Top-5 Climbers Ever
07-19-10, 05:55 PM
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Where would you place Richard Virenque in that mix? (7 TdF KOM's for those that don't know) I know, I know....a doper. But who isn't?
07-19-10, 05:57 PM
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By including Gaul and Pantani, you leave the door open to other people who, let's be diplomatic here, "stretched" the rules.
Without doubt, the most spectacular climbing exhibition I've ever seen was Basso in the 2006 Giro. That said, seeing how he's climbing now, he fails to make my list due to inconsistency. Ricco and Rasmussen are similarly "extraterrestrial". Hinault and LeMond were both also outstanding climbers, though perhaps not "pure" climbers". Hard to find serious fault with your list though.
Without doubt, the most spectacular climbing exhibition I've ever seen was Basso in the 2006 Giro. That said, seeing how he's climbing now, he fails to make my list due to inconsistency. Ricco and Rasmussen are similarly "extraterrestrial". Hinault and LeMond were both also outstanding climbers, though perhaps not "pure" climbers". Hard to find serious fault with your list though.
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07-19-10, 06:01 PM
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I almost included Herras who in my humble opinion at his peak may have been the best pure climber in the last thirty years. There's the doping thing though.
07-19-10, 06:09 PM
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I might take Coppi out. Not that he wasn't a good climber, more the he was far from a pure climber. After all he broke the Hour record under pretty difficult circumstances.
07-19-10, 06:12 PM
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07-19-10, 06:20 PM
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Thought about it. He seemed more of an opportunist though. Never was sure if he was as good a climber as his KOM jerseys indicate. Maybe.
I almost included Herras who in my humble opinion at his peak may have been the best pure climber in the last thirty years. There's the doping thing though.
I almost included Herras who in my humble opinion at his peak may have been the best pure climber in the last thirty years. There's the doping thing though.
07-19-10, 06:21 PM
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Lucien Van Impe would be on the shortest of all lists.
07-19-10, 07:24 PM
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07-20-10, 12:41 AM
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Good choice, though more of an opportunist, attacking when the GC riders were tactically watching each other. I'd put him at the bottom of my 5-rider short list.
07-20-10, 02:05 PM
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Six KOM's and a tour win which is not bad considering being from Belgium where they don't exactly grow climbers. He was also top climber in the Giro twice.
I didn't live too far from him when I was in Belgium and a couple guys on the team knew him and he'd occasionally go on rides with us in early season. It was like riding with a motorcycle. He was off the A10 west of Brussels. Great guy who lived most of his career in Merckx' shadow.
I didn't live too far from him when I was in Belgium and a couple guys on the team knew him and he'd occasionally go on rides with us in early season. It was like riding with a motorcycle. He was off the A10 west of Brussels. Great guy who lived most of his career in Merckx' shadow.
07-20-10, 02:16 PM
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Sorry, but Coppi has to go back on the list. Not sure whether Herrera or Gaul would get bumped.
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07-20-10, 02:45 PM
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07-20-10, 02:53 PM
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07-21-10, 06:53 AM
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KOM jerseys, at least in modern times are not an indication of true climbing prowess. See e.g. Laurent Jaliber.
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07-21-10, 12:55 PM
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Not a fanboy here.
But shouldnt LA be considered pretty close to these guys. His accelrations and tempo were hardly matched on the steep stuff.
Virenque always seemed like a shooting star with the KOM to me. He would bomb out of the gate and grab the first 2 or 3 climbs and then implode.
But shouldnt LA be considered pretty close to these guys. His accelrations and tempo were hardly matched on the steep stuff.
Virenque always seemed like a shooting star with the KOM to me. He would bomb out of the gate and grab the first 2 or 3 climbs and then implode.
07-21-10, 01:51 PM
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Armstrong climbed well, but was an all around rider, not a pure climber.
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07-21-10, 02:01 PM
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And the converse. There were a couple of years where no one could stay with Pantani in the high mountians when he wanted a mountiantop. But he wanted stages in the high mountians and all but ignored picking up points on lesser climbs.
07-21-10, 02:12 PM
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07-21-10, 03:01 PM
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I'd leave Gaul on there, but that's personal bias since he is one of my all time favorite riders. Tragic story really though.
Look up Mountain Goat in the dictionary and you have Herras picture.
tough call to find the top 5. . .
Look up Mountain Goat in the dictionary and you have Herras picture.
tough call to find the top 5. . .
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07-21-10, 06:04 PM
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Add simoni...he's won the toughest and most brutal climbs: the Angliru and the Zoncolan among them.
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07-22-10, 12:52 PM
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07-22-10, 06:26 PM
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I have to also add Julio Perez, who mostly did the giro, also Alex Zulle, and Fernando Escartin, and Gianni Bugno ...
for some reason italians seem to do really well on the Alpe....
for some reason italians seem to do really well on the Alpe....
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