Top 10 sprinters in the world right now..*2015 update*

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  • mike6
    mike6 Posts: 1,199
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    mike6 wrote:
    Speaking of sprinters, It pains me to say that I no longer think Cav is number one. Third possibly, behind Kittel and Greipel. Hope I am wrong but he was soundly beaten in the Tour last year and that has never happened before.


    Go and wash your mouth out, young man

    Hey Rich, dont get me wrong but he was well beaten at the Tour, and before that he was largely untouchable. He left the rest for dead four times on the Champs, but last year? nowhere. :cry:
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,450
    Win just two stages in the biggest race of the year and be written off as a failure.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    mike6 wrote:
    Hey Rich, dont get me wrong but he was well beaten at the Tour, and before that he was largely untouchable. He left the rest for dead four times on the Champs, but last year? nowhere. :cry:
    Last year Cavendish finished a hard Giro prior to the Tour (Griepel and Kittel didn't start it), had the weaker lead out team and started the Tour ill. Kittel needs to repeat before you can proclaim him king.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,325
    frisbee wrote:
    underlayunderlay wrote:
    mike6 wrote:
    Speaking of sprinters, It pains me to say that I no longer think Cav is number one. Third possibly, behind Kittel and Greipel. Hope I am wrong but he was soundly beaten in the Tour last year and that has never happened before.

    Greipel certainly isn't better than Cavendish, but Kittel probably is - at the moment.

    Longer term, Cavendish will inevitably find the wins dropping off at some point in his career, and last year may prove to be the point that the decline started: but Cavendish is starting from a far higher peak than most. I wouldn't be writing him off just yet.

    Sprinters can have a very long life, Petacchi and Cipolinni for example.

    I'd agree - I don't expect Cavendish to disappear any time soon. It'd be surprising if he ever becomes as prolific as he was three or four years ago though. Sometimes we need to step back and just remember quite how staggering Cavendish has been.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • JackPozzi
    JackPozzi Posts: 1,191
    RichN95 wrote:
    mike6 wrote:
    Hey Rich, dont get me wrong but he was well beaten at the Tour, and before that he was largely untouchable. He left the rest for dead four times on the Champs, but last year? nowhere. :cry:
    Last year Cavendish finished a hard Giro prior to the Tour (Griepel and Kittel didn't start it), had the weaker lead out team and started the Tour ill. Kittel needs to repeat before you can proclaim him king.

    And apparently rode the first half of the Tour with cranks that were different lengths. :shock:

    I also got the impression he's been a bit complacent for the last couple of years, but now he's facing some proper competition he'll be giving it everything to get back on top, having Renshaw back as his pilot should help as well
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    Cav is still up there but will probably target races more selectively. last year was nuts, if what ive read was true in the tdf, then i'd have sacked his mechanic. 172.5 on one side and 170 on the other.... thats mental....

    also he was ill but still took more grand tour stages than any other (7)....
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,537
    RonB wrote:
    Bretagne-Seche Environnement - Antony Delaplace?

    I refuse to let that pass without saying:
    Qhubeka - Ciolek.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • mike6
    mike6 Posts: 1,199
    andyp wrote:
    Win just two stages in the biggest race of the year and be written off as a failure.

    Who said he was a failure? I said, sadly, I thought he was no longer number one. :roll:
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    philbar72 wrote:
    Cav is still up there but will probably target races more selectively. last year was nuts, if what ive read was true in the tdf, then i'd have sacked his mechanic. 172.5 on one side and 170 on the other.... thats mental....
    As I've mentioned before, when Cav left Sky his favourite mechanic stayed there. (That doesn't excuse the cranks though)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    RonB wrote:
    Bretagne-Seche Environnement - Antony Delaplace?

    I refuse to let that pass without saying:
    Qhubeka - Ciolek.

    Good point well made.
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    Cav - canny rider who is good at placing himself where he needs to be, team gets him there.
    Greipel - more of a muscle man who will grunt his way to the line
    Degenkolb and Kittel - the young guns and capable of taking a victory (Degenkolb especially).
    Nice to see EBH not written off yet. How about Swift?
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    What did he win last year?

    I can't remember him winning a thing.
    _
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,537
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    What did he win last year?

    I can't remember him winning a thing.

    who?
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • nic_77
    nic_77 Posts: 929
    RichN95 wrote:
    philbar72 wrote:
    Cav is still up there but will probably target races more selectively. last year was nuts, if what ive read was true in the tdf, then i'd have sacked his mechanic. 172.5 on one side and 170 on the other.... thats mental....
    As I've mentioned before, when Cav left Sky his favourite mechanic stayed there. (That doesn't excuse the cranks though)

    For what it's worth, I've been riding for the last four months on and off with that setup* and I would honestly say that I can't tell the difference between it and normal :)

    I am not a top pro rider of course.

    *I have a reason - it's called laziness. I have a 170 stages crank arm to match my TT bike setup. I am on the look out for a matching crankset to swap in on my road bike, but I like a bargain.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    No tA Doctor wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    What did he win last year?

    I can't remember him winning a thing.

    who?

    Swift.
    _
  • ozzzyosborn206
    ozzzyosborn206 Posts: 1,340
    Can't see Swift ever being a big time sprinter. I think with sprinting more so than other aspects of cycling its not a case of being too young just not good enough. I think Caleb Ewan will take a few big wins in his first year next year. Cav was winning big races from and young age as was/is Kittle I think often in sport age is used as an excuse for not being good enough, wether that be too young or too old.
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    I think the order is:

    1. Kittel
    2. Cav & Greipel (Andre has improved massively and beaten Cav fairly often - it's not straightforward now)
    3. Everyone else.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    ozzzyosborn206 wrote:
    Can't see Swift ever being a big time sprinter.
    I don't think anyone really envisioned that he would be. He was always seen as more of a Freire type. He should be looking moving in on the territory that the likes of Meersman occupy.

    As for the big 3. It'll come down to their teams. At the moment Giant's road version of the track team sprint is working. But OPQS have the arsenal to match it.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    If the teams have everything their own way. If it comes down to craft and guile with no teammates around then Cav is still favourite. Probably.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    BelgianBeerGeek wrote:
    Cav - canny rider who is good at placing himself where he needs to be, team gets him there.
    Greipel - more of a muscle man who will grunt his way to the line
    Degenkolb and Kittel - the young guns and capable of taking a victory (Degenkolb especially).
    Nice to see EBH not written off yet. How about Swift?

    Why 'Degenkolb especially'? Kittel seems to be 'the man' at the moment.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    Should you be considered top 5 if you haven't opened your account this year?...just sayin'
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    Should you be considered top 5 if you haven't opened your account this year?...just sayin'

    Possibly the greatest all time sprinter whose last wins were September. Yeah, I think he deserves another month before we write him off :wink:
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    I have a sneaky feeling that Demare will make a step up to Greipel's level this year.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    inseine wrote:
    BelgianBeerGeek wrote:
    Cav - canny rider who is good at placing himself where he needs to be, team gets him there.
    Greipel - more of a muscle man who will grunt his way to the line
    Degenkolb and Kittel - the young guns and capable of taking a victory (Degenkolb especially).
    Nice to see EBH not written off yet. How about Swift?

    Why 'Degenkolb especially'? Kittel seems to be 'the man' at the moment.

    They are very different. Kittel for flat, Degenkolb when it's more hilly (ie when Cav and Kittel can't get over the humps).
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    How does it stand for 2015? Who went up - who went down


    ***** Kittel, Cavendish
    **** Greipel
    *** Demare, Sagan, Degenkolb, Bouhanni
    ** Viviani, Matthews, Guardini
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    ***** Kittel
    **** Cavendish
    *** Bouhanni, Greipel, Kristoff
    ** Demare, Sagan, Matthews, Degenkolb
    * Coquard, Viviani, Farrar

    Stars this year may not be the equivalent the stars last year
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    RichN95 wrote:
    ***** Kittel
    **** Cavendish
    *** Bouhanni, Greipel, Kristoff
    ** Demare, Sagan, Matthews, Degenkolb
    * Coquard, Viviani, Farrar

    Stars this year may not be the equivalent the stars last year

    Swap Degenkolb and Greipel and you have my rankings.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    RichN95 wrote:
    ***** Kittel
    **** Cavendish
    *** Bouhanni, Greipel, Kristoff
    ** Demare, Sagan, Matthews, Degenkolb
    * Coquard, Viviani, Farrar

    Stars this year may not be the equivalent the stars last year
    Pretty much, with Bos, Mezgec and Hofland on one * and Farrar out
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    FJS wrote:
    and Farrar out
    I think he's showing signs of a renaissance.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    I think Coquard will come through and should make 2/3 stars

    Bouhanni interesting now he has a train

    not sure Sagan is a sprinter at the moment !

    Interesting sprint year ahead

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