the great all rounders
bidybidybadboy
Posts: 2
just wondering if anyone had any examples in cycling history of riders dramtically changing discipline through their career.
e.g a sprinter deciding to become a climber, or a climber deciding he fancies a go at the cobbled classics.
cheers
e.g a sprinter deciding to become a climber, or a climber deciding he fancies a go at the cobbled classics.
cheers
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Comments
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It's hard to go from cobble King to Alpine ace but look to riders like Laurent Jalabert, Sean Kelly and of course Eddy Merckx who took all three jerseys in one Tour.0
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Bernard Hinault could also more than hold his own on climbs, cobbles and in a bunch sprint.
I wonder why you don't see taht kind of rider anymore..."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Lance Armstrong:D
The the best all-rounder in the history of the Tour
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disgruntledgoat wrote:Bernard Hinault could also more than hold his own on climbs, cobbles and in a bunch sprint.
I wonder why you don't see taht kind of rider anymore...
Valverde?0 -
Cunego. Giro winner at 22; now one of the most formiddable one day riders around.
Moser went the other way. Multiple Paris Roubaix winner to Giro champion (with the aid of a bit of sculduggery)
Armstrong went from strong classics rider and stage winner who couldn't climb or time trial to save his life, to the most dominant Tour rider since Merckx.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
afx237vi wrote:disgruntledgoat wrote:Bernard Hinault could also more than hold his own on climbs, cobbles and in a bunch sprint.
I wonder why you don't see taht kind of rider anymore...
Valverde?
Excellent point. To an extent, as Timoid points out, you'd bracket Cunego in there too.
Neither of them have ever really branched out into spectator assault or iron-fist control of the peloton sadly."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
The likes of Merckx, Hinault and Valverde have been all-rounders throughout their careers; they didn't change specialty in their careers, but within a season.
Jalabert was an extreme example, a sprinter turning Time triallist and climber;
Museeuw started as a pure sprinter and later became a classic specialist, even doing OK in hillly WC and Ardennes classics.
Bartoli was a classics rider who attempted to become a grand tour winner but didn't succeed.
Evans, Rasmussen and Tjalingii were mountaibikers before turnng to the road0 -
Jalabert was an interesting one for me.
If he could have climbed like he did in the latter part of his career in 1995, he would have won the Tour instead of losing out at the Mende airfield.
But, to become a climber did he lose some of that power on the flats?
Maybe the body changes as you get older? Maybe he just pushed harder as he knew his career was coming to an end.
Either way he was always box office to watch.0 -
My theory on JaJa would be that, latterly in his career, he didn't have the pressure of being a GC contender, wans't as heavily marked and could, therefore, more readily get away for his doomed 120km raids to get mountain points."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Perhaps not the "greatest" all rounder but Sean Kelly wasn't bad!
Solid all season long, won plenty of GT stages, plenty of Classics, Paris-Nice a ridiculous amount of times and even the Vuelta.
+ 1 on Jalabert.Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0 -
Quite, I think he made it clear to the GC riders that he'd ride up the road to bag the points but would return to the fold later in the race. I'm making it sound easy, his "raids" were still spectacular stuff and relied a lot of his excellent descending skills.
But his transformation from sprinter to climber owes a lot to external help, if you get my drift. Oh, yes, the dreaded topic raises its head again...0 -
Shanaze Reade and Jamie Staff, both BMX and track.
Rebecca Romero, rowing to track cycling!
Maybe not great allrounders but certainly dramatic changes in disciplines.0 -
Don't now if this counts?
Stuart O'grady went from sprinter to win on the cobbles, but the cobbles are a bit of a lottery on the day.0 -
DavMartinR wrote:Don't now if this counts?
Stuart O'grady went from sprinter to win on the cobbles, but the cobbles are a bit of a lottery on the day.
Boonen can do both in the same season - and he's considered quite specialised (or should that be Specialized?...)Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.0 -
Like Cunego, my man here- when's he's got a valid passport. :oops:
GT, classics wins and he can raise a sprint, when he has to."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
I just don't think your really can change that much and while people like Jalabert stand out a bit, he was never a true climber and if he'd ended up head to head with Virenque, Pantani, Zulle, Jimenez he would have been taken appart. Still nice strategy to win the KOM jersey.
Some riders are great sprinters who can climb well e.g. Kelly, Valverde, Jalabert
Others are great GC climbers who are so good they are also all rounders: Coppi, Merckx, Hinault.0 -
Theo Bos0
