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

[El Pistolero]

Re:

Numbers don't lie ... so therefore as of today:


Rank Rider Team Date of birth CQ

1. SVK SAGAN Peter TNK 26/01/1990 2635
2. GBR FROOME Chris SKY 20/05/1985 2552
3. COL QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander MOV 04/02/1990 2392
4. BEL VAN AVERMAET Greg BMC 17/05/1985 2030
5. ESP VALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro MOV 25/04/1980 2030

Those numbers in most rankings have always heavily favoured GC riders. Winning the Tour de Pologne earns you just as many WT points as winning a Monument for example.

Quintana earned 396 CQ points during the Tour this year. He only finished in the top ten once. Sagan earned 490 CQ points in the Tour this year: he won the green jersey, 3 stages, wore the yellow jersey for 3 days and finished in the top ten a grand total of 10 times. Yet the difference is only a measly 94 points... Sagan's Tour was WAY BETTER than Quintana's pathetic showing.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Numbers don't lie ... so therefore as of today:


Rank Rider Team Date of birth CQ

1. SVK SAGAN Peter TNK 26/01/1990 2635
2. GBR FROOME Chris SKY 20/05/1985 2552
3. COL QUINTANA ROJAS Nairo Alexander MOV 04/02/1990 2392
4. BEL VAN AVERMAET Greg BMC 17/05/1985 2030
5. ESP VALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro MOV 25/04/1980 2030

Very good list, pretty much spot on in the top-5.

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

I'd have probably gone for GVA pre-Vuelta, but it's clearly Froome who deserves it now. 1st and 2nd in GTs (winning the biggest one), plus five stage victories, GC at the Dauphine, and an olympic medal - puts him miles above everyone else this year. As unfortunate as that may be.

He won 4 stages, not 5. Besides, Sagan won 3 Tour stages and the green jersey. If he had competed in the Vuelta he'd have won 5 stages or something. The competition was that terrible.

Well, it was five including the TTT. And a rider winning mountain or TT GT stages is a lot more impressive than a sprinter winning stages suited to them. The point about the Vuelta is irrelevant, because Sagan wasn't there so he didn't win them. The competition for sprinters may have been poor, but for climbers it was the best quality field of the year and Froome still picked up 2 (or 3) stages.

I'd normally always go for a classics rider over a GT specialist for this kind of award. But Froome has had such an outstanding year - particularly in the Tour - you just can't ignore him. Sagan doesn't have enough high quality wins to come close.

A tired Quintana and a Contador who seems past it is not what I call the best quality field... Maybe on paper...

If Froome is doing 6w/kg for 30 minutes and still being beaten, I don't think you can dismiss Quintana as a competitor

that's quite simple I'd wager. If Sagan (Boonen) wins the Flanders, it's always brilliant regardless of the quality of the field he has to deal with. However this way of thinking cannot be applied to Froome for obvious reasons.

sagan
froome
gva

 

[Echoes]

Thanks to Cancetakesarest for giving the only respectful reply to my comments while I was peacefully posting and nothing really out of this world, on the contrary... Otherwise I only see adhominems and sarcasm.

 

[42x16ss]

As long as Froome or Sagan get it I'm OK. Sagan's accomplishments stand out more IMO, but 1st and 2nd in consecutive GT's is no mean feat and this is a French award, so Froome will probably get it. Sagan would probably have to win Lombardia and/or World's to edge Froome out judging by the history.

 

[saganboss]

you're right echoes, everybody should feel sympathy for your objectiveness. you said that sagan is the rider you hated the most in the history of cycling. at least you could admit that you're wrong but no. i don't know what your problem with sagan's behaviour is but i really don't care. this is racing . if he wants to do wheelies is his problem.
1. you say sagan is a coward for not showing up at olympics when in fact he simply misjudged or wasn't simply good enough to compete
2. for you it's not who deserves the velo d'or, is who i wish would win, if you gave your vote last year to greg too where's the objectiveness, he didn't do anything remarkable last year and you still voted for him
3. i explained to you in another post other things, but you think everyone is sarcastic , for you someone is wrong if he disagrees with you, you say sagan's wins are sprints but the only time greg won a race not on a sprint was in a breakaway with some good but no great riders
4. i'm pretty sure that if sagan will win 9/10 races and greg will win 1 you'll say that greg deserves the velo because he was sick in the other races, he was tired, his wife gave birth again, his dog was sick so he needed to go home, how the belgian newspapers are the best because they show how much of a talented shy guy he is unlike sagan who is an attention seeker
but yeah everybody is wrong in calling you out when you're wrong, what do you expect when you say the things you are saying.

 

[deValtos]

What exactly this award anyways?

Is it purely on results or is it more like the BBC Sports personality of the year award?

Also do they taking into account how the riders looked and rode in the races? I think Sagan stands a better chance if this is true. On results only one monument and a couple of other classics win is not enough but he looked very impressive and perhaps that is taken into consideration?

 

[MacBAir]

What exactly this award anyways?

Is it purely on results or is it more like the BBC Sports personality of the year award?

Also do they taking into account how the riders looked and rode in the races? I think Sagan stands a better chance if this is true. On results only one monument and a couple of other classics win is not enough but he looked very impressive and perhaps that is taken into consideration?

It's not just one monument and a couple of other classics wins.

It's 1 major classic, 1 monument (one of the best, btw), stages in June, 3 stages at the tour, Green, Quebec and the first ever European champion. For now.

Ignore the guy that says that he hates him and is complaining about sarcasm and lack of rationality.

 

[boasson]

I can not imagine, that someone who won the Criterium du Dauphine, the TDF, won an olympic medal and finished 2nd at the Vuelta, combined with winning the Herald Sun Tour, winning a stage at Tour de Romandie, winning a stage at Dauphine, winning two stages at TDF and winnig 3 stages at Vuelta will not win the velon d'or.

Yes, Sagan is the best one-day racer of this season. But to win the Ronde, the european championships, Quebec and 3 TDF stages is by far not enough to be the best cyclist in this year based on results.

1. Froome
2. Quintana
3. Sagan

 

[SKSemtex]

I can somehow agree with Froome (Sky) , although his performance in OGRR (where he supposed to be in peak form) tells me something different.
But how on hell can be Quintana ahead of Sagan. ?
His podium in Tour is bigest fluke of the season and was won by Sky doms and nonexisting competition in the Tour. Even two Sky doms were better then him.
OK Vuulta is well deserved , but it is simply just not enough.

 

[Bardamu]

Only four contestants to be taken seriously like stated here before: Froome, Sagan, Greg and Quintana.

I'd say of those four only Froome and Sagan really deserve it. Froome's Tour de France-Olympics-Vuelta run is extremely impressive (and don't forget Dauphiné). If Sky didn't make it a total mess for Froome during the coup of Quintana, I believe Froome would have won the Vuelta, he was strong enough while not being 100%.

Sagan not only won a monument in the rainbow jersey, he also showed his class in the tour, won the ERR and many other races. But I guess only a win (or atleast an impressive showing) can give him the edge over Froome.

Quintana and Greg are a step behind, and of those two I give Quintana the edge over GVA. Winning 4 of the 6 stage races he competed in and riding the podium in the tour is nothing short of impressive.

Greg winning the olympics (while not being the strongest, but it was a climbers parcours) was one of the greatest race days of the year. But his Tirreno victory was a big anti-climax.

Valverde as fifth of the year sounds good, due to his ever existing consistency. Maybe Dumoulin can get a spot in the top 5 if he wins the TT in Doha.

 

[Mr.White]

What exactly this award anyways?

Is it purely on results or is it more like the BBC Sports personality of the year award?

Also do they taking into account how the riders looked and rode in the races? I think Sagan stands a better chance if this is true. On results only one monument and a couple of other classics win is not enough but he looked very impressive and perhaps that is taken into consideration?

This award is bunch of c..p! And I think nobody really cares about it. Last year I don't remember Froome even receive the award. Award could easily be handed at the end of the Tour, cause Tour winner gets it in 90% of situations.

 

[mariposa]

[quote
This award is bunch of c..p! And I think nobody really cares about it. Last year I don't remember Froome even receive the award. Award could easily be handed at the end of the Tour, cause Tour winner gets it in 90% of situations.[/quote]

Couldn't agree more.

 

[greenedge]

Re:

Valverde as fifth of the year sounds good, due to his ever existing consistency. Maybe Dumoulin can get a spot in the top 5 if he wins the TT in Doha.

I know Cavendish didn't ride on the road that much this year, but if he won the WC RR I'd make a case for him to be 5th over Tom (haven't really thought it through though).

 

[hrotha]

Why the hell would anyone tip Dumoulin?

 

[Escarabajo]

What exactly this award anyways?

Is it purely on results or is it more like the BBC Sports personality of the year award?

Also do they taking into account how the riders looked and rode in the races? I think Sagan stands a better chance if this is true. On results only one monument and a couple of other classics win is not enough but he looked very impressive and perhaps that is taken into consideration?

This award is bunch of c..p! And I think nobody really cares about it. Last year I don't remember Froome even receive the award. Award could easily be handed at the end of the Tour, cause Tour winner gets it in 90% of situations.

+1.

What he said.

 

[Bardamu]

Re: Re:

Why the hell would anyone tip Dumoulin?

Well, if he wins the TT in Doha, his year will have been very impressive.
- A stage win in the Giro + riding in the maglia rosa for a week due to aggressive riding.
-Two stage wins in the TdF, one being the queen stage, the other the main time trial (against a peak Froome)
-Silver at the olympic games while having a broken wrist
-The hypothetical TT rainbow jersey

Add some podiums and the Dutch national TT championships and I think you can make an argument for Dumoulin having the most impressive year after the big 4 (or 5) of 2016.

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

I'd have probably gone for GVA pre-Vuelta, but it's clearly Froome who deserves it now. 1st and 2nd in GTs (winning the biggest one), plus five stage victories, GC at the Dauphine, and an olympic medal - puts him miles above everyone else this year. As unfortunate as that may be.

He won 4 stages, not 5. Besides, Sagan won 3 Tour stages and the green jersey. If he had competed in the Vuelta he'd have won 5 stages or something. The competition was that terrible.

Well, it was five including the TTT. And a rider winning mountain or TT GT stages is a lot more impressive than a sprinter winning stages suited to them. The point about the Vuelta is irrelevant, because Sagan wasn't there so he didn't win them. The competition for sprinters may have been poor, but for climbers it was the best quality field of the year and Froome still picked up 2 (or 3) stages.

I'd normally always go for a classics rider over a GT specialist for this kind of award. But Froome has had such an outstanding year - particularly in the Tour - you just can't ignore him. Sagan doesn't have enough high quality wins to come close.

Aren't these same mountain and TT GT stages suited to Froome? Sagan isn't a pure sprinter. Froome is a grand tour gc rider that also excels in time trials.

 

[Angliru]

I can not imagine, that someone who won the Criterium du Dauphine, the TDF, won an olympic medal and finished 2nd at the Vuelta, combined with winning the Herald Sun Tour, winning a stage at Tour de Romandie, winning a stage at Dauphine, winning two stages at TDF and winnig 3 stages at Vuelta will not win the velon d'or.

Yes, Sagan is the best one-day racer of this season. But to win the Ronde, the european championships, Quebec and 3 TDF stages is by far not enough to be the best cyclist in this year based on results.

1. Froome
2. Quintana
3. Sagan

Herald Sun Tour tipped it for me.

 

[El Pistolero]

How anyone can rate Quintana's season over Sagan's is beyond me... It goes to show you how underrated one-day specialists are. And winning the green jersey also seems to be an underrated achievement just because Sagan has won it 5 times in a row. 2 more and he'll have a record.

Quintana only won some prep races and a consolation race this year. Color me not impressed. Is he in the top 5 this year? Yes... but he still failed in his biggest goal of the season.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

How anyone can rate Quintana's season over Sagan's is beyond me... It goes to show you how underrated one-day specialists are. And winning the green jersey also seems to be an underrated achievement just because Sagan has won it 5 times in a row. 2 more and he'll have a record.

Quintana only won some prep races and a consolation race this year. Color me not impressed. Is he in the top 5 this year? Yes... but he still failed in his biggest goal of the season.

I think I would rate Sagan's season higher but I understand people who don't. A GT win, even if it's "only" the vuelta is worth way more than the Ronde, a gc podium in the tour is probably more important than a green jersey, and Quintana's two world tour stage races are worth more than Sagan's two more world tour one day races. The reason why I would still rate Sagan's season higher is his high number of stage wins in different races and his European Champion title, while Quintana's "only" additional win was the Rud du Sud. I personally prefer Sagan's season but I think objectively they are even.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

It's not Sagan's wins that make his season that impressive, it's his consistency. 42 top 10s so far (top 10 in HALF of the TdF stages!), plus a 12th at MS and 13th at Roubaix.

 

[Ruby United]

What exactly this award anyways?
Is it purely on results or is it more like the BBC Sports personality of the year award?
....

This award is bunch of c..p! And I think nobody really cares about it. Last year I don't remember Froome even receive the award. Award could easily be handed at the end of the Tour, cause Tour winner gets it in 90% of situations.

+1.
What he said.

Not really, actually
In the last 6 years the Tour winner has won in 3 times
Similarly, in the last 11 years, since LA, it has been pretty much 50/50 Tour winner getting it (6 times not Tour winner, 5 times Tour winner)
However, Froome did win it both times he has won the Tour and together he and Contador have won it 6 out of the last 9 times

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

How anyone can rate Quintana's season over Sagan's is beyond me... It goes to show you how underrated one-day specialists are. And winning the green jersey also seems to be an underrated achievement just because Sagan has won it 5 times in a row. 2 more and he'll have a record.

Quintana only won some prep races and a consolation race this year. Color me not impressed. Is he in the top 5 this year? Yes... but he still failed in his biggest goal of the season.

I think I would rate Sagan's season higher but I understand people who don't. A GT win, even if it's "only" the vuelta is worth way more than the Ronde, a gc podium in the tour is probably more important than a green jersey, and Quintana's two world tour stage races are worth more than Sagan's two more world tour one day races. The reason why I would still rate Sagan's season higher is his high number of stage wins in different races and his European Champion title, while Quintana's "only" additional win was the Rud du Sud. I personally prefer Sagan's season but I think objectively they are even.

I'd rather be known as the guy who won the green jersey than the guy who finished third in the Tour (nobody remembers that).

And these days I'd consider the Ronde van Vlaanderen also more prestigious than the Vuelta. Almost nobody makes the Vuelta his main goal of the season, not even Spanish riders.

As for Catalunya or Romandie being more prestigious than GP Quebec or Gent-Wevelgem... Meh, at least the one-day races aren't prep races, the top favorites ride to win as we saw this year (Cancellara, Vanmarcke and Sagan). And at least they're not organised by complete amateurs (Catalunya)

 

[Valv.Piti]

Wasn't Contador considered to have had the best season in 2014 on this forum?