Who are the best bike handlers in the peloton?

[craig1985]

Ok, we have mocked Soler a lot for his woeful bike handling skills, so are some of the best in the peloton? Fabian Cancellara would be one. I've always considered Armstrong to be fairly good bike handler, at least that was the case during his winning streak.

I would imagine Lars Boom and Peter Sagan would be quite competent since they both have an extensive cyclo-cross background.

 

[Publicus]

Cancellara, Cuddles, Lulu, Samu, Vino, Gilbert and Valverde

EDIT: how did I forget Nibali.

 

[craig1985]

Arroyo is not bad. Either that, or he has death wish when descends

 

[mikkemus23]

Hushovd, Nibali

 

[BroDeal]

Gadret? He comes from cyclocross.

 

[S2Sturges]

Hushovd, Nibali

I agree with you, in his day Zabel was amazing, being a sprinter and a trackie didn't hurt either

 

[pedaling squares]

Hushovd sure impressed on some descents last year. I think any sprinter has to have pretty amazing bike handling skills. Haussler might disagree with me.

 

[Aus_Orca]

I think you'd have to include Evans due to him being a former WC mtber, plus winning the stage on the dirt during the Giro in the wet proves he must have pretty good skills.

 

[Oldman]

Ok, we have mocked Soler a lot for his woeful bike handling skills, so are some of the best in the peloton? Fabian Cancellara would be one. I've always considered Armstrong to be fairly good bike handler, at least that was the case during his winning streak.

I would imagine Lars Boom and Peter Sagan would be quite competent since they both have an extensive cyclo-cross background.

Conta isn't as bad a handler as some folks would want to believe and he can ride a huge gear which plays well on rough terrain. Cobbles? Not a problem if that's going to be the stage la's troops hang their hats on. Note that I'm starting the lower case referral to "a certain mr. lance armstrong".

 

[eljimberino]

they are all pretty bloody good. it's only when they are in trouble that their true skills shine. there's a video of contador nearly crashing on a descent, recovering really well.

nibali was amazing in the giro. people criticized evans during the same descent, citing vino as an amazing descender, but their time differences were the same at the bottom of the mountain than at the top. evans makes it look easy.

 

[Angliru]

Oscar Freire hands down.

 

[Angliru]

they are all pretty bloody good. it's only when they are in trouble that their true skills shine. there's a video of contador nearly crashing on a descent, recovering really well.

nibali was amazing in the giro. people criticized evans during the same descent, citing vino as an amazing descender, but their time differences were the same at the bottom of the mountain than at the top. evans makes it look easy.

Re Contador: That was earlier in his career during Paris-Nice. He was on the attack on a descent and had somehow clipped out of one of his pedals and appeared to be about to careen into a stone wall. He recovered immediately but was eventually caught.

 

[Mambo95]

All of the sprinters, with McEwen probably being the best, then Freire possibly.

 

[ingsve]

Most riders with MTB, track or cyclocross background have better than average bike handling.

One that should be mentioned specifically is perhaps Peter Sagan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItBV9CVJEoo

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Oscar Freire hands down.

I remember him riding across the centre of a roundabout in the Vuelta last year, and how he managed to avoid the riders AND their bikes in the Cav pileup in the Tour de Suisse is a miracle of bikehandling genius.

 

[craig1985]

Does anybody remember on the first road stage of the 2003 Tour de France and when the big pileup happened, if you look carefully, you will notice Sammy Sanchez bunny hop over a fallen rider. How he stayed up is incredible.

 

[Andre.J]

Johan Van Summeren

 

[Michele]

Does anybody remember on the first road stage of the 2003 Tour de France and when the big pileup happened, if you look carefully, you will notice Sammy Sanchez bunny hop over a fallen rider. How he stayed up is incredible.

Remember last year RR Worlds when Sanchez kick out of the road a bottle with his rear wheel?

 

[sublimit]

Mark Renshaw can bully his way through, always looks in control and a tremendous lead out rider.

 

[The Hitch]

From the looks of things, definately NOT cav.

 

[The Hitch]

Cancellara is the best. I saw in one race he jumped some curb while everyone else went round it and this got him to the front hence avoiding a crash.

Also is it true thad nibali can descend hand free, in order to get quicker turns? Thats what i heard harmonn say i think.

 

[tifosa]

O'Grady's got skills.

 

[The Hitch]

also flecha
http://cyclocosm.com/2010/06/the-luckiest-man-in-the-peloton/

 

[180mmCrank]

Conta isn't as bad a handler as some folks would want to believe and he can ride a huge gear which plays well on rough terrain. Cobbles? Not a problem if that's going to be the stage la's troops hang their hats on. Note that I'm starting the lower case referral to "a certain mr. lance armstrong".

He's pretty good actually...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVzNFnOx-RA

 

[Wallace]

Johan Van Summeren

+1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc3P3lv00zY.

2009 Paris-Roubaix. Flecha over-cooks it on a corner, takes Hoste down, Van Summeren unclips one foot avoiding the crash, spins into a 180 stop from full speed. One of the more amazing feats of bike-handling I've ever seen.

There was also a full field-sprint where Zabel managed to stay upright after someone slammed into him by unclipping both feet and skidding on his cleats. That was impressive.