Teams & Riders The Big 6

[RedheadDane]

Same with the Three days of De Panne.

At least they - eventually - removed the "Three Days" part of that name.

 

[Pozzovivo]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...van-aert-out-of-the-big-6-of-cycling?twit=755

But Wout is still part of the "sweet 16"?

 

[Peyroteo94]

Wout is giving signs of early retirement. Even his wife said he is lacking motivation to go out training chasing new goals.

 

[AmRacer]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...van-aert-out-of-the-big-6-of-cycling?twit=755

But Wout is still part of the "sweet 16"?

Wout is part of the Big 6 II.

 

[CyclistAbi]

It doesn't seem the form is there ATM but there is plausible explanation for that, Wout said he was sick and couldn't really train. In addition to that his knee took a big hit at Vuelta 2024. So all in all he is still coming back from serious injury and lets give it a bit more time, before making such statements.

 

[Pozzovivo]

Wout is giving signs of early retirement. Even his wife said he is lacking motivation to go out training chasing new goals.

Maybe a lifetime contract is not a wise strategy for motivating riders.

 

[Cycling111]

Wout is giving signs of early retirement. Even his wife said he is lacking motivation to go out training chasing new goals.

I wouldn't consider it that premature. In reality, many athletes begin their decline after 30.
This is more common than Pedersen being in the prime of his sporting career at 30.
Sagan began his decline at 30.
Valverde and Roglic are the exception.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Lately all sorts of athletes are excelling nearing 40s so this age argument, for relatively young athletes, is really getting old.

 

[Cycling111]

Lately all sorts of athletes are excelling nearing 40s so this age argument, for relatively young athletes, is really getting old.

In cycling, there aren't many winning riders at 35-40.
Some continue to perform at a certain level, but quite below their prime.
Valverde and Roglic are exceptions.

 

[CyclistAbi]

In cycling, there aren't many winning riders at 35-40.
Some continue to perform at a certain level, but quite below their prime.
Valverde and Roglic are exceptions.

Even if you start to decline, due to the age, that is a much slower process that some of you are claiming. Like when you hit 30 and people start to claim it's natural to retire, biologically that is simply not the case. It's more about fan obsession with the youth and getting something new than anything else.

 

[Red Rick]

Very clearly Van Aert is coming into this Giro in very bad shape and stage 1 was probably a fluke. Stage 2 and 3 should be good training, and with a few easier days now I'd expect him to get better towards the end of the first week.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Is he even healthy ATM or does that need to get sorted out first? Lets give it time.

 

[Pozzovivo]

Wout is part of the Big 6 II.

who else is part of that club?

 

[Rou]

At what point do we remove Wout from this list and replace him with Pedersen? Mads has surpassed him.

 

[Peyroteo94]

At what point do we remove Wout from this list and replace him with Pedersen? Mads has surpassed him.

This doesn't mean he deserves a spot in the Big 6.

 

[Rou]

Here are my top 6 currently:
1. Pogacar
2. Vingegaard
3. Roglic
4. Remco
5. MVDP
6. Mads Pedersen
Now here are the next tier:
7. Almeida - stepped up this year and is now the favourite for every one week race when no mutants are present (can even beat them from time to time)
8. Merlier - the best pure sprinter in the world
9. Matteo Jorgenson - really strong both in classics and Grand Tours
10. Juan Ayuso - advertised as the next big thing but still hasn't showed it
Let's see if Ayuso can go higher on this list after the end of the Giro.

 

[peterfin]

We can call it the big 5 instead. Pogi the lion, Vingegaard the leopard, Rhino Remco, Buffalo MVDP and Roglic is a bit the elephant in the room (but he can prove he still belongs here).

 

[AmRacer]

We can call it the big 5 instead. Pogi the lion, Vingegaard the leopard, Rhino Remco, Buffalo MVDP and Roglic is a bit the elephant in the room (but he can prove he still belongs here).

Pogi is the 🐐

 

[Pozzovivo]

At what point do we remove Wout from this list and replace him with Pedersen? Mads has surpassed him.

It's done. https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...van-aert-out-of-the-big-6-of-cycling?twit=755

 

[Red Rick]

If we kick Van Aert I think it's beyond evident we just go to a Big 5 who have a lock on the biggest races rather than adding Pedersen in.

 

[Berniece]

If we kick Van Aert I think it's beyond evident we just go to a Big 5 who have a lock on the biggest races rather than adding Pedersen in.

Pedersen also doesn't have that same lock on big races. Let's say there is a whole spring season without the big 5. I don't think Pedersen would win all those races that suit him by default, like the others would if they are the only ones present.

 

[cellardoor]

There's a big 2 at the moment, Pogacar and MVDP. Jonas and Remco are out due to injury struggles. Roglic is out due to being off the pace in Algarve. Wout just isn't winning enough. All of those that are out have the potential to re-join, but this is the current situation. You don't get to join the big 6 just by being the 6th best rider. A string of podiums doesn't cut it. You should be unbeatable if the other big 6 aren't there.

 

[proffate]

Pedersen also doesn't have that same lock on big races. Let's say there is a whole spring season without the big 5. I don't think Pedersen would win all those races that suit him by default, like the others would if they are the only ones present.

By this definition (which I don't disagree with), Wout was never big 6. He only has one monument to his name, the one for luck merchants. Wout hardly won a top level race at all, much less "by default" which I guess means in dominant fashion as the 5 star pre race favorite.

Without the big 2, Mads does a Flanders/Roubaix double this year, which is about as high a level as Wout has ever achieved.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Big5 makes more sense now obviously. Other than that Big2 (Pogi, MVP) also is justified considering how amazing rider MVP is in some kinds of races. I would also include Vingegaard in Big3 (he's a beast in GTs, he lost the last TdF convincingly but with subpar preparation).

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

There's a big 2 at the moment, Pogacar and MVDP. Jonas and Remco are out due to injury struggles. Roglic is out due to being off the pace in Algarve. Wout just isn't winning enough. All of those that are out have the potential to re-join, but this is the current situation. You don't get to join the big 6 just by being the 6th best rider. A string of podiums doesn't cut it. You should be unbeatable if the other big 6 aren't there.

Nah, Roglic smashed Volta a Catalunya with a dominant solo display on the last stage. If he falls apart in this Giro without crashing, sure, but if he wins this breathing through his nose, as I think he will, then he still has a big ole seat at the table.