Top 10 Sprinters by wins.

moray_gub

Rick Chasey wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

How many of those had Boonen won by 26 years old though ? I suspect Cav will be over a hundred by the time he hits 31.As for personality wise i always find Boonen a bit of a wooden top without anything real interesting to say, Cav on the other hand can be an opinionated bugger with a prickly personality which wins for me every time.

Oh you know I'm just teasing. You know, Boonen - Cav rivalry.

Is there one i mean when did Boonen last threaten to even get close to Cav ?

rebs

Rick calling Cav corporate is abit rich?:P He is a flash git. But Corporate isn't something I'd pin on him :P

I know what you mean by Boonen being a very likable guy on and off the bike. The interview he gave regarding his hole in the nutsake was quality :P

rick_chasey

rebs wrote:

Rick calling Cav corporate is abit rich?:P He is a flash git. But Corporate isn't something I'd pin on him :P

I know what you mean by Boonen being a very likable guy on and off the bike. The interview he gave regarding his hole in the nutsake was quality :P

Only with his "I'd like to thank my sponsors"chat.

It's the same in F1 now, they all do it. "I'd like to thank the team back in Britain" blah blah.

It's all very correct, and there's good reason to do it, but I don't like it in my interviews.

I like it when guys like Hoogerland explain how a bit of team work helped him get polka dot for the day, rather than general "the guys were AMAAAZING", which, they probably were, but is dull.


Look, I'm coming out like a massive Cav hater. I'm not particularly. It's all relative. That's all.

lostboysaint

Rick Chasey wrote:

Look, I'm coming out like a massive Cav hater. I'm not particularly. It's all relative. That's all.

Too late, I've already organised the stoning!


Oh no, that was with Tom.

sharky1029

That cav htc phone thing was done as he wanted them to give him a new phone that hadn't been released yet but it also means that almost anyone he wants will sponsor him

rick_chasey

No way.

inkyfingers

Rick Chasey wrote:

Roubaix '10 is a classic case in point. He was the only guy after Canc attacked who had the balls to try and chase. So much so he got jumped on the line and ended up 5th.

I like Boonen too, but seem to remember that in Paris Roubaix 2010 Flecha was the first of the favourites to mount a proper chase, only for Hushovd to suck his wheel and win the sprint for second. Irrelevant though as the horse had well and truly bolted by then and was practically across the belgian border.

tremayne

Should never forget the fact that these guys are professionals - and I mean not from the context of 'these guys are superhuman athletes' but from the perspective that they have huge demands being made on them by the sponsors.

I have no idea just how great these pressures are, but given the budgets run into millions - we can have a good guess. As such, we shouldn't be too hard on our little champion when he starts spouting on about his lovely new HD Box....... Oops, I mean't smartphone!!

rebs

Someone find those camp pics of Boonan in those Quickstep ads please!!!

I'm coming out as a polar oppose to Ricks Cav hating to my Cav loving. Guh

moray_gub

rebs wrote:

Someone find those camp pics of Boonan in those Quickstep ads please!!!

I'm coming out as a polar oppose to Ricks Cav hating to my Cav loving. Guh

i think in keeping with most sportsmen if some sponsor is going to fling money at them for appearing naff then they will all do it.

FJS

Moray Gub wrote:

How many of those had Boonen won by 26 years old though ? I suspect Cav will be over a hundred by the time he hits 31.As for personality wise i always find Boonen a bit of a wooden top without anything real interesting to say, Cav on the other hand can be an opinionated bugger with a prickly personality which wins for me every time

I agree with Rick.

1. Boonen had his best years before he was 26. He's still only 30 years old. All his classics wins apart from 2 Paris-Roubaix, KBK and Gent-Wevelgem this year were before he turned 27. He was 3rd in Paris-Roubaix at 21 as neo-pro.
2. Maybe you'd need to be able to actually understand Dutch, but I would absolutely agree that Boonen is very outspoken, natural and interesting iin nterviews - Cav's interviews seem always a bit of a conflict between his impulsive openness and media training.

Still, They're different riders. Boonen isn't really a sprinter in the first place. He'll be remembered as the best cobbles classics rider of his generation, Cav as one of the most successful sprinters ever

rebs

Ban can't find my fav one :P

tailwindhome

I'm suprised Kelly isn't on your list.

RichN95.

I'll never tire of this one:

rick_chasey

*Trumps all pics*




Err yes.

rick_chasey

TailWindHome wrote:

I'm suprised Kelly isn't on your list.

Kelly had retired when I was 6!

tailwindhome

Rick Chasey wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

I'm suprised Kelly isn't on your list.

Kelly had retired when I was 6!

Just checking Wikipedia - he'd be in the high 30s depending what races you count

21 GT stages
9 monuments
+ 10 'other' classics

frenchfighter

Well Cipo will be looking over his shoulder for a while to come. Can Cav bang away for another 10 years.



This is an interesting link to see who are the best cyclists of all time:

http://www.thevirtualmusette.com/posts/ ... -2010.html

The scpring system is detailed and explained on that link. I think it is the best ranking I've come across by a long way.

frenchfighter

Boonen is a rider I liked a huge amount. True racer.

Here are a selection of photos I have of him:

RichN95.

frenchfighter wrote:

This is an interesting link to see who are the best cyclists of all time:

http://www.thevirtualmusette.com/posts/ ... -2010.html

The scpring system is detailed and explained on that link. I think it is the best ranking I've come across by a long way.

Yeah, it's about as good as you're likely to get (all these things are hopelessly flawed). I notice, looking at the points scale, since the last update (end of 2010), Cavendish will have doubled his points tally and nearly be in the top 50.

frenchfighter

And just for Rick.

ddraver

Tom is easily the most common current cyclist guest on Sporza. I think he was even on the Evening Tour show the day he retired this year! Given ho big cycling is in Belgium, it's not surprising how much they like him and no wonder why Rick (who can understand what they re saying, unlike me) carries such a flame for him

Cav simply does nt have that option in the UK - Real Peloton is the best he could do!!

TommyEss

JonGinge wrote:

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/347208/the-all-time-list-of-british-pro-winners.html

Tour de Romandie prologue 2008

Yep - was a short out and back along Lac Leman. I've got a picture of him from this somewhere - will have to dig when I get back from work.

LeicesterLad

After all of this i am certain of one thing...Boonen does look better on a bike than Cav. Great pics Frenchfighter!

Jez mon

Boonen is one of my favourite riders, extremely strong in the classics, can win solo, or from a group. In the GTs he used to mix it up in the bunch sprints, and often came out on top.

Cavendish should be able to move up considerably on Rick's table by the end of his career. But will he? What has he got left to win now as a sprinter, The Red jersey in the Giro? Or will he go for Eddy M's tour victory record, or start targeting some more of the classics?

TBH, I can't see him doing the later, at least for 2 more seasons, bunch sprinting seems to be a young man's game when compared with other facets of cycling.

LeicesterLad

Jez mon wrote:

Boonen is one of my favourite riders, extremely strong in the classics, can win solo, or from a group. In the GTs he used to mix it up in the bunch sprints, and often came out on top.

Cavendish should be able to move up considerably on Rick's table by the end of his career. But will he? What has he got left to win now as a sprinter, The Red jersey in the Giro? Or will he go for Eddy M's tour victory record, or start targeting some more of the classics?

TBH, I can't see him doing the later, at least for 2 more seasons, bunch sprinting seems to be a young man's game when compared with other facets of cycling.

Will be very interesting to see what direction Cav's career takes when his legs go, they will go at some point, won't they?

rick_chasey

LeicesterLad wrote:

Jez mon wrote:

Boonen is one of my favourite riders, extremely strong in the classics, can win solo, or from a group. In the GTs he used to mix it up in the bunch sprints, and often came out on top.

Cavendish should be able to move up considerably on Rick's table by the end of his career. But will he? What has he got left to win now as a sprinter, The Red jersey in the Giro? Or will he go for Eddy M's tour victory record, or start targeting some more of the classics?

TBH, I can't see him doing the later, at least for 2 more seasons, bunch sprinting seems to be a young man's game when compared with other facets of cycling.

Will be very interesting to see what direction Cav's career takes when his legs go, they will go at some point, won't they?

I'm not so sure.

Look at guys like McEwen, Petacchi.

He'll inevitably have a setback season or two. What was special at Boonen was that he was free of bad luck untill the last two seasons. Petacchi had his knee problem.

Cavendish also often wins just because he's faster, rather than having a better position - racing smarter. Those wins will gradually disappear - partly because he won't be able to ,and parlty because he'll iron out those mistakes with more experience.

But I can't see him massively tailing off. He's not powerful enough to do much else.

LeicesterLad

Rick Chasey wrote:

LeicesterLad wrote:

Jez mon wrote:

Boonen is one of my favourite riders, extremely strong in the classics, can win solo, or from a group. In the GTs he used to mix it up in the bunch sprints, and often came out on top.

Cavendish should be able to move up considerably on Rick's table by the end of his career. But will he? What has he got left to win now as a sprinter, The Red jersey in the Giro? Or will he go for Eddy M's tour victory record, or start targeting some more of the classics?

TBH, I can't see him doing the later, at least for 2 more seasons, bunch sprinting seems to be a young man's game when compared with other facets of cycling.

Will be very interesting to see what direction Cav's career takes when his legs go, they will go at some point, won't they?

I'm not so sure.

Look at guys like McEwen, Petacchi.

He'll inevitably have a setback season or two. What was special at Boonen was that he was free of bad luck untill the last two seasons. Petacchi had his knee problem.

Cavendish also often wins just because he's faster, rather than having a better position - racing smarter. Those wins will gradually disappear - partly because he won't be able to ,and parlty because he'll iron out those mistakes with more experience.

But I can't see him massively tailing off. He's not powerful enough to do much else.

Is it possible for an out and out sprinter, like Cav, to make big alterations to training methods/styles in the latter years of a career and be able to make an impact in the hillier classics, or climbing in general, or even become a GT contender?

Just intrigued...

rick_chasey

LeicesterLad wrote:

Is it possible for an out and out sprinter, like Cav, to make big alterations to training methods/styles in the latter years of a career and be able to make an impact in the hillier classics, or climbing in general, or even become a GT contender?

Just intrigued...

It depends right?

Cavendish is very small. When he first started he reminded me of McEwen.

That, in short, means he's more of a fast sprinter over a, say Hushovd style 'power' sprinter.

So, no, I don't think he can - at least, not make those changes and still keep winning.

LangerDan

LeicesterLad wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

LeicesterLad wrote:

Jez mon wrote:

Boonen is one of my favourite riders, extremely strong in the classics, can win solo, or from a group. In the GTs he used to mix it up in the bunch sprints, and often came out on top.

Cavendish should be able to move up considerably on Rick's table by the end of his career. But will he? What has he got left to win now as a sprinter, The Red jersey in the Giro? Or will he go for Eddy M's tour victory record, or start targeting some more of the classics?

TBH, I can't see him doing the later, at least for 2 more seasons, bunch sprinting seems to be a young man's game when compared with other facets of cycling.

Will be very interesting to see what direction Cav's career takes when his legs go, they will go at some point, won't they?

I'm not so sure.

Look at guys like McEwen, Petacchi.

He'll inevitably have a setback season or two. What was special at Boonen was that he was free of bad luck untill the last two seasons. Petacchi had his knee problem.

Cavendish also often wins just because he's faster, rather than having a better position - racing smarter. Those wins will gradually disappear - partly because he won't be able to ,and parlty because he'll iron out those mistakes with more experience.

But I can't see him massively tailing off. He's not powerful enough to do much else.

Is it possible for an out and out sprinter, like Cav, to make big alterations to training methods/styles in the latter years of a career and be able to make an impact in the hillier classics, or climbing in general, or even become a GT contender?

Just intrigued...

Wot - like Jalabert?

FWIW, I think Cav can probably climb, he just can't be arsed at the moment as there is no need. When the next "fastest man in the world" rocks up, Cav might find himself motivated to climb a bit more.