Riccardo Ricco. I loved his crazy attacks in the 2008 tour. And that every time he came back he got caught cheating.

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http://www.thedeludedcyclist.wordpress.com

Its a tie between Ivan Drago and Carl Lewis for me

Johann Museeuw because he's my favorite rider from that era. Sven Nijs because he has managed to stay at the top from the dope to you drop era until now and not get caught.

Spicoli, hands down.

Since you brought other sports into the mix, mine is Barry Bonds. During his prime doping years he put fear into the hearts of pitchers.

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The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

You really think he is a doper?
From a physical standpoint I think at best he would be superdomestique on the roads.
Skills are so vital in cross, I don't think doping would help as much, because at least in
my experience I feel I am limited by my ability to navigate the course, not because of my
fitness or power.

I guess logically people would have been doping in CX, but if CX was just about
fitness (as opposed to be being a niche), why wouldn't you see more of the top roadies
just jumping in to win races because they have superior physical talent?

Surfing. Nice.

Sean Kelly

The top guys are on par with top roadies. Stybar (top roadie) doesn't dominate races the way Nijs did in his hey-day. The women's world road race champion just won cross worlds today and there were 5 or 6 other riders with her most of the race and it came down to a sprint. Not to mention when doping was more prevalent, the one country where you could make a living at it dominated the sport in a ridiculous way. Now not so much. It's practically all fitness at the highest level, sure skills make a difference but I wouldn't say more than a bit amongst the top riders. Otherwise riders wouldn't come in and out of form (assuming skills don't come and go the way fitness does), and in technical sections the same riders would consistently create gaps. At his peak Nijs could win races by minutes and/or have flats that placed him over a minute back and still ride back to the front.


And then there is also the direct evidence of several cross riders being caught doping (e.g. Berden and Declerq), and the mysterious disappearance from the front of race to mid-pack when the testing got serious. Nijs doped as sure as any other top rider from that era.

Marco Pantani. Because he had SWAG.

In no particular order: Missy Giove, Pantani and the Chicken.

Pitchers could just walk him...which they did, more than anyone ever

Mario De Clercq, easily. He was a local guy (I lived about 3 miles from his home) and he was just a badass guy that in some ways was like Lance; before the race begun he had already taken half of his opponents strength away through mental games and tactics. Wasn't afraid to suck wheel and then beat them in the sprint either. When they found all sorts of stuff in his home he insisted it was for research for when he was retired and was going to write a book. Got some suspension but it he's still around today as director sportif for Sunweb (with two guys racing Worlds tomorrow for the pros).

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Don't forget to attack!

Anyone who came forward on their own without having to be caught..so they could slip quietly away...

Kevin Moats because we're in the same age group.

Yes, I realize that make no sense but that's my answer.

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Find out what it is in life that you don't do well, then don't
do that thing.

The 2015 winner of the Tour de France

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Francois-Xavier Li @FrancoisLi
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." George Bernard Shaw
http://www.swimrunfrance.fr
http://www.worldofswimrun.com

Floyd Landis.

Legend!

Alexander Vinokourov. He would even attached is own team mates over and over again.

Gotta go with Landis, Vino, and Ricco.

Landis gets special points in 2006 after the Alpe D'Huez stage when he had his team car stop at a group of fans on its way down Alpe d'Huez so he could trade a yellow jersey for a beer.

Pantani-Riis-Vino-Fignon (RIP) - Jaja- Merckx-Virenque-Contador (anyone who wins a tour after aneurysm)

...I really can't make up my mind

• Vino at the London Olympics was gold...
• Pantani on Ventoux and all the post Ventoux "gift" banter was for the ages.
• Riis on the 46k snowstorm stage at the 1996 Tour to Sestriere
• Fignon losing the 89 Tour on the Champs to the Vitamin B guy
• Merckx because he was him
• Contador on Verbier tailwind and all
• Jalabert and his incredible transformation from green jersey to polka dot king and then age group Mdot Podium guy! (still love having him in my age group)

But these guys have nothing on the swagger of Ben Johnson during 9.79 and his posse of steroid kings:Dennis Mitchel, Desai Williams, LInford Christie, Ray Stewart...only Calvin Smith and Robson Da Silva from what I recall were never implicated in anything!

Tom Simpson. If you're going to go, it might as well be while racing up the Ventoux.

WIN!

Contador or Valverde for me. Only because those guys ride every race to win regardless of condition. Valverde in particular wins all season from January to October. In regards to Contador, probably only Merckx was as complete of a stage racer.

i'd say of this generation, Wiggo and Evans are quite a bit more complete. If you include the 80's, Hinault (doper), Fignon (doper), Kelly (doper), and Lemond are all more complete than Contador