are focused on “big 6” discussions so they use the word “big” to mean something like “big 6 worthy”.
Which means the ones reading “big” to mean. “Big” in the normal sense - are left a bit confused when they read that Tony Martin or Virenque were never big names.

 

[vappa]

TTs are in my opinion overrated. They present about 10% of rider's race days in a season and most guys do not care about them at all, it's almost a rest day

 

[canina82]

A big name is someone we talk in the future, someone we loved, someone we want to watch racing. I don't remember a single fan of Tony Martin.
These days people neglect what is a big name. We look to Tony's generation and there is anyone who mention Tony as one of the greats from that generation? Of course not.
We talk about Contador, Froome, Cancellara, Nibali, Sagan, Cavendish, Quintana, Valverde, Purito, even Kittel and Greipel are more remembered than Tony Martin.

 

[Coppi-Bartali]

Tony Martin has been a great time trialist, but he hasn't been considered on par with Cancellara, whose high regard stems from his achievements beyond time trials. Tony Martin hasn't been considered at the same level as Contador or Tom Boonen, each a specialist in a different aspect of cycling.

Tony Martin's talent is undeniable, but it would be a lie to claim that his TT victories gave him the same recognition as Contador's climbing victories or Boonen's classics victories.

I'm not exactly a fan of sprinters, but Cavendish and Kittel have also enjoyed greater status, although not as much as someone who wins a Grand Tour or Paris-Roubaix. However, they are more considered than the great time trialists.

Perhaps what penalizes that discipline is that the cycling world championships didn't exist until 1994. I don't know, but no, Tony Martin has never been held in the same regard as a good climber like Contador or a good classics rider like Boonen, and what gave Cancellara his status were his achievements outside of time trials.
Remco is part of the big-six mainly because of what he has on outside of ITT, otherwise he would be considered a great time trialist like Tony Martin or like Ganna was until Remco appeared. Ganna has never been considered in a BIG. Ganna has always been expected to do more in classics to have that recognition. That's why their San Remo performance last year was so highly regarded.

You may find it unfair, but it´s simply a description of reality.

 

[Netserk]

Tony Martin is definitely a big name. He's up there with the specialists of his era, like Kittel etc.

Mick Rogers doesn't really come close to Martin. The best time triallists of his generation didn't care about the World TT, it wasn't a proper contest. By Martin's time it was (hence him winning several Tour stages too).

Pre-2005ish, the big TTers were also GC guys – Indurain, Anquetil, Ullrich, Rominger, Moser, Armstrong, etc. But we remember them for their TT ability as well as their overall strength.

if ganna couldnt contend classics or stage races , would he rank as highly as merlier ?