Uni-Vibe

I vote Lemond. He should have won the Tour six times. The first time would have been the one before his first--he was stronger than Hinault, but was H's domestique, so he had to help H win. Then he missed out 2 years in the middle of his run because he was shot. Also, he won other races like the spring classics and the Worlds, instead of just focusing on the TdF. He was a better all around rider.

$ick3nin.vend3t

Armstrong. Not just the greatest US cyclist, but the greatest cyclist of all time IMO.

Greg Lemond should have, could have, would have... Armstrong did.

I also happen to believe that Greg LeMond doped, & its a fact Merckx was guilty of doping, just not EPO. So Armstrong tops them all.

monosierra

Dear god, not again. There's a thread on this already. Look before you post!

Suzie Green

Don't forget that Armstrong did win the World Championship road race, the Fleche Wallonne, as well as the Classic of San Sebastian in a 2 up break with Laurent Jalabert. My vote goes to him.

jonny wong

Should have, could have, would have, but didnt do it! Lance Armstrong did.

So be it!

diphthong

apples/oranges. fbow, armstrong has definitely helped to usher in the era of
ultra-specialization in cycling. between the money, sponsor demands and
(unintentionally) the pro tour, the days of seeing a lemond, merckx, hinault,
kelly and even a young, pre-cancer armstrong competitively contest all types
of road racing/parcours throughout the year are but history. doesn't come as
a surprise; sporting pursuits/talents have gotten increasingly specialized in many,
if not all sports.

fwiw, mano a mano in their primes, armstrong may have beaten lemond uphill but
lemond would be much more entertaining to watch.

USAZorro

Why not. I may as well cast the inevitable "Merckx" vote.

RedWhiteandRed

LeMond rode with character, panache and verve. Armstrong has made bike racing into a two-wheeled version of a trip to Wal-mart ::: corporate, bland and boring.

djg714

Easy, Greg L.

Stevestrat

Lancelot Link hands down.

Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp!
He stands for justice.He has no fear.
He's the agent to call when trouble is near.
Lance Link, ya gotta come through.
Everybody at APE is countin' on you!
Here's Marta Hairi, an agent and friend.
She sticks by his side right to the end.
Darwin is the leader on the side of good.
He traps CHUMP agents like a good ape should.
Lance Link, whatcha gonna do?
You've gotta stop CHUMP now. It's up to you.
Here's Baron Von Butcher. You better beware.
He's evil and he's cunning and he don't play fair.
He's got an evil chauffer. Creto's his name.
Dragon Woman's lovely, but she's wicked all the same!
Lance Link, whatcha gonna do
When mad Dr.Strangemind comes up to you?
There's Ali Assassin, Wicked Wang Foo
And the Duchess whose looks can really fool you.
Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp!
He stands for justice, he has no fear,
He's the agent to call when trouble is near.
Lance Link, whatcha gonna do?

Gr8Scott

I have to agree...Lancelot Link was the most witty and smartest of them all - you can't really argue that, now can you?

Rollfast

Merci! and would many actually be aware of the race if not for Merckx? You don't even have to know a lot about the Tour de France but if his name comes up you instantly tie them. He IS the Tour de France and the best legend I know of in cycling.

Of course, I failed to count Sheldon but I think it's understood as to exactly what I mean.

Rollfast

Don't try to monkey around with that fact either!

Flaneur

Lemond never won a classic- and your opinion about the '85 tour is speculative.

thomas p

Lemond was lucky in 89,Fignon had the wrong wheels in the final TT.As he went through Paris the cross winds nearly knocked him off his bike,so he had to slow down and lost a lot of time.Ok Hinault and Fignon were better cyclists than the fat german so Lemond had more competition.

But Lance Armstrong is much toughter mentally than Lemond ,and thats why he wins the head to head.

monosierra

The biggest thing going against LA is that the field of rivals he faced seemed weaker than others before.

Mooo

Let's not lose sight of what's really important here. Lance's lawyers are far superior.

Innergetic

Seven (7!) TdF victories, back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back! Lemond never came close to achieving that. So Lemond wasn't the team's top rider... cycling isn't all about legs. Lemond was great, but Lance... Lance is awesome.

RedWhiteandRed

The slag against Lance is that he brought the Wal=mart-ization of cycling. He was much more exciting pre 1999 - with each passing year there was a wider brush of vanilla pablum painted across a race that was once very thrilling.


Lance in the Leadville 100 for the first time was more exciting than the last 4 TDF rides.

trustnoone

As a caveat, I am a Lance fan. I enjoy watching him win. He uses every tool in the tool box, from team composition, strategy, tactics, power and intimidation. He is camera savvy and an incredible businessman. However, I was a Lemond fan first.

Greg Lemond won in 1986 racing against Hinault and probably all of Europe. He was the classic underdog in 1989 and he dug deeper than any rider I have seen since to win that race. He won against at three TdF winners in the Peloton; Delgado 2, Fignon x 2, And Roche. He proved to the world that you needed more than bull-horns and good hair to win a time-trial and a stage race. In 1990 he won again, in the WC jersey. What curse?

Greg Lemond brought cliplesss pedals, oakley, aero, carbon , and Ti to professional cycling and ultimately to all of us.

1989 was the first TdF I watched, and I have been hooked on cycling ever since. For that Greg gets my vote.

jtfind

Lemond, against all odds ran the gauntlet, virtually alone and broke through with personality, strength and desire. You might compare him to the 1980 US Hockey Team, but he kept on winning and winning.

Armstrong harnessed an organized assault on the TDF reducing it to its component parts, then addressing each of them, with team and individual prowess. Was it boring when Porsche won Le Mans 7 years in a row in the '80's? No Way, they had a plan for excellence and executed it repeatedly.

I love both of these guys because they excelled where Americans were given little respect. They finally gave the sport I follow some credibility here in the US.

:')

caloso

Definitely Armstrong.

CrimsonKarter21

Lance.
Not only in racing (let's face it, Greg being able to win 6 TdF's is totally speculative), but in verbal battle too. While Greg throws insult after insult, hoping for it to stick to something, Lance is able to remain calm and let Greg lose his reputation. Lance keeps the higher ground and doesn't indignify himself with a fight. If they both got into it verbally, nobody would look good.

That's what I like about Lance. He's physically superior and mentally superior. Like him or not, you'll agree with at least one of those statements.




And I also happen to believe that Greg doped, just not with EPO.

MNRon

Both of these guys are great for the sport. I started my cycling with following LeMond, Phinney, Grewal, Carpenter (Tyler's Mom and Davis' SO) and many others that my old mind can't bring out front right off the cuff.. But I like 'em all.

However, just the other day I was telling my wife that if I had the chance to sit down to dinner with just one of these two, I would have to choose LeMond. I just really think that he would actually be interested in talking with me and would give "me" some time. Lance would do it if he was supposed to, but I really don't think he would remember who I was as he left the room. I really think Greg would.

I have some linkage to high-end athletes, and I can tell you that the press can create and destroy reputations almost at will. Is Greg the bad-boy that is presented because he questions some of the LA press clippings? Maybe, but also he may be taken out-of-context many times.

So, my ramblings say I vote GL, but it's a close one. Lance has accomplished so much, and after that terrible run with the cancer, how can anyone questions that... But Greg has had a tough time too. I just like LeMond's personality and that he was really the first and helped pave the way for Lance and other's from our great land.

Viva la USA!!!! Go Lance in 2010!!

Camilo

Lemond - because Armstrong rode (rides) a Trek.