Cyclingnews 2003 Reader Poll Results

Best One-day Race

Blue skies on the road to Roubaix
Photo: © Chris Henry

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