World Number 1

[Netserk]

Face it, nobody will be reaching 3.000 points for a long time.

 

[Panda Claws]

I like Boonen.

 

[Netserk]

I like Boonen.

Have I said you didn't

PS: I like cake

 

[ccyclo]

Tom Boonen now has 1438 points, so to make the 3000 he still needs 1562 points. The crash of that vac. rider really bothers me now (@ msr) Boonen should have podiumed (2nd behind Sagan) there, which would give him additional 164 points. But you shouldn't just look back, but also forward:

Olympic RR: 400
Bel nat RR & ITT (If Gilbert can, then so can Boonen): 210
Vattenfall: 220
Paris-Tours: 140
Ronde van België: 200 (this was how much he earned there in 2005)
Top 10 WCRR: 80+
Eneco tour: ~383 (this was how much EBH earned last year)

= 1633

Boonen ain't going to win Eneco Tour - too much time trialing

 

[Panda Claws]

Have I said you didn't

PS: I like cake

Oh you mean hater as in pessimist. Yeah, I guess so. I just can't imagine anyone reaching 3.000 right now. Then again I didn't expect Gilbert to either.

If anyone can do it Boonen is a good bet. After all he has cracked the 2.500 already in a non-olympic year.

 

[therhodeo]

I do expect Wiggo to do very well this year, hopefully top #3

Prepare for disappointment.

 

[theyoungest]

Purito of course. He's already well on his way, and his season targets haven't even started yet.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Nibali... he is looking good so far this year, especially if he does the Giro-Vuelta and podiums both... thats a good 700 points right there

I was not entirely serious in my answer, Boonen will be hard to beat.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Purito or Boonen IMO. Alberto in the top 10 with a bit more than 1000 points.

 

[nvpacchi]

Purito or Boonen IMO. Alberto in the top 10 with a bit more than 1000 points.

A bit more than a 1000 points would have Conti at 25th place based on last year's CQ rankings. Either wishful thinking, or you have an incredibly low opinion of the talent in the peloton.

 

[LaFlorecita]

A bit more than a 1000 points would have Conti at 25th place based on last year's CQ rankings. Either wishful thinking, or you have an incredibly low opinion of the talent in the peloton.

Okay 25th place then I don't have the whole ranking in my head.

 

[Parrulo]

Purito or Boonen IMO. Alberto in the top 10 with a bit more than 1000 points.

a GT win+ a monument win+ world time trial and road champion will put him on the top 5 easy

as for the winner boonen is looking good but i think it will be a lot safer to say if he is the favorite after the ardennes.

purito, pity and nibali should also be up there simply because they perform at top 10 all season long.

 

[El Pistolero]

a GT win+ a monument win+ world time trial and road champion will put him on the top 5 easy

as for the winner boonen is looking good but i think it will be a lot safer to say if he is the favorite after the ardennes.

purito, pity and nibali should also be up there simply because they perform at top 10 all season long.

Leave something for Phil

 

[The Hitch]

I think Boonen will get it.

If not Boonen then Valverde or Sagan.

Purit my 4th choice.

 

[TERMINATOR]

Well it's looking like 2011's number 1 will not be defending that particular title in 2012. So: who will score the most CQ points in 2012? Boonen? Purito? Nibali? Someone else?

Previous World number 1:
2011 Gilbert 3180
2010 Nibali 2204
2009 Valverde 2494
2008 Valverde 2662
2007 Evans 1979
2006 Boonen 2559
2005 Boonen 2073

The UCI ranking system is flawed since it merges flat road races with hilly stage races. Guys like Cavendish and Contador are ranked against each other despite the fact they are two completely different type of racers. The UCI's ranking system is about as intelligent in design as the sport of running merging marathon runners with Usain Bolt and then claiming that one type of runner is "better" than the other. Only stupid people put stock in these rankings.

 

[El Pistolero]

The UCI ranking system is flawed since it merges flat road races with hilly stage races. Guys like Cavendish and Contador are ranked against each other despite the fact they are two completely different type of racers. The UCI's ranking system is about as intelligent in design as the sport of running merging marathon runners with Usain Bolt and then claiming that one type of runner is "better" than the other. Only stupid people put stock in these rankings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJNLMYpr2TM

 

[Afrank]

With the ardennes classics and grand tours still to come it's a little early to decide who will be best. But at the moment Boonen is the standout and if he can keep up this performance he has a great chance of being the number one rider.

If El Purito and can perform well in the coming weeks then do well in the Giro and vuelta he could win. Evans is the same if he does well in Ardennes and the tour.

Nibali, Valverde and Wiggins will also do well if they perform well in the GT's

 

[greenedge]

I will say JROD or Valverde. One of the 2 will win a classic in the 10 days (probably) and they will stage hunt/ get high placements at Giro/ Vuelta and TDF/ Vuelta.

Boonen, Sagan, Evans, Nibali, Wiggins and my pick Kittel to also challenge.
Evans will be doing the Ardennes, Romandie and Dauphinie, at least podium the TDF ( barring crashes/ other ) and will then do the Olympic ITT and the WC RR/ ITT.
Wiggins will do the same as Evans, except for Ardennes.

 

[greenedge]

Tom Boonen
Top 10 WCRR: 80+
Eneco tour: ~383 (this was how much EBH earned last year)

Belgium will be riding for Gilbert. He probably would also not want to over race .

 

[karlboss]

Samuel Sanchez to ride La vuelta and off the back of a solid tour take the CQ title. Anyone know his schedule? Honestly I don't think he rides enough to take this one.

 

[Fowsto Cope-E]

The UCI ranking system is flawed since it merges flat road races with hilly stage races. Guys like Cavendish and Contador are ranked against each other despite the fact they are two completely different type of racers. The UCI's ranking system is about as intelligent in design as the sport of running merging marathon runners with Usain Bolt and then claiming that one type of runner is "better" than the other. Only stupid people put stock in these rankings.

The difference between running and road cycling is that marathon runners and track and field sprinters don't race against each other. There are many different tools to winning a bike race, and it's about who can use their tool to achieve the best results throughout the season. That's where the CQ ranking come in.

My bet is for Boonen to win it this year.

 

[Parrulo]

Leave something for Phil

tell that to contador

 

[karlboss]

I will say JROD or Valverde. One of the 2 will win a classic in the 10 days (probably) and they will stage hunt/ get high placements at Giro/ Vuelta and TDF/ Vuelta.

Boonen, Sagan, Evans, Nibali, Wiggins and my pick Kittel to also challenge.
Evans will be doing the Ardennes, Romandie and Dauphinie, at least podium the TDF ( barring crashes/ other ) and will then do the Olympic ITT and the WC RR/ ITT.
Wiggins will do the same as Evans, except for Ardennes.

No hope, Cavendish's best year included a Monument an 9 GT stages and a host of other victories, and that was only good enough for 4th. Classics riders have a shot like Gilbert last year, or Boonen this year where that week is worth about a 1000 points. Evans' Tour was worth about the same. To be atop this ranking you need one big win, GT or entire classics season and a very consistent season otherwise. J rod has done well riding two GTs and a solid ardennes.

 

[The Hitch]

Samuel Sanchez to ride La vuelta and off the back of a solid tour take the CQ title. Anyone know his schedule? Honestly I don't think he rides enough to take this one.

Nah, its not Samus style to do too many races. He apparently was already suggesting he doesnt want to do Ardennes as he doesnt want to tire himself out.

+ he wants to do really well in the olympics and wants to try it in the worlds.

Hes only ever done 2 gts in a year once that was when he was half the rider he is now, and it was giro vuelta.

Can't see Samu doing La vuelta, and i cant see him taking cq either.

Solid 4th or 5th is expected though. this should be his best season.

 

[karlboss]

Nah, its not Samus style to do too many races. He apparently was already suggesting he doesnt want to do Ardennes as he doesnt want to tire himself out.

+ he wants to do really well in the olympics and wants to try it in the worlds.

Hes only ever done 2 gts in a year once that was when he was half the rider he is now, and it was giro vuelta.

Can't see Samu doing La vuelta, and i cant see him taking cq either.

Solid 4th or 5th is expected though. this should be his best season.

I know it's wishful thinking, but after reading his interview and noting he wanted a strong showing at worlds I thought it might coax him to ride a strong vuelta as prep.
Does he really want a good showing at the olympics? it's not really his type of course.