Who's 2015 season was better?

rick_chasey
rick_chasey Posts: 72,249
edited December 2015 in Pro race
Valverde, Kristof, Degenkolb or Froome?
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Comments

  • Tricksy one

    I think the only one who could say he achieved his goal - because it was his sole goal - is Froome
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    Kristoff was pretty damn good. He probably had the best season in relation to his own goals.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    Valverde, Kristof, Degenkolb or Froome?

    No Sagan?! His performance at Tour of California alone was the marker in the sand of someone turning from arse-grabbing-clown-contender-doing-wheelies into a proper heavyweight…

    To answer your question: either Valverde for continuing to maximise on his talents, or Degenkolb for entering the big league in style (and that uphill sprint in Oman, was it?)
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    tricksy indeed...

    But Valverde for just being awesome all the way through... two classics plus a tdf podium and vuelta stage win
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,224
    hehe… fine spread of opinion already..
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Technically Valverde but he's a power tool so Degenkolb
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Technically Valverde but he's a power tool so Degenkolb

    This.

    Valverde did what he's done every season since about 1974.

    Degenkolb's season was so good his team chucked Kittel under the bus.
    "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'"

    @gietvangent
  • LeePaton
    LeePaton Posts: 353
    I dont think I can really say one had a betterone than the other. Bar Froome I would remove him from that list.

    Degenkolb and Kristoff realised some potential and Valverde was just unbelievable.
    It's not so much about winning, I just hate losing.
  • ooh good one. Degenkolb I think, he got off to a great start and even though it flat lined a bit those early trophies were excellent.

    Valverde rode well again as he did last season but you have to scratch your head a bit to remember his podium positions
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,249
    Technically Valverde but he's a power tool so Degenkolb

    This.

    Valverde did what he's done every season since about 1974.

    Degenkolb's season was so good his team chucked Kittel under the bus.

    Wast his most successful season ever no?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,249
    I'd even vouch that Valverde is the best all round rider of his generation (and probably two) by quite some way.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Good question. They all had brilliant seasons obviously.
    Froome and Valverde did what they've done before, while Degenkolb and Kristoff had break through seasons. I'm gonna go with Degenkolb; two monuments when one would have been above expectation takes some beating.

    Agree Valverde is the most complete rider if his generation. Evans could have been a competitor had he discovered his one-day abilities earlier
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Valverde.

    He was the only one who achieved all his objectives. Kristoff and Degenkolb were poor in the GTs, Froome was injured a lot.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    While we are at it, we should remember how good Richie Porte was prior to his Giro crash

    He won Paris-Nice, Tour of Catalunya & Giro del Trentino (winning stages in each), 2nd in Tour Down Under (+stage), 4th in Tour of Algarve (+stage while helping Thomas win). Also became the only rider other than Froome to do all of Sky's Tour wins.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Delgenkolb's breakthrough moment for me was that brutal uphill finish in the Tour of the Desert where he may as well have torn the bike to bits with his legs. Phenomenal effort and the showing of what was to be a fantastic season winning the 2 monuments.

    Don't like the moustache though
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Degenkolb is almost entirely responsible for me buying a bottle of Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo, but is 100 % responsible for me saying "No, it'sh good after training, leave it on for two minutesh" every bath...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Degenkolb is almost entirely responsible for me buying a bottle of Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo, but is 100 % responsible for me saying "No, it'sh good after training, leave it on for two minutesh" every bath...

    Even my 75 year old Dad mentioned about those ads being absolutely dreadful.
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    I'd even vouch that Valverde is the best all round rider of his generation (and probably two) by quite some way.
    this. I'm no fan, but was really impressed with him in the spring classics (2 from 2) TDF first podium, and the vuelta. I think he spreads himself too thinly though and his age will get the better of him soon. his sprint after a hilly rise is fading, but he remains tactically adept. The way he won Liege is to absolutely be commended by the way. took it up on the last climb and demanded the others work to stay with him and then outdid them on the finish as well. he can do the lot, descend, climb, sprint and time trial, all very well. just not quite as well as the specialists in each field.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,196
    Delgenkolb's breakthrough moment for me was that brutal uphill finish in the Tour of the Desert where he may as well have torn the bike to bits with his legs. Phenomenal effort and the showing of what was to be a fantastic season winning the 2 monuments.

    Don't like the moustache though

    Yeah there were some pretty major downsides to his season - namely that moustache and the Alpecin advert as mentioned above. John "I like to leave it in my hair for two minutes after training" Degenkolb (actually not a good advert for the stuff since he doesn't have much hair).
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    on one of the better youtube videos of the 2015 season, he's referred to as Degenstache...
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    I'd even vouch that Valverde is the best all round rider of his generation (and probably two) by quite some way.
    this. I'm no fan, but was really impressed with him in the spring classics (2 from 2) TDF first podium, and the vuelta. I think he spreads himself too thinly though and his age will get the better of him soon. his sprint after a hilly rise is fading, but he remains tactically adept. The way he won Liege is to absolutely be commended by the way. took it up on the last climb and demanded the others work to stay with him and then outdid them on the finish as well. he can do the lot, descend, climb, sprint and time trial, all very well. just not quite as well as the specialists in each field.

    Another in agreement. He's a proper racer.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • I think if you asked all four of those riders whose season they would swap for given the chance they would all want Froomes, I would like to say Degankolb or Kristoff as i prefer Flanders and P-R to Grand Tours but there is no escaping that the Tour is the biggest race in the world and you can live off winning it for far longer than winning any other race
  • Froome won the biggest stage race but JD won 2 monuments so I'd say him.
  • ooh good one. Degenkolb I think, he got off to a great start and even though it flat lined a bit those early trophies were excellent.

    Valverde rode well again as he did last season but you have to scratch your head a bit to remember his podium positions
    Yeah, he needs to hit the podium in some bigger races IMO 8)
    Supporter of Sky, transparency and clean cycling. Opponent of pseudoscience.

    The greatest clean cycling performance ever http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eiN2vfGKhk
  • Saw a lot of people have Kristoff as they're pick for all the monuments, tour stage races and world champs as well. The fact that he only won Flanders... did he have a bad season?

    Don't get me wrong, I know Flanders is no cakewalk. Too much pressure and hype perhaps??
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    Saw a lot of people have Kristoff as they're pick for all the monuments, tour stage races and world champs as well. The fact that he only won Flanders... did he have a bad season?

    Don't get me wrong, I know Flanders is no cakewalk. Too much pressure and hype perhaps??

    He didn't only win Flanders. That's the highlight but if you look at his season, TdF excluded (and I do think he under-performed there), he was winning or just pipped in most races he took part in...

    His results from http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/Alexander_Kristoff

    Qatar - Points jersey, three stage wins, 3rd overall
    Oman - One stage win
    KBK - Podium (2nd)
    PN - One stage win, second on the points jersey
    MSR - Podium (2nd)
    De Panne - Three stage wins plus the overall
    Flanders - Win
    Scheldeprijis - Win
    Norway - Two stage wins, points jersey
    D'Argovie - Win
    Suisse - One stage
    Arctic - One stage plus the points jersey
    Vattenfall - Podium (2nd)
    Plouay - Win
    Quebec - Podium (3rd)
    Worlds - 4th...

    Still think Valverde did better, and apart from his two monuments Degenkolb didn't do much (oh to only win two monuments...)
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,348
    Bit of over-hype from 2014 maybe...but he was far from poor, Degenklolb was just better
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,249
    Yeah. Degenkolb did do that cool thing that real champs do: noticed he was going chuffing well so kept his head down until the big race so as to slip further away from rival's radar.
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    Disagree on Degenkolb's overall season performance being better than Kristoff's...

    Dubai - one stage win,
    MSR - win
    PR - win
    Bayern Rundfarht - two stage wins and the points jersey
    TdF - Third on the points jersey
    Vuelta - One stage win

    Also didn't know that Degenkolb was two year younger than Kirstoff (26 vs 28)...
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,249
    Kristoff went all Phil Gil and went undefeated in 2 important weeks.