Who's The Best All-Round Rider In Pro Cycling?

[El Pistolero]

Boonen, would be nice if he started winning prologues though.

He won one in Ster ZLM Toer.

 

[maltiv]

EBH has the potential but did not prove himself in the classics yet. Also he won't win a very big stage uphill unless he's in the breakaway. Last, I can see him doing a good prologue but a long TT?

He's done lots of good long TTs in the past. In 2011 and 2010 he was 3rd in the long ITT in Dauphine, for example. Last year he would have been 5th or 4th in the TDF time trial if not for his bike change.

 

[Thee_chisa]

at the moment, maybe sagan, EBH, gilbert?

historically hinault or anquetil

 

[ElChingon]

1. Fine by me.

2. Yes. But a rider finishing 30th on both days would get 340 points compared to the 201 points your rider would get. It's not about determining the best rider at any one discipline but the best at all the disciplines.

3. It's a thought experiment. What might happen in the real world doesn't come in to it

Just seeking some clarity, especially #2. Back to #2, if a rider knows he's out of a win he could freewheel just keeping placing and not time leading to some weird situations where the winner wins by a huge margin and it has no effect on the next day, I mean stage.

 

[ilmaffe]

Gerrans is a good outside pick of this created-for-Wiggo race

 

[The Hitch]

Gerrans is a good outside pick of this created-for-Wiggo race

pff created for Wiggo. 5th or so in mountains and 3rd in tts is not going to win him something like this. Not even close.

 

[sartoris]

Valverde is the only one to come to my mind who's won a big tour, classics, sprints, one week races, high mountain stages, can TT reasonably well when in top form... so the best all-round rider at present in my view.

Nothing for him to do on a sprint against Sagan, Greipel or Cavendish though

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Cavendish. He wins many stages in the Tour.

 

[Turner29]

Such a race already exists -- the Tour de France.

Thus, because the winner must be able to climb, time trial, descend reasonably well, occasionally deal with difficult road conditions and sustain a high level of performance for multiple consecutive days, the winner of the Tour de France is the best "all around" cyclist.

 

[The Hitch]

Such a race already exists -- the Tour de France.

Thus, because the winner must be able to climb, time trial, descend reasonably well, occasionally deal with difficult road conditions and sustain a high level of performance for multiple consecutive days, the winner of the Tour de France is the best "all around" cyclist.

Umm no. 10 char

 

[The Hitch]

Valverde is the only one to come to my mind who's won a big tour, classics, sprints, one week races, high mountain stages, can TT reasonably well when in top form... so the best all-round rider at present in my view.

Nothing for him to do on a sprint against Sagan, Greipel or Cavendish though

Some.movi rider can't remember which one said that only cav will beat a focused valverde in a sprint.

 

[gustienordic]

Cavendish. He wins many stages in the Tour.

HA!!! I hope your being sarcastic... because Cav is the very opposite of an all-arounder...

 

[orangerider]

Valverde definitely the most complete rider. I'd wager money that Sagan could end up accomplishing as much, if not more, given time - Gilbert is too old to take up a serious grand tour GC classification.

 

[ilmaffe]

pff created for Wiggo. 5th or so in mountains and 3rd in tts is not going to win him something like this. Not even close.

I mean, rules created for Wiggins but he won't win anyway...

 

[maltiv]

Such a race already exists -- the Tour de France.

Thus, because the winner must be able to climb, time trial, descend reasonably well, occasionally deal with difficult road conditions and sustain a high level of performance for multiple consecutive days, the winner of the Tour de France is the best "all around" cyclist.

Indeed. Just look at Andy Schleck. Amazing all-rounder. He can do just about everything.

...except from TTing, sprinting and descending.

 

[TeoSheva]

this is easy: Moreno Moser

 

[Caruut]

As the OP creator, I can say that it was in no way "contrived" or designed with "one rider in mind". It was meant as the starting point for a discussion. The nature of the "contrived" format was to make all things equal and I chose Wiggins because I genuinely believed he'd have the best chance of top 30ing all the disciplines. I don't claim any certainty in that position and after Sagan's climbing today, I'll happily consider him instead.

Anyway, thankyou for your contribution, I'm sure it was worth the effort.

The competition is clearly contrived - it's a wholly unnatural way of deciding a race. The way the points are distributed would completely define the nature of the competition - is the idea to be good or to not be bad? We already have something a bit like this in stage races - the points jerseys. What you're suggesting seems to be just a points jersey with a different points allocation.

 

[Peccio89]

Danilo di Luca. At his best he was a great climber, puncheur, and could even sprint well.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Danilo di Luca. At his best he was a great climber, puncheur, and could even sprint well.

And pretty bad against the clock!

 

[Ruudz0r]

Elmiger is really allround aswell, he can do everything although he doesnt really excel in something.

 

[Peccio89]

And pretty bad against the clock!

Not that bad, he used to gain something on pure climber in TT.

 

[jordan5000]

Such a race already exists -- the Tour de France.

Thus, because the winner must be able to climb, time trial, descend reasonably well, occasionally deal with difficult road conditions and sustain a high level of performance for multiple consecutive days, the winner of the Tour de France is the best "all around" cyclist.

So you're saying Andy Schleck is a good TTer and descender?

 

[Turner29]

So you're saying Andy Schleck is a good TTer and descender?

Enough to win the Tour, after Contador's incident.

What is a better test of all around ability than the Tour de France?

 

[Turner29]

Indeed. Just look at Andy Schleck. Amazing all-rounder. He can do just about everything.

...except from TTing, sprinting and descending.

Valverde has certainly been impressive in this Tour...

 

[Nearly]

Valverde definitely the most complete rider. I'd wager money that Sagan could end up accomplishing as much, if not more, given time - Gilbert is too old to take up a serious grand tour GC classification.

Valverde is certainly a great finisher but Evans, for example, is a better TT'er and seems to have more endurance/recovery and climbing consistency - I don't think you can say one is more complete than the other unless you value sprinting ahead of all else.