Which rider do you admire the most?

14-11.-2003, 01:21 AM	#1
Roy Gardiner Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: London, England Posts: 120	Which rider do you admire the most? I’d like to put a slightly different slant on ‘Merckx better than Armstrong better than whoever’ This thread is not just about races won but about style, panache, original contributions, changing the game, and so on My choice is Jacques Anquetil. We are living through an era of cycling greats. 20 of the last 40 TdFs have been won by just four riders, all of whom have done the Tour/Giro double; Merckx, Hinault, Indurain and Armstrong. All of these have their supporters claiming ‘greatest ever’. Anquetil did it all first. He was the greatest time triallist in history, bar none. He won the GP des Nations nine times, six in a row 1953/58 We can be sure that if there were a world’s TT championship he would have been favourite from 1953 to 1967 at least, and it’s hard to see anyone who could have beaten him.. He took eight major tour wins to Coppi’s seven and was the first to win all three major tours. He won five TdFs when the previous maximum was three. In 1961-64 he dominated in a way that even Lance has not. He took yellow on the first day and kept it, having announced in January that he would. He did the Giro/Tour double in ’64, thought to be impossible to repeat (only the legend Coppi had ever done it). He didn’t start in 1965 only because his prestige could not be enhanced by another win. He did the Dauphine Libere/Bordeaux-Paris double instead. He won Paris-Nice five times. He was the first modern cyclist. He redefined position on the bike; the standard then was low saddle, heels kept low throughout the pedal stroke, and relatively shallow forward lean. Jacques had the saddle high and bars low, the first rider to make his back flat. He had a much higher saddle because he pioneered the raised-heel style now universal. Although much copied his action was in fact unique; try it yourself. On the turbo, raise your heels until your feet are locked in a toes-down stance. Now pedal the full revolution that way. It’s very odd! Now, don’t just push but pull hard on the pedals’ up-stroke; you’ll see it adds great power to it. Then the pain starts. He rode that way all the time. He pioneered high gears His cadence was always 88-92, now well known as the perfect TT rhythm - which he used all the time. Even his hour attempt in ’67 was on 52x13 for 92rpm Chris Boardman used only 56x13 to go 9km further! __________________ Roy Gardiner, Hainault Roads Club

14-11.-2003, 02:26 AM	#2
2LAP Moderator Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: UK Posts: 1,265	Beryl Burton is my choice. At the top of her game for so long. __________________ www.cyclingforums.com

14-11.-2003, 02:40 AM

Roy Gardiner

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Quote:

Originally posted by 2LAP
Beryl Burton is my choice.

Greate choice! 26 consecutive Best All Rounder titles, the open 12 hour record still standing after 36 years, so much achieved.

Redefining women's capabilities as better than most men, equal to many, better than all at 12 hours, all done as full-time mother and worker - no professional rider she.

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Roy Gardiner, Hainault Roads Club

14-11.-2003, 02:49 AM

2LAP

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Quote:

Originally posted by Roy Gardiner
Greate choice! 26 consecutive Best All Rounder titles, the open 12 hour record still standing after 36 years, so much achieved.

Redefining women's capabilities as better than most men, equal to many, better than all at 12 hours, all done as full-time mother and worker - no professional rider she.

Don't forget the Golds at the Worlds and I think she held the Women's hour record too. No doubt she did this all while she was 'clean'; a comment that many cannot make about some of the male riders people are championing as being the best riders in the world ever.

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14-11.-2003, 12:20 PM

Memphmann

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Join Date: Jul 2003

Location: Toronto, Canada

Posts: 840

Quote:

Originally posted by 2LAP
Don't forget the Golds at the Worlds and I think she held the Women's hour record too. No doubt she did this all while she was 'clean'; a comment that many cannot make about some of the male riders people are championing as being the best riders in the world ever.

How do you truly know she was clean? You watched her every second of every day? No one is entirely clean...

Memph

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14-11.-2003, 12:24 PM

Memphmann