Top 10 Rides of the Year

[Zam_Olyas]

Leipheimer won 3 stage race and 2nd in TOC, 3rd in vuelta a andalucia..he had a good year....dodgy or not lol

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Agreed. I put that in my top 10, maybe the 'lesser' nature of the race without the high profile and the pressure bearing down that we see in many of the key rides of the year pushes it down many people's lists or they don't remember or didn't see it, but for me this was undoubtedly one of the top 10.

Oh, I didn't even notice that someone else had mentioned Landa. But glad to see that he gets some appreciation.

 

[Echoes]

8. Scarponi in MSR was very impressive

I'm afraid you'll really have to remove the second sentence of your sig, mate.

I normally would have to wait till Loenhout on December 28 but still:

Kevin Pauwels in Krawatencross, Lille: very aggressive rides and one of the greatest sprints I've ever seen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm2OL7a8-Bs
Nys in Baal on January 1
Stybar at the Cross Worlds
Cancellara in Harelbeke
Cancellara at Paris-Roubaix (LugHugger said it all)
Cancellara at Flanders
Van Avermaet at Paris-Tours
Van Avermaet at Milan-Sanremo (shame it didn't work out)
Nibali in Lombardy
Gilbert at the stage to Eupen from the Tour of Belgium, with all the crossers present in that race.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I'll maybe name 10 later, but for now I was amazed by Mikel Landa's victory on stage 5 of Vuelta a Burgos.

He was in the break of the day. When they got caught he worked as a crazy man for Sanchez. When Sanchez cracked Landa attacked himself and held on to claim his first pro victory. What a way to do that. It was definitely one of the most impressive rides of the year for me.

I was about 200m further up than you, less obvious pushing where I was but it was a great finale. Froome knew this was pretty much his only chance (no way was he outdescending in the Bilbao stage)(although I was suspicious of his sudden ability to sprint to pick up bonuses the day before, but nothing would have surprised me anymore with Froome's Vuelta) and in front of Cobo's fans, in Cobo's backyard, he stuck it to El Bisonte. And though we missed it from our vantage point and caught up with it on TDP later, after being passed at the end he pulled a fast one on Cobo in the final corner to take the win.

Agreed. I put that in my top 10, maybe the 'lesser' nature of the race without the high profile and the pressure bearing down that we see in many of the key rides of the year pushes it down many people's lists or they don't remember or didn't see it, but for me this was undoubtedly one of the top 10.

Another hugely underrated performance is Javier Moreno in the sleet on the Alto del Acebo in the Vuelta a Asturias, never giving up and pulling back to the Portuguese escapees and Tino Zaballa only to leave them for dead in the last 1,5km.

here it is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3MiWIyC85s

 

[Libertine Seguros]

here it is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3MiWIyC85s

And here it is in full 90 minute coverage:
http://www.eitb.tv/es/#/video/1098191906001

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I'm afraid you'll really have to remove the second sentence of your sig, mate.

Nope, he sat out his sentence, although I'm not so sure he's clean... Doping still sucks and it was still an impressive feat. Also his second half of the season was nowhere as good as the first half

 

[alexcta]

Nuyens In Ronde Van Vlaanderen

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Nuyens In Ronde Van Vlaanderen

smart race. But so far away from epic.

Sylvain Chavanel in Ronde van Vlaanderen, for me one of the rides of the year.

Andy stage win for me was the ride of the tour.

JVS was another epic win.

Alberto Contador giro.

Kiryienka giro win.

Nieve's was also impressive.

Hoogies tour.

 

[movingtarget]

Cunego : mountain stage win in Tour De Suisse
Evans : both times up the Galibier and the TT in TDF
Gilbert : Amstel, Fleche and Liege
Leipheimer : TT in Tour De Suisse
Martin : TT World Champs
Froome : stage 17 Vuelta
Contador : entire Giro
Chris Horner :MTF in TOC
Cobo : Angliru in Vuelta
Van Summeren : Paris Roubaix : great to see a dedicated team man have a big win.

 

[La Pandera]

And here it is in full 90 minute coverage:
http://www.eitb.tv/es/#/video/1098191906001

Thanks for posting that! I hadn't seen that stage. Impressive performance by Landa. Usually when someone is reeled in from a failed attack at best they're left trailing in to the finish. I'll have to look more into Landa, he'd appear to have quite a future.

 

[sublimit]

1.Kireynka- Sestrieres - Epic and untouchable.

2. Cobo - Angliru - pulverized the field on the climb

3. Contador - any number of rides at the Giro

4. Chavanel - Ronde - best rider came second

5 J-Rod - Dauphine stages 6 and 7 - owning the other riders

6 Boasson Hagen - Tour stage 17 - perfect execution/crazy descent

7 Froome - Vuelta stage 17 - most exciting stage at the Vuelta

8. Cav - Tour stage 5 - came from nowhere to get Gilbert uphill

9. Evans- Tirreno Adriatico stage 6 - putting strong riders in their place

10.The British Worlds squad. like a task force, a slight setback late on but got the job done.

 

[woodenswan]

1. Evans, Galibier. i was flabbergasted. just put his head down and went for it. he basically had no choice of course, but still, that ride earned him the title. for me that was even more impressive than his Mendrisio attack a few years back

2 Cancellara, Ronde. he put in a monstrous attack, managed to get a gap and hold it against the whole peloton, then managed to stay with the front group when brought back, and had the power in the end to animate the decisive move.

3. Cancellara, e3 Harelbeke. overcoming adversities, and simply powering his way to the win. not the strongest field, and a smaller race, but a hugely impressive effort nonetheless.

4. Contador attacking 100k out a bit unconventional perhaps? he completely turned me into a fan this year.

5. Contador's whole Giro ride. just total dominance.

6. Nuyens, Ronde. I know it wasnt a hugely spectacular race on his part, but it was perhaps the smartest ride all year. stayed with the favorites, made the final selection, and then simply outfoxed everybody. great ride

7. Kiriyenka, Finnestre. i think he spent a whole season's energy there. incredible

8. Hoogerland finishing the stage after being catapulted into the fence, blood oozing from his wounds... EPIC

9. Nieve, Giro stage 15

10. Hushovd getting over the hills, catching and passing Roy for the stage win

thats it for me

 

[WillemS]

I was amazed by Gilbert on the Cauberg after his chasing efforts behind A. Schleck. I thought he would be toast on the last climb, but he ended up being the king of the Cauberg. Can't wait for the Worlds.

 

[The Hitch]

1. Evans, Galibier. i was flabbergasted. just put his head down and went for it. he basically had no choice of course, but still, that ride earned him the title. for me that was even more impressive than his Mendrisio attack a few years back

But Schleck attacking from 4 times the distance out, didnt impress you at all? Doesnt even register in your top 10?

God the hatred for Schleck/ Enfatuation with Cadel is big.

Imagine if Cadel had attacked from 65k and won the stage, but Schleck had started to pull from 15k out.

Evans would have been given the Légion d'honneur and Schleck would be called a wheel-sucker.

 

[woodenswan]

But Schleck attacking from 4 times the distance out, didnt impress you at all? Doesnt even register in your top 10?

God the hatred for Schleck/ Enfatuation with Cadel is big.

Imagine if Cadel had attacked from 65k and won the stage, but Schleck had started to pull from 15k out.

Evans would have been given the Légion d'honneur and Schleck would be called a wheel-sucker.

yeah you've got a point there. could have sworn the word "favorite" was part of the question. so i never tried to be objective at all, i was simply going with my fav moments. (i was even thinking about including Sebastian Langeveld claiming Het Volk)

my bad

 

[Woody22]

But Schleck attacking from 4 times the distance out, didnt impress you at all? Doesnt even register in your top 10?

God the hatred for Schleck/ Enfatuation with Cadel is big.

Imagine if Cadel had attacked from 65k and won the stage, but Schleck had started to pull from 15k out.

Evans would have been given the Légion d'honneur and Schleck would be called a wheel-sucker.

Man, Evans winning the Tour has really messed you up hasn't it!!!

Hope the rest of your life is going okay.

Of course you are entitled to you opinions, but at the moment you seem to struggle to let any positive post about Evans go by without trying to talk him down in some way.

 

[apmfbs]

For me gilbert, contador, evans, tony martin, wiggins,purito rodriguez, sagan, boasson hagen, hushovd, cavendish

 

[The Hitch]

Man, Evans winning the Tour has really messed you up hasn't it!!!

Hope the rest of your life is going okay.

Of course you are entitled to you opinions, but at the moment you seem to struggle to let any positive post about Evans go by without trying to talk him down in some way.

If you payed attention to my posts you would see that i have been one of the bigger Cadel fans on here, especially during his dark days last year when much of the forum was against him.

I have listed the reasons why I like Cadel, many times on here, besides, unlike sadly a lot of the forum , I do not hate any riders, as they are a part of my sport

Its his fans, or 1 or 2 of them getting a bit excited about his abilities, that I respond to, and I am mature enough to separate a cyclist from fans he has never met.

And I dont really see how arguing that Cadel is worse than Contador, or that Andy's attack was immensely superior, is talking him down. Would I be talking down Tyler Farrar if I said that Cavendish was a better sprinter?

Im not talking down Evans, Im bigging up Schleck.

Yes hes hated on here and Im not his biggest fan either but I do feel a bit sorry for him to see his attack so extremely underapreciated.

Anyone who suggests that Evans attacking from 15k out is superior to Schleck attacking from 65k out, and going all on his own as several teams tried to bring him back, and holding out all the way, is really taking the **** out of Andy Schleck.

Like, totally dismissing him.

And we both know that if the rolls were reversed and Cadel had done the super attack from 65k out, and Schleck had gone from 15km you all would still vote for Cadel.

Think about it seriously. If Cadel had attacked from 65km out, faced several teams on a flat, and managed to hold on to win a stage by 2 minutes, would you not argue that it was the most remarkable sporting feat of all time and that Andy Schlecks attack to limit his time, 15km out cant even compare?

Me, i would stick with the 65k attack. Cadel is a more deserving winner of the overall race than Schleck, but when it comes to greater ride on the day, Andy Schleck 65km suicide attack beats Cadels 15k one more convincingly than Cancellara at E3 Prijs.

So if you could please, sir, focus on the actual question at hand - the reasons why one attack might be superior than another (cough because I like Cadel more cough) rather than to try to paint me as biased, which doesnt mean much anyway, because even if i happened to be a Cadels biggest hater, pointing that out would not take away one once of credibility from the arguments i make.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

^ It wasn't 65 kms solo, though, Hitch. Schleck got lots of help from two of his team mates and some Belgian rider from a different team.

Evans didn't have a super Monfort to pace him, either. All the doms in the Evans group were pretty much cooked.

 

[cineteq]

Man, Evans winning the Tour has really messed you up hasn't it!!!.

No kidding, the guy's obsessed with undermining Evans.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

^ It wasn't 65 kms solo, though, Hitch. Schleck got lots of help from two of his team mates and some Belgian rider from a different team.

Evans didn't have a super Monfort to pace him, either. All the doms in the Evans group were pretty much cooked.

That would be Dries Devenyns and I still don't understand why he did it Must've been the money

 

[Ragerod]

^ It wasn't 65 kms solo, though, Hitch. Schleck got lots of help from two of his team mates and some Belgian rider from a different team.

Evans didn't have a super Monfort to pace him, either. All the doms in the Evans group were pretty much cooked.

I wouldn't call Posthuma giving Schleck some encouragement as he flew by help and Monfort's help was hardly super. Guiding Schleck down the descent and then taking turns on the front but as soon as the false flat finished he vanished.

Looking at it a different way, Evans conceded 2 minutes to his main rival that day, that's not the calibre required for ride of the year.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I wouldn't call Posthuma giving Schleck some encouragement as he flew by help and Monfort's help was hardly super. Guiding Schleck down the descent and then taking turns on the front but as soon as the false flat finished he vanished.

Looking at it a different way, Evans conceded 2 minutes to his main rival that day, that's not the calibre required for ride of the year.

Climbing is the only part of cycling Schleck can do without his hand being held. Monfort, by guiding him on the descent and helping with the work on the false flat, did absolutely everything you could have asked from him.

 

[cineteq]

Looking at it a different way, Evans conceded 2 minutes to his main rival that day, that's not the calibre required for ride of the year.

Limiting his losses to Andy, controlling the race by himself, knowing he's going to destroy him in the ITT is the way it should be seen.

 

[Ragerod]

Climbing is the only part of cycling Schleck can do without his hand being held. Monfort, by guiding him on the descent and helping with the work on the false flat, did absolutely everything you could have asked from him.

Monfort's help was good and yeah, he can't be expected to stay with Andy when he's going as fast as he can but my point is that whilst Monfort's help was useful, it wasn't spectacular and shouldn't detract from Schleck's effort.

Limiting his losses to Andy, controlling the race by himself, knowing he's going to destroy him in the ITT is the way it should be seen.

I'm not denying it was a very good ride but "limited his losses" shouldn't be anywhere near a description of the ride of the year.