Best TTers past or present?

[jordan5000]

Who do you think are some of the best TTers, where would you rank the following: Indurain, Armstrong, Contador, Leipheimer, Merckx, Coppi (had the hour record, right?) Cancellara, Martin? Personally I think Big Mig was probably the best but I'm not sure. Also I don't think riders such as Boardman should be considered, they have to be riders who are primarily road racers.

edit- Coppi, Anquetil and Merckx are from a different era, so you can vote for two, one for a rider from that group and another from the more modern group.

 

[Zoncolan]

Anquetil...

 

[c&cfan]

cancellara vs big mig.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I am gonna say Fabian.

 

[El Pistolero]

1. Miguel Indurain
2. Eddy Merckx
3. Anquetil
4. Cancellara

 

[Havetts]

Miguel Indurian by far.

 

[avanti]

Ray Booty
Jacques Anquetil
Francesco Moser
Roger Riviere had great promise until his TdF injury

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Cancellara or Big Mig...
I'm going for Cancellara because of the way he rode the TT WC in Mendrisio. That was the most amazing show of power I've ever seen.

 

[jens_attacks]

my lack of knowledge before the 90's is ridiculous so i really don't know the answer,from what i've read ,films i saw,you aren't called Monsieur Chrono for nothing.so i'd pick him altough no doubt coppi and merckx were awesome too.

from our modern times:
1.miguel indurain
2.jan ullrich(just check that itt from st. etienne '97)
lance armstrong...the man was a beast no doubt
3.cancellara
4.martin-rominger-honchar-olano and others from time to time,ugrumov,berzin,zulle,millar...

 

[jordan5000]

Should I add a poll?

 

[Cobblestoned]

 

[The Hitch]

Its between Cancellara and Big Mig.

Very close. I never saw Big Mig of course but I hear he took 3 minutes out of 2nd place 1 time in a tt. Thats all you need to know.

Also he was a GT guy so he would have to be good enough to climb up the mountains and do the tt.

And he got an olympic gold + worlds, so shows he could do it in a 1 dayer as well not just in gts.

So for now Indurain, but if Cancellara gets another olympic gold another 1 or 2 World tts, and a few more gt tts, then in a few years he will be the GOAT.

Should I add a poll?

I didnt know that you can, after you made the thread.

 

[AngusW]

If you do a poll, include Bernard Hinault (5 prologues in the Tour + 5 GP des Nations, for starters).

Also Jacques Anquetil (9 GP des Nations).

I don't see it as a clear choice between Indurain and Cancellara, BTW.

 

[Polish]

(3) Jacques - Steel Road Bike
(2) Lance - Early Steel TT Bike & Later Carbon TT bike
(1) Big Mig - Overall best

 

[El Pistolero]

Definitely not Cancellara. You have to keep in mind that the World championship isn't an old event and I think Indurain only entered it once.

GP des Nations was the unofficial WC, but that doesn't say everything. Merckx, who was the best TT specialist of his generation by far, only ever rode it once(and won) and the Olympics were for amateurs back then.

Cancellara struggles to win long time trials in Grand Tours, something Merckx, Indurain and Anquetil didn't have any problem with, so I rate them all higher.

 

[The Hitch]

Definitely not Cancellara. You have to keep in mind that the World championship isn't an old event and I think Indurain only entered it once.

GP des Nations was the unofficial WC, but that doesn't say everything. Merckx, who was the best TT specialist of his generation by far, only ever rode it once(and won) and the Olympics were for amateurs back then.

Cancellara struggles to win long time trials in Grand Tours, something Merckx, Indurain and Anquetil didn't have any problem with, so I rate them all higher.

Since when do only long tts count.

And since when do they have to be in gts?


Cancellara doesnt peak for gts like the ones you mention above did because those arent his aim.

But he has won tts of all types. From a practical sprint to 10k to 15k to 20k to 30 k to 40 k to hour efforts.

On all stages.

A true tt specialist.

 

[El Pistolero]

Since when do only long tts count.

And since when do they have to be in gts?


Cancellara doesnt peak for gts like the ones you mention above did because those arent his aim.

But he has won tts of all types. From a practical sprint to 10k to 15k to 20k to 30 k to 40 k to hour efforts.

On all stages.

A true tt specialist.

Time trials in the Tour ARE his aim. He just ain't the best when it comes to longer time trials in Grand Tours. The longer a time trial is, the more prestigious. A prologue specialist isn't necessarily a time trial specialist.

Anquetil won the GP des Nations 9 times. That's 9 "World titles" versus 4. Indurain only entered the Olympics time trial and Worlds time trial once, but destroyed the field. In the Tour some of his time trials were absolutely ridiculous.

Eddy Merckx, Anquetil and Indurain had longer peaks than Cancellara. Merckx broke the World Hour record of Fausto Coppi after riding all the classics, winning the Tour and Giro for example.

Of course it has to be in GTs for one reason: world championship time trial didn't exist for riders like Eddy Merckx, Anquetil, Coppi and for some part of Indurain's career. And the Olympics were for amateurs in cycling till 1996 I think.

 

[c&cfan]

Time trials in the Tour ARE his aim. He just ain't the best when it comes to time trials in Grand Tours. The longer a time trial is, the more prestigious. A prologue specialist isn't necessarily a time trial specialist.

Anquetil won the GP des Nations 9 times. That's 9 "World titles" versus 4. Indurain only entered the Olympics time trial and Worlds time trial once, but destroyed the field. In the Tour some of his time trials were absolutely ridiculous.

Eddy Merckx, Anquetil and Indurain had longer peaks than Cancellara. Merckx broke the World Hour record of Fausto Coppi after riding all the classics, winning the Tour and Giro for example.

pistrollero is on.

different times, different goals. but you are too blind to see this, right?

 

[El Pistolero]

1996 is not that long ago. It would be pretty stupid to give Cancellara the title of best ever just because he's the most recent guy. Might as well pick Tony Martin then(who's having a better time trial season than Cancellara ever had).

 

[c&cfan]

1996 is not that long ago. It would be pretty stupid to give Cancellara the title of best ever just because he's the most recent guy. Might as well pick Tony Martin then(who's having a better time trial season than Cancellara ever had).

1996.. let's discuss that but forget guys who rode prior to that.

even in 1996, cycling wasn't so specialized. still, you are being ignorant.
first:
canc isn't the protected rider. canc kills himself protecting. tour isn't canc biggest goal. canc isn't a gt rider, so recuperation counts a lot and since he works in every single stage, it's perfectly understandable that he doesn't always win.

about tony, he had an amazing TT season. but can has been dominating prologues and TTs since 2004/2005. it was clear that he wasn't focused or had the same motivation. he wasn't losing just for tony... maybe tony provided enough fuel for cancellara. let's see, he still has at least an handful of good years ahead of him.

if you are starting with stupid comments and comparatives we should stop this conversation right now. like i said, canc has been the supreme TTer since 2005 onwards. where's the motivation in an all-out lonely effort?

 

[El Pistolero]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmR9k8UAohs

Different times indeed. Yet the specialist of the decade called Lance Armstrong got destroyed by Indurain.

 

[Hawkwood]

Merckx followed by Big Mig. Some friends live in France they went to watch a TDF TT back in the 90s. Thought they'd spectate on a hill as the riders would slow down and they'd get some good photos, this worked up until Indurain turned up, he didn't slow down!

 

[The Hitch]

For me Merckx, Anquetil, Coppi, Hinault are like the ****ing apostles but as CandC fan says, its different times.

it was far more common then for 1 supertalent to donimate a lot of disciplines over a long period of time.

It is special for someone to win a 4k prologue in Holland, a 30k one in Spain a week later, then a 50k one 2 weeks after that in Switzerland.


It is a different age, and Cancellaras dominance, when hes on form is something really special.

 

[El Pistolero]

For me Merckx, Anquetil, Coppi, Hinault are like the ****ing apostles but as CandC fan says, its different times.

it was far more common then for 1 supertalent to donimate a lot of disciplines over a long period of time.

It is special for someone to win a 4k prologue in Holland, a 30k one in Spain a week later, then a 50k one 2 weeks after that in Switzerland.


It is a different age, and Cancellaras dominance, when hes on form is something really special.

Trust me, what Merckx did was not common. He already beat the crap out of Anquetil in time trials while still being a youngster. Anquetil had a rep of being unbeatable in time trials.

 

[Nederick]

Stephen Roche (Carrera) ITT v rest of Carrera TTT, Giro.
He had such a beautiful, fluent style on the pedals.
I'd prob give it to Mig, but I think it's kind of hard to say with pre and post TT specific bike set ups.