It was a comment to Contador being the first serious attempt after Pantani.Didn't Quintana go for it in 2017 too?
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It was a comment to Contador being the first serious attempt after Pantani.Didn't Quintana go for it in 2017 too?
Officially Nibali too in 2019. Neither were pretty. Tho Contador in 2015 was pretty bad as wellDidn't Quintana go for it in 2017 too?
How serious was Lance in 2009?It was a comment to Contador being the first serious attempt after Pantani.
Less so than Menchov the year before.How serious was Lance in 2009?
Officially Nibali too in 2019. Neither were pretty. Tho Contador in 2015 was pretty bad as well
Basso attempted it in 2005, and planned to do so again in 2006.
Basso attempted it in 2005, and planned to do so again in 2006.
For me it's Pogacar 2021. Doubt we will ever see better.
Maybe he can do a GT double plus monument.
3600+ CQ points, 349 more than 2nd best since 99
one DNF, one 37th and one 12th place and for the rest only top 10.
In 2012 it wasn't really a TT problem but being a pussy in the Giro and having a meltdown in the Vuelta. I mean, he waited the last kilometer of the Stelvio to attack and only going after Scarponi, otherwise he would have probably waited even more, and collapsed mentally in Fuente Dé where Contador outfoxed him despite being inferior the entire race, just think that Valverde that attacked with around 10 kilometers to go was just some hundred of meters away from catching him after clawing back some 2 minutes and an half and the whole Vuelta Purito level was very similar to Valverde's one.I think Purito in 2012 could have been the best season of the last 10 years if he could finish the job at giro and vuelta. Giro + Vuelta + Lombardia + flechee wallone. If only he could time trial a bit better.
Similarly in 2013 he could have done LBL + Worlds + Lombardia + Tour podium.
Nah he a mod now. He’s too sophisticated for our petty squabbles.
Nah he a mod now. He’s too sophisticated for our petty squabbles.
Nah Costa was built dif those years. If anything it’s the fact Gilbert’s LBL win is better than any of Nibali’s since he actually beat a GT podium rider and GT winner while Nibali just beat some sprinters and Purito 0.5 for two of hisHe's trying to show restraint, but I have a feeling that the 3rd in Montreal is going to tip him over the edge.
Nah Costa was built dif those years. If anything it’s the fact Gilbert’s LBL win is better than any of Nibali’s since he actually beat a GT podium rider and GT winner while Nibali just beat some sprinters and Purito 0.5 for two of his
All kidding aside, for Gilbert’s 2011 season to be a little higher he needed to win another monument or more stages at the Tour. Phenomenal year and took a lot out of him. I know some at the time we’re saying he had it easy since Valverde wasn’t there. I’m sure some could try and make the case that 2012 Boonen > 2011 Gilbert.
God mode was over by the time he started Lombardia, and iirc he showed nothing extraordinary in Copenhagen. Compare his season to Sagan's, who had a far weaker team than Gilbert and faced far better competition. The only thing in Gilbert's favour is wins in *** small races, and that he didn't have Sagan's misfortune (MSR). Sagan was a beast from Omloop to Doha, including a far more impressive Tour.Sticking to the thread question palmares wise i think there are no doubts that Boonen has the edge but i had to vote Gilbert because i can't avoid considering the whole picture.
Gilbert in 2011 extended the god mode he had in the fall the two previous years for the whole season and was just unplayable almost everywhere except the Tour where still was very good in a race where he never delivered before and after and he didn't like compared to the other two GTs. And the consistency he had, in Algarve he started winning a sprinter stage just going away in a bump that wasn't a lot more than a bridge, won Strade, won a stage in Tirreno and was there fighting with the climbers in other two + a top 10 in the GC, in Sanremo he basically towed the group of survivors up the Poggio making possible to catch Greg that otherwise would have won, in the Ronde was there fighting for the win, won Brabantse, Amstel, Fleche and Liege in a row, break of a month, won Tour of Belgium + a stage, a second in the ITT and 11th in a bunch sprint won by his team mate Greipel, won ZLM Toer + a stage, won the National Championship. Then comes the Tour, as i said the only race he wasn't god mode but still won the first stage, 4th on Mur de Bretagne, 2nd in the slightly uphill bunch sprint in Cap Fréhel, 7th in Lisieux and started to fight also for the points jersey, 2nd and the strongest on Super Besse and even 23rd on Luz Ardiden trying to hang on for the GC. After the Tour resumes the god mode and won San Sebastian, won ITT National Championship, 2nd in Benelux + a stage, won Quebec, 3rd in Montreal, won GP de Wallonie, 15th in the criterium Worlds and 8th in an harder Lombardia compared to the previous years. What else can we say? If it wasn't for Jalabert would have been the most dominant season since Kelly.
GT riders that tried:
Basso 2005 and 2006 tried
Menchov tried in 2008.
Contador 2011 and 2015
Nibali 2016
Quintana 2017
Froome and Dumoulin 2018
Pantani had a great season and like was pointed out the whole Clinical affair before the Tour left a mark. On top of the double could have been stopped if Ullrich wisely decided to wear a jacket on the descents.
Two GTs are definitely harder on the body. I think if Pogacar won Flanders, LBL/GdL, and Tour that would absolutely be higher. While monuments are hard to win, those two are the easiest for GT riders to win with their skill set.
Nibali didn't try giro tour double in 2016, he never went to TDF with gc ambitions, it was Rio training.GT riders that tried:
Basso 2005 and 2006 tried
Menchov tried in 2008.
Contador 2011 and 2015
Nibali 2016
Quintana 2017
Froome and Dumoulin 2018
Pantani had a great season and like was pointed out the whole Clinical affair before the Tour left a mark. On top of the double could have been stopped if Ullrich wisely decided to wear a jacket on the descents.
Two GTs are definitely harder on the body. I think if Pogacar won Flanders, LBL/GdL, and Tour that would absolutely be higher. While monuments are hard to win, those two are the easiest for GT riders to win with their skill set.
You can stop waiting, I'm not gonna make this a thing.
I'd rate 2005 or 2012 Boonen above Sagan, but that's probably just my preference.This is how I rank the best year performances 2002-2021:
- Pogacar 2021
- Wiggins 2012
- Sagan 2016
- Roglic 2020
- Cipollini 2002
- Gilbert 2011
- Roglic 2021
- Cancellara 2008
- Contador 2008
- Boonen 2005
- Roglic 2019
- Froome 2013
- Froome 2016
- Cunego 2004
- Cancellara 2010