2006-09-20 23:47:34 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Cycling
Agree with Blondie, it's Eddy Merckx. Merckx won the Tour de France and a host of other races. Unlike Armstrong, he never focussed on only one race. Merckx won the Giro d'Italia five times as well and the Vuelta d'Espana once. Right there, you've go the three biggest cycling races in the world, all won by one man. In his first Tour de France--1969--Merckx took the general classification (yellow jersey), best sprinter (green jersey), and "king of the mountains," (polka-dot jersey). No other rider has ever done this, and I doubt the feat will ever be duplicated. Merckx also excelled in the one day classics and shorter stage races, winning the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and others multiple times. Armstrong is a great rider and great Tour de France champion, but he's got nothing to challenge the broad-ranging dominance of Merckx.
2006-09-21 04:58:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
If there's someone who can surpass a 7 straight Tour D France Title after Surviving Cancer that would be the greatest Cyclist.
But For Now Lance Armstrong. Hands Down!!
2006-09-21 03:30:28 · answer #2 · answered by Warhorse X 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Merckx, of course.
-In the '69 tour he won the yellow, green and polkadot jerseys - something that has never happened since or before.
- 5 Tours, 5 Giros, and 1 Vuelta.
- 7 Milan-San Remo, 5 Liege, 3 Paris-Roubaix, 3 Fleche, 3 Gent-Wevelgem, 3 worlds, 3 Paris Nice and 2 Flanders and Lombardi.
- 34 Stages on the Tour, 24 in the Giro and 6 in the Vuelta.
- He still holds the record for days in yellow and stage victories in the tour.
- He is one of two ever to win the Giro, the Tour, and the Vuelta in the same year.
- Armstrong won seven Tours, which is as much luck as talent. Lemond got shot, Merckx crashed out, things happen and nothing ever happend to Armstrong.
- Merckx entered 1582 road races in his 13 year professional career, and won 525 of them. One third.
- He never competed tactically, but chose, rather, to put the hammer down and flat kick your but.
He was the Babe Ruth, the Tiger, the Jordan of cycling.
What's more: He didn't cheat.
2006-09-21 06:40:55 · answer #3 · answered by Jeff 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Hubert Opperman...he was someone for Australians to be proud of in a time when it was really hard to be happy or proud about anything (The Great Depression). This alone is reason enough, but, coupled with the fact that he was a fantastic cyclist, he was the greatest of all time in my view.
2006-09-21 00:08:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
IMHO that's Eddy Merkx, simply because he was an alround cyclist. He could win one-day races just as well as he'd win the Tours there are.
Armstrong was absolutely great, but it seems to me his whole preparation was based on winning the Tour de France. And however hard to believe : there IS more to cycling than just the Tour de France, LOL>
2006-09-22 00:34:43 · answer #5 · answered by Joshua 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain and Lance Armstrong (I'm not a fan of LA but you can't ignore 7 straight TdF). Of the 3, Merckx is the greatest. He was all around dominant, not just TdFs.
2006-09-21 06:58:39 · answer #6 · answered by Ben P 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Lance Armstrong
2006-09-20 23:50:53 · answer #7 · answered by ebiong 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Lance Armstrong b/c he won the tour de France 7 times in a row after fighting cancer.
2006-09-21 09:07:40 · answer #8 · answered by j_son_06 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eddie Merckx " The Cannibal" and Octave Lapize are the best. This is according to Bob Roll & Dan Koeppel.
2006-09-21 06:47:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eddy Merckx. He basically won everything. Again and again. And when he won, he dominated.
Everyone saying "Lance Armstrong" has only been paying attention since 1999. Even Lance has said it's Eddy Merckx.
2006-09-22 05:47:52 · answer #10 · answered by kalaka 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋