I don't like how cycling has become so Tour-centric, and I also think we too quickly forget modern cycling history in all but the Tour. So how about it: What's the best one-day performance of any rider in the 1990s.
Below are a few I thought of (please pardon my spelling):

1990 Milan San Remo Bugno solos to record time
1991 Liege Argentin wins big
1992 Milan San Remo Kelly's descent of the Poggio
1992 Luxemborg TT Indurain wins by 3 minutes!
1992 Tour stage to Sestriere Claudio Chiappuci Solo for most of an 8 hour day
1994 Roubaix Tshmil in the mud
1994 Tour stage to Hautecaum Indurain destroys field
1994 Worlds Leblanc in 105 degree heat
1996 Tour stage to Pamplona Rijs drops back to look at his competition and then attacks
1998 Flanders Johan solos from 30k
1998 Tour stage to Les Deux Alpes Pantani throwing down in the rain

There are lots of others, nominate yours.

all of the above plus Andy Hampsten winning the Giro on the epic Gavia stage, Duclos-Lasalle's Paris-Roubaix double, Bettini's Liege-Bastogne-Liege win (2000?), a 'clean' Virenque taking Paris-Tours solo (because I was there at the atmosphere was electric), Jacky Durand taking Flanders in typical fashion (and his Paris-Tours win for that matter - and his Vuelta stage when he took the race lead) - there are so many that are not Tour-centric - though I would like to add Roche's amazing 1987 season (the Giro-Tour-Worlds triple) and the famous stage when he went into oxygen debt at La Plagne but saved his Tour and took the MJ 3 stages later on the penultimate stage - Sorry to be a bit Tour-centric for a second but that was one heck of a race...

The World Championsips in Norway in 93, not as much for Amrstrong, but for the crazy conditions and the multitude of crashes.

i'd have to say for me Chiappucci on sestriere. I have that tour video and i never get tired of that stage. also hampsten winning on l'alpe was a nice bit of riding.

i'd have to say for me Chiappucci on sestriere. I have that tour video and i never get tired of that stage. also hampsten winning on l'alpe was a nice bit of riding.

That was the year of Barry forgot his last name, a boxing commentator, doing the lead-in to Phil and Paul. He made you long for Al Trautwig. No lie. It was terrible.

I love after the Sestriere day, EVERYONE was shelled, including Indurain who bonked. It took the leaders over 8 hours and then they had more in the Alps the next day. I think it took the guys in the back 9 hours! They interviewed Hampsten about the next day (Alpe d' Huez) and he said with a ghost-like face and shattered voice,, "I'm not thinking about tomorrow". He won the next day. As he's sitting there, you can tell it's taking all he's got left to lift-up and drink a box of Extran.

BTW, I've put together a Tour Contest. I HATE those fantasy games, they don't deal with the intangibles of racing. If you are interested in taking-part, pm me. The deadline is the Prologue.

That race kicked some nail biting butt! The guy started something like 15 Paris Roubaix ( May still be the record today for starts) and never wins - you just know he's gonna get reeled in yet again and his hopes will be dashed like so may Red Sox fans for so many years.... but he hangs on.....

Also, hate to jump on bandwagon but Chiapucci hours long break on Sestriere was Epic and probably made me by my second bike.

I also like Greg winnin the worlds in 1989 with all the rain and Fignon's attack the Greg chased down - everyone figured Sean Kelly would trounce the sprint but Greg had the wil that day (and Year)

Um.. so many more momments

PS people who complain about any of the OLN team besides being ungreatful , don't rememebr John Tesh or other ESPN commentators....

-Nik

That race kicked some nail biting butt! The guy started something like 15 Paris Roubaix ( May still be the record today for starts) and never wins - you just know he's gonna get reeled in yet again and his hopes will be dashed like so may Red Sox fans for so many years.... but he hangs on.....

Also, hate to jump on bandwagon but Chiapucci hours long break on Sestriere was Epic and probably made me by my second bike.

I also like Greg winnin the worlds in 1989 with all the rain and Fignon's attack the Greg chased down - everyone figured Sean Kelly would trounce the sprint but Greg had the wil that day (and Year)

Um.. so many more momments

PS people who complain about any of the OLN team besides being ungreatful , don't rememebr John Tesh or other ESPN commentators....

-Nik

WIth Tesh you had the triple threat: his looks, words, and music.

Going back even further I look back at the Red Zinger/Coors Classic with nostalgia -- another "what got me into the sport" type event. 7-Eleven. The Red Army team.

Hampston on the Gavia is hard to beat but I'll agree
Ducloss-Lasalle's 2 P-R's
but I'll go with Tcmil and Durand (P-R nd R-V-V) just becuase I loved their riding style.
we need more characters like those in today's peloton.

I too have the stage on tape. It was an epic stage and an incredible ride. El Diablo at his best. Indurain was leading, Bugno in second and Chiapucci at the start of the day. One Cat 2, three Cat 1 and one HC climb in this stage starting at St Gervais. He led over everyone. I remember Big Mig catching him and then eventually getting dropped again. At the end of the day Chiapucci had moved up to second and Bugno was in third. That's how they ended up in Paris and a great example of competitive racing in the Tour.

Lots of other great rides but Sestriere sticks out above all others. Roche up to La Plagne chasing Perico is probably second.

i'd have to say for me Chiappucci on sestriere. I have that tour video and i never get tired of that stage. also hampsten winning on l'alpe was a nice bit of riding.

roche had the smoothest damn pedal stroke i've ever seen. totally fluid. greatness

roche had the smoothest damn pedal stroke i've ever seen. totally fluid. greatness

Raul Alcala, E. Breukink, and L. Fignon were others I remember as being just buttery smooth. Regardless of the speed, watching them pedal makes you feel totally inadequate.

Michele Bartoli 1997 Liege Bastogne Liege. If you can get a tape of this you should see it. Bartoli in the winning break with Jalabert AND Zulle both from ONCE. They take turns attacking Bartoli like 10 times and he keeps responding to each one until they are both sussed and he attacks and solo's in, simply amazing.
Runner up is an obscure stage 8 of the 2000 tour, Knaven and Dekker have just attacked the leading break and have about a minute when Aitor Gonzalez tries to bridge across, he drags Wauters across the gap singlehandedly and Wauters attacks him as they get close but can't drop him. They all come together and Aitor does an incredible job as the other three try to work him over. I re-watch that stage over and over.

Hampston on the Gavia is hard to beat but I'll agree
Ducloss-Lasalle's 2 P-R's
but I'll go with Tcmil and Durand (P-R nd R-V-V) just becuase I loved their riding style.
we need more characters like those in today's peloton.

Sadly, the TDF does seem more formulaic these days - a team can't let a Jacky Durand go up the road because its too unlikely that he will win. But for some reason it was ok 10 years ago. ... But that guy was a character remember that mad long break where he started singing at the top of his lungs while pumping out 400 watts?

Now that Cippolini has left there are no charatcters anymore.


Also Raul Alcala did have the smoothest stroke ever. I saw him hit it in NY Central Park for tour DeTrump and I thought the same thing atthe time: I am not worthy!
-Nik

Michele Bartoli 1997 Liege Bastogne Liege.

Bartoli was pure class, the only classics rider of the last couple of decades to approach the greatness of Museeuw. The only thing going against him was that he didn't have the right physique to win Paris-Roubaix. Unfortunately injury greatly diminished what should have been his finest years and then he just fizzled out.

i'd have to say for me Chiappucci on sestriere.

I'd go with this one too. Chiappucci just kicked ass in the early nineties.

I'm also partial to a lot of Virenque's wins. Durand had the reputation for the long breaks but Virenque was more successful with that strategy.