Worlds and Tour Champion is that a big deal?

[Nick C.]

Cadel Evans is in a pretty exclusive club of riders to have done this. As far as I can tell it is: Magne, Georges Speicher, Kubler, Coppi, Bobet, Merckx, Gimondi, Hinault, Lemond, Roche and Armstrong. I could have missed someone pre war.

 

[the asian]

Cadel Evans is in a pretty exclusive club of riders to have done this. As far as I can tell it is: Magne, Georges Speicher, Kubler, Coppi, Bobet, Merckx, Gimondi, Lemond, Roche and Armstrong. I could have missed someone pre war.

Hinault. won in 1980

 

[Stingray34]

...and Hinault. The biggest deal there is in professional cycling.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

You forgot Zoetemelk

 

[boomcie]

You forgot Zoetemelk

Probably deliberately.

 

[lancaster]

it's a big deal because it consists of a GT win and a big classic win which (to a certain extent) require different skills.

i think of the WC as the 6th monument

i'd say any GT + PR would be superior.

(and just because i think this is what the thread was getting at i'd say that Cadel now has a palmares roughly equal to damiano cunego, but with a very different way of getting there. ie DC is an unfulfilled talent while cadel improved with age.)

 

[boomcie]

i'd say any GT + PR would be superior.

Maybe as an achievement.

Giro-PR combo wouldn't give you nearly the same place in history as a Tour-WC combo though.

 

[Nick C.]

You forgot Zoetemelk

I don't know how I he completely slipped my mind and didn't catch my eye when I cheated and looked at the list of Worlds winners to get names like Speicher.

 

[Nick C.]

it's a big deal because it consists of a GT win and a big classic win which (to a certain extent) require different skills.

i think of the WC as the 6th monument

i'd say any GT + PR would be superior.

(and just because i think this is what the thread was getting at i'd say that Cadel now has a palmares roughly equal to damiano cunego, but with a very different way of getting there. ie DC is an unfulfilled talent while cadel improved with age.)

GT and PR might be almost impossible just because they are are almost mutually exclusive start lists. Wiggins might be the only "contender" I can think of that has ridden PR in the last few years. I always thought Der Kaiser would have been great and if you can take anything from the Arenberg stage Cadel could at least place.

yeah I did think with the top 5s in the Vuelta and Giro, Fleche, Tirreno assorted stage wins his palmares are starting to get mighty impressive.

 

[El Pistolero]

No big deal, Joop Zoetemelk did it.

(How to **** of the Dutch and the Australians)

But to be honest, it's impressive. Though Cadel was lucky that Cancellara only has one brain cell.

 

[Goldberger]

Yeah, Cadel Evans palmares is looking really good now, looking at the races he has won, and numerous high placings, he can soon be considered one of the greats in my opinion.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yeah, Cadel Evans palmares is looking really good now, looking at the races he has won, and numerous high placings, he can soon be considered one of the greats in my opinion.

Nah, never.

The greats in history are Anquetil, Hinault, Eddy Merckx, Indurain, Fausto Coppi, Bartali(remember the war destroyed their career somewhat) and Lance Armstrong. Contador may be part of those someday, but Cadel Evans never will.

 

[just some guy]

Yeah, Cadel Evans palmares is looking really good now, looking at the races he has won, and numerous high placings, he can soon be considered one of the greats in my opinion.

Depends on your definition of Great - In my opinion Great is used way to much.

If great is a pyramid - he is getting closer to the top but not a Great yet.

Top 10 - 15 % of cycling palmares but not one of the Greats

 

[SiAp1984]

I always thought Der Kaiser would have been great

I thought so, too. But Jan never liked cold weather which is quite likely to occur during Paris-Roubaix.

Tour-Worlds IS something special. Ullrich tried it seriously at least two times (1999 and 2001), but - unlike Evans 2009 - didn't get away. I wonder if AC is going to give the worlds a shot one day.

BTW, I'd consider Tour + olympic road race gold medal something special, too. But I have to admit that the olympic rooad race has less tradition than the worlds.

 

[just some guy]

Nah, never.

The greats in history are Anquetil, Hinault, Eddy Merckx, Indurain, Fausto Coppi, Bartali(remember the war destroyed their career somewhat) and Lance Armstrong. Contador may be part of those someday, but Cadel Evans never will.

Never say Never - another GT and a few more big one days and maybe

But never say never - unlikely but

 

[El Pistolero]

I thought so, too. But Jan never liked cold weather which is quite likely to occur during Paris-Roubaix.

Tour-Worlds IS something special. Ullrich tried it seriously at least two times (1999 and 2001), but - unlike Evans 2009 - didn't get away. I wonder if AC is going to give the worlds a shot one day.

BTW, I'd consider Tour + olympic road race gold medal something special, too. But I have to admit that the olympic rooad race has less tradition than the worlds.

Perhaps in 2013 he'll give it a shot.

 

[El Pistolero]

Never say Never - another GT and a few more big one days and maybe

But never say never - unlikely but

I don't consider Contador to be one of the Greats yet and he's 6 years younger than Cadel and 5 more GT wins plus countless more stage race wins. 5 Tour victories is like a must to me unless you pull of something special like the Giro-Tour double(and or the world championships in the same season à la Roche) and win other GTs in other seasons.

 

[goggalor]

Yeah, Cadel Evans palmares is looking really good now, looking at the races he has won, and numerous high placings, he can soon be considered one of the greats in my opinion.

One of the greats is too much. But he has had some really big wins the last couple of years, and his palmarès look better and better. He can definitely be happy with his road career.

 

[movingtarget]

Nah, never.

The greats in history are Anquetil, Hinault, Eddy Merckx, Indurain, Fausto Coppi, Bartali(remember the war destroyed their career somewhat) and Lance Armstrong. Contador may be part of those someday, but Cadel Evans never will.

Contador can't be included in that group of greats because he cannot win a classic. Armstrong may be the greatest TDF rider ever but I would not put him in that group either. Zoetemelk had an incredible record of second places plus the world title and Tour win but I would still rate him ahead of Evans, at this time but below all of the others mentioned. For me Hinault and the Cannibal are ahead of the field. Yet to see how much more Contador will win but I think he is approaching greatness and is obviously the best grand tour rider of his generation. I think the grand tours next year could be very interesting. Everyone seems to think that the Contador domination will continue. I'm not so sure but of course we have to see a Contador in peak form and fitness before making judgements.

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador can't be included in that group of greats because he cannot win a classic. Armstrong may be the greatest TDF rider ever but I would not put him in that group either. Zoetemelk had an incredible record of second places plus the world title and Tour win but I would still rate him ahead of Evans, at this time but below all of the others mentioned. For me Hinault and the Cannibal are ahead of the field. Yet to see how much more Contador will win but I think he is approaching greatness and is obviously the best grand tour rider of his generation. I think the grand tours next year could be very interesting. Everyone seems to think that the Contador domination will continue. I'm not so sure but of course we have to see a Contador in peak form and fitness before making judgements.

I remember people saying Gilbert couldn't win a classic over 200km in 2008. Keep saying it, one day you might actually believe it. If Andy can win LBL, then so can Contador. Has not isn't the same as can not Contador has not won a classic, but he definitely can win one.

 

[The Womble]

I think what it comes down to is that Evans is not really a great BUT he can now be happy that he has performed to his best.
If you told him 2 years ago he could retire with a world championship and a TDF he'd have bitten your arm off.
If 2 years ago you'd told him he'd retire with neither, he'd have been disappointed.

 

[Parrulo]

Never say Never - another GT and a few more big one days and maybe

But never say never - unlikely but

you do realize he already is 34 don't you? its not like he has endless time to achieve that.

I thought so, too. But Jan never liked cold weather which is quite likely to occur during Paris-Roubaix.

Tour-Worlds IS something special. Ullrich tried it seriously at least two times (1999 and 2001), but - unlike Evans 2009 - didn't get away. I wonder if AC is going to give the worlds a shot one day.

BTW, I'd consider Tour + olympic road race gold medal something special, too. But I have to admit that the olympic rooad race has less tradition than the worlds.

the 2013 worlds will be in spain so expect a very hard course where contador, valverde, samu, purito and anton are the main contenders. wow just imagine this team on a very hard course . . .

Contador can't be included in that group of greats because he cannot win a classic. Armstrong may be the greatest TDF rider ever but I would not put him in that group either. Zoetemelk had an incredible record of second places plus the world title and Tour win but I would still rate him ahead of Evans, at this time but below all of the others mentioned. For me Hinault and the Cannibal are ahead of the field. Yet to see how much more Contador will win but I think he is approaching greatness and is obviously the best grand tour rider of his generation. I think the grand tours next year could be very interesting. Everyone seems to think that the Contador domination will continue. I'm not so sure but of course we have to see a Contador in peak form and fitness before making judgements.

contador already said more then once in the last 2 seasons that he wants to give the ardennes a serious try in the future. since he isn't riding the giro next year i think he will see him there in top shape. and if andy schleck can win L-B-L so does contador.

ofc i don't include him in the all time greats yet. a few more GT's worlds and liege/lombardy are needed.

maybe he can give the worlds itt a go if canc stops riding them to focus on the road race. . .

 

[just some guy]

you do realize he already is 34 don't you? its not like he has endless time to achieve that.



.

If you read what I said unlikely but never say never.The point being we can not see the future and that Evans has along way to go to be called great.

I did not say I thought he will win another GT and Many big one day races

 

[ManInFull]

Nah, never.

The greats in history are Anquetil, Hinault, Eddy Merckx, Indurain, Fausto Coppi, Bartali(remember the war destroyed their career somewhat) and Lance Armstrong. Contador may be part of those someday, but Cadel Evans never will.

What does AC have to do? When the TdF two more times or what? Or does he need to become a WC?

 

[El Pistolero]

What does AC have to do? When the TdF two more times or what? Or does he need to become a WC?

Tour-Vuelta double next year and another Tour win and I'd consider him one if the greats. A classic win isn't all that important to me, but if he can win one he'll be one of the greatest ever without a doubt. WC would be amazing, but it never suits a climber like Contador.