Coppi, Bartali, Merckx, Pogacar

[BahamontesPhantom]

Are these the best four cyclists of all time ? I think maybe yes.
What say you esteemed members of the forum? Given a fair stick was Hinault better than any of them ? If Lemond didn’t have a penchant for grouse hunting , is he in the top 4?

 

[pastronef]

oh please stop it. please

 

[BahamontesPhantom]

oh please stop it. please

Huh?

 

[Red Rick]

Coppi + Paste >>>

 

[BahamontesPhantom]

Coppi + Paste >>>

Do members here not like to discuss the old riders so much?

 

[Red Rick]

Do members here not like to discuss the old riders so much?

How am I supposed to have strong opinions about riders who raced before I was born and where I missed all of the context to their achievements.

 

[BahamontesPhantom]

How am I supposed to have strong opinions about riders who raced before I was born and where I missed all of the context to their achievements.

You can still see the context if you look in to their careers. Bartali for example won the tour at 24, missed 9 years due to the war and won the tour again at 34. Is that not greatness? Is it not worth finding a place to talk about on a cycling forum ?

 

[pastronef]

oh please stop, please

 

[CyclistAbi]

Not sure if Pogi belongs in this group, just yet, evergreen legends. If you absolutely want to put a contemporary rider into this group then Rogla is likely a good fit.

 

[BahamontesPhantom]

Not sure if Pogi belongs in this group, just yet, evergreen legends. If you absolutely want to put a contemporary rider into this group then Rogla is likely a good fit.

It’s more a group of the maestros, the mozarts. Maybe we can wait to put pogi in it though as you say

 

[Ilmaestro99]

1. Coppi
2. Nibali
3. Hinault
4. Merckz
5. Landa
6. Bartali
7. Sean kelly
8. Pocagar
9. Philipe gilbert
10. Cristian scaroni

 

[BahamontesPhantom]

1. Coppi
2. Nibali
3. Hinault
4. Merckz
5. Landa
6. Bartali
7. Sean kelly
8. Pocagar
9. Philipe gilbert
10. Cristian scaroni

If you just take out Landa this is a great list

 

[Peyresourde]

Are these the best four cyclists of all time ? I think maybe yes.
What say you esteemed members of the forum? Given a fair stick was Hinault better than any of them ? If Lemond didn’t have a penchant for grouse hunting , is he in the top 4?

These are 4 of the top 5 for me together with Hinault. I would put Hinault second/third ahead of Coppi and Bartali, but as you mentioned the war reduced their palmares and those were different times and thus hard to compare.

Lemond is not in the Top 30 for me, of course he probably would have been much more successful without his hunting accident.

 

[BahamontesPhantom]

These are 4 of the top 5 for me together with Hinault. I would put Hinault second/third ahead of Coppi and Bartali, but as you mentioned the war reduced their palmares and those were different times and thus hard to compare.

Lemond is not in the Top 30 for me, of course he probably would have been much more succesfull without his hunting accident.

Thanks