Teams & Riders The Big 6

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Aug 13, 2011
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I always thought this about Hincapie; the guy was really a monster.

Edit: The decline of the US road scene is astounding; there is just NOTHING right now.
I wouldn’t say there’s nothing on the pro rider side. There is plenty of upcoming young talent and good older riders. Now for races and everything else, that is completely dead.
 
Jan 31, 2021
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One-day racesGrand ToursStage races
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆PogPogPog
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆MvdPVingegaardRog
☆ ☆ ☆RemcoRogVingegaard
☆ ☆WvARemcoRemco
RogWvAWvA
VingegaardMvdPMvdP
Without looking it up, who has won more stage races: MVDP or WVA?
 

Aimar16

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Jul 4, 2017
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Vdp won the Benelux Tour too

In the Covid year, there was a very weak field and only 4 stages.

@jono btw, the ranking was not based on who had how many wins. I have a strong feeling that WvA would overwhelmingly do better in GC in the Stage Races than MvdP if they were to consistently compete in the same races. That's all.
 
Aug 6, 2010
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WTF? How about actually looking at their results before spewing BS


Major results (Hincapie)
1992
1st Team time trial,
National Road Championships

1994
2nd Overall Tour de Luxembourg
1st Points classification1st
Stages 1 & 44th
Classic Haribo

1995
1st Acht van Chaam
3rd Reading Classic
10th Philadelphia International Championship

1997
5th Reading Classic

1998
1st Road race,
National Road Championships
1st Philadelphia International Championship
2nd Reading Classic5th Lancaster Classic

1999
1st Reading Classic
1st Stage 6PruTour
1st Points classification, Tour de Luxembourg3rd
Lancaster Classic
4th Gent–Wevelgem
4th Paris–Roubaix
5th HEW Cyclassics
9th Milan–San Remo
9th Philadelphia International Championship

2000
3rd Reading Classic
4th Trofeo Luis Puig
5th Philadelphia International Championship
6th Paris–Roubaix
7th Lancaster Classic
8th Road race, Olympic Games

2001
1st Gent–Wevelgem
1st San Francisco Grand Prix
2nd Lancaster Classic
3rd Overall Tour de Picardie
3rd Philadelphia International Championship
4th Paris–Roubaix
9th Milan–San Remo

2002
1st Stage 1 (TTT) Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
2nd Classic Haribo
3rd Gent–Wevelgem
3rd Overall Volta ao Algarve
4th Tour of Flanders
5th HEW Cyclassics
5th Philadelphia International Championship
6th Paris–Roubaix
9th Lancaster Classic

2003
1st Stage 4 (TTT) Tour de France
7th Overall Tour of Belgium

2004
1st Overall Three Days of De Panne
4th Gent–Wevelgem
5th Overall Paris–Nice
8th Paris–Roubaix
10th Tour of Flanders
Voided results from May 31, 2004, to July 31, 2006.[4]
2004
1st Stage 4 (TTT) Tour de France
3rd San Francisco Grand Prix
5th Grand Prix Eddy Merckx

2005
1st Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
1st GP Ouest–France
Tour de France1st Stages 4 & 15
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré1st Stages 1 & 7
2nd Paris–Roubaix
6th Brabantse Pijl
7th Tour of Flanders

2006
3rd Tour of Flanders
4th Overall Tour of California 1st Stages 2 & 5
5th Gent–Wevelgem
8th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

2006
1st Road race, National Road Championships
2nd Overall Eneco Tour
1st Stage 4 (ITT)
9th Clásica de San Sebastián


2007
1st Overall Tour of Missouri1st Stage 2
2nd Road race, National Road Championships


2008
1st Stage 2 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
1st Stage 7 Tour of California
4th Overall Tour of Missouri
5th Tour of Flanders
9th Paris–Roubaix9th Overall
Three Days of De Panne


2009
1st Road race, National Road Championships
8th E3 Prijs Vlaanderen

2010
4th Gent–Wevelgem
6th Tour of Flanders


2011
2nd Road race, National Road Championships
5th Overall USA Pro Cycling Challenge
1st Stage 26th Tour of Flanders

As is clearly evident, a few of Hincapies years are on par with WVAs. Hincapie, however, was a damn good teammate in the GTs, whereas WVA often goes full SVA and free lances. Yes, he wins more stages as a result. However, he is not as dependable as he should be. 2005 showed that Hincapie could do the same thing and win in the high mountains, when he was allowed to go into the breakaway

Very surprised at those results. I was purely a July fan during the Lance era. I had heard that 'Big George' was decent in the classics, but I didn't know to this level of high consistency (that's a lot of top 10's in PR and Flanders).

As a comparison though, I'd still say WVA slightly better in the classics (more podiums), slightly better in the high mountains, and obviously a stronger sprinter.

And Hincapie couldn't boss the Tour peloton around like WVA did at times last year, deciding single handedly who could go into breakaways (well Lance used to do that a bit too, but through the power of his personality rather than power on the pedals).
 

Aimar16

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Jul 4, 2017
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Yes, riders like Søren Kragh, Mads Pedersen, Sonny Colbrelli, Stefan Küng and Yves Lampaert are terrible riders for such a race.

Well, compared to previous years, I think it's a weaker field and most of the guys you listed came straight from TdF. While MvdP was fresh and in good shape prepared for the classics.
 
Apr 13, 2021
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No idea, but I do know finishing 2nd in Tirreno trumps any victory in Boucles de la Mayenne or GB.
WVA didn't won a WT Stage race. VDP did, and he has won Flander twice and Roubiax. WVA won a Sanremo a points jersey, Denmark tour, Britain tour, Strade and some semi classics
 
Nov 16, 2013
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WVA didn't won a WT Stage race. VDP did, and he has won Flander twice and Roubiax. WVA won a Sanremo a points jersey, Denmark tour, Britain tour, Strade and some semi classics

As if that's a fair representation of Amstel, GW, E3 (two times), Omloop and Bretagne Classic.
 
Jun 20, 2015
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Very surprised at those results. I was purely a July fan during the Lance era. I had heard that 'Big George' was decent in the classics, but I didn't know to this level of high consistency (that's a lot of top 10's in PR and Flanders).

As a comparison though, I'd still say WVA slightly better in the classics (more podiums), slightly better in the high mountains, and obviously a stronger sprinter.

And Hincapie couldn't boss the Tour peloton around like WVA did at times last year, deciding single handedly who could go into breakaways (well Lance used to do that a bit too, but through the power of his personality rather than power on the pedals).

I doubt you will find a better rider than Hincapie at protecting a GC rider in a stage race - He was a class above.
 
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Aug 31, 2019
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As a big Hincapie fanboy back in the days I have to say I still believe he would’ve beaten Cancellara in the 2006 Roubaix if he didn’t crash when his bike collapsed.

Discovery Channel probably had 3 of the 5 strongest in that race but it all went to nothing. Hincapies bike collapsed and he crashed out. Hoste finished 2nd and Gusev 4th but got disqualified together with Van Petegem (3rd) because that closed train crossing.

And to the discussion. To call WVA the Belgium Hincapie is perhaps more fitting than the Belgium Pozzato. As rider types WVA is much more similar to Hincapie, Pozzato lacked any sort of relevant climbing and TT skills. Of course VWA is a bit better than Hincapie, but Hincapie was a great rider at the time.
 
Aug 31, 2019
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They are kinda similar except that WVA can also win bunch sprints, which is a pretty big difference of course.
Yes, but Hincapie was a very competent bunch sprinter in the 90s. Atleast two times top 5 on Champs Elysees and in 1999 he was top 10 in 7 bunch sprints in le Tour. After that he stopped contesting these kind of sprints, at least in the Tour.
 
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Jul 10, 2012
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Which is why I have Vingegaard as a very very distant 4th. A Contador-like rider is not up there with Merckx/Hinault-like riders
Ridiculous that you think that scarecrow is even in the same ballpark as Contador. Do you seriously not see any differences?

Contador was the most exciting and explosive GT rider of his era. He didn't need a team to win and didn't even need to be in top form to make a race fun to watch. Ving actively makes races more boring.
 
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Jul 10, 2012
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Edit: The decline of the US road scene is astounding; there is just NOTHING right now.
honestly, I'm fine with this. The talent pipeline seems to be working alright. MTB/CX in high school because it's fun, that competitive backdrop plus the use of power meters is sufficient for talent recognition. At that point development programs can take kids racing in Europe. We have a stronger crop of Americans now than we've had since the Lance era. The former American obsession with stage racing wasn't really serving us, producing mostly kids who were ok at pedaling but terrible at steering.
 
Aug 29, 2011
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Yes, but Hincapie was a very competent bunch sprinter in the 90s. Atleast two times top 5 on Champs Elysees and in 1999 he was top 10 in 7 bunch sprints in le Tour. After that he stopped contesting these kind of sprints, at least in the Tour.
That's comparing a F1 race car with your uncle's new ride that is kind of fast when the road goes downhill.
 
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Mar 4, 2011
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honestly, I'm fine with this. The talent pipeline seems to be working alright. MTB/CX in high school because it's fun, that competitive backdrop plus the use of power meters is sufficient for talent recognition. At that point development programs can take kids racing in Europe. We have a stronger crop of Americans now than we've had since the Lance era. The former American obsession with stage racing wasn't really serving us, producing mostly kids who were ok at pedaling but terrible at steering.
It’s cool to see how much young U.S. talent there is coming into the pro peloton.
But as for “being fine with” I understand your point, but as a cycling fan I still wish there was a much bigger domestic road racing scene. And by that I mean road races, not crits. Going to cross races is the main source for live racing.
 
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Jul 20, 2019
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Very surprised at those results. I was purely a July fan during the Lance era. I had heard that 'Big George' was decent in the classics, but I didn't know to this level of high consistency (that's a lot of top 10's in PR and Flanders).

As a comparison though, I'd still say WVA slightly better in the classics (more podiums), slightly better in the high mountains, and obviously a stronger sprinter.

And Hincapie couldn't boss the Tour peloton around like WVA did at times last year, deciding single handedly who could go into breakaways (well Lance used to do that a bit too, but through the power of his personality rather than power on the pedals).

Not sure WVA was better in the high mountains. It's hard to compare because WVA often goes into breaks on those stages, allowing him to be able to help at the end, whereas Hincapie was often doing the first few km of the final climb before Rubiera took over.

Hincapie did have a few surprising GC results in races such as PN. Never thought he'd finish top 5 in PN
 
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