Rider of the Year (Men/Road)

RichN95.
RichN95. Posts: 27,262
edited October 2018 in Pro race
The season is basically over so who is your Men's Rider of the Year. I think it's a hard choice this year.
Twitter: @RichN95
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Comments

  • DeadCalm
    DeadCalm Posts: 4,249
    RichN95 wrote:
    The season is basically over so who is your Men's Rider of the Year. I think it's a hard choice this year.
    Surely Simon Yates.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,620
    oxoman wrote:
    Where's the best female rider of the year award.

    Its been delayed while Rich decides if he's going to include trans women.

    We should also have a vote on the best looking female rider. That's the only reason any of us take any notice of women's sport anyway :wink:
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • peat
    peat Posts: 1,242
    Dr Rachel Mckinnon

    *whoops. sort of not a man, not road.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    oxoman wrote:
    Where's the best female rider of the year award.

    Start one if you like
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ridgerider
    ridgerider Posts: 2,852
    Roglic for me.

    Has made the step up this year.
    Half man, Half bike
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,228
    Second in the Giro, second in the Tour, second in the worlds TT, fourth in the worlds road race. I think I put that just over a Vuelta. It's really close between a few of them - Viviani has 7 GT stage wins in the year.
  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    Froome for the way he won the Giro.
    'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP
  • norvernrob
    norvernrob Posts: 1,448
    Simon Yates for the fantastically entertaining way he rode the Giro (he had to), taking a heartbreaking loss then coming back and winning the Vuelta.

    Individual performance of the year would be Froome to win the Giro, that was one for the ages.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,719
    Not sure I can point out a particular superstar this year.

    Yates and Alaphillipe both had good seasons but could have easily been "great" seasons. Likewise Tommy and Froome.

    Viviani & Thomas are the only ones on Rich's list that I would say have exceeded expectations, but they are perhaps personal bests rather than historical stand-out performances
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Tashman
    Tashman Posts: 3,497
    Viviani for me picking up multiple stage wins
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    Tom D would be a 'riders' rider of the year' type choice - great all year, but not 1 performance that really made you go 'wow'.
    On which basis it would have to be Froome - Giro win, backed up with Tour podium, the most memorable solo attack in a GT from a GC guy for years, 3rd GT win in a row.
    Personal favorite winner was Yates, just because he's a northern lad and he took his knock and came back fighting.
    Thomas' TDF win all looks so obvious in hindsight, but his performance was outstanding. Never once looked in trouble.

    So as said above, tough choice....

    Not enough Classics options for my liking tho - Terpstra? (I know he's not exactly popular)
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    YorkshireRaw wrote:

    Not enough Classics options for my liking tho - Terpstra? (I know he's not exactly popular)
    Fair point on Terpstra. There was more to his spring than just RVV which I forgot.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    A lot of riders had very good years, but when we look back in 20 years time, the fact that Froome held all three GTs at once, and the manner of his win will be something that's remembered in a way that the others achievements probably won't be.
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    Yeah. I don't think it was a surprise to anyone when froome finally bagged the Vuelta, but the way he took the Giro was quite something.

    Tom Dumoulin definitely deserves respect for making everyone else work for it - from the Giro to chasing on at the world's, a real never say die attitude, even if he wasn't quite able to get the results.

    Huge step up from Simon Yates too. Respect for Valverde finally bagging the world's. Good season!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    Who would have thought a decade ago that the winner of the Tour de France would be seen as the third best British rider of the year?
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rozzer32
    rozzer32 Posts: 3,923
    Can I go a bit off piste and vote for Mathieu Van Der Poel. I know he’s not full time road but he’s been killing it.

    Second at the European champs, Dutch national champion, multiple stage wins at some week long stage races. Pretty good for a part time roadie.

    Plus his other time riding cross/mtb he’s won world cups, multiple races, European champion, third at mtb worlds.

    I really do hope in the future we get to see MvdP and WvA going head to head on the road in the classics.
    ***** Pro Tour Pundit Champion 2020, 2018, 2017 & 2011 *****
  • indyp
    indyp Posts: 735
    TD for me. on the podium in two GT's and Worlds TT, and close in the RR. He's had a very good year even without a win.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,719
    rozzer32 wrote:

    I really do hope in the future we get to see MvdP and WvA going head to head on the road in the classics.

    Why does it always have to be road..?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,620
    ddraver wrote:
    rozzer32 wrote:

    I really do hope in the future we get to see MvdP and WvA going head to head on the road in the classics.

    Why does it always have to be road..?

    Cos cross is for children.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • gregster04
    gregster04 Posts: 1,756
    Simon Yates

    Brilliantly entertaining at the Giro, then adapted perfectly for the Vuelta.
  • rozzer32
    rozzer32 Posts: 3,923
    ddraver wrote:
    rozzer32 wrote:

    I really do hope in the future we get to see MvdP and WvA going head to head on the road in the classics.

    Why does it always have to be road..?

    Fair point, I do enjoy watching their battles in CX.

    However I think it would be pretty exciting to watch them going head to head over the carrefour or up the paterberg.
    ***** Pro Tour Pundit Champion 2020, 2018, 2017 & 2011 *****
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    gsk82 wrote:
    ddraver wrote:
    rozzer32 wrote:

    I really do hope in the future we get to see MvdP and WvA going head to head on the road in the classics.

    Why does it always have to be road..?

    Cos cross is for children.
    I agree. It's the cycling equivalent of Jeux Sans Frontieres/It's A Knockout, with the iconic commentary "And here come the Belgians'" still relevant. It's just a shame Stuart Hall turned out to be perv.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,205
    rozzer32 wrote:
    Can I go a bit off piste and vote for Mathieu Van Der Poel. I know he’s not full time road but he’s been killing it.

    Second at the European champs, Dutch national champion, multiple stage wins at some week long stage races. Pretty good for a part time roadie.

    Plus his other time riding cross/mtb he’s won world cups, multiple races, European champion, third at mtb worlds.

    I really do hope in the future we get to see MvdP and WvA going head to head on the road in the classics.

    In the era of specialisation - somebody hasn't told him....
    Switching disciplines is one thing - doing it throughout the year is something else; and getting results is almost unreal. A shame others can't/ won't do similar - but understandable, I suppose.
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,127
    Thibaut Pinot, the guy gets knocked down but gets up again to storm the end of season. He's put pride back into French cycling and has seemingly buried his demons.

    vendredi-sur-les-pentes-du-colle-delle-finestre-thibaut-pinot-s-est-surpasse-photo-afp-1527526254.jpg
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • confused@BR
    confused@BR Posts: 295
    This has been a Vintage Year.
    A lot of you 'young un's' will be saying "This is rubbish! I can remember 18". Happily I will not be around to read it.
    'fool'
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Tom D for me. 2nd step of Tour and Giro plus WC efforts. Outstanding.

    If he had the support that Froome/Thomas have and the coaches he'd have been on the top step of both.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,262
    For what it's worth Valverde won the Velo d'Or
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,823
    That's like when Ryan Giggs won SPOTY/PFAPOTY though. More for the entire body of work than for the single season
  • arnuf
    arnuf Posts: 98
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    That's like when Ryan Giggs won SPOTY/PFAPOTY though. More for the entire body of work than for the single season

    Na, they always pick the World Champion when they don't like the winner of the Tour.
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,486
    Simon Yates announced himself to the greater cycling world with a bang.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023

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