Originally Posted by
Keith99
Sounds like you are older or started watching younger that I did.
Good to find a kindred soul.
On a recent thread Sagan was compaerd to some very ordinary current riders after I compared him to Freddy (Maertins). People not having any understanding of just how good Maertins was.
Have you heard it said that de Vlaeminck actually knew every cobble on Paris-Roubaix?
EDIT: One interesting thing I found out recently is that Maertins won 13 stages in the Vuelta in 1977. I'd bet that is the most of any stage race. Only Binda comes close (In the Giro).
I started watching - as far as watching was possible with the very limited TV coverage - in 1974 or 75. Merckx was past his absolute peak but still God. Maertens was absolutely phenomenal. Possibly the greatest compliment I have heard paid to Cavendish was Sean Kelly saying that he might be as good as Maertens. Freddy was more versatile, though. I can't honestly say I remember the 1977 Vuelta, the other tours got very little coverage here until much more recently, but to win more than 50% of the stages in a GT is simply ridiculous.