johnny99

According to the League of American Bicyclists, these are the top 25 most influential figures in American bicycling history:

1. Lance Armstrong (born 1971)
2. The Schwinn Family (company founded 1895)
3. Colonel Albert A. Pope (1843-1909)
4. Charles Pratt (1845-1898)
5. Greg LeMond (born 1961)
6. Tullio Campagnolo (1901-1983)
7. Shimano Family (company founded 1921)
8. Major Taylor (1878-1932)
9. Pierre Lallement (1843-1891)
10. Jim Oberstar (born 1934)
11. Gary Fisher (born 1950)
12. Phyllis Harmon (born 1917)
13. Mike Sinyard (born 1950)
14. Joe Breeze (born 1953)
15. Dan Burden (born 1943)
16. Paul Dudley White (1886-1973)
17. Burke Family (company founded in 1976)
18. Keith Kingbay (1918-1995)
19. Georgena Terry (born 1950)
20. John Forester (born 1929)
21. Gary Klein (company founded 1975)
22. Earl Blumenauer (born 1948)
23. Juli Furtado (born 1967)
24. Horace Huffman (1885-1945)
25. Robert Rodale (1930-1990)

Here is a detailed article on who they were and why they were important: https://www.bikeleague.org/mediacenter/Change_Agents.pdf

EURO

Phantoj

nice to see that several of the judges made the list...

johnny99

True, but even if you ignore the judges and the former LAB officials on the list, the bios of historical bicycling figures (from the 1800s and early 1900s) were pretty interesting.

merlinextraligh

Euro, interesting chart, what's the source. Just curious, what they designated as Hall of Fame races, and how the weighted the points?

Keith99

Here is a link to the site:

https://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/index.asp

Basically it is the 3 grand tours, the 5 monuments, the worlds and 8 other major one day races. It considers only final finishing position, e.g does not count stage wins or days in yellow. It does give points for the KOM and Points jerseys. The TDF counts over twice as much as any other race.

Another interesting site is:

https://www.cycling4all.com/index.php...t=analysis.php

His point system is much more complicated as he adjusted races over time. The correct thing to do. After all the Vuelta today is much more important than early in it's history. But also more open to argument.

Both have some very interesting breakouts. Tours vrs One day races. Best riders for each year. Also the best points totals for a single year. Guess which rider has 6 out of the top 10 best years in one and 7 in the other?

cydewaze

Damn! I didn't make the list.

If only they had counted the top 242,452,387 I might have been in there.

jbhowat

Maybe for me. For you they'd have to at least go down to 242,452,388.

Sincitycycler

Updated list...

fmw

That is interesting. I've always thought of the three greatest bicycle racers as Merckxx, Coppi and Hinault in that order. I guess I gave Coppi more credit for his feats in an earlier historical era than did the Hall of Fame. I don't think anybody would argue Merckxx. There hasn't been anything like him since. He was in the U.S. recently and did a group ride with Lance Armstrong for Armstrong's foundation. He still looks fit as a fiddle. I was also a little surprised to see Ullrich ahead of Fignon. Thanks for the post.

Alekhine

Poor Bartali. Deprived a whole World War's worth of potential TdF appearances.

Keith99

Remember that the cycling hall of fame methods cout the TDF for twice as much as the Giro. In Coppi's era that was not true. WW II took a bite out of the peak of Coppi's carreer. From 40-46 no TDF. In 47 the Italians were not invited (what is listed as the Italian team were men of Italian decent who had been living in France). There was one other year where the Italians withdrew after one of their riders was threatened with a knife on a mountian climb and I think one more year where the Italians were not invited because of too many 'piano days' in the Giro. One other year Foaustos Brother dies just before teh TDF and it showed in his performance. That is 8 times he had no chance at the biggest chunk of points thru no fault of his and 3 more that could be counted. Also there was no points jersey in any of the Grand Tours. And in the Amstel Gold race which did not exist in Coppi's time, but did in Hinault's.

Consider that before Coppi it was considered impossible for one man to win two Grand Tours in one year. Coppi did it twice. At least once taking everything in sight in both the TDF and Giro. No one else has ever done this. (Yes not even Eddy, though the way I put it it was harder in Eddy's day as there were more prizes to take).

Also the Cycling Hall of fame gives no credit for the hour record. Something Coppi did in Milan during WW II and something Hinault never did.

Also for best single year Coppi is the only rider to beat any of Eddy's best 5 years in any list I have seen (all 2 of them), having the second best year ever in 1949 on the cycling hall of fame list.

All in all I put Coppi ahead of Hinault.

56/12 and 22/28

What about Tom Ritchey?

Ostuni

fascinating (though a bit off topic). makes merckx that much more zeus-like in my book. and elevates hinault to his proper place in the pantheon of gods. reckon that would make coppi, anquetil, bartoli, lance, and indurain titans. the rest heroes....

mikeoverly

They forgot Pee Wee Herman. Obviously junk science.