another great edit by CN - happy birthday Hinault - the best ever ?

[Benotti69]

Winning against farmers? Hinault and Indurain actually were farmers. Kelly too. And Coppi.

Kelly still is a part time farmer. breeds rare cattle.

I often wondered at Hnault being a glorified doorman for the ASO, wonder what hold (if any) they have over him.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

Kelly still is a part time farmer. breeds rare cattle.

I often wondered at Hnault being a glorified doorman for the ASO, wonder what hold (if any) they have over him.

There aren't many opportunities in the modern world for the brutally honest.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Would that perhaps be the last time (maybe the only time, what about Martens) someone has won the last stage of a GT in the leaders jersey? Menchov might have managed it in 09 but fell.

Good question. Alvaro Pino, La Vuelta '86?

Edit - Indurain, Giro '92?

 

[veganrob]

There aren't many opportunities in the modern world for the brutally honest.

Very good. How true. I love how Hinault will speak his mind.

 

[Benotti69]

There aren't many opportunities in the modern world for the brutally honest.

i dont know if Hinault is honest, brutal yes in with dealing with what he doesn't like, i wonder why he never tried DS or frame building etc....

 

[Angliru]

at what??

for me hinault, lemond, indurain and maybe lance are better than eddy. please, there's no logical reason to say otherwise. just because he was winning against farmers in and endurance contest he is the best cyclist ever? let's forget evolution and specialization, let's forget the fact that the medium cyclist can go up down left right faster than eddy.

What?????????

 

[Zam_Olyas]

What?????????

yeaa.. c&c are you really serious? what has eddy ever done to you? ..it cant be unrequited love for sure

 

[ramjambunath]

Photographic evidence that Merckx raced against farmers.

 

[Old School]

Photographic evidence that Merckx raced against farmers.

BWAHAHAHAHA!

Too funny.

 

[ramjambunath]

 

[cyclequip]

Quote: "for me hinault, lemond, indurain and maybe lance are better than eddy. please, there's no logical reason to say otherwise. just because he was winning against farmers in and endurance contest he is the best cyclist ever? let's forget evolution and specialization, let's forget the fact that the medium cyclist can go up down left right faster than eddy."

Only one moron evident here!!

Interestingly enough the fastest recorded average speed for a tough race like Paris-Roubaix goes back to Peter Post in 1964 (or 1965). Boonen, Cancellara et al still haven't matched the speeds they recorded back then. But again, they were men and not kids like the Schleck fraternity.

 

[Echoes]

The cobbles that we know today were added from 1966 on. Post won on a totally different route (via Mur de Doullens, Arras, Amiens, etc.). There ain't no more cobbles on that route at the present time.

However as I've read on the forum of Wielerarchieven.be, the fact that Merckx in 1970 raced Paris-Roubaix at an average speed of 41.644 kmh compared to the 39.325 kmh by Cancellara in 2010, shows that oldtimers from the late sixties and most of all seventies were not lesser athletes than present-day riders.

In 1970, there was no Carrefour de l'arbre but there was the Aremberg Forest and Mons en Pévèle. The race was longer (266>259) and the weather conditions were apocalyptic. The cobbles were in worse conditions ("Les amis de Paris-Roubaix" improved the cobbles a lot) and the bikes weren't suited for cobbles as they're now (suspensions). Cancellara should've raced 2 or 3kmh faster if he were a better athlete. And in my opinion he's the best rider of the last 5 years.

 

[movingtarget]

For me, the Cannibal is a clear number one and Hinault is a clear number two, simply for the range of races they could win and the way in which they often won. Not just winning but winning easily. After that would be Indurain, Lemond, Armstrong, Coppi and Anquetil with Contador not far behind and closing.

 

[El Pistolero]

For me, the Cannibal is a clear number one and Hinault is a clear number two, simply for the range of races they could win and the way in which they often won. Not just winning but winning easily. After that would be Indurain, Lemond, Armstrong, Coppi and Anquetil with Contador not far behind and closing.

Not sure I'd put Lemond in that list...

 

[Le breton]

The cobbles that we know today were added from 1966 on. Post won on a totally different route (via Mur de Doullens, Arras, Amiens, etc.).
.

Plus very strong, mostly favourable, wind.