Lance Armstrong can't be the "greatest athlete ever" when he isn't even the greatest ever at his own sport, can he?

That being said (and taking nothing from Armstrong, he's a once in a lifetime performer - I can tell my kids one day I watched him ride, like I'll tell them I saw Bonds hit, and Jordan dunk) the implication that cycle racing takes nothing but stamina and endurance is so laughable, but such a common perception.

The tactics, mental games, and pure handling skills required to just finish a race are much more difficult than almost anything in any other professional sport, let alone doing that for 5.5 hours a day for 3 weeks straight, while so fatigued you can't see straight at times.

"The greatest athlete must have special levels of hand-eye coordination, strength, speed, power and body control. This person must also be a clutch performer."

Any cyclist meets those criteria, easily. Lance certainly has all of those qualities, and in spades. If he can't be considered great, then great has no meaning. Just watch stage 15 of this years race if you doubt any of those, or watch him deftly skip around Beloki, go off-road and save his tour - at speeds our friendly columnists would be lucky to be alive at.