Best climbers in history?

[Anonymous]

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"

ok, maybe instead of putting lance on the best climbers list we should just put "9 discovery" or "9 postal" riders as the best climber.

Lance wasnt even the best climber of his generation, let alone ever, but he had a very good team that did the work. Put lance in a group on his own with Herrera, Pantani, Coppi, Contador, Van Impe and Rasmussen, with no teammates I think he would struggle.

 

[Race Radio]

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.

Not sure what you are referring to?

Of course I am referring to the USPS blue train that rode like moto's towing Armstrong up the climbs

 

[Carols]

My list in no particular order:

Pantani
Contador
Coppi
Herrera
Van Impe
Bahamontes
Bartali
Rasmussen
Robert Millar
Gaul

 

[UpTheRoad]

Not the most tactically astute rider of his time, but Gert Jan Theunisse was a great climber. Always rooted for him to blow away the field, though more often than not he was the one that faltered. When he was "on" he was terrific.

 

[Cobblestoned]

ok, maybe instead of putting lance on the best climbers list we should just put "9 discovery" or "9 postal" riders as the best climber.

Lance wasnt even the best climber of his generation, let alone ever, but he had a very good team that did the work. Put lance in a group on his own with Herrera, Pantani, Coppi, Contador, Van Impe and Rasmussen, with no teammates I think he would struggle.

You think a lot when it is about Lance.
Besides your sect-groupies, there won't be much people left that would agree with you.
You are not able to come over your hate. As usually you are blinded by your hate. Lance was too awesome for you. Lance used to play with those climbers, even on his own. Dozens of situations that showed it, especially in those days when USPS was still lacking of awesomeness and Lance had to ride without much support.
Maybe you didn't follow those years closely enough, because they ****ed you off too much.
We Germans had to follow every km very closely and had to accept Lance's superior climbing skills.
Anyway, your motive is just to desperately carry your hate through any possible thread and you are just helpless outside of your beloved clinic.

 

[El Pistolero]

Lance was the best climber during his reign, but Heras would kick his *** on a climb like Angliru or Zoncolan.

 

[Benotti69]

Lance was the best climber during his reign, but Heras would kick his *** on a climb like Angliru or Zoncolan.

he may have been the best climber during the 7TdFs but is was not due to talent.

 

[Cobblestoned]

he may have been the best climber but is was not his talent

Next hater marching in. Wrong subforum. You got lost again.
Don't disrupt this nice thread.

 

[slim charles]

Cobblestoned, did you ever write a post without using word 'hater'? Chill out.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Cobblestoned, did you ever write a post without using word 'hater'? Chill out.

Yes. Hundreds and Thousands of posts.
Just look at my profile and read my all awesome posts.

The problem is not me, it's the haters on their mission. Uh, hater again.
I hope this logic works in your world.

 

[SiAp1984]

We Germans had to follow every km very closely and had to accept Lance's superior climbing skills.

I know exactly what you mean. Painful summers ;-)

It is absolutely ridiculous to keep Lance out of such a list. He was the strongest climber in the field of the Tour for many years. Of course, he did not do much in the mountains outside of the Tour...

Best climbers in the time I was able to follow cycling:

Lance Armstrong
Marco Pantani
Jan Ullrich 1997 edition
Roberto Heras
Alberto Contador (this one hurts)
Michael Rasmussen 2007 edition
Andy Schleck
Ricardo Ricco (also hurts)

 

[Moondance]

Hes been metioned before, but I´ll say it again. The Eagle of Toledo, Federico Bahamontes.

 

[Moondance]

1 Alberto Contador
2 Marco Pantani
3 Lance Armstrong
4 Eddy Mercx
5 Sylwester Szmyd.

Lolololololol

 

[jordan5000]

Alright I'll include Armstrong but I thought if I did that i'd make a huge fuss but if you're going to call Lance a cheater don't include AC, Merckx or Coppi in your list. Anyways he may have been a one hill climber but he blew everybody away when he had to, remember Hautacam, Sestrieres? Remember the year he won 3 consecutive mountain stages? If you don't he belongs but you include the others you're a hypocrite.

 

[jordan5000]

Sorry i forgot to add Pantani to the poll, anyway to do that?

 

[Cobblestoned]

Sorry i forgot to add Pantani to the poll, anyway to do that?

Of course he has earned a place there.

Anyway, vote will always go to Coppi, even when I couldn't see it live.

 

[ferryman]

Alberto Contador Velasco

 

[Duartista]

For me, this kind of debate is more interesting if you restrict it to guys who were great climbers but not much good at anything else. If you include guys like Armstrong, Merckx, even Coppi (who was an unbelievable time trialist), it becomes too similar to 'Best GT riders in history'.

 

[palmerq]

Sorry i forgot to add Pantani to the poll, anyway to do that?

Yes there is

I voted for armstrong, he is the best I can remember, I dont really remember anything before him :S and I don't like to vote for people I havn't seen. Although I read about coppi and he sounds amazing. Rasmussen was brilliant aswell come to think of it

 

[jordan5000]

For me, this kind of debate is more interesting if you restrict it to guys who were great climbers but not much good at anything else. If you include guys like Armstrong, Merckx, even Coppi (who was an unbelievable time trialist), it becomes too similar to 'Best GT riders in history'.

True, but the best GT riders in history were climbers, Merckx, Armstrong, Coppi, Pantani etc all won due to the mountains and then secured victory in the time trials, the best climber will usually win a GT, assuming he isn't an absolutely terrible TTer.

 

[Duartista]

True, but the best GT riders in history were climbers, Merckx, Armstrong, Coppi, Pantani etc all won due to the mountains and then secured victory in the time trials, the best climber will usually win a GT, assuming he isn't an absolutely terrible TTer.

I disagree. Climbers are riders like Fuente, Herrera, Millar etc. I don't think I've heard Armstrong referred to as a climber outside of this forum.

 

[jordan5000]

Of course he's a climber, an all-rounder (Lance) is a climber. Lance has won about 20 mountain stages, how is that not a climberÉ

 

[Duartista]

Because, like Merckx, Hinault, Indurain etc, he was a powerful beast who was capable of beating the climbers on their own terrain. These kind of riders have never been referred to as 'climbers'. A climber has always been understood to be guy who comes into his own in the mountains, is capable of long solo rides over multiple passes, but is like a fish out of water in tts, on the flats, on cobbles etc.

 

[Gingerale]

Contador, Alberto

 

[Moncoutie]

Surprised no one mentioned José Manuel Fuente.

I did, on the 1st page. Why is he not in the poll?