Who deserves the Vélo d'Or the most so far?

[MacBAir]

Of course it is Sagan.

I have a lot of respect for Greg and believe that he deserved that gold medal. His first big win, after a career of always attacking and coming empty ended.

However...

Every time Sagan is present he (GVA) never works. He never attacks. He only tries to sabotage/sucking wheels. That is 100% what happened at Tirreno when he out-sprinted Peter. In fact, that was 100% what happened every single time he beat Peter.

He is so pathetic when Sagan is there, that he also never works on breaks, even those irrelevant and futile ones, like this year at California, where Sagan was tired of GVA already wheelsucking at 100KM from the finish, and said "*** it" before going solo.

Of course, GVA did not made anything "illegal", it's part of cycling and sometimes he used is team being behind as an excuse to be a coward every time Peter is present.

I don't like that.

What is funny is that if you factually described what actually happened every time GVA beat Sagan this year (by trying to follow and never, ever work, even if it means that both of them lose), it would paint a very different picture.

I guess that it is the price to pay when you are the best rider and your rival knows it too.

GVA.
yesterday he beat top riders of the world , including top climbers on their field. Practicly except Sagan and Conti everbody was there. Froome , Nibali, Valverde, Cance, Domoulin ....
Cream of the cream of cycling.
That was not 10 minutes or half of an hour of maximal efford. He had to go very deep to stay in those climbs with the best climbers of the word.
His performance is uncomperable with any other performance this year.
Lets be honest Sagan wins in spring classics, and green jersey competition are very predictible with his set of skill and power, the same as Froome's
yellow as there is a very small competition for them in theses races.
Only if Sagan wins the WC RR or Froome win GDL (he will nor ride of course ) can match the Grag olympic gold for me.

So one great win, at the olympics, means that he deserves the prize as the best cyclist, despite the fact that Peter is challenging every classic from February to Roubaix, against a vast array of different riders, actually wining monuments, doing other-worldly performances with various wins on Suisse and California, smoking GVA on sprints, flat and hills at the tour, winning green + 3 stages, 1 of them against the GC winner, as the world champion?

 

[Cance > TheRest]

I have to say I don't think Van Avermaet would have won a monument this year, even without his crash. There were signs already at Gent-Wevelgem, that he would not be able to follow Sagan, Fabian and Vanmarcke when they unleashed themselves on that last cobbled climb of the race. Surely he could have brought home a top 5 in Flanders, undoubtedly. While that would be a good result, I also do not think Paris-Roubaix is a race to really suited to him. That said, this is all hypothetically speaking and ofcourse it was a big loss for de Ronde that Greg had to abandon with a crash. But it does not detract anything from Sagan's season.

Sagan has had the best season of any rider by quite a big margin. It's really not even up to debate.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Froome could force his name in front if he was to win gold next week. If not it will surely be Sagan.

 

[Alexandre B.]

I think that this distinction has no importance whatsoever. Race wins are important. Being the journalists' favorite is irrelevant.

 

[Anderis]

I think Sagan ATM.

I would consider Froome if he adds Olympics TT or Vuelta to his wins.

Van Avermaet should add a monument win to be in contention IMO. I know he crashed during Flanders so it was extremely unlikely but we can't give someone a prize only because he COULD have won something if not something IMO. Olympics + one TdF stage + Omloop + Tirreno is a bit too little for 1st, especially considering the circumstances at Tirreno.

 

[Flamin]

MacBAir, what a load of nonsense. What about Omloop?

In Tirreno he had his leader behind, so why on earth would he work?

 

[DFA123]

I'd go with GVA. He's won a stage race (!), a tough TDF stage, worn the yellow jersey, won Olympic gold, won a semi-classic and finished top 5 in two other classics. All that despite crashing out of his main objective for the year when he was in the form of his life. Just an incredible season.

I think only Sagan comes close - if he could win the worlds again then he'd go above GVA, but unfortunately think the course is too easy for him, as ridiculous as that is.

 

[saganboss]

Re:

MacBAir, what a load of nonsense. What about Omloop?

In Tirreno he had his leader behind, so why on earth would he work?

ok there was no need to work with sagan because he had more teammates with him, let's say that's fair, but don't come with team leader bs. he had no team mates on the peloton behind.

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

MacBAir, what a load of nonsense. What about Omloop?

In Tirreno he had his leader behind, so why on earth would he work?

ok there was no need to work with sagan because he had more teammates with him, let's say that's fair, but don't come with team leader bs. he had no team mates on the peloton behind.

I'm pretty sure Tejay was in the peloton going into the final lap, though he wasn't anymore at the finish. Anyway, like you said, Etixx and Tinkoff also had the numbers so some decent excuses not to ride.

 

[El Pistolero]

Where do you think Contador comes out if he wins the Vuelta?

3rd Algarve
2nd Paris-Nice
2nd Catalunya
wins Pais Vasco
wins Burgos
wins Vuelta

A Vuelta win would not be enough for a first or second place. He'd need to also win Lombardia to qualify imo.

A Vuelta win will save his season though.

 

[MacBAir]

Re:

MacBAir, what a load of nonsense. What about Omloop?

In Tirreno he had his leader behind, so why on earth would he work?

In Tirreno they were fighting for the stage, it had nothing to do with GC aspirations and BMC had no one else for the finish.

It was "pure" wheelsucking.

And thank you for ignorance all the other instances of where he wheelsucked Peter. It's his usual MO - Wheelsucking Sagan. Be it a California stage, a classic, a semi classic...

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Where do you think Contador comes out if he wins the Vuelta?

2nd Catalunya
wins Pais Vasco
wins Burgos
wins Vuelta

He'd get the Bicicleta de Oro for results in Spain.

 

[Flamin]

Re: Re:

MacBAir, what a load of nonsense. What about Omloop?

In Tirreno he had his leader behind, so why on earth would he work?

In Tirreno they were fighting for the stage, it had nothing to do with GC aspirations and BMC had no one else for the finish.

It was "pure" wheelsucking.

And thank you for ignorance all the other instances of where he wheelsucked Peter. It's his usual MO - Wheelsucking Sagan. Be it a California stage, a classic, a semi classic...

Of course it had to do with gc. If he had pulled, he would likely have lost the stage and gc.

Why don't you start naming 'all the other instances' instead of just babbling about stuff you can't back up with examples?

 

[Netserk]

I think it's pathetic to whine about riders making smart tactical choices. GvA won Omloop, Tirreno and the OG like a champ. I also loved his go in Dwars door Vlaanderen.

As long as riders give it their all for the win, I will support whatever route they deem most likely to take them there.

 

[BigMac]

Re:

I think it's pathetic to whine about riders making smart tactical choices. GvA won Omloop, Tirreno and the OG like a champ. I also loved his go in Dwars door Vlaanderen.

As long as riders give it their all for the win, I will support whatever route they deem most likely to take them there.

I think this is key. I don't have a problem with riders taking the ''wheelsucker'' way to the win if they're more or less empty or simply can't do more than that.

 

[Tonton]

I's great that GVA gets in the discussion that means props to him, he's arrived as a marquis name, a big champ.

For me at the moment,it's Sagan by quite a margin, but there's a lot of the season left. For example, if Valverde medals at the RRWC and wins the GDL he'll be making a great case. Contador winning the Vuelta also. Froome winning a second GT would be an automatic Velo d'Or. Except that I don't think he will win the Vuelta.

Sagan could very well win the RRWC and close the deal imo.

Too early to call...

 

[El Pistolero]

I's great that GVA gets in the discussion that means props to him, he's arrived as a marquis name, a big champ.

For me at the moment,it's Sagan by quite a margin, but there's a lot of the season left. For example, if Valverde medals at the RRWC and wins the GDL he'll be making a great case. Contador winning the Vuelta also. Froome winning a second GT would be an automatic Velo d'Or. Except that I don't think he will win the Vuelta.

Sagan could very well win the RRWC and close the deal imo.

Too early to call...

Qatar seems like a repeat of 2011, so it will be between Kittel, Cav and Greipel sadly.

I don't think winning the Vuelta is enough for Contador to qualify. Contador would also need to win Lombardia, but I don't think he'll even try there.

 

[Cannibal72]

I's great that GVA gets in the discussion that means props to him, he's arrived as a marquis name, a big champ.

For me at the moment,it's Sagan by quite a margin, but there's a lot of the season left. For example, if Valverde medals at the RRWC and wins the GDL he'll be making a great case. Contador winning the Vuelta also. Froome winning a second GT would be an automatic Velo d'Or. Except that I don't think he will win the Vuelta.

Sagan could very well win the RRWC and close the deal imo.

Too early to call...

Chaves winning the Vuelta and Lombardia would also put him into contention, along with the 2nd in the Giro.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Jesus Herrada also have good chances with a Vuelta and +4 stages , Lombardia and WCRR + WC ITT

 

[Cannibal72]

Re:

Jesus Herrada also have good chances with a Vuelta and +4 stages , Lombardia and WCRR + WC ITT

Of course, because Herrada came fifth in last year's Vuelta, won two stages, held the red jersey, and was in the lead group at last year's Lombardia. If the comparison you're making is to Chaves, it's a stupid and facile one. Try harder.

 

[Mr.White]

Re: Re:

Jesus Herrada also have good chances with a Vuelta and +4 stages , Lombardia and WCRR + WC ITT

Of course, because Herrada came fifth in last year's Vuelta, won two stages, held the red jersey, and was in the lead group at last year's Lombardia. If the comparison you're making is to Chaves, it's a stupid and facile one. Try harder.

But you have to admit it is very unlikely to happen

 

[Cannibal72]

Re: Re:

Jesus Herrada also have good chances with a Vuelta and +4 stages , Lombardia and WCRR + WC ITT

Of course, because Herrada came fifth in last year's Vuelta, won two stages, held the red jersey, and was in the lead group at last year's Lombardia. If the comparison you're making is to Chaves, it's a stupid and facile one. Try harder.

But you have to admit it is very unlikely to happen

Depends. If Froome's peaked, and Contador hasn't recovered fully from his injuries, I'd say Chaves has a shot at the Vuelta, against Quintana, Lopez, Kruisjwijk, and Pinot. Lombardia's always really hard to call, and if Chaves is on form he has the skill set to compete there. It's unlikely, yeah, but not impossible.

 

[barmaher]

Re: Re:

Jesus Herrada also have good chances with a Vuelta and +4 stages , Lombardia and WCRR + WC ITT

Of course, because Herrada came fifth in last year's Vuelta, won two stages, held the red jersey, and was in the lead group at last year's Lombardia. If the comparison you're making is to Chaves, it's a stupid and facile one. Try harder.

I chuckled, if that helps legitimise Valv's point.

 

[DanielSong39]

How would Chris Froome fare if he won the Time Trial event in the Olympics and/or the World Championships?

How would his chances improve if he managed a podium finish in the Vuelta?

Obviously if he wins the Vuelta he wins this hands down.

 

[Cannibal72]

Re: Re:

Jesus Herrada also have good chances with a Vuelta and +4 stages , Lombardia and WCRR + WC ITT

Of course, because Herrada came fifth in last year's Vuelta, won two stages, held the red jersey, and was in the lead group at last year's Lombardia. If the comparison you're making is to Chaves, it's a stupid and facile one. Try harder.

I chuckled, if that helps legitimise Valv's point.

Tbf I did too.