Top 10 male riders of the 21st century.

[Netserk]

He has a shot at displacing all of these if you weigh all-roundedness and podium places sufficiently high.

The rest of the rankings are similarly contingent on how much value we assign to races and placs. If everything but victory counts close to nothing, with the Tour by far the greatest race, then it is very hard to make a case for anyone but Armstrong as #1.

I think Contador beats Armstrong on wins alone as well.

I really don't see how you can say that Valverde is better than Contador. If each of them had the option to trade career/results with the other, do you really think there's any doubt about whose career they both will choose?

 

[King Boonen]

I always hated Evans, but there's just no way any sane person would take Purito's career over Evans'.

Well tough.

Well, Purito was there with Evans and Kolobnev but didn't manage to catch the Aussie : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pICMVTT7rIc

I am a huge fan of Cadel, I admit that, but I honestly think that one Tour de France + 4 other GT podiums + WRCC + Fl?che Wallonne + Tirreno + 2 Romandie is better than 3 GT podiums + 2 Il Lombardia + Fl?che Wallonne + Catalunya. Even if J-Rod has won the UCI classification three times (only one for Evans).

As I said, it was very close.

Tirreno, Romandie, Catlunya and Fleche mean nothing to me. I rate the monuments above everything else.

So it came down to Evans having a Tour and WRRC and JRod having 2 monuments and being one of the most consistently great riders over a number of years, that won it for me. If Evans had a monument, he'd be on the list instead.

 

[Alexandre B.]

@KingBoonen : Well that's your point of view, and I respect that.

However, regarding consistency over a number of years (CQ Ranking) :

Evans ->
13th in 2006
1st in 2007
3rd in 2008
3rd in 2009
6th in 2010
3rd in 2011
18th in 2014

Rodriguez ->
2nd in 2010
2nd in 2011
1st in 2012
5th in 2013

He was 24th last year and 26th in 2008.

 

[King Boonen]

Evans monuments = 0

Rodriguez monuments = 2

Rodriguez > Evans.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Evans monuments = 0

Rodriguez monuments = 2

Rodriguez > Evans.

oh for god's sake as if monuments are the only thing in cycling

 

[Alexandre B.]

Evans monuments = 0

Rodriguez monuments = 2

Rodriguez > Evans.

Oliver Zaugg and Nick Nuyens will always be remembered as better male riders than Evans.

Yeah ok.

 

[Kiddesvej]

Well and Contador for that matter

 

[King Boonen]

Oliver Zaugg and Nick Nuyens will always be remembered as better male riders than Evans.

Yeah ok.

Re-read the posts. Everything else was taken into account. JRod wins for me because of the monuments, that's the deciding factor, not the only factor.

oh for god's sake as if monuments are the only thing in cycling

don't enter the middle of a conversation without taking into account the rest of it, you look foolish.

 

[LaFlorecita]

don't enter the middle of a conversation without taking into account the rest of it, you look foolish.

Oh, I read everything, and couldn't help but notice how you keep harping on about the number of monuments each has won and how important monuments are and how a monument is miles better than a World title.

 

[SeriousSam]

I think Contador beats Armstrong on wins alone as well.

I really don't see how you can say that Valverde is better than Contador.

By making the criteria that determine a ranking explicit and precise. Here's an easy one. Assign numerical values to 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. Assign weights to each race. Then sum the weighted scores of a rider's palmares, higher value wins. Assign sufficiently large weights to races other than grand tours and sufficiently large scores to podiums and Valverde comes out ahead of Armstrong and Contador.

To have Contador beat Armstrong, you need to count Giros and Vueltas almost the same as Tours.

If each of them had the option to trade career/results with the other, do you really think there's any doubt about whose career they both will choose?

No doubt they'd choose Armstrong's career if he hadn't been caught. I prefer objective criteria for rankings (ie, criteria that make no reference as to what someone would prefer).

 

[King Boonen]

Oh, I read everything, and couldn't help but notice how you keep harping on about the number of monuments each has won and how important monuments are and how a monument is miles better than a World title.

I'll ignore the rudeness but I'll point out I'm only replying to people who ask me questions, I am not "harping on", trying to push my views on anyone else or being dismissive of someone else's point of view on something that is largely subjective. You'd do well to learn that lesson.

Yes, in my opinion it is. Everything else was taken into account and in my opinion JRod's 2 monument wins put him above Evans overall. If Evans had a single monument he'd win out, or possibly even another WRRC.

 

[Netserk]

By making the criteria that determine a ranking explicit and precise. Here's an easy one. Assign numerical values to 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. Assign weights to each race. Then sum the weighted scores of a rider's palmares, higher value wins. Assign sufficiently large weights to races other than grand tours and sufficiently large scores to podiums and Valverde comes out ahead of Armstrong and Contador.

To have Contador beat Armstrong, you need to count Giros and Vueltas almost the same as Tours.


No doubt they'd choose Armstrong's career if he hadn't been caught. I prefer objective criteria for rankings (ie, criteria that make no reference as to what someone would prefer).

I doubt Contador would prefer 5 Tours, a Suisse and a Dauphine over 8 GTs, 2xP-N, 3xPV, TA, Catalunya and several other stage races.

I am absolutely sure that both Contador and Valverde would prefer Contador's palmares over Valverde's. Do you disagree?

 

[bala v]

Contador
Bettini
Boonen
Cancellara
Valverde
Freire
Evans
Vino
Gilbert
Nibali

In that order...

 

[greenedge]

I'm pretty sure the Spanish were riding for Valverde, although my memory may be wrong (Don't know why you bring up Copenhagen?).

But anyways, Monument > WRCC and Purito has won Lombardia twice.

I bring up Copenhagen for the idea that Evans' win in Mendrisio was more meritorious than Cav's. Therefore not being black and white and saying that Monuments are always better than the WCRR might be a better approach. Just because Kristoff has won M-SR doesn't mean I would rate that accomplishment higher than a WCRR win. Also out of all the Monuments I'd rate GDL last, at least in terms of current difficulty to win (due to end of season form varying for many of the riders and the route suiting puncheurs).

And I know you love monuments but winning the TDF is the absolute pinnacle of the sport, there is no way that a WC/TDF is trumped by two monuments.

Just my opinion.

 

[King Boonen]

What does Cavs WRRC have to do with anything? I never mentioned it. But why should Evans win be more highly regarded? Is this that silly notion that sprinting is the easiest form of winning? Tell that to Cavs rivals in the Tour before Kittel came along, and tell it to Kittels rivals now.

To me, the monuments are better. All of them, particularly MSR that has been won by a variety of racers over the years.

The way you describe Lombardia is exactly the way you could describe the WRRC, just adjusting for the course, except Lombardia is more exciting and memorable than any WRRC.

You've made your opinion clear, that's fine by me, but you won't get me to agree with you. The TDF is not the pinnacle of the sport, there is no one pinnacle of a sport where so many different types of riders compete in races within races. I value the monuments over ever other race as I believe they optimise what cycling is and should be.

This is becoming circular so I'm out.

 

[Samson777]

Armstrong
Bettini
Contador
Freire
Cancellara
Cavendish
Boonen
Valverde
Nibali
Gilbert

Not in order.

 

[Samson777]

I doubt Contador would prefer 5 Tours, a Suisse and a Dauphine over 8 GTs, 2xP-N, 3xPV, TA, Catalunya and several other stage races.

I am absolutely sure that both Contador and Valverde would prefer Contador's palmares over Valverde's. Do you disagree?

5 tours put you in a place in history of cycling, that everybody should like to be in. ( Clinical stuff aside) Some extra vuelta and giro wins.. And the other stuff, compared to 5 tour wins.. I mean, what Contador think himself, we cannot know.

Me, I would choose Armstrongs wins any day of the week...

 

[Archibald]

5 tours put you in a place in history of cycling, that everybody should like to be in. ( Clinical stuff aside) Some extra vuelta and giro wins.. And the other stuff, compared to 5 tour wins.. I mean, what Contador think himself, we cannot know.

Me, I would choose Armstrongs wins any day of the week...

I'd take a punt that being Spanish, Contador's Vuelta wins would hold some serious significance to him, which it may not to the rest of us.
I'd also take a punt that he doesn't think of Armstrong as superior to himself despite number of TdF wins they both have

 

[greenedge]

What does Cavs WRRC have to do with anything? I never mentioned it. But why should Evans win be more highly regarded? Is this that silly notion that sprinting is the easiest form of winning? Tell that to Cavs rivals in the Tour before Kittel came along, and tell it to Kittels rivals now.

To me, the monuments are better. All of them, particularly MSR that has been won by a variety of racers over the years.

You've made your opinion clear, that's fine by me, but you won't get me to agree with you. The TDF is not the pinnacle of the sport, there is no one pinnacle of a sport where so many different types of riders compete in races within races. I value the monuments over ever other race as I believe they optimise what cycling is and should be.

Your'e right about that pinnacle of the sport thing, I was being too black and white.
No I just thought that Cav's win was an absolute borefest for the whole race, where Evans' had action.

 

[nepetalactone]

he doesn't think of Armstrong as superior to himself

I'm sure Alberto distictly remembers who was on the top step of the TDF podium in 2009

 

[bala v]

But anyways, Monument > WRCC and Purito has won Lombardia twice.[/QUOTE]

No, it is WRCC > Monument. WRCC is the greatest one-day race of the year, ask any rider who rode both if you don't believe me. And TDF+WRCC is waaay better than 2 Lombardia, it's not even close.

 

[LaFlorecita]

3 TDF, 2 Giro, 3 Vuelta > 5 TDF

And Berto's 1 week stage race wins also beat Lance's.

 

[MellowJohnny]

The machine that is Tony Martin anyone?

 

[Arredondo]

3 TDF, 2 Giro, 3 Vuelta > 5 TDF

And Berto's 1 week stage race wins also beat Lance's.

Why is everyone talking about 5 TDF's?

 

[MBotero]

Lance
Ullrich
Vinokourov
Freire
Heras
Contador
Cancellara
Valverde
Sastre
Botero