Who had the best season in the last 20 years?

[Blanco]

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.

Hinault had some pretty good seasons back then also...

 

[Netserk]

Re: 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?

Sure, style wise they are comparable. 2 monuments and Worlds are however not comparable to what Gilbert managed...

 

[Echoes]

Re: 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).

How anyone can compare a 2-man or a 3-man sprint with a bunch sprint and how anyone can compare a late attack from a breakaway with a late attack from a peloton is beyond me. And then I'll be ridiculed for saying that most of Sagan's wins are bunch sprints.

 

[Netserk]

Yet Sagan has still managed to win more races solo (and in general non-bunch sprint wins) than Greg has in his career, despite the age difference. Must be down to the class difference

 

[burning]

Re: 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?

Sure, style wise they are comparable. 2 monuments and Worlds are however not comparable to what Gilbert managed...

That's why I voted for Boonen 2005, because he won all the big races that he can win and he got some nice wins here and there. But, I don't see a big difference between Gilbert's LBL win and Boonen's Ronde win in 2005, there is not much difference in style when you attack from 8 kms to go instead of embarrassing teammates in the sprint.

 

[GuyIncognito]

There's one season that could've gone in here.

VDB's 1999.

Won Het Volk easily. Would've won Paris-Nice but got caught in the crosswinds. 2nd in E3 beaten in a sprint. Lost a 3 days De Panne win to a crash. Lost a Flanders win to a crash (still got 2nd). 7th in Roubaix. Won LBL

Spent 4 months away due to clinic issues

Came back at the Vuelta. Won 2 stages. Didn't give a toss about GC but was easily the strongest in the race (waiting for Ullrich on Abantos when he could've easily won the stage, because Ullrich had bought his help...).

Went to the Worlds, finished in the front group of 8 at the end of 200kms with two broken wrists.
Then had to sit out Lombardia healing

Could've been epic.
Instead we're left with "only" 4 big wins and the youtube memories of that absolutely ridiculous day on Navalmoral.

While I feel he's massively overrated by some, that season could've been one for the ages.

 

[Breh]

Pogacar 2021?

Tirreno, Tour, LBL, Lombardia, the renowned tours of the UAE and Slovenia, Olympic bronze,

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Pogacar 2021?

Tirreno, Tour, LBL, Lombardia, the renowned tours of the UAE and Slovenia, Olympic bronze,

Interestingly, although Pog's 2021 is clearly better, Sagan got more PCS points in his 2016 season than Pogacar in 2021. I will look for the others and try and rank them from over the last 20 years.

 

[Netserk]

Pogačar
Pantani
Froome
Boonen
Sagan

Roglič last year is difficult to rank. Bettini's 2006 season is underrated.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

The best ones in the last 10 years (PCS points) :

Peter Sagan 2016 - 3315
Tadej Pogacar 2021 - 3214
Phillipe Gilbert 2011 - 3031
Piti Valverde 2015 - 3022

 

[Gigs_98]

The first rider to win 3 of the major races since Boonen in 2005, right? Who was the last rider to win a gt and multiple monuments in one season? That must have been ages ago.

 

[tobydawq]

The first rider to win 3 of the major races since Boonen in 2005, right? Who was the last rider to win a gt and multiple monuments in one season? That must have been ages ago.

Merckx.

Who in his modesty had a season with two GT wins and three monument wins and a different season with one Grand Tour, three monuments and a World Championship.

 

[Netserk]

The first rider to win 3 of the major races since Boonen in 2005, right? Who was the last rider to win a gt and multiple monuments in one season? That must have been ages ago.

Counting the Worlds, Hinault in 1980. I guess it's the best season without the Tour win after Merckx's 1973 season.

 

[rghysens]

Pogačar
Pantani
Froome
Boonen
Sagan

Roglič last year is difficult to rank. Bettini's 2006 season is underrated.

Roglic and Bettini are below Wiggins 2012, however Boring that was.

 

[Volderke]

Gilbert 2011 was ridiculous. He could have been WC easily, if he had a parcours that wasn't as pan-flat as Kopenhagen.

 

[Netserk]

Gilbert 2011 was ridiculous. He could have been WC easily, if he had a parcours that wasn't as pan-flat as Kopenhagen.

He had the same level at the end of 2010, yet he didn't win that WCRR (and far from easily).

In fact, when comparing his autumns of 2010 and 2011, he was stronger in the former.

 

[tobydawq]

Gilbert 2011 was ridiculous. He could have been WC easily, if he had a parcours that wasn't as pan-flat as Kopenhagen.

Red Rick to come trashing Gilbert's 2011 season in 3, 2, 1.

 

[tobydawq]

He had the same level at the end of 2010, yet he didn't win that WCRR (and far from easily).

In fact, when comparing his autumns of 2010 and 2011, he was stronger in the former.

In September 2011, his CQ score must have been off the charts.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Pogacar's season is a strong candidate to beat Gilbert's and Pantani's seasons. Froome's 2017 is among the best as well (the Tour + other GT is big regardless of the rest of the year).

 

[Volderke]

He had the same level at the end of 2010, yet he didn't win that WCRR (and far from easily).

In fact, when comparing his autumns of 2010 and 2011, he was stronger in the former.

Only solution:
We should start counting Gilbert's 2011 season from October 2010 to September 2011

 

[Leinster]

He had the same level at the end of 2010, yet he didn't win that WCRR (and far from easily).

In fact, when comparing his autumns of 2010 and 2011, he was stronger in the former.

A lot of riders carry good form over a winter break. IIRC, when I checked after Nibali did it in 2017/18, more riders have won Lombardia then MSR in the following spring, than have won MSR and then Lombardia in the same calendar year.

 

[Leinster]

Pogacar's season is a strong candidate to beat Gilbert's and Pantani's seasons. Froome's 2017 is among the best as well (the Tour + other GT is big regardless of the rest of the season).

2 GTs in a year has to be Pog’s next target. If he gets a year with a big enough gap between Giro and Tour soon…

 

[Krzysztof_O]

2 GTs in a year has to be Pog’s next target. If he gets a year with a big enough gap between Giro and Tour soon…

Giro + Vuelta is way more realistic within a couple of years. Tour + Vuelta also more doable option.

 

[Netserk]

In September 2011, his CQ score must have been off the charts.

Less than Sagan's 12 months score. And especially Rogla's.

 

[Red Rick]

Red Rick to come trashing Gilbert's 2011 season in 3, 2, 1.

You remembering just shows I've done the job properly last time.