View Full Version : The "Seabiscuit" of Pro Cycling
...has to be Eddie Merckx. As someone wrote in an earlier post, he
1) won all three jerseys at the TDF
2) won a bunch of classics
3) won like 50% of the races he enters
4) raced from January to October
5) held the hour record
After reading the book (HIGHLY recommended even for non horse-racing fans), and getting wrapped up
in the tour, this analogy came to me. Most of todays top horses, and even those coddled "East Coast"
horses back in Seabiscuit's day (i.e. War Admiral), barely raced and prepared for nothing more than
the triple crown - somewhat akin to Lance and the TDF. On the other hand, Eddie and his equine
predecessor Seabiscuit, raced all the time, without much rest, and had very long, overwhelmingly
successful careers. In fact don't they both hold the all time wins record?
Maybe this is a stupid analogy. Did Eddie ever come back from an injury?
Kyle
> >Most of todays
> top horses, and even those coddled "East Coast" horses back in Seabiscuit's day (i.e. War
> Admiral), barely raced and prepared for nothing more than the triple crown - somewhat akin to
> Lance and the TDF.
Not entirely true about race horses. You can only run in the triple crown races when you are a three
year old. (Every horses birthday is Jan 1.) There are a series of major stakes races that many
horses race in before the Derby, the Preakness in two weeks after the Derby and the Belmont is three
weeks after the Preakness. Granted they aren't racing every weekend.
Dan
KBH wrote:
> ...has to be Eddie Merckx. As someone wrote in an earlier post, he
>
> 1) won all three jerseys at the TDF
> 2) won a bunch of classics
> 3) won like 50% of the races he enters
> 4) raced from January to October
> 3) held the hour record
>
> After reading the book (HIGHLY recommended even for non horse-racing fans), and getting wrapped up
> in the tour, this analogy came to me. Most of todays top horses, and even those coddled "East
> Coast" horses back in Seabiscuit's day (i.e. War Admiral), barely raced and prepared for nothing
> more than the triple crown - somewhat akin to Lance and the TDF. On the other hand, Eddie and his
> equine predecessor Seabiscuit, raced all the time, without much rest, and had very long,
> overwhelmingly successful careers. In fact don't they both hold the all time wins record?
>
> Maybe this is a stupid analogy. Did Eddie ever come back from an injury?
>
> Kyle
Yes. Perhaps someone can fill in the details. He was assaulted by a spectator during a race.
I believe he suffered injuries to his liver. I've heard that he never felt he was the same
on a bike afterwards.
Steve
Steven Bornfeld wrote:
>
> KBH wrote:
> > ...has to be Eddie Merckx. As someone wrote in an earlier post, he
> >
> > 1) won all three jerseys at the TDF
> > 2) won a bunch of classics
> > 3) won like 50% of the races he enters
> > 4) raced from January to October
> > 3) held the hour record
> >
> > After reading the book (HIGHLY recommended even for non horse-racing fans), and getting wrapped
> > up in the tour, this analogy came to me. Most of todays top horses, and even those coddled "East
> > Coast" horses back in Seabiscuit's day (i.e. War Admiral), barely raced and prepared for nothing
> > more than the triple crown - somewhat akin to Lance and the TDF. On the other hand, Eddie and
> > his equine predecessor Seabiscuit, raced all the time, without much rest, and had very long,
> > overwhelmingly successful careers. In fact don't they both hold the all time wins record?
> >
> > Maybe this is a stupid analogy. Did Eddie ever come back from an injury?
> >
> > Kyle
>
> Yes. Perhaps someone can fill in the details. He was assaulted by a spectator during a
> race. I believe he suffered injuries to his liver. I've heard that he never felt he was
> the same on a bike afterwards.
>
> Steve
That was toward the end.
More to the point, most of his career came after a near-fatal motorpacing accident just after the
1969 Tour in which the motorcyclist was killed. Merckx spent months recuperating and suffered from
permanent back pain.
Steven Bornfeld <marstev2@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<3F1DF5CB.2080508@earthlink.net>...
> KBH wrote:
> > ...has to be Eddie Merckx. As someone wrote in an earlier post, he
> >
> > 1) won all three jerseys at the TDF
> > 2) won a bunch of classics
> > 3) won like 50% of the races he enters
> > 4) raced from January to October
> > 3) held the hour record
> >
> > After reading the book (HIGHLY recommended even for non horse-racing fans), and getting wrapped
> > up in the tour, this analogy came to me. Most of todays top horses, and even those coddled "East
> > Coast" horses back in Seabiscuit's day (i.e. War Admiral), barely raced and prepared for nothing
> > more than the triple crown - somewhat akin to Lance and the TDF. On the other hand, Eddie and
> > his equine predecessor Seabiscuit, raced all the time, without much rest, and had very long,
> > overwhelmingly successful careers. In fact don't they both hold the all time wins record?
> >
> > Maybe this is a stupid analogy. Did Eddie ever come back from an injury?
> >
> > Kyle
>
> Yes. Perhaps someone can fill in the details. He was assaulted by a spectator during a race.
> I believe he suffered injuries to his liver. I've heard that he never felt he was the same
> on a bike afterwards.
>
> Steve
>
> >
> >
It was not just any race: it was the 1975 TdF! Some crazed fan attacked Merckx with a rabbit
punch in the back, while he was on a
climb. I believe that the spectator was French, and possibly motivated by a desire to prevent Merckx
from gaining his 6th TdF title, which would set a record, thereby eclipsing the achievement
of the French rider, Jacques Anquetil, who at that time was the only other rider to record 5
TdF victories. Instead on Merckx having a crack at his 6th title, he came in 2nd, behing the
French rider B. Thevanet. Merckx only raced one more year in the TdF, finishing in 6th place.
Greg Lemond augered in the era of greater specialization. I do think that armstrong would be
ranked higher as an All-Time cyclist, if he were to get a win or two each in the other major
Classic tours, the Giro d' Italia, and La Vuelta de Espania (Tours of Italy and Spain)
I do think that it is still possible to win both the TdF and the Vuelta. However, Lance is
singularly focused on winning the TdF each year. Maybe he race in the Vuelta in 2004, before he
retires? Well, probably not.
What was inpressive about Merckx is that he sought to dominate the TdFs, not merely win the
Yellow Jersey. So, he would win 6-8 stages--some in the mountains, some in Time trials, some in
flat stages. He strived to win the King of the Mountain title, and the Points (sprint) title.
Armstrong probably could have won the KoM competition 2 or 3
years ago, but it is likely that the thought never crossed his mind.
Cyclists today can scarcely imagine racing for maximum result, as Merckx did
"Daniel Lieb" <a@a.a> wrote in message news:3F1DF123.528F3EC3@a.a...
> > >Most of todays
> > top horses, and even those coddled "East Coast" horses back in
Seabiscuit's
> > day (i.e. War Admiral), barely raced and prepared for nothing more than
the
> > triple crown - somewhat akin to Lance and the TDF.
>
> Not entirely true about race horses. You can only run in the triple crown
races
> when you are a three year old. (Every horses birthday is Jan 1.) There
are a
> series of major stakes races that many horses race in before the Derby,
the
> Preakness in two weeks after the Derby and the Belmont is three weeks
after the
> Preakness. Granted they aren't racing every weekend.
>
> Dan
Good point. OK, maybe not the best analogy.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Isidor Gunsberg
Greg Lemond augered in the era of greater specialization. I do think that armstrong would be
ranked higher as an All-Time cyclist, if he were to get a win or two each in the other major
Classic tours, the Giro d' Italia, and La Vuelta de Espania (Tours of Italy and Spain)
Mr. Word Butcher,
Greg Lemond USHERED in the era, not augered in. He is not an airplane.
Have a pleasant day.
Carl
Hmmm...but for Eddie Merckx to be like Seabiscuit, wouldn't he have to have started off as a long shot? AS far as I know he didn't have any of the problems that Seabiscuit did getting started off.
But, prove me wrong, because my knowledge of Merckx is very limited.
"Carl Sundquist" <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote in message
news:3f1f2061$3_4@news.chariot.net.au...
> Originally posted by Isidor Gunsberg
>
> Greg Lemond augered in the era of greater specialization. I do think that armstrong would be
> ranked higher as an All-Time cyclist, if he were to get a win or two each in the other major
> Classic tours, the Giro d' Italia, and La Vuelta de Espania (Tours of Italy and Spain)
>
>
> Mr. Word Butcher,
>
> Greg Lemond USHERED in the era, not augered in. He is not an airplane.
lol.
BTW, Greg Lemond augered in the era of clipless pedals (the original LOOKS). That makes him greater
than Eddy Merckx.
Carl Sundquist wrote:
> Originally posted by Isidor Gunsberg
>
> Greg Lemond augered in the era of greater specialization. I do
> Greg Lemond USHERED in the era, not augered in. He is not an airplane.
>
Isidor was aiming at "augured."
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