Which rider is underrated/overrated?

[BlurryVII]

So, a ban, a "bad" year and a crash doesn't count? What should we do with that? Put another 3 Tours on his palmares, 'cause he would certainly have won them if it wasn't for the mentioned mishaps.
Sorry, but that reasoning is equally valid like saying that Merckx would have won 40 Tours if he could have managed to maintain his form for another 35 years.

In what parallel world would prime Merckx be able to compete against modern GC riders? Do you just realise that he'd get absolutely crushed ?

Don't compare different era's .
Merckx did what he did in his time, his palmarès wouldn't look half the same if he was competing in the modern era.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

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Terpstra is underrated/disliked, and for some reason not given the credit he earned.

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Agree with a lot of your points, but I want to highlight Terpstra as well.
Does he even have a tread in the road section?

Main player in cobbles season using his TT skills
Solid support rider in many races
Seems to ride a proper full season, this year 91 race days.

Underrated by a distance and not hyped.

 

[Volderke]

Valverde underrated?

Even the haters (like me) agree that he is the most consistent over-all rider of the last 10 years in both the one day races, shorter and longer tours. The guy can do everything pretty decent.

He is still my best bet (literally) in getting a podium in any race, so yes, I, as a hater, bet on him. But he could have won so much more.

So I would say that the haters rate him right, the fans underrate him. We'll never know how many more he could have won, but there are very obvious examples were one tactically different choice would have given him a much better chance to win the race.

 

[Red Rick]

The last time we saw Cavendish in great shape in a GT he won 5 stages

 

[nobilis]

I'm dead serious. Look at his results. Look at his H2H vs Cavendish. Most people think Kittel vs Cavendish is a tight battle, but in reality it's not close at all. When some still think it's close between him and Cavendish, Kittel is underrated.

Yeah indeed.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Over-rated: Bernie Eisel.

I'm thinking of current acclaim now, not when he rode for his own results. He is constantly put forward as the epitome of what a road captain should be, the brains of the team on the road, the man who knows and co-ordinates what every other Sky rider is doing.

And no-one ever raises this role when Sky is noted as lacking in any plan B, and that the Borg is a one trick pony.

Both can't be true.

 

[Bushman]

The last time we saw Cavendish in great shape in a GT he won 5 stages

This is why he is overrated. What if he was in great shape in the Tour 13 fx and Kittel is just faster than him?

 

[Cimber]

Sagan and Froome were both way overrated (in 2013) but now they are too underrated.
.

this is an important point. We often tend to shift from one extreme to another based on one bad or good season. At the end of last year Contador was the one being overrated (many argued he should retire), and now he might be overhyped.

And that is exactly the same thing going on with Froome and Sagan. They had a bad year and some write them off. They are both extremely good cyclist and I am sure both will bounce back big time next season.

Btw, I for many years found Brajkovic very overrated, but at the moment I find him a tad underrated. He cant even get a contract. He is better than that at least.

Also in such a discussion one shouldnt confuse underrated with disliked.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Over-rated: Bernie Eisel.

I'm thinking of current acclaim now, not when he rode for his own results. He is constantly put forward as the epitome of what a road captain should be, the brains of the team on the road, the man who knows and co-ordinates what every other Sky rider is doing.

And no-one ever raises this role when Sky is noted as lacking in any plan B, and that the Borg is a one trick pony.

Both can't be true.

yep a bit of a conflict.

Personally I rate the road captain function in WT races borderline useless. Its like appointing a middle manager and telling him to come see his boss every time he wants to make a decision.

So from that perspective I'm sort of neutral on Eisel. Is he still useful in the wind?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Most overrated rider on this forum: NIBALI (as much as one may like him as a rider, he is often compared to Contador, which is just ....)

Overrated in general: Quintana, Kwiatkowski, Aru, Stybar, D & TMartin, Pinot, Kelderman (overrated big time), Horner (it's a humor thing mostly, I guess), Mollema (He just isn't the GT rider, that many makes him to), Arredondo, Démare, Boonen...

Fairly rated: Contador (how anyone can call him overrated given his superb season, I do not know ), Cancellara (had one sub-par season this year. Otherwise cannot be overrated), Majka, Degenkolb, Kittel, Cav, Kristoff, Gilbert and many more

Underrated: Valverde, Fuglsang, TJVG (used to be overrated), JRod, Rogers, Peraud, Uran, Froome (slightly), G Caruso, Costa (he has been a little forgotten this year despite wearing WC stripes), Jungels, Wiggo

^ this is my opinion too

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Yeah indeed.

wow, this is what I call dominance.
The question is: Will the HotSteppers go in with a Cav heavy plan in the tour next year? Will the team ask Cav to go to the other GTs?

 

[Dean1234]

Why is Cancellara overrated?
He has won 4 world titles, olympic gold, he has worn the yellow jersey more times than anyone without winning the tour, 11 GT stages, 4 Flanders and 3 Roubaix.

Thats Fairly successful

 

[Dean1234]

My bad 3 Flanders

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Why is Cancellara overrated?
He has won 4 world titles, olympic gold, he has worn the yellow jersey more times than anyone without winning the tour, 11 GT stages, 4 Flanders and 3 Roubaix.

Thats Fairly successful

Perhaps in the context of being rated as the best rider of his generation.

Anyway, I don't see him being overrated or super hyped in general.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Perhaps in the context of being rated as the best rider of his generation.

Anyway, I don't see him being overrated or super hyped in general.

which is true imo, and I don't really like him

 

[nobilis]

wow, this is what I call dominance.
The question is: Will the HotSteppers go in with a Cav heavy plan in the tour next year? Will the team ask Cav to go to the other GTs?

Yeah in the 3 occasions when Cavendish won, Kittel was dropped way before and didn't even contest the sprint. So in a head-to-head duel in a sprint, Cav stands no chance.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Yeah in the 3 occasions when Cavendish won, Kittel was dropped way before and didn't even contest the sprint. So in a head-to-head duel in a sprint, Cav stands no chance.

Which was my point exactly and led me to claim that Kittel is underrated.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Uran is overrated, most Colombians are overhyped.

Van Garderen is overhyped, but still underrated.

Schleck was overrated, but under appreciated.

Contador is overrated and overhyped.

Valverde is underrated and overhated.

Wiggins is underrated.

etc.

Some good points, though I don't agree with Uran (at least not as a GT GC rider) and it is rather difficult to overrate Contador.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Is this thread overrated or underrated?

It seems extremely popular, but considering its awesomeness I believe that question has been neutralised.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Some good points, though I don't agree with Uran (at least not as a GT GC rider) and it is rather difficult to overrate Contador.

I like to see Uran perform in a tough GT and show some leadership skills. Until he does hes is overrated imo.

Contador in context of other great cyclists is overrated. Also I think his GT results are somewhat muddy as a result of relatively weak opposition.

Rasmussen, Schleck, Scarponi, Leipheimer, Ricco and Froome on a training ride in the recent Vuelta.

Contrast with Armstrong facing Ullrich, Anquetil against Poulidor, Coppi vs Bartoli etc.

When was the last time Contador was dominant in a GT? Giro '11? Long time ago.

Lets see if he can beat Froome, Nibali and Quintana in a big race moving forward.

Contador's classics results? Well they are pretty much non existent.

I understand why fans are excited about Contador in these times where most GT riders are lets say risk adverse.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I like to see Uran perform in a tough GT and show some leadership skills. Until he does hes is overrated imo.

Contador in context of other great cyclists is overrated. Also I think his GT results are somewhat muddy as a result of relatively weak opposition.

Rasmussen, Schleck, Scarponi, Leipheimer, Ricco and Froome on a training ride in the recent Vuelta.

Contrast with Armstrong facing Ullrich, Anquetil against Poulidor, Coppi vs Bartoli etc.

When was the last time Contador was dominant in a GT? Giro '11? Long time ago.

Lets see if he can beat Froome, Nibali and Quintana in a big race moving forward.

Contador's classics results? Well they are pretty much non existent.

I understand why fans are excited about Contador in these times where most GT riders are lets say risk adverse.

you really are dazed and confused

 

[Akuryo]

Slightly Overrated: Cancellara - Phinney - Majka - Dennis - Teklehaimanot - Visconti - Boonen - Kwiato - Moser - Sagan - Stybar - Slagter - Pinot - Porte - G.Thomas - Kristoff - Breschel

Some would think you don't like classics riders ... Though I agree that he hype about Kwiatek, Visconti and Moser is/was extreme. Why Boonen (over his entire career) and Kristoff (based only on 2014) are overrated, I don't get.

How and why is Nieve underrated?

He finishes every GT he enters around place 10-12. I think he should get more credit for it. Considering he almost never was the priority rider and still managed a decent finish! If he continues to do this, we will have our new Zubeldia.

Who is overrated though is Sagan - the kid is just plain stupid, you can't make up for this with your legs. And not being liked in the peloton is also a "quality" being taken into consideration when it comes to winning expediencies. But maybe I am to harsh on him as I truly dislike the tool.

Yes, he is stupid. I I also don't think you are too harsh on him. Yes he is one of the riders who can't take a **** without 5 other guys watching over his shoulder, but his "tactics" (if that is the right word for what he is doing) are horrible. Maybe Riis can turn him around. Who knows...

Gerrans is underrated

He rides to his abilities, but he is certainly not underrated. I would even say that his palmares are more than he could have ever imagined with his skillset. So yeah, he rides "smart", even if it is dull to watch. And that is why people don't like him. But they do know what he is capable of and how to rate him.

-------

On a sidenote I would like to agree with the two or three people who rated Trentin as "underrated". He won two stages at le Tour without even having a free role. He was a support rider for the last 3 years with Lefevere and still managed some decent results. Huge Talent.

 

[sir fly]

You really should have added his 2011 results. If you want to correctly rate him, then you have to take into account what he did on the road not what's in the irrelevant books so:

+ Tour + Giro (2 stages win) + Murcia (2 stages win) + Volta Catalunya ( 1 stage win).

But anyway, in sir fly's world, a rider who has won at least a GT per season since 2007 (bar 13') and plenty of prestigious 1 week races is overrated

He sure is one of the best stage racer all time, I think no one here ever mentioned he is a good classic rider but as a stage racer, he deserves all the hype.

If he wins De Ronde, I'll reconsider my rating.
That shouldn't be a problem, should it?

 

[DFA123]

My thoughts on a few riders:

Aru: Way over-rated. Sure, he has potential, but he's miles away from competing with the likes of Contador, Froome and Nibali yet. He got out-climbed by Rodriguez and Valverde in the Vuelta.

Bouhanni: Under-rated. He can get over the hills now almost as well as Degenkolb and I'd back him against anyone other than Kittel in a sprint.

Valverde: Under-rated. Makes the final selection of any race he enters (and he races a lot). Despite his reputation on here, he is clearly not a wheel-sucker and is one of the more aggressive riders in the peloton.

Sky: Over-rated. The skyborgs are no more. The team lacks any weapons to win a race apart from Froome's climbing and their one dimensional tactics don't work now that they don't have the strongest rider. Shouldn't be feared as much as they are.

Cancellara: Under-rated based on this thread. He's still the man to beat on any cobbled classic. People saying he was poor this season, but he still won a monument! Agree that his time-trialling nowadays is slightly over-rated.

Quintana: Over-rated. Good rider, but hasn't done enough for me to be bracketed along side Froome, Contador and Nibali yet. He beat no-one of note at the Giro and only started to get wins in the Tour once Froome had it in the bag and eased off.

 

[Bushman]

Aru: Way over-rated. Sure, he has potential, but he's miles away from competing with the likes of Contador, Froome and Nibali yet. He got out-climbed by Rodriguez and Valverde in the Vuelta.

Who the hell is saying that? No one has said that he is a GT contender already.

Bouhanni: Under-rated. He can get over the hills now almost as well as Degenkolb and I'd back him against anyone other than Kittel in a sprint.

Now you're the one who is overrating him. He hasn't show that he can climbs well as Degenkolb consistently and he hasn't beaten the likes of Cavebdish or Greipel frequently enough to be considered faster than them.