Top 10 male riders of the 21st century.

[Parker]

In alphabetical order (ignoring all doping and considering only road racing)

Armstrong
Bettini
Boonen
Cancellara
Cavendish
Contador
Evans
Freire
Gilbert
Petacchi

 

[Electress]

Thread is detoriating easier than I thought. The one year is really unimportant, unless you want to show that you can use wikipedia

Any list is gonna be super arbitrary and if you use a point system you'll get some ridiculous outcomes too. So I'mma go ahead and say

1rst place Contador
2nd place is not good

Perfect.

 

[jaylew]

The OP first stated it would include just the 21st century and then said it would encompass the past 15 years. With this being the very beginning of 2015 one would think it was his/her intention to include the year 2000.

Good catch. I hadn't even noticed that.

 

[nepetalactone]

Going with nicknames, in the order they come to me:

Pistolero
Spartacus
Mellow Johnny
Tornado Tom
The Cannibal (of Baal)
The Manx Missle
Cuddles
The Shark
Purito
Absalon (don't have a nickname for him!)

In the absence of Nys and Absalon, I guess I'd say Valverde and Friere

 

[greenedge]

Just road riders

Armstrong
Bettini
Contador
Cancellara
Boonen
Evans
Valverde
Cavendish
Cipollini
Nibali

Wanted to have Basso and Vino in there, as well as Petacchi and Hushovd. Gilbert seems a big ommision, I'm probably too biased towards certain riders.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

1. Cancellara
2. Contador
3. Valverde
4. Armstrong
5. Freire
6. Bettini
7. Heras
8. Simoni
9. Vino
10. Boonen

honourable mentions: Gilbert, Rebellin, JRod, Ullrich, Savoldelli, Basso, Cunego, Cadel

 

[Dr. Juice]

1. Cancellara
2. Contador
3. Valverde
4. Armstrong
5. Freire
6. Bettini
7. Heras
8. Simoni
9. Vino
10. Boonen

honourable mentions: Gilbert, Rebellin, JRod, Ullrich, Savoldelli, Basso, Cunego, Cadel

Simoni ahead of Basso? 2 Giro vs 2 Giro but Simoni never reached the same level. Only good for GC in Italy. Basso has 2 podiums at the TdF.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Simoni ahead of Basso? 2 Giro vs 2 Giro but Simoni never reached the same level. Only good for GC in Italy. Basso has 2 podiums at the TdF.

Valid point.

 

[rehy90]

1. Contador
2. Armstrong
3. Valverde
4. Wiggins
5. Hoy
6. Cancellara
7. Freire
8. Boonen
9. Bettini
10. Ullrich

 

[Carols]

Alberto
Contador
Velasco
.
.
.
.
The rest

 

[Red Rick]

It is unimportant, plus all palmares before 2000, from all riders who finished their careers in XXI century, should be accounted for as well.

We agree

 

[Vesica]

1. Contador
2. Bettini
3. Boonen
4. Freire
5. Cancellara
6. Valverde
7. Cavendish
8. Evans
9. Rodrigues
10. Vinokourov

 

[Tank Engine]

1 Cancellara
2 Boonen
3 Gilbert
4 Bettini
5 Evans
6 Nys
7 Stybar
8 Albert
9 Vervecken
10 Geert Omloop

If we're counting the last 15 years (i.e. from 2000), what about Museeuw?

 

[Akuryo]

If we're counting the last 15 years (i.e. from 2000), what about Museeuw?

Most of his results were in the mid 90's. Yes, he won 2 monuments from 2000 to 2003, but I still think there were many more riders during the span of 2000-2015 who achieved more. Museeuw is one of the all time greats, but not if we only look for results in the last 1.5 decades.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Cancellara, Boonen, Bettini, Armstrong, Contador, Valverde, Cavendish, Freire, Gilbert, Rodriguez.

Those 10 I think have won about half of all the races of the 21st century

 

[LaFlorecita]

Cancellara, Boonen, Bettini, Armstrong, Contador, Valverde, Cavendish, Freire, Gilbert, Rodriguez.

Those 10 I think have won about half of all the races of the 21st century

Agree with this list (not same order)

 

[Netserk]

How is Purito ahead of Cunego and Vino?

 

[Jspear]

How is Purito ahead of Cunego and Vino?

Good question.

 

[ray j willings]

Interesting list. What's your justification for leaving out out guys like Bettini, Boonen, Cancellara, and Freire?

I obviously tend to favour the GT racers. Cav got in because he was supreme and very difficult not to mention.
All the riders you mentioned above, Boonen for me when at his peak was a monster just brilliant.

I suppose a non GT list would also include Gilbert, Stybar, Sagan, Van Summeren "under rated IMO"
Museeuw
Sylvain Chavanel , talented rider but gets is tactics so wrong

 

[ferryman]

Nibali should be in everyone's top ten...

 

[Jancouver]

In no order

Boonen
Cancellara
Ulrich
Contador
Niballi
Freire
Vino
Sagan
Rebellin
Valverde

 

[Echoes]

If we're counting the last 15 years (i.e. from 2000), what about Museeuw?

well I'm among those who start the century in 2001. I think that rider does not belong here for reasons I'm not entitled to say but I was a Van Hooydonck fan.

And I guess you noticed that the second part of my list was a joke.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

I obviously tend to favour the GT racers. Cav got in because he was supreme and very difficult not to mention.
All the riders you mentioned above, Boonen for me when at his peak was a monster just brilliant.

I suppose a non GT list would also include Gilbert, Stybar, Sagan, Van Summeren "under rated IMO"
Museeuw
Sylvain Chavanel , talented rider but gets is tactics so wrong

Stybar (as a road cyclist), Chavanel and Vansummeren have NO place in such a list. Sagan will earn his place but not yet. His succes also only really spans from 2010 to 2014, which should also be taken into account imo.

 

[ray j willings]

Stybar (as a road cyclist), Chavanel and Vansummeren have NO place in such a list. Sagan will earn his place but not yet. His succes also only really spans from 2010 to 2014, which should also be taken into account imo.

IMO Chavanel is a very talented rider. He should have won a lot more.
He rides to aggressive and attacks way to early.

Why not Stybar he could win PR. He's not had much luck and you do need a bit of fortune.

Sagan has earned his place IMO. Very talented but like Chavanel his tactics are not always the best.

 

[nobilis]

Any list that doesn't include Valverde or that puts riders like simoni, cunego, petacchi, cippolini, etc is a biased list.

Valverde should be in the top 5 of any list.