The Monuments Men – Or who will win all 5 of them?

[rghysens]

Re:

I remember reading that the race wouldn't be finishing in Ans very soon. Maybe this year is the last year. I could have imagined reading that, mind you.

You haven't imagined that. There were some rumours about a return of the finish to the Boulevard de la Sauvinière, but nothing is decided yet. I think even some of the responsibles at ASO mentionned it, in order to create a longer final and a more drawn out spectacle. Even he acknowledged that the inclusion of Saint-Nicolas in the late 1990's and Roche au Faucons in 2011, despite (or because) being nice climbs, paralysed attractive riding earlier in the race.

 

[Fernandez]

So, if you have to choose to be a type of cyclist, would you like to be a multiple monuments winner or a multiple grand tours winner? The winner of the 5 monuments or the winner of the 3 grand tours?

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

So, if you have to choose to be a type of cyclist, would you like to be a multiple monuments winner or a multiple grand tours winner? The winner of the 5 monuments or the winner of the 3 grand tours?

Personally, 5 monuments.

 

[loge1884]

Re:

So, if you have to choose to be a type of cyclist, would you like to be a multiple monuments winner or a multiple grand tours winner? The winner of the 5 monuments or the winner of the 3 grand tours?

these hypothetical questions are somewhat funny .... personally I would rather choose being a 'specialist' for the first part of the monuments (MSR, RvV and Roubaix) than being a 'specialist' for the second part (LBL, Lombardy) and/or a GT-rider - but that has nothing to do with the value of the results, but rather the body shape - the only thing sexy about the likes of Froome, Andy Schleck, Contador or Quintana is their wallet and them being 'winners' (does only partly apply to A Schleck) - El Bala Verde is maybe an exception there ....

(N-B.): LaFlorecita might disagree with regards to Alberto Contador ....

 

[Valv.Piti]

Over a career, 5 different monuments all day. That should be pretty obvious to anyone who watches cycling, its just that much harder. Not even comparable IMO.

The interesting discussion is whether 5 monuments or 3 GTs in one season is the best feat. I believe the 5 monuments edges the GTs slightly out, but its a lot closer here.

 

[hrotha]

Six different riders have won all 3 GTs, including two in the last decade.
Three different riders have won all 5 monuments. The last time someone entered the club was in 1977.

It's pretty clear.

 

[tobydawq]

It should be clear and I would definitely pick the same as the other posters, yet we don't see anybody really going for it. Sure, there is a lot of talk about the feat but when it comes down to it, everybody is afraid to change themselves sufficiently in order to giving it a proper go. So it may not be so desirable that it is worth the risk of complete failure.

 

[loge1884]

Re:

Over a career, 5 different monuments all day. That should be pretty obvious to anyone who watches cycling, its just that much harder. Not even comparable IMO.

The interesting discussion is whether 5 monuments or 3 GTs in one season is the best feat. I believe the 5 monuments edges the GTs slightly out, but its a lot closer here.

pretty theoretical discussion, as not even Eddy Merckx managed either of them
purely theoretical all three GTs in a year might be less undoable than all 5 monuments - you would need a team including the 20 best domestiques and lieutenants (so a budget of say 3 times sky) and a rather weak competition (something like TdF 2016 in all three GTs) ....
one-day races are far more unpredictible and e.g. a mechanical at the wrong moment will loose you the race (in a GT you may still get the time back somehow) ....

 

[VO2 Max]

Re:

So, if you have to choose to be a type of cyclist, would you like to be a multiple monuments winner or a multiple grand tours winner? The winner of the 5 monuments or the winner of the 3 grand tours?

This depends enormously on where you're from I think. If you're Belgian then it's obvious it's the Monuments because you can be a big star, make loads of €€€ and retire to a nice life. If you're from GB then you'd prefer the grand tours because nobody at home even knows what de Ronde is.

Take Geraint Thomas. If a guy with that ability was raised in Kortrijk rather than Cardiff we'd probably have him on the list of potential 5 Monument guys. Back in 2014/15 he was writing columns for the BBC website, desperately trying to explain that he was doing well in these amazing races. And then he realised that nobody cares, that the Olympics and Tour de France are the only races anyone knows exists, and now a guy who was top-10 in the same year in both RVV and P-R aged 28 didn't start any cobbled classics this year. As a fan I hate him for it, but thinking that it's his life and career I totally understand it.

 

[Scarponi]

Though winning Contadors 9 GTs is many times harder then winning 9 monuments. Both are pretty much ridiculous though

 

[Scarponi]

Re:

Six different riders have won all 3 GTs, including two in the last decade.
Three different riders have won all 5 monuments. The last time someone entered the club was in 1977.

It's pretty clear.

How about when the Veulta was in the old slot ?

 

[loge1884]

Re: Re:

This depends enormously on where you're from I think. .

very valid aspect as well ... wasn't it Greg LeMond who actually said, all that matters is TdF and the World's? ... certainly no Belgian or Italian would make such a statement ....

 

[King Boonen]

Though winning Contadors 9 GTs is many times harder then winning 9 monuments. Both are pretty much ridiculous though

Considering he's only won 7 it is pretty ridiculous.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

During a career, all five monuments are much harder to win than all three GT's. In one season, though, winning all three Grand Tours is much harder.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

So, if you have to choose to be a type of cyclist, would you like to be a multiple monuments winner or a multiple grand tours winner? The winner of the 5 monuments or the winner of the 3 grand tours?

these hypothetical questions are somewhat funny .... personally I would rather choose being a 'specialist' for the first part of the monuments (MSR, RvV and Roubaix) than being a 'specialist' for the second part (LBL, Lombardy) and/or a GT-rider - but that has nothing to do with the value of the results, but rather the body shape - the only thing sexy about the likes of Froome, Andy Schleck, Contador or Quintana is their wallet and them being 'winners' (does only partly apply to A Schleck) - El Bala Verde is maybe an exception there ....

(N-B.): LaFlorecita might disagree with regards to Alberto Contador ....

Careful now...

 

[LaFlorecita]

Winning all 3 GTs is easier I guess, because the skills required to win each of them are much more similar than for the 5 Monuments. Still, both are really hard.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Quintana has good chances of being added to the list as well. When a rider like Nibali can pull the feat off (no disrespect) and when the best classics riders of our generation barely can win 2 or 3 different monuments, it really speaks for itself.

Winning 3 different GTs is really hard, winning 5 different monuments is (close to) impossible.

 

[Fernandez]

So the conclusion is that most of you had been classics riders. But the truth is that the GTs riders/winners are the most known. Usually when It speaks about the greatest in the sport are almost always GT champions.
If you ask me, Id chose to be Indurain or Contador instead of Museuw, Bartoli, Boonen, Cancellara, Gilbert, etc.
In 25 ir 50 years time the people will remember more Contador or Froome than Cancellara or Boonen.

 

[King Boonen]

Re:

So the conclusion is that most of you had been classics riders. But the truth is that the GTs riders/winners are the most known. Usually when It speaks about the greatest in the sport are almost always GT champions.
If you ask me, Id chose to be Indurain or Contador instead of Museuw, Bartoli, Boonen, Cancellara, Gilbert, etc.

The greatest in the sport win both.

 

[Fernandez]

Re: Re:

So the conclusion is that most of you had been classics riders. But the truth is that the GTs riders/winners are the most known. Usually when It speaks about the greatest in the sport are almost always GT champions.
If you ask me, Id chose to be Indurain or Contador instead of Museuw, Bartoli, Boonen, Cancellara, Gilbert, etc.

The greatest in the sport win both.

They are remember for their GTs and the classics are complements to their palmarés.

 

[dlwssonic]

Re: Re:

So the conclusion is that most of you had been classics riders. But the truth is that the GTs riders/winners are the most known. Usually when It speaks about the greatest in the sport are almost always GT champions.
If you ask me, Id chose to be Indurain or Contador instead of Museuw, Bartoli, Boonen, Cancellara, Gilbert, etc.

The greatest in the sport win both.

They are remember for their GTs and the classics are complements to their palmarés.

Its due to the tour de france more than anything.

Races like the vuelta don't match up to Roubaix or Flanders

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

So the conclusion is that most of you had been classics riders. But the truth is that the GTs riders/winners are the most known. Usually when It speaks about the greatest in the sport are almost always GT champions.
If you ask me, Id chose to be Indurain or Contador instead of Museuw, Bartoli, Boonen, Cancellara, Gilbert, etc.

The greatest in the sport win both.

They are remember for their GTs and the classics are complements to their palmarés.

No. They are remembered and are the best because they won such a variety of races. 1980, Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

 

[SKSemtex]

Re:

So the conclusion is that most of you had been classics riders. But the truth is that the GTs riders/winners are the most known. Usually when It speaks about the greatest in the sport are almost always GT champions.
If you ask me, Id chose to be Indurain or Contador instead of Museuw, Bartoli, Boonen, Cancellara, Gilbert, etc.
In 25 ir 50 years time the people will remember more Contador or Froome than Cancellara or Boonen.

As long as you are not from Belgium.
I can imagine that winning 3 monuments RVV, PR, LBL in one year and being somebody born somewhere in Gent gives you almost Royal status and you will be remembered for generations.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

So the conclusion is that most of you had been classics riders. But the truth is that the GTs riders/winners are the most known. Usually when It speaks about the greatest in the sport are almost always GT champions.
If you ask me, Id chose to be Indurain or Contador instead of Museuw, Bartoli, Boonen, Cancellara, Gilbert, etc.
In 25 ir 50 years time the people will remember more Contador or Froome than Cancellara or Boonen.

I think you have to differentiate between the Tour de France and the other GTs to make that argument. Tour winners will be most remembered and will come to symbolise their era in 25 or 50 years I imagine. But Vuelta and Giro winners won't be. Surely, someone like Heras or Menchov isn't going to better remembered than Boonen or Valverde.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

So the conclusion is that most of you had been classics riders. But the truth is that the GTs riders/winners are the most known. Usually when It speaks about the greatest in the sport are almost always GT champions.
If you ask me, Id chose to be Indurain or Contador instead of Museuw, Bartoli, Boonen, Cancellara, Gilbert, etc.

The greatest in the sport win both.

They are remember for their GTs and the classics are complements to their palmarés.

Its due to the tour de france more than anything.

Races like the vuelta don't match up to Roubaix or Flanders

Don't match up where?! Vuelta is a GT, a three week race! GT beats any one-day race, including Worlds or Olympics