Who had the best season in the last 20 years?

[GuyIncognito]

Froome going for the ITT.
If he wins who would have been the last person to have had a better season than him.
Certainly no-one in the last 20 years.
Would we have to go all the way back to Roche, 1987?

Jalabert 1995 and Bugo 1990 weren't bad, but not as good.
Indurain 1993 perhaps? Tour, Giro and 2nd in WCRR as well as a few small victories.

Jalabert 1995 beats any season in last 29 years! Even Indurain's 1993

Jalabert 1995, Rominger 1994 both much better than Froome's 2017. Even Indurain 1993.

 

[Ruby United]

Froome going for the ITT.
If he wins who would have been the last person to have had a better season than him.
Certainly no-one in the last 20 years.
Would we have to go all the way back to Roche, 1987?

Jalabert 1995 and Bugo 1990 weren't bad, but not as good.
Indurain 1993 perhaps? Tour, Giro and 2nd in WCRR as well as a few small victories.

Cancellara 2010, Gilbert 2011, Boonen 2005/12. Pantani 1998. Oh, and Indurain 93 is far above Froome this year. A silver medal at the road race is better than gold at the ITT. And Giro-tour > tour-vuelta

In the hypothetical that Froome wins the WC ITT, I don't see how Cancellara 2010 would be a better season. How does RVV/P-R/WC ITT beat Tour/Vuelta/WC ITT? I agree though on Indurain 1993 being better.

No you're right. Gilbert 2011 and Boonen 2005 especially (2012 was impressive for winning all four of the cobbled wt races) can rival Froome this year. But I guess it depends on how you value classics vs Gts.

See my last post on this thread before this one, where I write that you can't compare.
I was speaking in my original post in terms of GT riders.

 

[The Hegelian]

Froome going for the ITT.
If he wins who would have been the last person to have had a better season than him.
Certainly no-one in the last 20 years.
Would we have to go all the way back to Roche, 1987?

Jalabert 1995 and Bugo 1990 weren't bad, but not as good.
Indurain 1993 perhaps? Tour, Giro and 2nd in WCRR as well as a few small victories.

No wins until the tdf GC though + two stages and overall in the Vuelta + (hypothetical) TTWC is nothing like the level of domination of say Gilbert 2011.

 

[Pantani_lives]

The question is whether you just look at it mathematically in terms of UCI points, or also at the way these races were won. If somebody finishes solo in Milan-Sanremo, Gent-Wevelgem and the World Championships, and wins a bunch of other races, it would be fabulous. If a sprinter like Cipollini wins these races you can say, Nah, it's just a sprinter, he's only good in the last 200 meters and his team does all the work.

My vote also goes to Gilbert in 2011. Pantani didn't even lead the UCI rankings in 1998; Bartoli did. However that Giro-Tour double remains legendary in the memory.

 

[Netserk]

Most of Gilbert's wins were sprints as well. Not to mention how he was outclassed by Nibali in Lombardia.

 

[Bardamu]

Re:

The question is whether you just look at it mathematically in terms of UCI points, or also at the way these races were won. If somebody finishes solo in Milan-Sanremo, Gent-Wevelgem and the World Championships, and wins a bunch of other races, it would be fabulous. If a sprinter like Cipollini wins these races you can say, Nah, it's just a sprinter, he's only good in the last 200 meters and his team does all the work.

My vote also goes to Gilbert in 2011. Pantani didn't even lead the UCI rankings in 1998; Bartoli did. However that Giro-Tour double remains legendary in the memory.

Aren't you mixing it up with the UCI World Cup which was solely based on one-day races?

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

The question is whether you just look at it mathematically in terms of UCI points, or also at the way these races were won. If somebody finishes solo in Milan-Sanremo, Gent-Wevelgem and the World Championships, and wins a bunch of other races, it would be fabulous. If a sprinter like Cipollini wins these races you can say, Nah, it's just a sprinter, he's only good in the last 200 meters and his team does all the work.

My vote also goes to Gilbert in 2011. Pantani didn't even lead the UCI rankings in 1998; Bartoli did. However that Giro-Tour double remains legendary in the memory.

Aren't you mixing it up with the UCI World Cup which was solely based on one-day races?

No, there was a UCI ranking from 1984-2004 and Bartoli indeed was a winner in 1998. Pantani was only 4th, behind Jalabert and Olano.

 

[Blanco]

Re:

Most of Gilbert's wins were sprints as well. Not to mention how he was outclassed by Nibali in Lombardia.

Funny :lol:

 

[AnatoleNovak]

Froome going for the ITT.
If he wins who would have been the last person to have had a better season than him.
Certainly no-one in the last 20 years.
Would we have to go all the way back to Roche, 1987?

Jalabert 1995 and Bugo 1990 weren't bad, but not as good.
Indurain 1993 perhaps? Tour, Giro and 2nd in WCRR as well as a few small victories.

Jalabert 1995 beats any season in last 29 years! Even Indurain's 1993

Glad to read it from a non-french! I'd say Jalabert's 1995 is the greatest season since Maertens in the 70's or Kelly in the 80's.

 

[Bardamu]

Re: Re:

The question is whether you just look at it mathematically in terms of UCI points, or also at the way these races were won. If somebody finishes solo in Milan-Sanremo, Gent-Wevelgem and the World Championships, and wins a bunch of other races, it would be fabulous. If a sprinter like Cipollini wins these races you can say, Nah, it's just a sprinter, he's only good in the last 200 meters and his team does all the work.

My vote also goes to Gilbert in 2011. Pantani didn't even lead the UCI rankings in 1998; Bartoli did. However that Giro-Tour double remains legendary in the memory.

Aren't you mixing it up with the UCI World Cup which was solely based on one-day races?

No, there was a UCI ranking from 1984-2004 and Bartoli indeed was a winner in 1998. Pantani was only 4th, behind Jalabert and Olano.

Ah indeed.
I must say these rankings undervalue classic stage victories in GT's. A win on Alpe d'Huez counts as much as a sprint victory.

 

[del1962]

Re: Re:

The question is whether you just look at it mathematically in terms of UCI points, or also at the way these races were won. If somebody finishes solo in Milan-Sanremo, Gent-Wevelgem and the World Championships, and wins a bunch of other races, it would be fabulous. If a sprinter like Cipollini wins these races you can say, Nah, it's just a sprinter, he's only good in the last 200 meters and his team does all the work.

My vote also goes to Gilbert in 2011. Pantani didn't even lead the UCI rankings in 1998; Bartoli did. However that Giro-Tour double remains legendary in the memory.

Aren't you mixing it up with the UCI World Cup which was solely based on one-day races?

No, there was a UCI ranking from 1984-2004 and Bartoli indeed was a winner in 1998. Pantani was only 4th, behind Jalabert and Olano.

Ah indeed.
I must say these rankings undervalue classic stage victories in GT's. A win on Alpe d'Huez counts as much as a sprint victory.

However a win on the Alpe if from one of the GC guys means a good GC finish, if it is from the break then it should only count the same as a sprinter

 

[Bardamu]

Re: Re:

The question is whether you just look at it mathematically in terms of UCI points, or also at the way these races were won. If somebody finishes solo in Milan-Sanremo, Gent-Wevelgem and the World Championships, and wins a bunch of other races, it would be fabulous. If a sprinter like Cipollini wins these races you can say, Nah, it's just a sprinter, he's only good in the last 200 meters and his team does all the work.

My vote also goes to Gilbert in 2011. Pantani didn't even lead the UCI rankings in 1998; Bartoli did. However that Giro-Tour double remains legendary in the memory.

Aren't you mixing it up with the UCI World Cup which was solely based on one-day races?

No, there was a UCI ranking from 1984-2004 and Bartoli indeed was a winner in 1998. Pantani was only 4th, behind Jalabert and Olano.

Ah indeed.
I must say these rankings undervalue classic stage victories in GT's. A win on Alpe d'Huez counts as much as a sprint victory.

However a win on the Alpe if from one of the GC guys means a good GC finish, if it is from the break then it should only count the same as a sprinter

True, and if they'd overrate stages the ranking would be completely skewed. But riders often prefer GT stage victories over most one-day races, yet looking at WT-points it is not the same.

But then again, not a lot of riders care about the WT-ranking.

 

[Scarponi]

I'd still
Rate giro tour over the tour Veulta plus worlds itt by a small
Margin
Only because I can see another Froome TT dominant top 3 climber emerging but the mythical and basically impossible giro tour will never happen again.

 

[Brullnux]

Froome going for the ITT.
If he wins who would have been the last person to have had a better season than him.
Certainly no-one in the last 20 years.
Would we have to go all the way back to Roche, 1987?

Jalabert 1995 and Bugo 1990 weren't bad, but not as good.
Indurain 1993 perhaps? Tour, Giro and 2nd in WCRR as well as a few small victories.

Cancellara 2010, Gilbert 2011, Boonen 2005/12. Pantani 1998. Oh, and Indurain 93 is far above Froome this year. A silver medal at the road race is better than gold at the ITT. And Giro-tour > tour-vuelta

In the hypothetical that Froome wins the WC ITT, I don't see how Cancellara 2010 would be a better season. How does RVV/P-R/WC ITT beat Tour/Vuelta/WC ITT? I agree though on Indurain 1993 being better.

No you're right. Gilbert 2011 and Boonen 2005 especially (2012 was impressive for winning all four of the cobbled wt races) can rival Froome this year. But I guess it depends on how you value classics vs Gts.

See my last post on this thread before this one, where I write that you can't compare.
I was speaking in my original post in terms of GT riders.

I agree you can't compare. Pantani and Jalabert would be there or thereabouts, and Indurain ahead.

 

[Echoes]

In the hypothetical that Froome wins the WC ITT, I don't see how Cancellara 2010 would be a better season. How does RVV/P-R/WC ITT beat Tour/Vuelta/WC ITT?

Because Paris-Roubaix is the greatest race in the calendar, period.

 

[Bot. Sky_Bot]

Re:

I'd still
Rate giro tour over the tour Veulta plus worlds itt by a small
Margin
Only because I can see another Froome TT dominant top 3 climber emerging but the mythical and basically impossible giro tour will never happen again.

It's just your opinion, nothing more.
My rate is just opposite and Giro+Tour victories may happen but obviously they are extremely hard to gain, even by Froome.

 

[telencefalus]

Pantani is better than Gilbert of 2011 , but froome 2017 is very close to Pantani 1998

 

[Hellyea]

Can't believe Sagan's 2016 didn't even make it to the poll.

 

[DBotero]

Froome 2017 is up there with Pantani season and he can still improve on it.Low chances,but he can add the WC ITT title to his tally.Anyway comparing Froome and Pantani seasons with the classic riders seems pointless,as people will never agree on which victories are more important:GT's or Classics.

 

[Red Rick]

Can't believe a season of 1 monument and a bunch of moderately sized classics is leading this poll

 

[Netserk]

And if I'm not mistaking, the only notable win that wasn't a sprint was San Sebastian (which was a quite late attack).

 

[DBotero]

Re:

Can't believe a season of 1 monument and a bunch of moderately sized classics is leading this poll

I wouldn't say this.They might say that you are trolling :lol:

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Glad to read it from a non-french! I'd say Jalabert's 1995 is the greatest season since Maertens in the 70's or Kelly in the 80's.

Easily.

Vuelta + 5 stages and points/GPM jersey
4th in TdF + points jersey and 1 stage

Winner of Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya and Critérium International.

Winner of Milano-Sanremo
Winner of Flèche Wallonne

And a few more + tons of top 10 results.

Kelly from 84 to 86 is insane. Too much to list it all. But getting second in RVV, flying to Basque Country, smashing it there and then coming back to win Roubaix alone beats most seasons in the last 20 years.

 

[Leinster]

Kelly from 84 to 86 is insane. Too much to list it all. But getting second in RVV, flying to Basque Country, smashing it there and then coming back to win Roubaix alone beats most seasons in the last 20 years.

You'll have to narrow it down because he did all that in both 84 and 86. So do you mean the year he had been 2nd at MSR and went on to win in Liege, or the year he had won MSR and went on to finish 3rd in the Vuelta, winning the points jersey and 2 stages?

 

[burning]

Re:

And if I'm not mistaking, the only notable win that wasn't a sprint was San Sebastian (which was a quite late attack).

And if I'm not mistaking, the only notable win for Boonen in 2005 that wasn't a sprint was Ronde (which was a quite late attack).

Seriously, I don't understand why you devalue Gilbert's wins. For example, did you expect him to drop Schlecks before the finish, even though he knew that he would torch them in the sprint?