OlliWender wrote: ↑Sun Jul 18, 2021 13:42
It's weird how there seem to always be different nations starting to dominate an era in cycling, at least in terms of gc riders.
Late 2000s/early 2010s Spain: Contador, Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez
Followed by Britain: Wiggins, Froome, Thomas, Yates brothers
and now even Slovenia: Roglic and Pogacar
In Britain only Froome managed to win more than 1 great tour. Like in other sports, the gap from sharks and other teams has grow and now its hard so see anybody outside top 4 teams to win a great tour.
True. I really haven't been following cycling the last 5 years or so and my favorite years were actually around 2003-2008 but the big scandals every year from 2006 on really hampered my enjoyment.
The positive thing about those years was definitely that, after Armstrong's first retirement, all the teams seemed roughly equal and everyone had at least one decent top 10 Grand Tour rider, and if not, then they had a great team for supporting their sprinter like Boonen, Hushovd or Petacchi.
OlliWender wrote: ↑Sun Jul 18, 2021 13:42
It's weird how there seem to always be different nations starting to dominate an era in cycling, at least in terms of gc riders.
Late 2000s/early 2010s Spain: Contador, Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez
Followed by Britain: Wiggins, Froome, Thomas, Yates brothers
and now even Slovenia: Roglic and Pogacar
In Britain only Froome managed to win more than 1 great tour. Like in other sports, the gap from sharks and other teams has grow and now its hard so see anybody outside top 4 teams to win a great tour.
True. I really haven't been following cycling the last 5 years or so and my favorite years were actually around 2003-2008 but the big scandals every year from 2006 on really hampered my enjoyment.
The positive thing about those years was definitely that, after Armstrong's first retirement, all the teams seemed roughly equal and everyone had at least one decent top 10 Grand Tour rider, and if not, then they had a great team for supporting their sprinter like Boonen, Hushovd or Petacchi.
Armstrong destroyed one of the most beautiful cycling eras.
Lately we had some Froome-Quintana battles.
I ve been following more the Giro instead of Tour. Looks most of the times more competitive and with more room for surprises and where Ineos fails more.
Ronde van Vlaanderen (or Tour of Flanders) already on the road.
Superfavourite Wout van Aert out of the race due to covid-19. Mathieu van der Poel is now the favourite but there a lot waiting for their time.
So far in World Tour, 5 wins for Slovenia, 3 for Belgium, 1 for Colombia, 1 for Netherlands and an historic win for Biniam Girmay from Eritrea (first african winner of a cycling classic).
Brilliant with for Mathieu van der Poel. He and Pogacar were the strongest men but Mathieu wait for the riders behind them to sprint. Pogacar got in the trap and fell to only 4th place. Will have to wait to get a Monument.
After the 2 first main stages events (Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico) today we will have the first monument, Milan-Sanremo, for the first time in history not starting in Milan.
Tadej Pogacar just smashed Jonas Vingegaard in Paris-Nice but today the lot of favourites is wider.
Another Monument for Mathieu van der Poel, his 4th, 3rd different.
Wout van Aert with lack of luck had another flat tire when it looked he had the win.
