With a new and exciting season fast approaching, it’s time to look back and decide just who were the superstars of 2012. In a totally subjective exercise, I have nominated my top five cyclists of the year.
5. Joaquim Rodriguez
Coming in at number five is the ‘nearly’ man. The Spaniard is consistent if nothing else. He has accumulated seven top 10 Grand Tour finishes since 2008 and twice this year made the running for a Grand Tour victory, finishing agonisingly short against Ryder Hesjedal in the Giro, and only losing out to Alberto Contador on the very last mountain of the Vuelta.
He animated both races, thrived on the super steep summit finishes, and claimed five stages. In all he spent 23 days wearing Grand Tour leaders’ jerseys.
Rodriguez finished the year atop the UCI WorldTour rankings, the second time he has done so, and claimed victories at Fleche Wallonne and Il Lombardia, and picked up stages at Tirreno-Adriatico (one) and Vuelta al Pais Vasco (two).
4. Peter Sagan
Between the dates of May 13 and July 6, the Slovakian went on an eight week winning spree that saw him net no fewer than 12 victories. Firstly, he demolished his fellow sprinters at the Tour of California taking home five stages. He followed this up with four stages at the Tour of Switzerland, and finally defined his season with three memorable Tour de France stages.
He made the likes of Cancellara and Gilbert look silly on those nagging, dragging uphill sprint finishes in France and even surprised the flat track bullies on stage six to Metz by outsprinting Andre Greipel and Matty Goss.
He led the green jersey competition from start to finish and, far from being a one trick pony, often stayed with the main group deep into the mountain stages.
He polarised us with his victory celebrations, but left us in no doubt to the extent of his talent.
He also won stages at the Tour of Oman, Tirreno-Adriatico and Driedaagse de Panne-Koksijde, as well as his national road racing championship. Add near misses at Gent-Wevelgem and Amstel Gold and his palmares becomes even more impressive. He finished the season with 29 podium places.
3. Andre Greipel
There are few more imposing sights in cycling than Andre Greipel cranking up his huge frame and going all out in a sprint. With head bobbing like an out of control metronome, and his bike rocking violently beneath him, brute strength alone propels this beast of a man to victory.
It isn’t pretty, but it is effective. 19 times effective in 2012.
He resumed his love affair with the Tour Down Under in January by winning three very nervous sprints and didn’t stop winning until the GP Impanis-Van Petegem in September, which is why he comes in at number three on the list.
In between times he took stages at the Tours of Oman (two), Turkey (one), Belgium (three), Luxembourg (two), France (three), Denmark (two) and Ster ZLM. He also claimed the ProRace Berlin.
His three hard fought Tour de France wins were the undoubted highlight of his season, and typified the popular German’s all or nothing approach to the sport.
2. Tom Boonen
The big Belgian opened the season as he always does, by dominating the Tour of Qatar where he claimed two stage victories and the overall classification (having already won a stage of the Tour of San Luis). He maintained his form for Paris-Nice (another stage win) before hitting the spring classics healthy, fit and confident. The rest, as they say, is history.
The E3, Gent-Wevelgem, Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix played host to two weeks of cobble eating dominance that we may never see the likes of again. Tommeke claimed them all.
Granted, he had the added bonus of not having arch rival Fabian Cancellara sweating on his every move, but you can only beat those who line-up on the day, and he certainly did that.
My lasting image of Boonen’s magical spring is of him riding away from the Roubaix field with 60 kilometres still to go. It wasn’t so much an attack that saw him get away, as a strong piece of tempo riding. Simply, he was stronger than the rest. Even he seemed bemused by it!
Boonen finished the season strongly as well, adding Paris-Bruxelles, his national championship road race and both a stage and the overall classification of the World Ports Classic to his bulging list of credits. He was also a member of OmegaPharma-Quick Step’s world championship team time trial win.
1. Bradley Wiggins
That Bradley Wiggins comes in at number one is no surprise. Ably supported by a superb team, the eccentric Brit was the dominant stage racer of the year.
Paris-Nice, Romandie, Dauphine and of course the Tour, all fell to Wiggins in clinical fashion. As with Boonen, health, form, desire and confidence coincided to give Wiggins his best shot yet at cycling’s ultimate prize, and when melded with Sky’s faultless preparation and scientific approach, the ex-track cyclist was nigh on unbeatable.
His destruction of Cadel Evans during the time trial at Dauphine was perhaps the most important moment of his season. That he could take so much time out of Evans – no slouch at time trialling himself – had a twofold effect. Not only did it reinforce Wiggins’ belief, it trigged nagging doubts within the mind of Evans.
A month later and Wiggins was standing on the top step of the podium on the Champs Elysees, Britain’s first Tour de France winner.
He was unbeatable against the clock all year, although he couldn’t snare a prologue win (second at Dauphine and the Tour, 11th at Romandie). Otherwise he was undefeated. He took part in eight full length Itime trials and won them all, including the Olympic Games.
His gold medal in London, in front of an adoring home crowd, crowned what was a superlative year for Wiggins and his team.
So there it is. My top five for 2012. Now it’s your turn my fellow Roarers. Who would you have chosen?
Justin Curran
Roar Rookie
I agree with your picks Sean, there are certainly no glaring omissions. If you were to phrase the article the 'best And most entertaining riders of 2012' then I would reverse the order.
Tim Renowden
Expert
You've picked five guys who all had awesome years, so I can't argue with any of that (quibbles over the order aside). Ryder Hesjedal would be in my top 10 for his breakthrough in the Giro.
dom25
Roar Rookie
Sagan didn't have many people working for him they were busy helping Vincenzo nibali. He can win with out a train on almost any terrain!
paul hartford
Guest
Thats rubbish ,just cos some one is young and good is no reason they should be number one its like saying Wiggins desreves it because he has been around a long time.Sagan will develop I am sure but he benefited from Mark Cavendish riding for Sky who gave him little support in the grand races as they were cocentrating (rightly) on Wiggins.Next year with better support Cavendish will run Sagan very close if not beat him more than he loses.
Bones506
Roar Guru
Hard not to given TDF is the biggest bike race
dom25
Roar Rookie
I think Sagan should be in first with Wiggins in third, just because he is so young and his ability to win on a number of terrains!
Sean Lee
Expert
I'll have to think about this one Tommy. but off the top of my head I think BMC were pretty disappointing, especially after signing Gilbert and Hushovd. Hushovd was unsighted all year while Gilbert was sooking up about the equipment he had to use and didn't come good until late in the season. Add to that Evans getting sick and not performing to his usual high standards and only a handful of quality wins, and I think that the bosses as BMC would be none to happy with their season. Goes to show that spending up big doesn't always guarantee results.
Sean Lee
Expert
Sagan could be anything Glenn. if he keeps his feet on the ground and can stay injury free there is no reason why he can't continue on next year in much the same way. Personally I hope to see a few more inventive victory celebrations from him over the next few years.
Sean Lee
Expert
I agonised over whether or not to put Wiggins first. Yes, he had a fantastic team helping him with the likes of Froome, Rogers and Porte doing a mountain of work, but when it is all said and done, Wiggins was the one who had to finish it all off and actually win. He was the one with all the pressure on his shoulders and he was equal to the task. He was unbeatable in time trials (no hiding behind team mates in those), plus he was on top of his form pretty much all year, right from when he helped Porte win Algarve. In the end I settled on Wiggins as number one and I'm comfortable with that. Like you though, Boonen's spring campaign was my favourite performance of the year.
Matt (Perth)
Guest
oops, forgot about gilbert's tough start to the season. our own simon gerrans was probably better than gilbert throughout the season overall. national champion, TDU, gp quebec, second at san sebastian and then of course milan sanremo, hard to go past him.
tommy
Guest
Couldn't disagree. Would be interested to here your top 5 disapointments? Tough but Matt Goss & Cadel would probably feature?
Glenn Mitchell
Expert
Hi Sean, A well written summation of the happenings of 2012. Peter Sagan is an incredibly exciting prospect and one who could really feature in the Grand Tours over the next few years.
Bones506
Roar Guru
Boonen's PR attack with 55KM to go was, for me, the best piece of cycling all year. Those cobbles are brutal, and as Sean rightly pointsout, exceptional Tempo riding. Best rider - Sagan.Whilst Wiggins won the tour, he had the likes of Froome (who I believe was actually a stronger rider) and others around him to get there. Sagan basically won all his races by himself to a large extent.
Sean Lee
Expert
Gilbert certainly finished off the year strongly with Vuelta stages and the world championship. Results were thin on the ground early on though with his third place at Flèche Wallonne about the pick of them. Froome deserves credit for the amount of work he did for Wiggins alone.
Matt (Perth)
Guest
i sixth place i wouldve put froome, then gilbert. he looked back to his unstoppable best in that final attack at the world champs
Sean Lee
Expert
Chris Froome had a good year, being up with the leaders in both the Tour and the Vuelta. In fact he made the Tour interesting. But are you aware that he only finished first on one occasion this year - and that was on stage 7 of the Tour! Can he make the top five on the back of just one win?
Punter
Guest
I second that, this year's race may have been quite interesting had Broome & Wiggins been on different teams.
Sam Brown
Roar Guru
I humbly submit Chris Froome to your list.