General Cycling Discussion - Rate your Top 5 Cyclist in the 20th Century

1. Eddy Merckx, BEL
2. Bernard Hinault, FRA

3. Fausto Coppi, ITA

4. Gino Bartali, ITA

5. Jacques Anquetil, FRA

6. Miguel Indurain, ESP

7. Lance Armstrong, USA
8. Felice Gimondi, ITA
9. Louison Bobet, FRA

10. Joop Zoetemelk, HOL

11. Francesco Moser, ITA

12. Alfredo Binda, ITA

13. Rik Van Looy, BEL

14. Sean Kelly, IRE
15. Raymond Poulidor, FRA
16. Greg Lemond, USA

17. Lucien Van Impe, BEL

18. Roger De Vlaeminck, BEL

19. Jan Ullrich, GER

20. Laurent Fignon, FRA

21. Jan Janssen, HOL
22. Federico Bahamontes, ESP
23. Charly Gaul, LUX

24. Erik Zabel, GER

25. Gustave Garrigou, FRA

Should be of all -time top cyclist........sorry
Here are some names to help get you started.

Ian Hibell

Looks like it's already in order on someone's list. Here's mine:

1. Eddy Merckx, BEL
2. Bernard Hinault, FRA
3. Jacques Anquetil, FRA
4. Fausto Coppi, ITA
5. Lance Armstrong, USA (not entirely sure, yet, but I think in a couple of years this will be true)

Eddy Merckx....the rest are just details:D j/k there are just too many to pick from...but eddy is da bomb

Major Taylor

The guy that rode the one-minute mile behind / paced by the LIRR train...(somebody he'p me here)

Joe Bicycle Commuter, Anytown USA...

:)

And I would have to add to this list Thomas Voeckler. I have never seen a rider with that much heart and where pure desire could push one so far beyond your physical ability. He has my complete respect even if he never wins anything ever again.

And I would have to add to this list Thomas Voeckler. I have never seen a rider with that much heart and where pure desire could push one so far beyond your physical ability. He has my complete respect even if he never wins anything ever again.

he is one of my favourite riders of the year. I was really hoping he would leave the tour with the white jersey...

I like Graham Obree. Lots of intensity.

1) Eddie Merckx
2) Bernard Hinault
3) Lance Armstrong
4) Jacques Anquetil
5) Miguel Indurain

Pee Wee Herman - the dude won the Tour de France on a glorified beach cruiser.

55/Rad

Did he stop at the movies?

Major Taylor

The guy that rode the one-minute mile behind / paced by the LIRR train...(somebody he'p me here)

Joe Bicycle Commuter, Anytown USA...

:)

one minute mile?!?! are you serious? that's just amazing if it's true...

Major Taylor rode with Charles "Mile-a-Minute" Murphy.

Charles Murphy drafted a train as part of an act (google provided this page: http://www.newsday.com/extras/lihistory/6/hs610a.htm )

Major Taylor rode with Charles "Mile-a-Minute" Murphy.

Charles Murphy drafted a train as part of an act (google provided this page: http://www.newsday.com/extras/lihistory/6/hs610a.htm )

hey, thanks for posting that smorgasbord. that's an interesting read.

It seems that everyone is focused on road cyclists. I agree with most of what everyone has put forward but I must include John Tomac. In the early 90's this guy was dominating both cross country and downhill, which is pretty impressive.

Anyone who has set or passed the record time for the RAAM solo category needs to be on this list as well.

My friend Matt who rode his bike from Cincinnati, OH to the west coast every year to work at his summer job, then rode home. He also rode from his home in Cincinnati to South America once. (Unfortunately he got ambushed and had his bike and shoes stolen on that journey.)

If we're going with riders who aren't roadies, what about Chris Eatough? He's won the 24 Hours of Adrenaline Solo World Championship for the fourth time in a row in September of '03. I wouldn't put him number one, but he's gotta be pretty dedicated to keep his butt on a bike for 24 hours. One other thing, just think if Lance Armstrong hadn't been around for the last six years. Jan Ulrich would have been one hell of a legend.

I have no idea why Lance Armstrong is on the list at 7. His palmares in the 20th century were unexceptional.

Beryl Burton, on the other hand.........any other women held a men's record?

Koichi Nakano

Tullio Campagnolo

Ned Overend

Patrick Sercu

Jeannie Longo

And I would have to add to this list Thomas Voeckler. I have never seen a rider with that much heart and where pure desire could push one so far beyond your physical ability. He has my complete respect even if he never wins anything ever again.

I don't see how you can add Voeckler to the all time greats... yet.

I'll agree he showed promise and heart, but when the road turned up, he couldn't even keep the white jersey.

Trekaholic

They're just showing praise for Voeckler's gutsy performance. A lot can be said for sheer desire. There's no way that Voeckler could have done that well for that long without the Maillot Jaune. Remember he did keep the Maillot Jaune through the Pyrenees. Nobody thought he would keep it though a few stages let alone through the first mountain stages. He took it into the Alps and when he finally lost it, he was so drained that it made it almost impossible for him to keep the white jersey after dropping from the lead. You can look at it this way though. He could have given up and relinquished the yellow jersey earlier by staying with Sandy Cassar and the like through the mountains and trying to conserve his energy. Instead, he fought as hard as he could as long as he could to keep the yellow jersey on his back. He may not have had the legs of a champion this time around, but he definitely had the heart. Remember also he's still young as far as Tour riders are concerned.

Add to the list the only 2 brothers duo that won the tour in the '30s:
Romain (once) and Sylver(twice) Maes, both Belgians.
Also: Lon and Susan Notorangelo/Haldeman who set RAAM records on singles and on tandem.
And top choice is my wife: Kay Van Renterghem who has covered over 200,000 miles on tandems with me in 29 1/2 years!

Lance, Eddie, Miguel, Bernard, Jacques
Lance coz, he had break the # 5, and its six in a row

Lance has brought the Tour de France in a new level of playing fields, I am no Lance fan, but I admire his determination to break the record

I think if you factor in everything the 'The Cannibal' Eddie Merckx is truly the greatest. Having said that and being an American - Lance winning this 6th straight Tour and his appetite for winning IMO puts him in the #2 spot.