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Fontfroide · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179

Having subscribed to Vélo for many years, I thought I would mention the results of their annual Vélo d'Or Trophy. I suppose it is the kind of thing that be moderately interesting to discuss when there is no actual riding going on. Well, no Pro Tour Road Races anyway.

Contador won it for the third time in a row. He had 69 points. For those not familiar with this trophy the editors pick fifteen or sixteen cycling writers from around the world and ask them to give 5-4-3-2-1 points to the five best cyclists of the year. In fact, I am not sure exactly what they get as a brief. For example, the American writer was John Wilcockson, the Brit was Jeremy Whittle. The Australian was Rupert Guiness. The French was Gilles Simon of Vélo Magazine. And if you are interested I can give you others, or you can buy the mag. You maybe find the ranking worthy or note or comment, or not.

Cavendish 49
Cancellara 32
Evans 22
A. Schleck 22
Armstrong 19
Valverde 18
Menchov 6
Boonen 2
Hushovd 1

Just for comparison, here is the end of year UCI ranking. The first two numbers are this year's rank and last year's, so Andy Schleck was fifth last year and fourth this year. I find it a bit difficult to understand Armstrong's rank in the Velo d'Or, in fact I think it is outrageous actually. There are others that seem worth a comment, but I shall leave it to you all.
1
1
CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto (ESP)
ASTANA
527
2
2
VALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro (ESP)
CAISSE D'EPARGNE
483
3
8
SANCHEZ GONZALEZ Samuel (ESP)
EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
357
4
3
SCHLECK Andy (LUX)
TEAM SAXO BANK
334
5
4
EVANS Cadel (AUS)
SILENCE-LOTTO
333
6
5
BOASSON HAGEN Edvald (NOR)
TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC
322
7
6
KREUZIGER Roman (CZE)
LIQUIGAS
319
8
7
CAVENDISH Mark (GBR)
TEAM COLUMBIA - HTC
304
9
20
GILBERT Philippe (BEL)
SILENCE-LOTTO
295
10
13
GESINK Robert (NED)
RABOBANK
266
11
9
DAVIS Allan (AUS)
QUICK STEP
249
12
10
CUNEGO Damiano (ITA)
LAMPRE - N.G.C
235
13
11
KLÖDEN Andreas (GER)
ASTANA
232
14
12
BASSO Ivan (ITA)
LIQUIGAS
229
15
14
MENCHOV Denis (RUS)
RABOBANK
218
16
15
HAUSSLER Heinrich (GER)
CERVELO TEST TEAM
217
17
16
HUSHOVD Thor (NOR)
CERVELO TEST TEAM
216
18
17
FARRAR Tyler (USA)
GARMIN - SLIPSTREAM
212
19
18
SCHLECK Frank (LUX)
TEAM SAXO BANK
212
20
19
SANCHEZ GIL Luis Leon (ESP)
CAISSE D'EPARGNE
211

Vélo awards a trophy for French riders, and it was won, by one point, by Bauge over Federigo, 72-71.

Voeckler 46
Le Mevel 30
Absalon 23
Sicard 22
Moncoutié 20
Chavanel 12Casoper 12
Champion 11
B. Feillu 9
El Farès 2

Might I say that I have no strong feelings about the exact best just ranking system for anything. In fact, I often reflect upon the question of ranking systems and all they mean, and NOT always positively. So I am acting here as a messenger, not as a defender of ranking systems. Just something to talk about during the off season.

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7730 Location: Hertfordshire

Well I'll start with the predictable ...

Armstrong 5th having won nothing and Basso not on the list??? What gives? True LA got on a podium at the TdF, but IMO that doesn't compare well with Basso's two GT top fives and a one week tour WIN!

Is this some sort of competition where they dish out sympathy votes for an old bloke that did quite well?

bianchigirl · Joined: 10 Oct 2006 Posts: 4063

Weel, you have to remember that Wilcockson would probably have given him all 15 points Wink

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Fontfroide · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179

Wilcockson, who is British I think, rated them Cancellara, Cavendish, Contador, Armstrong and Schleck. In that order. Although I am sure you were joking BG. You were, weren't you? Your intense dislike of Armstrong (or Wilcockson, as a lick-spittle) does not go THAT far does it?

Me, a fan? · Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 127 Location: up yonder

Giro gets no repect! Don't understand that. Menchov should be no lower than 4.
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HuwB · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:27 am Post subject:

Wilcockson is a huge Armstrong fanboy. Wrote a book on each of his Tour wins, for Velopress, I think.
Never has an even mildly negative word to say about him.
The fact that he can place him above Schleck speaks volumes.

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7730 Location: Hertfordshire

Says it all Huw. Schleck places higher in the TdF and bags a Monument. Simply means he's giving marks for effort! Old boy rides better than expected .... nothing to do with quality!

Fontfroide · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179

Couldn't agree more with the comments.

Does anyone know if Germany, Italy, Spain, Britain, etc have a similar award system? Have the French somehow gained the ascendancy on awarding "the trophy for the best rider" and ranking or rating the other riders? Seems like it from here, but maybe some other mag or group tries to do the same thing. Anyone know?

I find the omission of Basso and the ranking of Armstrong particularly galling. I just don't get it, not really. I should look up the reporters who rated Armstrong in the top five. Where is the mag when I want it?

Slapshot 3 · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:59 pm Post subject:

The big thing about Pharmstrong is the amount of column inches he generates, mostly written by these guys. Once you take the rampant sychophants out of the equation like Wilcockson maybe the results are better. I'd love to know who Whittle voted for
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Fontfroide · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179

Fontfroide · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179

Votes for Armstrong by country, although I can also type out the names if anyone wants to know, like Klaus Angermann from the Wiesbadener Kurier who voted for Armstrong in third place. He was one point ahead of Valverde in the final tally.

Austria Armstrong first
Spain third
France fifth
Italy fifth
Japan third
Russia fifth
USA fourth

Countries represented who did NOT vote for Armstrong: Australia, Belgium, Columbia, Britain, Holland, Luxembourg, Poland, Switzerland.

some of you might know the Italian writer Pier Bergonzi of La Gazzetta or Josu Garai of Marca.

Bartali · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 7730 Location: Hertfordshire

Staggering!!!

Fontfroide · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179

I like the idea that a guy like you Bart, pretty wise and pretty informed, can be staggered. I am pleased to have brought the news that staggered you. Proves you are still young, naive and open to staggering notions.

I have to admit I was staggered too.

These guys are professional cycling writers. They know more than I do about what is going on, probably read more books, talk to insiders, maybe they know more history and have seen racing closeup for years and they all know what is happening. Some of them even ride loads more kilometres that I do. Presumably it is totally obvious that Armstrong won nothing of any consequence, although third in the Tour is still third in the Tour. Except that, in spite of these obvious facts, many of them rate the guy who beat Lance in that same race, and won a monument as "not as good". It just seems to totally bizarre, and at the same time, not. Pro Tour cycling is fascinating (to me), and of course Armstrong is still and will always be the media guy and the money guy.

I guess that is why I like the whole thing, so totally ridiculous and yet also totally fascinating.

Slapshot 3 · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:48 pm Post subject:

mr shifter · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:05 pm Post subject:

Wilcockson, wasn't he a motorbike cameraman a few years ago on the Kellogs and other races along with that other clown Harmon. ??
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Mrs John Murphy · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:39 pm Post subject:

I suspect that many of them want an 'exclusive' interview with the uniballer at some point in time - so they need to suck his dick every now and again. What better way than in a pointless and subject poll.

As for Whittle? What the fuck has Evans done this season bar fluke the World Championship.

mazda · Joined: 02 May 2007 Posts: 244

So Contador got 69 out of a maximum of 75 points ?
(having listed 15 participating countries).

You've already accounted for at least 5 of the 6 points he dropped (2 each by Whittle and Wilcockson, and can only have come second with the Austrian judge).

So all the others voted him first ?

last km · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject:

Does anyone know if Germany, Italy, Spain, Britain, etc have a similar award system? Have the French somehow gained the ascendancy on awarding "the trophy for the best rider" and ranking or rating the other riders?

Not spefically for cycling , but the British Sports Writers Associatiion have a kind of SPOTY, which was recently won by a cyclist if memory serves me correctly ?
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Fontfroide · Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179

forearms van petegem · Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 263

where was Inglourious Basterds?