Best climbers in history?

[icefire]

Honorable mention must be made of Vicente Trueba. Mr Desgrange was so amazed at him during the 1932 Tour that he decided to create the KOM competition the following year.

 

[El Pistolero]

Merckx in '69 was the best ever though. After that he had a very nasty crash and he was never quite the same... And that says a lot

 

[ultimobici]

No particular order
Robert Millar
Charly Gaul
Thierry Claverolat
Luis Herrera
Frederico Bahamontes
Marco Pantani
Lucien Van Impe

If you open it up to less pure climbers add in

Bernard Hinault
Laurent Fignon
Pedro Delgado
Steven Rooks

 

[Anonymous]

Surprised that only one person mentioned Luis Herrera.

One of the few riders to win the king of the mountains jersey in ALL THREE grand tours, five king of the mountains in total, and the first south american to win a grand tour as well as winning two dauphines, and four Tour of Colombias.

The first climber I really rememer watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtpQSPDfzU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j60Qm-lJDo

I also fail to see how Armstrong could ever be included in a true climbers. In a group with true climbers he would get dropped quicker than a sack of spuds.

 

[greenedge]

Then what does that make Pantani. Even Heras, Escartin, Jiminez, Basso and Mayo who are all great climbers in their own right.

 

[Echoes]

Short visit to CN, I mean, to Climbbybike forum.

Answer is Federico Bahamontes.

Too many cheaters listed here. Like the one that has his pic here above.

Gaul couldn't have been the best because Bahamontes beat him more often than not, in the mountains.

Merckx, definitely not ! (and please write ckx, at the end ) He feared the climbers. He had 70kg.

Fuente and Herrera might deserve a mention. Julio Jimenez too.

 

[jens_attacks]

 

[Sophistic]

to put AC but not LA on that list is ridicolous:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oiuwRejx0g

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

to put AC but not LA on that list is ridicolous:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oiuwRejx0g

No one-hill-sprinters should be included anyway!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Rooks, Winnen, Van der Velde, Zoetemelk, Janssen, Breukink and ofcourse Gesink

 

[Lexman]

Surprised that only one person mentioned Luis Herrera.

One of the few riders to win the king of the mountains jersey in ALL THREE grand tours, five king of the mountains in total, and the first south american to win a grand tour as well as winning two dauphines, and four Tour of Colombias.

The first climber I really rememer watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtpQSPDfzU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j60Qm-lJDo

I also fail to see how Armstrong could ever be included in a true climbers. In a group with true climbers he would get dropped quicker than a sack of spuds.

I agree with you, Lucho Herrera is one of the purest climbers there ever was, together with Van Impe. Of today's riders i think only Contador can be taken seriously as a climber...

 

[The Hitch]

I also fail to see how Armstrong could ever be included in a true climbers. In a group with true climbers he would get dropped quicker than a sack of spuds.

He has some of the best times up some of the most famous and most ridden mountains.

That he is a jerk and that he never did other races does not eliminate him from a discussion about best climbers.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It doesn't get much better than this!

 

[El Pistolero]

Surprised that only one person mentioned Luis Herrera.

One of the few riders to win the king of the mountains jersey in ALL THREE grand tours, five king of the mountains in total, and the first south american to win a grand tour as well as winning two dauphines, and four Tour of Colombias.

The first climber I really rememer watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtpQSPDfzU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j60Qm-lJDo

I also fail to see how Armstrong could ever be included in a true climbers. In a group with true climbers he would get dropped quicker than a sack of spuds.

Surprised no one mentioned José Manuel Fuente.

 

[jens_attacks]

It doesn't get much better than this!

were they riding at the front here no?

 

[El Pistolero]

were they riding at the front here no?

Dropped by Contador lol.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Surprised that only one person mentioned Luis Herrera.

One of the few riders to win the king of the mountains jersey in ALL THREE grand tours, five king of the mountains in total, and the first south american to win a grand tour as well as winning two dauphines, and four Tour of Colombias.

The first climber I really rememer watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtpQSPDfzU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j60Qm-lJDo

I also fail to see how Armstrong could ever be included in a true climbers. In a group with true climbers he would get dropped quicker than a sack of spuds.

Yeah, we could see it year after year after year.
In his golden years, it was easiest thing on earth to outclimb Lance.
They also called him "The Outclimbed"

 

[icefire]

were they riding at the front here no?

They had just dropped the best climber and were taking time of the guy at the front who had been allowed to go on a break

 

[Cobblestoned]

Coppi
Herrera
Chiappucci
Virenque
van Impe
Bahamontes
Bartali
Pantani
Rasmussen
Heras
Basso
Armstrong
Contador
A.Schleck

etc.

 

[cineteq]

Contador? This guy crushed him

 

[The Hitch]

were they riding at the front here no?

Relax. I dont think even ACF thinks Cadel is in the top 5 climbers of his generation yet alone one of the best ever.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Relax. I dont think even ACF thinks Cadel is in the top 5 climbers of his generation yet alone one of the best ever.

You are obviously mistaken!

 

[jens_attacks]

Relax. I dont think even ACF thinks Cadel is in the top 5 climbers of his generation yet alone one of the best ever.

of course i was just teasing...

 

[Race Radio]

If you are going to include Armstrong in the list then you should also include these guys

 

[The Hitch]

If you are going to include Armstrong in the list then you should also include these guys

Half the riders on this list got caught.

Considering you named Coppi Im wondering why you single Lance out for this criticism.

A criticism that belongs in your favorite subforum, not this one.