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My vote goes to Pogacar.
*MvdP is the best one-day racer.
*Vingegaard is the best stage racer.
*Ben Healy has the best haircut.
*Pogacar is the best overall, because he's second in all three categories above.
*MvdP is the best one-day racer.
*Vingegaard is the best stage racer.
*Ben Healy has the best haircut.
*Pogacar is the best overall, because he's second in all three categories above.
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And as we all know; that is the most important thing!
Such votes are made by people and hence the outcome can sometimes be surprising. Due to all sort of factors and bias being involved. I feel that Roglič, Pogačar, Vingegaard or van der Poel getting it this year. All would deserve it. As for who in my opinion has the edge this year, considering expectations, field, on how it was won, results ... For me van der Poel is the one that should get it this year. Considering what races he won and what was left. A GT double or a GT plus a monument. Among winning some other set of stage races. That would convince me otherwise. For some other rider to deserve it more. Better luck next year.
TP for the win, and I mean Thibaut Pinot. That trophy is a popularity contest after all...
On a more serious note, it's a close call, and it can only be between MVP and...TP (not Pinot). Hats off to Vingo, a Vuelta win would have put him over the top for me, but it didn't happen. Hats off to Rog, he's close, Remco racked up a lot of wins but fell short of his own objectives...
Had Mathieu done something in Le Tour, a couple of wins, it would be different. Yikes, for the green jersey he finished 10 spots behind Pinot...for me MVP lost this trophy in July: he did nothing.
Pog did something in July. And earlier, he destroyed one week races. Then he had his Ronde, Amstel, FW streak, and now he is King of Lombardia. It's quite a bit more than MSR, PR, RRWC for me. He deserves to win this, in my opinion.
On a more serious note, it's a close call, and it can only be between MVP and...TP (not Pinot). Hats off to Vingo, a Vuelta win would have put him over the top for me, but it didn't happen. Hats off to Rog, he's close, Remco racked up a lot of wins but fell short of his own objectives...
Had Mathieu done something in Le Tour, a couple of wins, it would be different. Yikes, for the green jersey he finished 10 spots behind Pinot...for me MVP lost this trophy in July: he did nothing.
Pog did something in July. And earlier, he destroyed one week races. Then he had his Ronde, Amstel, FW streak, and now he is King of Lombardia. It's quite a bit more than MSR, PR, RRWC for me. He deserves to win this, in my opinion.
We could go down that road, all are winners for participating, and deserve a medal. That is to consider the depth of not winning too. On how that was done.
The thing is it's the wins, in cycling, that count. Second doesn't mean all that much. Likely that is due to the fact a bunch of other cyclists in need to make the sacrifice. On why it is the win or nothing in cycling. As if you have 10 teams, that is 80 cyclists and out of this 80, at best 10 are in contention, for the overall victory. Usually half of that. An the other 75 don't get all that much credit. So as a result when finishing second, as contender, well ... You only had to beat the other 4.
P.S. Although JV almost ruined cycling this year.
The thing is it's the wins, in cycling, that count. Second doesn't mean all that much. Likely that is due to the fact a bunch of other cyclists in need to make the sacrifice. On why it is the win or nothing in cycling. As if you have 10 teams, that is 80 cyclists and out of this 80, at best 10 are in contention, for the overall victory. Usually half of that. An the other 75 don't get all that much credit. So as a result when finishing second, as contender, well ... You only had to beat the other 4.
P.S. Although JV almost ruined cycling this year.
Agree. Except, on best stage racer I am confident Pog will beat Vingegaard almost every time they meet in week long stage races. Only grand tours can we give Vingegaard the edge. Pog is infinitely more talented across all forms of road racing. Vingo is one dimensional by comparison. And after Lombardia we now know Pog can also descend. He is a far more spectacular rider.
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What i am asking myself is should Pogi get Vélo d'Or without winning the Tour? As that would likely send a wrong message. But if Pogi will in the end win it this year, highly likely to happen. Hard to argue it would not be justified.
Agree. Except, Rogla will beat them both, being the best stage racer of this generation. Overall.
But he came 2nd in the Tour. Vingegaard’s major result outside the Tour was the Dauphine in which he demolished everyone who turned up. But the Dauphine has become a TdF prep race. Obviously Vingegaard was hitting his TdF numbers in June.
But over the course the season it’s no contest to Pogi. Everyone seems to forget when Pog rode Vingegaard off his wheel at PN. Obviously in March Vingo was only building his level. Pog seems a little like Valverde in his peak years (~2017) in that he can hold a very high level for most of the season. But Pog is better than Valverde on courses like Flanders which was quite stunning.
When Pog announced himself at the 2019 ToC we had no clue what would follow.
Last year - Evenepoel.
2020 - Roglic.
2019 - Alaphillipe.
2018 - Valverde.
2016 - Sagan.
2014 - Contador.
That's more than half of the winners in the last 10 years not having won the Tour. So, yeah... I fail to see why it would "send the wrong message" if a guy who won two Monuments - and two very different ones as well - got the award.
Pogacar had almost the best season one can get without winning the Tour. He actually had a strong showing at the Tour (runner-up, 2 stages, some great performances), had an incredible classics season (2 monuments + 2 other prestigious classic wins + WC medal) and won a couple of stage races as well (PN included). Had he won the Tour it would be a perfect season but it's already spectacular and it's rare that anyone with the Tour win has a better season than this.
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Armchair Cyclist
Moderator
I think the guy who won four Tour stages would not say that his lead out man did nothing.
Obviously a rider who is 'only' a team helper will never be a contender, but if I had a vote, I would want to consider what a rider does as a team rider on the days that he cannot win as well as his victories. And I suspect that van Aert's position in the vote last year at least reflected that it is a consideration.
BTW, @CyclistAbi, did it also "send the wrong message" when Roglic won the award?
Good points but MvdP won the biggest races against the best opposition, which I think should be the criteria for awards like this. He hands down beat Pogi in the WCRR and MSR; Pogi got him in Flanders. Then you could argue Lombardia vs PR (PR always going to be a bigger result). Pog can do things that MvdP can't, of course (although MvdP could win Ronde/Amstel, at least). The Tour argument doesn't quite hold up bc Pog targeted the race but fell short.
I mean, you could give Pog the Velo d'Or every year and it wouldn't be a travesty. I think he'll have seasons every bit as good as this one in the future but not sure MvdP will...
Still in this season Mathieu van der Poel won Paris - Roubaix and became the world champion. On top of winning Milano-Sanremo. Second at The Tour hence doesn't cut it for me. But i am OK if any of the mentioned cyclists get it this year. All would in a way deserve it. We'll see.
Yeah. In this day and age almost doesn't cut it.
P.S. Tour or some other GT win this year and it would be a clear case, for me.
He should have won it in 2019 too. But finishing first at Vuelta and third at Giro didn't cut it. Next year he did better, and did get it.
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