Just to throw it out to all of you,
I think that Armstrong must win the 1 day classics & add the Giro to his resume to be considered the best rider ever.
Decision made. He is the greatest to ever ride the Tour, amazing the Europeans could not figure Bruyneels strategy out for the team concept for 6 years & probably still not this year.
But, he needs to cement history with the classics & the Giro!!
Nope, not even then, Mercykx (sp) has The Greatest wrapped up. Not even sure that LA would be in the top three. Merckx, Indurain, Coppi, Anquetil, Hinault all had much more impressive records outside of the tour. No way does winning one or even two more Tours wipe all of that out.
Styrrell
Let the flaming begin…
A quick look at their palmares:
http://townsleyb.members.beeb.net/procycle/merckxe.htm
http://townsleyb.members.beeb.net/procycle/hinaultb.htm
Best rider ever? Based on what criteria? To equate Lance with early riders of le Tour (1906s’ longest stage - 480kms) is unfathomable.
My issue here is that Lance has reached “rock star” status and deserving of all the attention and paparazzi, but please, give us some basic rules…
Not by my book. Personally I preferred Eddie Mercykx’s style of racing the TdF. Even when he was “safely” in the winners chair he would still attack and defend without depending on his team even when he did not need to race hard to win. I know the times they are a changin’ (place Bob Dylan music here) - but there were some brilliant battles in many stages in TdF’s in the past. Perhaps back then the winning person did not get as much money; thus they could risk it a bit more on the stages and go to battle just for the shear pleasure of competition.