Buzz
Here is a ranking of the top ten greatest road cyclists in history. My selection criteria focus on their success in the three major stage races—Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España—as well as their victories in prestigious minor stage races like Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice, and Dauphiné Libéré, and Classics like Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. I have not factored in doping controversies as distinguishing between the ‘clean’ and the ‘guilty’ would result in confusion.
10. Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich, a former German cyclist born in 1973, secured the 1997 Tour de France victory, along with the white jersey in 1996, 1997, and 1998. He also placed second five times in the Tour, earning him the nickname 'The Eternal Second.' Ullrich triumphed in the 1999 Vuelta a España, the 2004 and 2006 Tour de Suisse, and won the World Time Trial Championships in 1999 and 2001. His Olympic Road Race gold came in 2000. Known for his powerful and smooth riding style, Ullrich faced struggles with maintaining peak shape during the off-season, often battling to shed the weight before big events.
9. Lance Armstrong
American cyclist Lance Armstrong holds the record for the most Tour de France victories with seven consecutive wins. He also claimed the 2001 Tour de Suisse and the World Cycling Championship in 1993. While his achievements are remarkable, Armstrong's lack of success in the Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, and Classics limits his position on this list.
8. Miguel Indurain
Miguel Indurain, born in Spain in 1964, achieved remarkable success in cycling. He won the Tour de France five consecutive times and claimed the Giro d’Italia twice in a row. Indurain also triumphed in the 1996 Olympic Time-Trial Championship and the 1995 World Time-Trial Championship, along with two victories each in Dauphiné Libéré and Paris-Nice. Standing at 1.88 meters (6 ft 2 in) and weighing 80 kg (176 lbs), he earned the nickname 'Miguelón' or 'Big Mig'. His physique was extraordinary, with blood circulation that allowed him to circulate 7 liters per minute, far surpassing the average person’s 3-4 liters and even the 5-6 liters of his fellow competitors.
7. Fausto Coppi
Fausto Coppi, born in Italy in 1919, was one of the greatest cyclists of his time. He won the Tour de France twice, in 1949 and 1952, and took the Giro d’Italia five times, in 1940, 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953. Coppi also claimed the World Championship in 1953 and won the Giro di Lombardia five times (1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, and 1954), as well as Milan-Sanremo three times (1946, 1948, and 1949). He also took victories in Paris-Roubaix and La Flèche Wallonne in 1950.
6. Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi was born in Italy in 1942. In 1968 Gimondi was nicknamed “The Phoenix” after winning the Vuelta a España, this victory made him the second rider after Jacques Anquetil to win all three big stage races, he is one of only five riders to ever win all three. Gimondi won the Tour de France in 1965, the Giro D’Italia in 1967, 1969 and 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1968. Gimondi also won Paris-Roubaix in 1966 and the World Road Cycling Championship in 1973.
5. Gino Bartali
Gino Bartali was born in Italy on 1914. He has won the Tour de France twice, in 1938 and 1948, both times also winning the mountain competition, and the Giro D’Italia three times in 1936, 1937 and 1946, also here he won the mountain competition all three times. Bartali also won the Tour de Suisse in 1946 and 1947. Bartali was a good climber and a pioneer of derailleur gears. His style was unusual: he rarely danced on the pedals and often stayed in the saddle throughout a 15km climb. When others attacked, he stayed in the saddle but changed up gear, to a sprocket three teeth smaller. He rode smoothly on mountains but every now and then freewheeled, always with his right foot lowered with his weight on it. Then a second or two later he would start pedaling again.
4. Séan Kelly
Séan Kelly, born in Ireland in 1956, became one of the most accomplished cyclists of the 1980s and remains regarded as the greatest Classics rider in history. His impressive career highlights include winning the Vuelta a España in 1988, securing four point classification victories in both the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, seven consecutive Paris-Nice titles from 1982 to 1988, as well as two wins in the Tour de Suisse, Paris-Roubaix, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
3. Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx was born in Belgium in 1945 and became the greatest road cyclist the world has ever known. He won the Tour de France five times (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1974), the Giro d’Italia five times (1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, and 1974), and the Vuelta a España once in 1973. Merckx also triumphed in the Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice (three times), Dauphiné Libéré, Paris-Roubaix (three times), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (five times), and the World Road Race Championship (three times). Merckx is one of only five riders to have won all three major Grand Tours in their career, the others being Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault, and Alberto Contador.
2. Bernard Hinault
Born in France in 1954, Bernard Hinault is one of just five riders to have claimed victory in all three Grand Tours, and the only one to have won each of them multiple times. He is the only rider to have finished first or second in every Tour de France he contested. Hinault's Tour de France victories came in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, and 1985. He also claimed the Giro d’Italia in 1980, 1982, and 1985, and the Vuelta a España in 1978 and 1983. Among his many other triumphs are wins in Paris-Roubaix (1981), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (1977, 1980), and the World Road Cycling Championship in 1980.
1. Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil, born in France in 1934, claimed the prestigious Tour de France title five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964. He also won the Giro d’Italia twice, in 1960 and 1964, the Vuelta a España in 1963, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1966. Anquetil is known for setting several historic records, including:
– He was the first to win the Tour de France five times – He was the first to capture all three major Grand Tours – He was the first French rider to win the Giro d’Italia – He was the first French rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France from the opening stage to the final.
