Another poll: best TdF climber

li0scc0

No drugs back then? You have to be kidding...right? Although not as sophisticated as drugs today, drugs have existed in sport all through the 20th Century. And back then many were legal and more accessible.

gntlmn

The opium wars were in the 1300's, right?

antoineg

1839-1842.

To be more clear about drugs, prior to the 1980s there was no EPO or HGH available to athletes. Prior to the late 1940's there were no anabolic steroids available.

We're talking stimulants and strychnine for the old school, which compared to today's array of synthetic drugs are just laughably underpowered and dangerous.

superclimber

eros poli

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REMEMBER: Hills are the key to aerobic conditioning.

Laggard

I'm sure you could create a poll called "Best madison riders", include Armstrong and 75 people would vote for him.

allezkmiec

All you have to do is look at Armstrong's record on the big mountain stages. Let's do the tally: mountaintop stage wins at: Sestrierre, Alpe d'Huez (twice), Chamrousse, La Mongie, Plateau de Beille (twice), etc. Not to mention very commanding performances of Hautacam, Ventoux (several times), Les Deux Alpes, Alpe d'Huez some more, and so on.

Is he the best TdT climber of all time? heck no! I rate Pantani, van Impe and Bahamontes above him, at the very least. But anyone who doesn't acknowledge his place on the list of the best ever is clueless.

-Matt

ilpirata

I agree with you 100% allezkmiec, however, I don't believe that Mr. Tuschinski should have put Pantani in italics, unless he means to imply the cleanest of all the riders listed, or simply superhuman (in either case therefore not to be compared fairly with the others on the list)

MountainPro

The climber is only as good as the climb and the best climb is Alpe D'Huez.
The greatest master of that mountain is Il Pirata - Marco Pantani.

limerickman

The climber debate continues !

Pantani's climbing ability is not in doubt.

I was speaking to someone several years ago and he agreed that Pantani was the greatest climber of this generation.
But this ex-pro made the point, that the likes of Bahamontes, Gaul had tougher
conditions to contend with when climbing and he thought that they were as good as Marco.

For me Marco was superb - I was forunate to be at the 1995 TDF at Alp D'Huez and Guize Niege, and both displays by Pantani were electirc. Electric.

I got Marco's autograph when Le Tour was in Dublin in 1998, and I laughed when he won that years TDF.
To see him coming in, 163rd, in the prologue in Dublin and to see him on top of the podium in Paris was typical of the man.

I miss Marco.

One other great, great climber and the best British rider ever in my view - Robert Millar from Scotland.
Superb climber as well.