Poll

Road cyclist, that is.  Who gets your vote?

Anquetil
Merckx
Hinault
LeMond
Armstrong
Wiggins
Coppi
Indurain
Fignon
Cavendish
Burton
Teethgrinder
Other (please state)

Author Topic: Greatest cyclist of all time?  (Read 116412 times)

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Greatest cyclist of all time?
« on: 20 July, 2012, 06:43:57 pm »
These aren't in any order, by the way.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #1 on: 20 July, 2012, 06:45:28 pm »
Teethgrinder, natch.  But, after him, maybe Beryl Burton. ;)
Getting there...

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #2 on: 20 July, 2012, 06:56:30 pm »
Where, pray, is Charlotte?
The loss of humanity I could live with.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #3 on: 20 July, 2012, 07:03:17 pm »
Is the next poll about whether Campag is better than Shimano? ;)
Getting there...

Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #4 on: 20 July, 2012, 07:18:45 pm »
The Greatest Of All Time probably hasn't even been born yet, or, due to a strange twist of fate has spent their entire life doing something completely different to cycling.

Just to be different, I'll nominate Gino Bartali - not for his palmares, but for what he did during the six-year gap in his racing career.

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gino_Bartali#Bartali_in_wartime

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Basil

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Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #5 on: 20 July, 2012, 07:24:15 pm »
Can we have two votes please Rog?  I wanted to vote Burton and Merckx.

I voted Beryl.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Rhys W

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Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #6 on: 20 July, 2012, 07:53:08 pm »
Does Burton refer to Beryl, Maurice, or Germaine?

Gus

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Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #7 on: 20 July, 2012, 07:53:55 pm »
Roger De Vlaeminck

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #8 on: 20 July, 2012, 08:32:58 pm »
Does Burton refer to Beryl, Maurice, or Germaine?
Beryl. Not Richard.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #9 on: 20 July, 2012, 08:58:56 pm »
If this poll is rerun in about 20 years time, I think I'd be voting for Germain.
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Eccentrica Gallumbits

  • Rock 'n' roll and brew, rock 'n' roll and brew...
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #10 on: 20 July, 2012, 09:06:26 pm »
Teethgrinder. Then bobb.
My feminist marxist dialectic brings all the boys to the yard.


Rig of Jarkness

  • An Englishman abroad
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #11 on: 20 July, 2012, 09:14:50 pm »
Merckx Merckx Merckx.  Or possibly Coppi. With Sir Chris Hoy and Mrs Beryl Burton as close seconds.
Aero but not dynamic

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #12 on: 20 July, 2012, 09:26:21 pm »
Jeannie Longo?  Surely the most extensive palmares - 13 World Championships, in road, TT and track, with several other medals, and a silver in mountain biking; four Olympic medals in seven Games; 3 Tours Feminins; Hour record.

I know there was an EPO scandal concerning her husband earlier this year, but most of the cyclists in the list took drugs.
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AndyK

Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #13 on: 20 July, 2012, 09:32:13 pm »
I voted Merckx. Great cyclist, and always the first name that springs to mind when anyone says 'greatest cyclist...'. Also, I have one of these.

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #14 on: 21 July, 2012, 11:18:27 am »
Indurain for me.  I was too young to appreciate Merckx and my Dad's explanation of why Merckx was winning even though he hadn't won the stage thoroughly confused me.  More to the point I loved Mig's understated (not _boring_) way of turning up the heat. 
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Ray 6701

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Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #15 on: 21 July, 2012, 11:28:39 am »
Merckx obviously but I've still voted for our Beryl  :)
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Biggsy

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Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #16 on: 21 July, 2012, 11:43:57 am »
I don't know enough about Merckx; Armstrong hugely impressed me; Cippolini should be on the list for the entertainment he brought; but Teethgrinder gets my vote.  His incredible madness endurance deserves the recognition.
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Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #17 on: 21 July, 2012, 12:07:52 pm »
Easy answer: Merckx, no one else comes close. A more interesting question is who is the second or the top five. I'd go for Hinault, followed closely by Coppi and Anquetil.

Re: Longo and Beryl Burton, women's racing is hardly competitive, is it? especially in the past.

RJ

  • Droll rat
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #18 on: 21 July, 2012, 12:17:20 pm »
The Greatest Of All Time probably hasn't even been born yet, or, due to a strange twist of fate has spent their entire life doing something completely different to cycling.

Just to be different, I'll nominate Gino Bartali - not for his palmares, but for what he did during the six-year gap in his racing career.

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gino_Bartali#Bartali_in_wartime

Impressive and noble stuff indeed.  Though judged on road cycle racing results only (as per OP), Merckx  gets my vote. 

Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #19 on: 21 July, 2012, 02:49:41 pm »
Re: Longo and Beryl Burton, women's racing is hardly competitive, is it? especially in the past.

I'll get the feminazis on you, pissant.

aregister

  • On entre OK, on sort KO
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #20 on: 21 July, 2012, 09:49:45 pm »
Philippe Thys. Love the old timers. Mammoth stages and they had to take care of repairs themselves. And still impressive average speeds.
Thys was the first to win 3 Tours de France: 1913, 1914 and 1920. He would have won more if it hadn't been for the First World War.

red marley

Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #21 on: 21 July, 2012, 10:00:50 pm »
Re: Longo and Beryl Burton, women's racing is hardly competitive, is it? especially in the past.

Burton held the 12hr TT record for any cyclist male or female, so that probably counts for something.

Tail End Charlie

Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #22 on: 21 July, 2012, 10:10:43 pm »
Merkcx wasn't called Le Cannibale for nothing. We shan't see his like again.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #23 on: 22 July, 2012, 08:55:48 pm »
I have a soft spot for Jean Robic because he was obviously barking mad.



And Eros Poli for the greatest TdF stage win ever, Cipollini's 6'4" windbreak stealing the Ventoux from the climbers.  His all-day lone breakaway was caught on the previous stage, so he decided to do it again to prove a point, and built up enough of a lead on the flat to get over the top without being caught.  He came third from last on GC.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/RxTnLaH3gVA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/RxTnLaH3gVA&rel=1</a>

Note the cotton cap with the top cut out to make an eyeshade.  Poli used to cut himself a new one every morning.

Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Greatest cyclist of all time?
« Reply #24 on: 23 July, 2012, 11:27:58 am »
coppi merckx coppi merckx coppi merckx coppi merckx coppi merckx coppi merckx coppi merckx coppi merckx coppi merckx

coppi, wins it on style points and allowances made for interrupted career…
she was quite innocent, 'till she got that bicycle - sykurmolanir