The greatest classic rider of the 21st century

[42x16ss]

Re:

Lol if you consider Boonen's solo in 2012 similar to Canc in 2010.

Cancellara got away so easily because so many other contenders were more interested in riding against Boonen than chasing themselves. You're forgetting that Boonen was coming off consecutive P-R wins in 2010 (both against Cancellara BTW).

Boonen is the better Classics rider, Cancellara is more complete as a rider. Fact.

 

[rei_da_montanha]

Another win for The Legend, Phil Gil.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Lol if you consider Boonen's solo in 2012 similar to Canc in 2010.

Cancellara got away so easily because so many other contenders were more interested in riding against Boonen than chasing themselves. You're forgetting that Boonen was coming off consecutive P-R wins in 2010 (both against Cancellara BTW).

Boonen is the better Classics rider, Cancellara is more complete as a rider. Fact.

They both won 7 monuments. And Cance won three different monuments.

I mean, there both great. Can't really pick one tbh

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

Lol if you consider Boonen's solo in 2012 similar to Canc in 2010.

Cancellara got away so easily because so many other contenders were more interested in riding against Boonen than chasing themselves. You're forgetting that Boonen was coming off consecutive P-R wins in 2010 (both against Cancellara BTW).

Boonen is the better Classics rider, Cancellara is more complete as a rider. Fact.

They both won 7 monuments. And Cance won three different monuments.

I mean, there both great. Can't really pick one tbh

But Boonen won the WC RR as well, Cancellara didn't.

Not to mention his 3 wins in G-W.

 

[Mr.White]

Phil is closing the gap, slowly but surely

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

Lol if you consider Boonen's solo in 2012 similar to Canc in 2010.

Cancellara got away so easily because so many other contenders were more interested in riding against Boonen than chasing themselves. You're forgetting that Boonen was coming off consecutive P-R wins in 2010 (both against Cancellara BTW).

Boonen is the better Classics rider, Cancellara is more complete as a rider. Fact.

They both won 7 monuments. And Cance won three different monuments.

I mean, there both great. Can't really pick one tbh

But Boonen won the WC RR as well, Cancellara didn't.

Not to mention his 3 wins in G-W.

Well, but Cancellara has 3 wins in Strade Bianche, and a very scientific piece of research has in the past week come to the clear conclusion that that is a more prestigious race than Gent-Wevelgem

I would put Cancellara slightly above Boonen because he hasn't had so many seasons of invisibility in non-March and April-months. Plus he has two Olympic gold medals and four world championships which in itself is close to getting a rider a legendary status (I said close to!) And he has the 29 yellow jerseys and won three different monuments and to a bigger degree than Boonen has he had an aura of being the man to beat in the cobbled monuments (at least since 2010).

 

[Netserk]

What do time trials and yellow jerseys have to do with the thread topic? Your last parenthesis is quite revealing and really nullifies the statement before it.

 

[El Pistolero]

Cancellara only won one WT classic that isn't a Monument.

In comparison:

Boonen won four and Gilbert won seven.

 

[Mr.White]

Gilbert and Bala are closing on the big 3 (Bettini, Boonen, Cance). Gilbert is already up there, one more big win and he's equal with Cancellara imo. Bala is behind, but with for example Lombardia or even better WC things can change very quickly.

Current ranking:
Bettini
Boonen
Cancellara
Gilbert
Freire/Valverde

 

[Red Rick]

Definitely rating Freire over Valverde in one day races.

 

[Durden93]

Serious question: In their primes who was the better sprinter, Gilbert or Valverde?

 

[kingjr]

Gilbert

 

[Akuryo]

Re:

Serious question: In their primes who was the better sprinter, Gilbert or Valverde?

Serious question (after watching 2017 so far): Aren't they in their prime?

 

[Durden93]

Re: Re:

Serious question: In their primes who was the better sprinter, Gilbert or Valverde?

Serious question (after watching 2017 so far): Aren't they in their prime?

Gilbert isn't
2009-2012 3 monuments+ WCCR
2013-present flanders

Gilbert also came close in MSR in the earlier years. As far as his sprint Ronde win he didn't win it from a sprint. He won Amstel in a sprint but that was when Kwitko jumped early.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Serious question: In their primes who was the better sprinter, Gilbert or Valverde?

Depends on the situation. I'm inclined to say Gilbert, but he can't just ride to the finish with Valverde on his wheel

 

[Fernandez]

There are 6 cyclists to choose, 5 classics specialist and 1 all rounder, and even with that the all rounder can compare himself with the others whose season is about the classics (and not all, because they are cobbles or hilly riders), when the all rounder goes through the season performing everywhere. I know whos the best of these 6 cyclists.

 

[Brullnux]

For such a versatile rider, Valverde has won an incredibly narrow range of one day races.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

There are 6 cyclists to choose, 5 classics specialist and 1 all rounder, and even with that the all rounder can compare himself with the others whose season is about the classics (and not all, because they are cobbles or hilly riders), when the all rounder goes through the season performing everywhere. I know whos the best of these 6 cyclists.

This isn't about who's the best overall rider though.

For such a versatile rider, Valverde has won an incredibly narrow range of one day races.

I agree. I think it's only LBL, FW and CSS at the highest level?

 

[Fernandez]

Well, 9 top tens and 6 medals in worlds says something about versatility. But in these terms, I would say Gilbert is the best of them, because he can perform in almost all types of classics.
Bettini and Valverde are mainly hilly riders, Cancellara and Boonen were mainly cobbles riders, Freire was mainly a sprinter.

 

[Brullnux]

As the best classics rider, Valverde certainly isn't. He has dominated two races at the top level, and done pretty well at CSS. Very little else to show. He hasn't even won Lombardia. I mean, even Kwiat has won a more diverse set of one day races.

 

[Fernandez]

If that make you happier, OK. Valverde has performed in Strade Bianche, Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallonne, Liege Bastogne Liege, Clasica San Sebastian, Il Lombardia, World Championships, and some others and minor one day races. The thing is his season is not about them, his preference are always grand tours. Usually his season goes around Tour de France and Vuelta a España, and he goes to the classics because he can win them.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

If that make you happier, OK. Valverde has performed in Strade Bianche, Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallonne, Liege Bastogne Liege, Clasica San Sebastian, Il Lombardia, World Championships, and some others and minor one day races. The thing is his season is not about them, his preference are always grand tours. Usually his season goes around Tour de France and Vuelta a España, and he goes to the classics because he can win them.

You keep missing the operative word here, won. I know Valverde has done very well on numerous different classics over many years, but to be the greatest you also have to win them. Bala has won 11, but only in three races. Which is pretty disappointing in truth. Therefore, he isn't as great as classic rider as Cancellara, Boonen, Gilbert or Bettini. He is the best Ardennes rider of the twenty first century (despite lacking Amstel), but not the greatest classics rider. I don't care about GTs or stage races as this discussion isn't about that.

 

[toolittle]

Over 10 years of career, result is 100% of achievement and the standard for evaluation.
Assumptions, if, unlucky。。。 no way.
If A focus in B, A could....
A has 10 years to make it happen. If not happened, A can't.
So, please refer Only to "win" and actual result.

 

[toolittle]

Good, Strong or Great.... count second or closely missed result or crash or mis fortunes. If, maybe, unlucky... all excuses are acceptable.

Greatest or best. count only win. Nothing else.

 

[toolittle]

More seconds or closely missed results. More unlikely to be the best.
Loser is a loser.