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Cyclingnews 2003 Reader Poll Results
Best One-day Race
Blue skies on the road to Roubaix
Photo: © Chris Henry
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For a truly epic Paris-Roubaix
the weather should be bad, and preferably unrelentingly evil. This year's edition
lacked the element of crummy meteorology but instead had the magic element of
a great but inconsistent Classics rider - Peter van Petegem - completing a double
victory after winning Ronde
van Vlaanderen the week before.
A close runner-up was Liege-Bastogne-Liege
and a Tyler Hamilton victory that heralded an amazing year for the quiet American
- and the first victory by a US rider in the Doyenne.
Once again, we asked for reasons for your choices. Here are a few Roubaix and
Liege explanations.
Paris-Roubaix
- A tough race with the right winner, inspiring ride by Eki.
- Ask any Classics rider which race is the one they would most like to win.
95% will say the Hell of the North.
- Brutally hard race.
- Can't beat it for excitement, no matter what the weather. It's uniquely
difficult.
- Chaos despite sunshine.
- Cobbles can be added to almost anything and make it cooler.
- Eki almost got it! A fantastic finale with three good possible winners.
Van Petegem's Flanders/Roubaix double
- Great to see Ekimov almost pull off a spectacular win, while Van Petegem's
bridge and attack were amazing.
- I can't think of a more difficult, a more challengeing, a more legendary
course, a course that inspires some few riders to greatness, a course that
will forever haunt thousands of others, and that takes every rider and their
machines, win or lose, to their utmost limits.
- No matter who wins there is always a great story with great photos. You
can feel the pain they are going through and I am thousands of miles away.
- The riders become Ring Wraiths upon entering the Velo-Tomb at the end....
- Van Petergem's double on the fast, dusty course was what everyone expected
but could not be stopped.
- You need to be a human, not mannequin, to win it.
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
- Always the greatest classic of the year, without any competition. So tough
and a super course.
- Dramatic victory, most suspenseful of the monuments in 2003, best overall
field.
- Hamilton came to prominance and trounced Armstrong, biting the hand that
had fed him, and showing he is a leader in his own right.
- Hamilton outfoxed them all with strength and wits!
- Hamilton-Tyler-Hamilton
- Hard, selective, rain, LA was supposed to win and Tyler was unexpected.
- Lance broke the race apart, and Tyler shocked them all and won
- Lots of heavy hitters were in the peloton that day, and out of the crowd
came a man with a point to prove. It was Tyler Hamilton's break out Day, a
day that told the peloton to pay attention to this man.
- One of the few Spring Classics still sought after by Armstrong and considered
important to the GC peloton. Signaled that Tyler Hamilton was a serious threat
as a team leader.
Results
Votes %ge
1 Paris-Roubaix 391 34.8
2 Liege-Bastogne-Liege 346 30.8
3 Ronde van Vlaanderen 109 9.7
4 World's, men's road race 64 5.7
5 Milan-San Remo 40 3.6
6 T-Mobile International 37 3.3
7 Amstel Gold 36 3.2
8 Clasica San Sebastian 14 1.2
9 USPRO championship 10 0.9
10 Züri Metzgete/Zurich world cup 9 0.8
11 Gent-Wevelgem 8 0.7
12 Giro di Lombardia 5 0.4
12 New York City Championships 5 0.4
12 Omloop Het Volk 5 0.4
15 HEW-Cyclassics 4 0.4
16 Paris-Tours 3 0.3
16 Women's World Cup of Montreal 3 0.3
18 Flèche Wallonne 2 0.2
18 MTB World's, Senior Men's race 2 0.2
18 Salzkammergut Trophy 2 0.2
18 Shenandoah Mountain 100 miler 2 0.2
22 Cape Argus-Cape Town South Africa 1 0.1
22 Carolina Cup 1 0.1
22 Classique d'Alps 1 0.1
22 Cone Azalia Classic 1 0.1
22 Farmersville Challenge, PA 1 0.1
22 Flèche Wallonne women 1 0.1
22 GP Plouay women 1 0.1
22 Grafton-Inverell 1 0.1
22 Iceman Comoth Challenge 1 0.1
22 Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge 1 0.1
22 Wachovia Liberty Classic 1 0.1
22 Melbourne-Warnambool 1 0.1
22 Mount Victoria MTB Timetrial 1 0.1
22 Mt. Evans Hillclimb 1 0.1
22 Mt. Snow 1 0.1
22 Mt. Washington Hill Climb 1 0.1
22 MTB European Championships 1 0.1
22 Nalley Historic Roswell Criterium 1 0.1
22 Porto-Lisboa 1 0.1
22 Revolution 1 1 0.1
22 Ride For Roses 1 0.1
22 Ronde von der Bergen 1 0.1
22 Rund um Köln 1 0.1
22 Spring valley classic 1 0.1
22 Tour to Portsea 1 0.1
22 World's, men's time trial 1 0.1
22 World's, women's road race 1 0.1
Total 1124
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