molgrips, a huge proportion of TdF sprinters and lead-out men are or were trackies
I mean trackies who go on to high GC results doing well in the Mts - not just sprinters. I only say this because it's pretty much as big a shift in discipline as you can get, isn't it?
Are there two more diverse activities?
and he did it on a PENNY FARTING
lol
Nico Vouilloz was arguably the greatest downnhiller, he and Anne-Caroline Chausson dominated downhill when I was into the sport.
Big Mig dominated the tour when I started watching it.
Where they are the greatest I don't know but they certainly were the ones that inspired me.
Merckx for sure. Not only did he win all three jerseys in the TdF, it was his first TdF.
And, if there had been a white jersey for best young rider, he'd have won that as well.
He won by nearly 18 minutes.
That on it's own is almost enough.
Among many other feats his hour record remains, effectively, unbroken - it has been surpassed, but indoors and with meticulous preparation and understanding of aerodynamics (talking about standard bike record).
leggyblonde - Membersurf mat
hahahahhahaha 
Drug free rider i would have to say Greg LeMond , if his brother in law had not shoot him i think its fair to say he would have won a few more Tour,s de France.
Rider with drug conviction Eddy Merckx .
Miguel Indurain was the guy I was in awe of as I grew up so he's my choice.
If you go back to before the wars there were some riders that did truly amazing things, sadly in my boozy state I can't remember any names 
Races were flippin truly epic and think what they were riding and the roads they cycled on.
Even the famous six day events were actually run non stop over six days....people actually died.
MrSparkle - Member
No contest.
MrSparkle, what, when, where is that picture? have you got the wider shot?
This isn't greatest road racer of all time! This is a mountain bike forum. Anne-Caro has to be up there. Multiple world DH champion, BMX gold etc. Also Chris Akrigg seems to be able to turn his hand to anything, though not in terms of competitive cycling. Mind you he surprised a few roadies at that hill climb thing last year. 
MrSparkle.... MRSPARKLE.... oi... OI...
Got to be " The Big Mig ",
Heart the size of an ox !!!!!.
Still close one with, Mercx and Lance, all super athletes and way a head of the competition in their day !!!!!!!
Gave me my dreams and goals.
adstick - Member
This isn't greatest road racer of all time!
Read the title..."Greatest cyclist".
i'd say tomac all round
Roger De Vlaeminck for me. MR Paris Roubaix.
No question Merckx
matt hofman too
Gino Bartali
3 Giros and 2 TdFs split by WW2. So without the war getting in the way the tally could have been far, far greater.
Bit busy in the war too, with long "training" rides smuggling documents for the Italian resistance and looked after a Jewish family hidden in his cellar. He would have been shot if found out.
In the 1948 TdF (which he won), he averted a civil war in Italy simply by mesmerising his fellow countrymen with his exploits that they stopped fighting.
That's pretty great!
Elfinsafety's mum.
Jonny T, how many people have crossed as many disciplines has him with his level of success. He may not have been an amazing road racer, but good enough to hold his own with the big names.
if you are just going to name roadies..... why not matt hoffman or jamie bestwick.............. unbeatable
my mum 
[url=http://www.newburyrc.co.uk/prod/php/getrecords.php?dist=50 Miles]50 mile TT[/url]
[url=http://www.newburyrc.co.uk/prod/php/getrecords.php?dist=100 Miles]100 mile TT[/url]
[url=http://www.newburyrc.co.uk/prod/php/getrecords.php?dist=12 Hours]12 hour[/url]
Records still standing after 46 years
I think as sports evolve and diversify it get hard to be an all rounder. Even if you are equally good at all disciplines you have to choose to specialise to some extent to progress.
I think a better question for me is possibly something like favourite / best cycling legend.
Road / track: Eddy Merckx
Head banger: Tommy Goowdin
MTB: has to be Tomac
BMX: is a tie between Matt Hoffman, Dennis Mccoy and Jamie Beswick, I can't separate them.
MTB: Tinker Juarex
Road: Richard Virenque
Got to be " The Big Mig ",Heart the size of an ox !!!!!.
Eddy Merckx won the yellow, green and polka in the tour de france all at the same time (and would have counted for the u24 white jersey if they'd have been presenting it)
underthewood, classy call for Gino Bartali
mountain biking and road? Cadel Evans ?
Greg LeMond was class, as was Fignon
Virenque?
Coppi,Merckx,JT,JMC.
MTB - Tomac, Frishi, Tim Gould, JMc
Road - Merckx, Burton, Armstrong
Track - Hoy, Merckx, Obree
10x world DH Champ, and currently spanking all comers at various enduro Dh events. Nico!
No rider comes even close to what Merckx did and no one ever will.these days you have
classics specialists, grand tour specialists,tt specialists etcdrugs test. Not Eddy, hewontook the lot. everything. Hour record, all the classics, all the tours (tour de france and Giro 5 times), all the jerseys in Tour de France in 1969, world champion 3 times. He will never be bettered
Among many other feats his hour record remains, effectively, unbroken - it has been surpassed, but indoors and with meticulous preparation and understanding of aerodynamics
I should point out I'm not an EM hater at all - he has my vote as the greatest.
As a man, Poulidor.
As an athlete, Merckx.
As a test as to whether you're pissed or not, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov.
How hard a question?
coolest, without a doubt! :-
best??? Too tough, there are so many amazing riders!) People like Mark Weir, remy Absalon Jared Graves, Cedric, Matt Hunter, Berrecloth, semenuik, kyle straight, Kirt Voreis Akrigg, Madskills???? They are all amazing all round riders and in my book that makes brilliant riders to watch! then there are the pure racers, sam hill, peaty, barel? But my preference the best rider to watch is brendon fairclough he's just sooooooo smooooth and always looks like he is having fun; even when racing!!
oh yeah and victoria pendleton! and emily batty!
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned Steve Peat yet. A UK XC champ and UK and World Champ in his chosen discipline over a 15 year + period, and remain competitive at the top level of a brutal sport well into his 30's.
While age isn't such a big issue for a road racer, the nature of WC DH at the top level these days takes a far higher toll on more muscle groups. And to stay at the top of such a demanding discipline for such a long period deserves some recognition IMHO.
But would he class himself as a cyclist? i don't know.
So I'd have to go for Jonny T.
Sure Merckx has to be up there, but I can say that he is the greatest, for the reason alone that he would not be a great ridding buddy. 1st off he'd always have to beat you, up the hill, to the cafe, every where all the bloody time, that'd get annoying. And secondly has anyone ever seen A Sunday in hell? Who's ever been riding with someone like that, who just CAN NOT stop fiddling with bars, seats, everthing. Do it before you go for a ride you git, you-are-getting-one-my-tits.
So I'll go for Ulrich. He could keep up with Lance even with a tummy full of Bratwurst.
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