Who is your favorite cyclist and why?

[XXtwindad]

The "why" part is much more interesting to me. The champions of a more recent vintage leave me cold. I don't doubt their athletic supremacy. They're just boring. Wiggins. Froome. Sagan is only interesting when contrasted with the rest of the field. Perhaps the money (relative to other eras), the doping and the sponsorships filtered out all the charisma from the sport. I'd have to go back to Pantani (ignoring the fabricated persona of Cipollini) to find an athlete truly compelling.

Here are mine. (In order)

1) Bartali. For who he was off the bike. The quote attributed to him says it all: "Good is something you do, not something you talk about. Some medals are pinned to your soul, not to your jacket."

2) Anquetil. He gave the finger to conventional thinking and mores. He might not have survived in today's anodyne era. And perhaps the #metoo movement would cast him in a different light. But if it weren't for Bartali's heroism, he'd be my favorite. Hard to imagine anyone in today's pro peleton answering a question on doping like this : "You'd have to be an imbecile or hypocrite to imagine that a professional cyclist who rides 235 days a year can hold himself together without stimulants."

3) Fignon. Seemed like he was cast right out of "Breaking Away," still the best cycling movie of all time. The "Professor" was the antithesis of a cycling hero. Ponytail and glasses. Contemplative and cantankerous. But that's why I liked him. He didn't package himself for mass consumption. In his autobiography, he summed up the zen I get from riding (with much less fanfare and under much less arduous conditions): “I put my hands on top of the bars and savored it all to the full. I was breathing deeply as I lived through my last seconds in bike racing, which I had thought would never end for me. This col was all mine and I didn’t want anyone to interlude.”

He was quoted as saying that the eras following his peak were characterized by robotic riders. With a few exceptions (Pantani again) I'd be inclined to agree.

Others?

[93KgBike]

I am my favorite cyclist; as long as there is no-one around to drop me. Then they are. Lately, my 8 year old has been going all the way up out of the saddle.
So, my 8 year old is my favorite cyclist.

Justin Williams (USA Road & Crit Champion) is a pretty exciting champion. I'm picking him because crit racing is really a great format for engaging communities in playing bikes. He is putting a lot of effort into proving that there are ways to race at the highest levels without getting sponsorships up front. He is also highlighting the fact that American road racing can still turn people out and excite remote viewers. Nothing like a night of food and racing in downtown...

Remco Evenepoel (EU U23 Champion) - Old school aggression in a rider this young bodes well for race fans as one-day wins attest...

Pantani

Merckx

[echappist]

The "why" part is much more interesting to me. The champions of a more recent vintage leave me cold. I don't doubt their athletic supremacy. They're just boring. Wiggins. Froome. Sagan is only interesting when contrasted with the rest of the field. Perhaps the money (relative to other eras), the doping and the sponsorships filtered out all the charisma from the sport. I'd have to go back to Pantani (ignoring the fabricated persona of Cipollini) to find an athlete truly compelling.

Here are mine. (In order)

1) Bartali. For who he was off the bike. The quote attributed to him says it all: "Good is something you do, not something you talk about. Some medals are pinned to your soul, not to your jacket."

2) Anquetil. He gave the finger to conventional thinking and mores. He might not have survived in today's anodyne era. And perhaps the #metoo movement would cast him in a different light. But if it weren't for Bartali's heroism, he'd be my favorite. Hard to imagine anyone in today's pro peleton answering a question on doping like this : "You'd have to be an imbecile or hypocrite to imagine that a professional cyclist who rides 235 days a year can hold himself together without stimulants."

3) Fignon. Seemed like he was cast right out of "Breaking Away," still the best cycling movie of all time. The "Professor" was the antithesis of a cycling hero. Ponytail and glasses. Contemplative and cantankerous. But that's why I liked him. He didn't package himself for mass consumption. In his autobiography, he summed up the zen I get from riding (with much less fanfare and under much less arduous conditions): “I put my hands on top of the bars and savored it all to the full. I was breathing deeply as I lived through my last seconds in bike racing, which I had thought would never end for me. This col was all mine and I didn’t want anyone to interlude.”

He was quoted as saying that the eras following his peak were characterized by robotic riders. With a few exceptions (Pantani again) I'd be inclined to agree.

Others?

He's one of the very few sportspeople who is worthy of being called a hero. Gino the Saint indeed

Don't have favorites, but as for cyclists I like.

Boardman, who stepped aside from cycling when he realized that he had naturally low testosterone levels that would prevent him from recovering well in stage races. Of course, he was also racing against people like Mr. 60%, but that he quit showed character.

There's Gilles Delion, who won Lombardia at a young age in the early 90s but never became a household name. Showed a lot of promise, but once again decided to quit when he realized he'd have to get on O2 vector doping.

[oldpotatoe]

I am my favorite cyclist; as long as there is no-one around to drop me. Then they are. Lately, my 8 year old has been going all the way up out of the saddle.
So, my 8 year old is my favorite cyclist.

Justin Williams is a pretty exciting champion. I'm picking him because crit racing is really a great format for engaging communities in playing bikes. He is putting a lot of effort into proving that their are ways to race at the highest levels without getting sponsorships up front. He is also highlighting the fact that American road racing can still turn people out and excite remote viewers.

Pantani

Merckx

fify:)

[Lewis Moon]

Amy D. She represents a lot to me. Determination: She left the comfort of racing at home to join a high caliber European team in a foreign country. Inclusivity: She championed women's racing and her legacy lives on with the young athletes her namesake foundation supports. Heart: From what I've heard, coupled with her grit and determination was a genuinely sweet soul. That's why you've seen so many racers wearing her heart on their kit.
She also represents the objective danger that is out there and how quickly it can strike.
Call me superstitious but, whenever I'm going out to do a particularly hard ride, I put on my Amy D socks.
http://www.srm.de/fileadmin/_processed_/csm_AmyD1_9b51545174.jpg

[FlashUNC]

Coppi. The answer is always Coppi.

For all he did during the war, Bartali was a right bastard to Coppi and a lot of others in the pro peloton.

[marciero]

I'll throw out a couple

Major Taylor-for all he endured with grace and dignity whilst being a true champion.

Pantani-For sheer operatic pathos- quintessentially Italian, flawed, tragic hero.

[ojingoh]

Three come to mind:

Lemond - 1985 TdF made me a cycling fan, and connected me to the larger world of cycling, and the role of innovation in cycling which is very much a motivation for me

Merckx - not a baron for nothing

Ben - my good friend who was a pro racer in the 90s here in the USA. He consistently out-orders me at pho joints

[cmg]

Thomas Voeckler, for always appearing to suffer when the cameras were there. But for his attacking style, for following a rider up the climb only to drop them on the descend. for coming alive with the yellow jersey.

[Red Tornado]

Roger DeVlaeminck - Excellent palmares and the guy just oozed "coolness" when he was a rider.

Steffen Wesemann - Good classics rider, good teammate, besides the one RvV win never quite hit the big time but always found myself rooting for him.

Johan Museeuw - Doping allegations aside, tough/gritty/typical Belgian hard man who came from a humble background. Amazing comeback from his PR knee injury and a dominant rider when on form. Like that he still is involved with cycling, at a recreational level, supports his son's cycling career and seems to still take care of himself.

Thor Hushovd - Another great rider who was a force to be reckoned with when in the zone. Could both sprint and ride classics well. Always seemed to be a genuinely nice, down-to-earth guy.

Fabian Cancellara - Like him because "he is the motor".

[genefruit]

Alexandera Houchin - Tour Divide two time champion, single speed this year while riding in Red Wing boots. Never quits - read her Dirty Kanza XL recap as an example - https://alexandherrastro.wordpress.com/2019/06/04/austin-texas-dirty-kanza-xl/

[C40_guy]

Favorite cyclist?

The cat 2 racer on my old racing/development team who put his hand on the small of my back and boosted me up a long hill. :)

My legs were shot. I guess his weren't!

[Idris Icabod]

Malcolm Elliott because I met him when I was a kid and he was the nicest guy ever. That is enough for me.

[JStonebarger]

MvdP, because nobody who has followed his career was really surprised by Amstel Gold 2019 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRDmss0YQ6U).

[Tickdoc]

Pantani

Merckx

Antequil

Coppi

Zabriskie

And that one guy with only one arm and one leg.

Those are my favs.

[MattTuck]

Dan Martin. He has twins too.

[-holiday76]

Poppi.

[colker]

John Tomac.
For his bike handling skills, speed, consistency and playing in almost all cycling categories: mtb xc, downhill, bmx, cat1 pro road racing..
A legend.

[colker]

The "why" part is much more interesting to me. The champions of a more recent vintage leave me cold. I don't doubt their athletic supremacy. They're just boring. Wiggins. Froome. Sagan is only interesting when contrasted with the rest of the field. Perhaps the money (relative to other eras), the doping and the sponsorships filtered out all the charisma from the sport. I'd have to go back to Pantani (ignoring the fabricated persona of Cipollini) to find an athlete truly compelling.

Here are mine. (In order)

1) Bartali. For who he was off the bike. The quote attributed to him says it all: "Good is something you do, not something you talk about. Some medals are pinned to your soul, not to your jacket."

2) Anquetil. He gave the finger to conventional thinking and mores. He might not have survived in today's anodyne era. And perhaps the #metoo movement would cast him in a different light. But if it weren't for Bartali's heroism, he'd be my favorite. Hard to imagine anyone in today's pro peleton answering a question on doping like this : "You'd have to be an imbecile or hypocrite to imagine that a professional cyclist who rides 235 days a year can hold himself together without stimulants."

3) Fignon. Seemed like he was cast right out of "Breaking Away," still the best cycling movie of all time. The "Professor" was the antithesis of a cycling hero. Ponytail and glasses. Contemplative and cantankerous. But that's why I liked him. He didn't package himself for mass consumption. In his autobiography, he summed up the zen I get from riding (with much less fanfare and under much less arduous conditions): “I put my hands on top of the bars and savored it all to the full. I was breathing deeply as I lived through my last seconds in bike racing, which I had thought would never end for me. This col was all mine and I didn’t want anyone to interlude.”

He was quoted as saying that the eras following his peak were characterized by robotic riders. With a few exceptions (Pantani again) I'd be inclined to agree.

Others?

Btw.. i like your choices.

[baldbones]

Sven Nys

Because

[echappist]

Thomas Voeckler, for always appearing to suffer when the cameras were there. But for his attacking style, for following a rider up the climb only to drop them on the descend. for coming alive with the yellow jersey.

or rather, appearing to suffer only when the camera is there. Cunning rider

also, don't forget this

https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6123/5981595114_cb4f9c928b_o.gif

[BobbyJones]

Dupe post.

[BobbyJones]

Dave Stohler.

Just because.

[jmoore]

Jan Ullrich

[donevwil]

My wife.

She continues to do things I either could, or would, never do. Commuting 20 miles each way to work on a major thoroughfare starting at 6:30am and home by 7:30pm year 'round. She's ridden RAMROD, the Death Ride and STP multiple times, has ridden about 20 MS rides raising tens of thousands for the cause. All this while suffering from MS herself.

[marciero]

Am I allowed to post twice??

I'll throw out

Tinker Juarez
Ned Overend

because they are badass old guys.

[prototoast]

Not a pro, but Jobst Brandt. The combination of strength as a rider, sense of adventure, and mechanical expertise/ingenuity really captures for me what I get out of the sport.

Wish I had gotten the chance to meet/ride with him when he was alive.

[JStonebarger]

Not a pro, but Jobst Brandt. The combination of strength as a rider, sense of adventure, and mechanical expertise/ingenuity really captures for me what I get out of the sport.

Wish I had gotten the chance to meet/ride with him when he was alive.

I never got to meet Jobst either, but I did get schooled by him online a few times. I miss Jobst and Sheldon Brown both.

[dancinkozmo]

favourite cyclist ?

this guy....

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/00/49/76/0049763038ce5e20a84fdcb5fc28a040--dirt-bikes-bike-stuff.jpg

[Gsinill]

Jan Ullrich
+1

Not because I am German but because I can relate to his constant fight keeping his weight down ;)

[johnniecakes]

Andy Hampsten, pure class, then and now

[mastaliu]

Andy Hampsten, pure class, then and now


Yes, I wanted to be like Hampsten when I was a junior racing. That win at Alpe d'Huez in 1992 was "pure class".

[mg2ride]

He who can’t be named because it represents a wonderful time in my life. Transitioned from fishing to cycling as my main hobby, the peak in my cycling (both amount and ability), 2 boys in the 6 to 16 y/o range that were great fun. Generally just a great run for us both. In my selfish mind, the cheating and Dbaggery to others in the industry just don’t matter.

[gasman]

My wife.

She continues to do things I either could, or would, never do. Commuting 20 miles each way to work on a major thoroughfare starting at 6:30am and home by 7:30pm year 'round. She's ridden RAMROD, the Death Ride and STP multiple times, has ridden about 20 MS rides raising tens of thousands for the cause. All this while suffering from MS herself.


That is impressive !! I was at Sacto, now I wish I had met you two.

[saab2000]

They say you should never meet your heroes and I would agree with that. And I no longer have any having grown older and realized that everyone is just a human being, like everyone else. Or else my heroes are no longer athletes, let's just leave it at that.

But I had the pleasure of spending nearly an hour privately with Eddy Merckx in Belgium in 1991, at his factory. He was the definition of a gracious gentleman and if you didn't know his accomplishments as a rider and then as a businessman you would never figure it out. He is the most humble man you could ever meet and friendly to a fault and asked questions about me, putting me at total ease. I can't imagine others like him today though there are riders who personally come across as very likable people.

So I'd have to say Eddy Merckx based on my brief meeting. He left a very positive impression on me. I'm just young enough that I really don't remember his career as a rider, seeing only the footage we have all seen from the famous films like A Sunday in Hell and Stars and Watercarriers. But watching those and then meeting him was a lifetime highlight.

[donevwil]

That is impressive !! I was at Sacto, now I wish I had met you two.

Thank you, I did meet a few Paceliners. Always nice to put a face to a name, er, handle & avatar.

She inspires me (something I need). You may actually remember seeing her, she'd recently had foot surgery and was sporting a knee scooter.

[joosttx]

Kate Courtney.

[gasman]

Thank you, I did meet a few Paceliners. Always nice to put a face to a name, er, handle & avatar.

She inspires me (something I need). You may actually remember seeing her, she'd recently had foot surgery and was sporting a knee scooter.

Well I do remember seeing a woman with a scooter and a tall guy with her. If you are like 6'3" I must have passed you.

[donevwil]

Well I do remember seeing a woman with a scooter and a tall guy with her. If you are like 6'3" I must have passed you.

Yup, I'm 6' 5", she's 5' 11" (without scooter) and we're in our mid 50's.

[gasman]

Yup, I'm 6' 5", she's 5' 11" (without scooter) and we're in our mid 50's.

Yep, I saw you. Should have introduced myself but I didn't know who you were.

[Hellgate]

I'm old...54.

1. Greg Lemond
2. Sean Kelly
3. Alexi Grewal
4. Randy Whicker - "Kill & Maim"

[XXtwindad]

Yup, I'm 6' 5", she's 5' 11" (without scooter) and we're in our mid 50's.

I saw you guys too! And seconding Gasman's kudos.

[pinoymamba]

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/mar08/wtc08/wtc082/0451_Theo_Bos_PhSpt.jpg

[XXtwindad]

Not a pro, but Jobst Brandt. The combination of strength as a rider, sense of adventure, and mechanical expertise/ingenuity really captures for me what I get out of the sport.

Wish I had gotten the chance to meet/ride with him when he was alive.

Good call. Really interesting dude. Plus, our names are almost identical, give or take a few letters ...

[mhespenheide]

(1) Historically, it has to be Bartali, for the same reasons that you give. Besides transporting photographs and documents to help Jewish Italians flee, he also hid a family in his own house, and passed messages for the Italian resistance. That says everything about his character, but it risks overshadowing his record as a cyclist, which any rider today would be ecstatic to have: three Giros, two Tours, Milan-San Remo 4 times, il Lombardia 3 times, etc., etc.

(2) For "modern" history, my own favorite has to be Andy Hampsten. I got into cycling in '87, just after LeMond's first round of success and before -7's run. Andy's success in the Suisse, Giro, Romandie, and Alpe d'Huez and his demeanor cement him as my boyhood favorite. He seemed like one of us who happened to be a world-class climber. I've had the chance to ride sort-of-with him in two editions of Eroica California, and he's done nothing to diminish that appreciation.

[booglebug]

Gotta be Lemond for me, my era of racing. A true pioneer, wonder how many TDF he would have won if not for the accident

[makoti]

I was going to say either LeMond (because he WAS American cycling when I got serious about it), Hampsten (because, well, Andy) or Ron Kiefel (because I had the chance to ride with him for a short bit twice on Ride the Rockies & he seemed really nice. And he's the only pro/ex-pro I've ever actually spoken with), but after reading the responses, I think I'm going with Donevwil's wife. Impressive.

[David Kirk]

In no particular order -

Gino Bartali
Greg Lemond
Eddy Merckx
John Tomac

dave

[enr1co]

Another Andy Hampsten fan :cool:

[Spdntrxi]

Lemond for obvious reasons
Contador ... dancing in the pedals.
Armstrong.. doping yes.. you cant ignore 7

[El Chaba]

I have been fortunate in encountering several of my cycling heroes in situations where we could talk for a bit....usually after their active careers were finished. As was referenced earlier that it is sometimes best not to meet your heroes, sometimes it works out fine.
As a cycling crazy kid in my teens, I was a HUGE fan of Bernard Thevenet. My father had bought me a couple of French cycling magazines during that period that featured him prominently, and I wore them out studying photos, etc. It resulted in my buying a Peugeot and it left me with a lifelong love affair for French bikes and parts. I encountered him once at the Tour de France where he was working in some press capacity. I went up to say hello, related the bit about my younger days, etc. He had all of the time in the world to talk to a fan and was incredibly gracious.
Another of my heroes was Stephen Roche. I've bumped into him several times and ridden with him at one of his camps and he is just a great down to earth guy...The first time was prior to a race and I was around the mechanical area. Roche was cordial when I said hello but was all business......That is until I asked him about any sports cars he was working on. At that point the race could wait. I had a TR6 that I had restored over a couple of summers while in college and Roche happened to be working on one as well. He talked 100 mph. AFTER he talked about cars, he was ready to talk about bikes, and he is a bit of an equipment geek.

[R3awak3n]

- Joaquim Agostinho - No one will know about him unless you are Portuguese as he is a Portuguese legend. Won Volta a Portugal a lot, came 3rd in the Tour a few times and won a few stages.
He collided with a dog at Tour de Algarve, hit his head but got back on the bike. He finished the stage but unfortunately later died after he fell into a coma.

I actually just went by his house in Portugal, it has a bicycle at the door, you can't miss it.

[oldpotatoe]

Eddy Gragus..great guy, won the US road championship jersey..left the sport when it became obvious his team wanted him to dope and he refused..

Same for Timmy Duggan..:)

pic of him beating..guess who??

[PQJ]

Djamolidine Abdoujaparov . . . best name in all of cycling; plus, he could race.
Peter Sagan . . . entertaining, gifted; plus, he can race.
"Tommie" Voeckler . . . panache, grit, tongue; plus, he could race.

[redir]

Just a few to mention. Aside from all the classics already mentioned. I will give a shout out to Lemond, Americas only Tour De France winner.

I like Grahame Ombre for his sheer determination and rise from obscurity and over coming all the obstacles in between.

On a more contemporary level I like Dan Martin, who was born five weeks premature and suffered from asthma as a child, because he's always there in the fold and is representative of old school blue collar hard working cycling.

And Ben King because I have raced with him as an amateur and who's father is also a kick ass masters.

[DarkStar]

Juan Antonio Flecha, love his grit and solo attacks, and seems to be a decent guy. Steve Bauer tough as nails, and because I'm a Canuck:banana:

[El Chaba]

.

On a more contemporary level I like Dan Martin, who was born five weeks premature and suffered from asthma as a child, because he's always there in the fold and is representative of old school blue collar hard working cycling.

.

...and he's Stephen Roche's nephew...

[Matthew]

Donevwils's wife. She's a true bad ass. For pros I'd say Juliana Furtado, Katie Fn Compton, Lemond, Juarez, Overend, Hampsten, and Damiano Cunego cause his name is cool.

[denapista]

Ivan Basso - Loved his poker face climbing style in the peloton. Face grimaces and grinding out the pace up front and shedding people from his wheel at the same time.

Alberto Contador - Amazing style in the hills and fearless on any climb. Watched his "Climbing" instruction videos and it's helped me in the hills tremendously (Centering weight over BB, etc)

Peter Sagan - Super aggressive BMX/MTB riding style. Aggressive descender. Similar riding traits. Bike Handling Skills

Shaun Palmer - DH bike control, golden era of DH when I raced NORBA

John Tomac - King of it all! Watched him destroy Kamikaze run, all the great DH races.

Fabian Cancellara - King of the TT and amazing racing tactician.

Tom Boonen - Pure beast and personifies strength on the bicycle.

Craig Reynolds - Dr. Smooth from IL, the guy I patterned my entire BMX style after. Super smooth, fast and controlled style of riding.

Mario Soto (RIP) - The Colombian kid was super fast and so smooth. Like Craig Reynolds but on steroids (Style wise). Tragically died in Columbia on a motorcycle.

[redir]

...and he's Stephen Roche's nephew...

That's right! I believe his father was a cyclist as well.

[JStonebarger]

Speaking of cycling families...
https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/GettyImages-532800284-920x612.jpg

[Matthew]

Steve Tilford.

[donevwil]

In terms of favorite Pro cyclists I'll mention two of the nicest, most genuine people I've ever met and was fortunate to put in a lot of miles with:

Darren Baker
John Peters

[echappist]

Speaking of cycling families...
https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/GettyImages-532800284-920x612.jpg

Eat you heart out, @dysfunctional Anquetil

[Ruimteaapje]

No doubt...

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Pz9nQxqgrglipR5j3zjFjif9WBY=/2x0:797x530/920x613/filters:focal(2x0:797x530):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51694069/001_MAIN.0.0.jpg

[choke]

Marianne Vos.

Andy Hampsten. I've met him a few times and he's a great person.

Fiorenzo Magni. The ultimate hardman IMO.

There were any number of examples that emphasized Magni’s toughness, but the race that fully cemented his reputation was his last Giro, in 1956, at age 36. He wanted to end his career with honor, but that was compromised when he crashed on a descent in his native Tuscany on stage 12 and broke his left collarbone. He finished the stage, refused to have a cast put on and vowed to continue, despite all the major mountain stages to come.

Stage 15 was a time trial up the challenging San Luca climb in Bologna. In his warm-up, Magni found he couldn’t pull on the bars with his left arm, so his mechanic Faliero Masi (who later built custom frames for the stars) fixed a length of inner tube to his stem and Magni gripped the other end of the rubber in his teeth to help him get up the ultra-steep gradient.

The next day, because of his weakened arm, he lost control when his front wheel hit a trench and he fell again on his left side. “I fainted from the pain,” he said. “When I realized I was being taken to the hospital [by ambulance] I screamed at the driver to stop.” Magni got back on his bike and the peloton slowed to let him return. He refused an x-ray [he was later diagnosed with a broken left elbow] and stayed in the race.https://www.velonews.com/2012/10/analysis/from-the-pages-of-velo-remembering-hardman-fiorenzo-magni_262015

http://cycle.ciocctoo.com/Magni.jpg

[echappist]

No doubt...

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Pz9nQxqgrglipR5j3zjFjif9WBY=/2x0:797x530/920x613/filters:focal(2x0:797x530):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51694069/001_MAIN.0.0.jpg

I really like Lemond, even though he was way before my time

https://janheine.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/1989.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jHk8tSdc3NM/TZTeo8J1c3I/AAAAAAAAAUs/CjDkLTgEUOQ/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/1989%2BChambery%2Bsprint%2Bin%2B3%2Bpics.jpg

I also have a soft spot for Cadel Evans and Dan Martin