What type of rider do you like most?

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Always wondering this.

I love mountain stages the most so for me, it's definately the pure climbers. Closely followed by the hilly classic specialists...

 

[The Hitch]

Small climbers who cant tt.

 

[hrotha]

The riders I like the most are the ones with the coolest names.

I'm serious.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Like you guys, I like the climbers, but especially the ones who can TT and contend for the overall GC on a GT. But I also really like the sprinters and like to watch their maneuvering on the approaches to the bunch sprints.

 

[Barrus]

For me the attacker/breakaway specialist. Those riders who don't win much, but really give it their all for just the small insignificant chance that they might, just might win after all

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

The riders I like the most are the ones with the coolest names.

I'm serious.

What are some examples of names you think are cool? Personally, I like Thor.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Climber+breakaway specialist combo for me. Amets Txurruka>all.

 

[Kvinto]

Best rider - classic rider. Cobbled races and hilly classics is what i'm waiting for most of all. Ideal rider is someone like Gilbert.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

What are some examples of names you think are cool? Personally, I like Thor.

Hintha Youthaporn
Iman Suparman
Ryan Hillmant Ariehaan

How cool is that (just try Arie Haan in google if you don't know him)

Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn
Bold-Erdene Boldbaatar
Tumutbaatar Orchibaatar
Khayankhyarvaa Uuganbayar
Peerapol Chawchiangkuang

deserve a special mention

But I always liked Gaylord Cumont best

 

[auscyclefan94]

Gesink a steady climber?

 

[ingsve]

Hintha Youthaporn
Iman Suparman
Ryan Hillmant Ariehaan

How cool is that (just try Arie Haan in google if you don't know him)

Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn
Bold-Erdene Boldbaatar
Tumutbaatar Orchibaatar
Khayankhyarvaa Uuganbayar
Peerapol Chawchiangkuang

deserve a special mention

But I always liked Gaylord Cumont best

So, then your favourite tennis player must have been Guy Forget back in the day?

 

[theyoungest]

Hintha Youthaporn
Iman Suparman
Ryan Hillmant Ariehaan

How cool is that (just try Arie Haan in google if you don't know him)

Thurakit Boonratanathanakorn
Bold-Erdene Boldbaatar
Tumutbaatar Orchibaatar
Khayankhyarvaa Uuganbayar
Peerapol Chawchiangkuang

deserve a special mention

But I always liked Gaylord Cumont best

Yeah, for me that's the coolest name in cycling. When I stumbled upon that name I couldn't believe it. Another one I like is Fabio Cera.

BTW, my favourite type of rider is a tie between the steady pace- and the explosive climber. I like riders who can ride everyone off their wheel (Basso 1.0) and riders who can just jump away (Ricco 1.0).

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gesink a steady climber?

Obviously. He's not the one with the tempo switches. Or you have watched with your eyes closed, also possible.

Before you refer to the times he droppes, that is exactly my point. He doesn't go above his own maximum pace... And he doesn't let the pace drop when the others are holding back either, but tries to force his own pace.
That's a steady pace climber. Just like Basso.

Compare it to your boy Cadel, who tries to stay with the best at all cost until he finally blows completely.

Maybe now you get it?

 

[Parrulo]

stage racers and steady climbers for me. the capacity to recover day after day is an amazing human body feature and the steady climbing is actually awesome when the steady climber is stronger then the explosive ones. like basso putting the same pace for x k's and even if the explosive guys attack they will eventually get caught and droped.

 

[The Hitch]

So, then your favourite tennis player must have been Guy Forget back in the day?

Speaking of cool name tennis players I like the guy with the long name who after beating Jimmy Connors for the 1st time in 17 attempts came out and said " Nobody, i mean nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row"

 

[steelciocc]

Humility a plus...

Modest, humble all-arounders (i.e. Ballan, Voight, Gilbert, and even Brillo)

 

[Mellow Velo]

Kick ass riders who don't disappear for more than half the season.
A cool name also helps.
Talking of which, I always think Johnny Hoogerland sounds like he should be an aging but universally obscure, French rocker.

 

[The Devil]

Quote:
There's no playing grab-*** or fighting in the building. You got a grudge against another man, you fight him Saturday afternoon. Any man playing grab-*** or fighting in the building spends a night in the box. Any man loud talking spends a night in the box. You got questions, you come to me. I'm Barrus, one of the moderators. I'm responsible for order in here. Any man don't keep order spends a night in ...

You could hire this dame as Your New Side Kick Barrus as she brings "ORDER TO CHAOS" !!

As for the type of Rider. I would have to choose those who possess the ability to be both a good climber and Time Trial Rider, such as, Cadel Evans.

 

[Ibanez]

Breakaway specialists. The less they win, the more I like them. Guys like Auge and Moinard spring to mind.

But I also love northern classics dudes. Never really the winners, just the tough as nails guys that work for them.

 

[Arnout]

Climbers with no other ability whatsoever. Being in the mongol echelon is always an extra point.

 

[Rocksteady]

Quote:
As for the type of Rider. I would have to choose those who possess the ability to be both a good climber and Time Trial Rider, such as, Cadel Evans.

+1 (but I voted for TT specialists)

Guys who hang on in the Mountains and blow-em away in the TT.

When you win against the clock, it shows your true worth as a rider.

But it seems nobody agrees with me

 

[Moondance]

Attackers with some skills.

Johnny Hoogerland (even though I don't like the man) in late-2009 is a perfect example. Txurruka is another. Jacky Durand is of course the Godfather of this class of rider.

They have to be good enough that the have an outside chance of doing well in a race, but could never win if they tried to directly duke it out with the big boys... Therefore they attack.

Those are the real men of cycling.

Eplosive climber would come second, and hilly classics man would come third for me.

 

[The Hitch]

mmm when i first comented i didnt see the poll. I would go for the Alejandro Valverde - type. But since he really is one of a kind (maybe Eddy Mercx and EBH) i will expand it to - hilly classics/ gt specialist, who try to win everything, thereby including Sammy Sanchez and making it a category.

Both can tt and then some. Both can climb and then some. . Both have major major one day results. Both are among the top gt specialists around. Both can descend- Samu better and both can sprint - Valverde better.

I mean is there any better cyclist too watch season wise than Alejandro Valverde. Over his last 12 months he podiumed Paris Nice and Pais Vasco, won Dauphine and Romandie, in stage races. He won the Vuelta, and podiumed in Liege Bastogne Liege. Over these races he won bunch sprint stages, hilly stages, mountain stages and came 2nd in a few tts.


In other words i like guys who are world class at everything, and try at everything.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

+1 (but I voted for TT specialists)

Guys who hang on in the Mountains and blow-em away in the TT.

When you win against the clock, it shows your true worth as a rider.

But it seems nobody agrees with me

That's because we like to watch the race, not read about it; those guys are fine as long as somebody (usually with a bad TT) is animating the race for them to have to hang on to... a race consisting of none but those riders ends up like the '09 Tour de Suisse with 15-20 man groups sprinting at the top of every mountain - seriously, seriously dull.

I think that, much as we like to deride boring riders like Leipheimer, the sport needs the hangers-on as much as it needs the goats; it's no use having the mountains if the climbers don't need to attack after losing in the TT, and it's no use in having the TTs if the mountains aren't tough enough to drop the boring contenders.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Climbers with no other ability whatsoever. Being in the mongol echelon is always an extra point.

My problem is, I love those guys but I really enjoy watching a good descent. I love Soler to pieces, but watching him try to go downhill... sit in the péloton... time trial... or basically do anything other than climb, is downright gnarly. The guy is a great climber but even watching him climb is pretty ungainly; he has the ugliest style since Fernando Escartín. And has borrowed the Crab nickname accordingly. Soler opening up the sprint for 2nd at the top of the Morredero back in April was some sight to behold. He'd be a terror in a sprint - if he were quick enough, people would just get the hell out of his way; he'd make Djamolidine Abdoujaparov look like Óscar Freire.