Question Who is the third best GT rider?

[CyclistAbi]

I love how much you love Rogla, but he's clearly behind the pair. He probably races the Tour in support of Lipo/Remco and then tackles the Vuelta to get to 5.

And if Rogla wins the Tour, then he won't pop up in such poll?

 

[Rockestar_33]

And if Rogla wins the Tour, then he won't pop up in such poll?

Probably not, because if he somehow wins it this year I'd say he retires.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Probably not, because if he somehow wins it this year I'd say he retires.

I see if Rogla wins the Tour he won't pop up in such poll, but only due to the age. Crazy criteria. I could swear the criteria is made up as we go. But OK, off season is still long, no need to drag this one any longer, at least not before Christmas.

 

[Cookster15]

And if Rogla wins the Tour, then he won't pop up in such poll?

If that happens I would be cheering. But sadly that ain’t happening now. His big missed chance was 2020.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I still voted for Roglic (based on his GT pedigree) even though this year may've changed it already. He had zillion crashes at the Giro and antibiotics preparation for the Tour so no chance to fully show his abilities. Still he had glimpses in this chaos (i.e. Catalunya win and strong fresh w/kg efforts in Peyreguades and Ventoux). I would give him one more clean shot at a GT before declaring he's down in hierarchy.

 

[SafeBet]

Voted Almeida because of his consistency in 2025.
Remco surely has a higher ceiling but he needs to be on top of his game both physically and mentally to beat Almeida in a GT, I think.
Roglic is the hardest to gauge, age might catch up with him and we've seen riders fall of a cliff rather quickly.
Lipowitz is probably the only one I could see challenge Vingegaard uphill if he keeps developing, but I'd still pick both Almeida and Evenepoel before him for now.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

Roglic: could still be the third best or in total decline, nobody really knows after all the problems that started at the Giro.
Remco: His absolute best seems to have no equal in this list besides100% Roglic (in my opinion), but with him you can never know if he has his GT and climbing legs ready, he can fail to show it in any kind of stage races (even ateasy one week races).
Almeida: The most reliable at the moment for sure, but the best with every one a 100%? I think not, He doesn't have the "killer" abilities and I'm not just talking about the punch.
Lipowitz: Also very consistent and maybe the one with the higher potential in endurance mountain stages of all the list, but lacks in other areas as well.
Simon Yates and Carapaz: Despite the great Giro I see them at least a tier below the rest.
Del Toro: With the level of The Giro is not enough, but he seems to be stronger in every race.
Ayuso: There are no arguments in his favor, but I can't shake the feeling that for whatever reason we haven't seen his current 100% in GT and that this wouldn't be far from the majority of this list.
Onley: He is another one that I see as a step below the rest, for me he managed to get to the Tour with perfect timing in terms of shape, he also rode very conservatively (unlike for example the RB Bora couple and to a lesser extent Gall or Tobias HJ) and he didn't make a single mistake, but I simply don't see him with the necessary skillset.

 

[Red Rick]

All of them at their very best: Evenepoel
In a median GT (which I think is more relevant to the question): Almeida

Almeida has delivered 2 GT podiums total including getting beat by Geraint Thomas as recent as 2023. His drop off when suboptimal is pretty big as well.

Overall you may just say the field for '3rd best GT rider at median level' is very poor right now.

 

[fenns]

If we wind the clock back to before the Giro Primos Roglic was the favourite and I think he still would have been even if Remco and these others had been starters. So it's Rogla for me.

if not him then IDT - he really should have won the Giro.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

3. Simon Yates
4. Roglic
5. Carapaz
6. Almida
7. De Toro
8. Lipoprotein
9. Landa
10. Belgian cunego
11. Onlyley
12. Ajuso

 

[Cycling111]

I predict that with this rubbish route, there wil be many contenders for third place in the Tour, and at Stage 20 will truly reveal who is ther because of the route.

Ayuso is a contender who could reach stage 20 with a chance of a podium finish and have a disastrous day. Del Toro is a similar profile.
It's not a route suited to regular riders in high-mountain like Almeida and Lipowitz.

Remco suits the low high-mountain level of this route.

 

[rghysens]

In the current peloton, palmares-wise (is that even a word?): Vingegaard.
Regarding current abilities: Evenepoel

 

[SafeBet]

In the current peloton, palmares-wise (is that even a word?): Vingegaard.

Who is the second then?

 

[Red Rick]

Who is the second then?

Pogacar.

Froome hasn't officially retired yet.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Who is the second then?

Roglic. This is why he said palmares wise.

5 GTs (4 Vueltas + 1 Giro) > 3 GTs (2 TdF + 1 Vuelta).

Edit: if you count Froome, second is Pogacar.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Roglic. This is why he said palmares wise.

5 GTs (4 Vueltas + 1 Giro) > 3 GTs (2 TdF + 1 Vuelta).

Edit: if you count Froome, second is Pogacar.

I like Roglic more than Vingegaard, although don’t dislike the solemn little guy, but if I’m picking, I’m taking 2 Tours and a Vuelta over 4 Vueltas and a Giro.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I like Roglic more than Vingegaard, although don’t dislike the solemn little guy, but if I’m picking, I’m taking 2 Tours and a Vuelta over 4 Vueltas and a Giro.

Me too of course.
I thought he was saying Roglic had a batter GT palmares than Vingegaard but it was probably Froome and Pogacar

 

[Põhja Konn]

The level Remco showed at last years Tour is probably the highest any of those in the poll have shown in last couple of years, but he needs everything to go absolutely perfectly to achieve that kind of level. And when he hasn't been able reach his best level he usually has cracked badly at some point during a GT.

Lipowitz seems to have the most GT-oriented skillset of those in conversation. The effort he put out on the Madeleine stage and the way he was recovered from it the day after gave the impression of someone born to do 3 week races. In a direct duel on some of the harder Giro routes of recent memory I would probably already lean towards Lipo, but on an average GT route of recent years I still give the edge to Remco.

Almeida is difficult to rate because of him crashing out of the Tour and doing Vuelta as contingency plan prevented us from getting the true picture of his current level in a GT environment. He did look like he took a step up in shorter stage races though.

Age has most likely started to catch up with Roglic, but one can't rule out a swansong yet. Though I wouldn't be suprised the slightest if the 2024 Vuelta already was that swansong GT. He did win Catalunya in fine fashion, but even at his very peak he was more dominant in shorter stage races and more vulnerable and further out of his comfort zone in GT-s.

 

[dobrien]

I like Roglic more than Vingegaard, although don’t dislike the solemn little guy, but if I’m picking, I’m taking 2 Tours and a Vuelta over 4 Vueltas and a Giro.

Just my .02 but if I was a Pro and someone offered me a choice between 10 Vueltas and 2 Tours, I'd go with the 2 Tours no question. Like it or not the Tour is the Tour, and it means you beat the best of the best all in their best shape, not winning what most of the time is the consolation GT. And I say that as someone who loves the Vuelta.