Coming across the Evans thread I again read some of these myths: In the 70's cycling was an all European affair, Merckx never had to face Australians, Americans, South Americans, Eastern-Blockers, etc.
WRONG !
First, a historical background:
By the early 20th century until WWII, the three big cycling nations were France, Italy and Belgium (Britain was great in the 19th but that's it). The rest were isolated cases. A handful of Luxembourger for each generation. Same for the Swiss. Some Spanish climbers came up in the thirties. Some Germans came up at the same times. Dutchies arrived in the late thirties.
On top of that, if the years 1910's were somewhat "internationalized", the interbellum years were not. Italians were racing at home only and almost no foreigners went there. Hence, the Binda's, Girardengo's, Guerra's and Bartali's of this world could build up a palmarès that on paper seems comparable to later champions' but against a far lesser field (and building the myth of the campionissimo and his gregarii). Only in French races could you have some sort of internationalized field (and yet ..).
After WWII and the creation of the Desgrange Colombo Challenge, most of the top classics and GT had an international field. And by the time Merckx came up all Western European nations were great in quality and number, which wasn't the case before. This includes Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and even the UK and Scandinavia.
But what about the rest ???
Let's start with
Latin America:
Many races were already held there, races that exist today and that some of you like: Tour of Colombia, Clasico RCN and Tour of Tachira.
The best South American riders in those days was a Colombian named Martin Rodriguez and better known as
Cochise (4 Tour of Colombia, 3 Tachira, 1 RCN, Amateur Pursuit Champion). He was born in 1942.
First encounter with Euros was at the Amateur Worlds in 1968. He was 4th. Then he would attempt at the Hour Record, in 1970, in Mexico on the same track as Ole Ritter. 47km566 against 48653 for Ritter. It was the new Amateur World Record but at age 27 he was definitely in his prime. Even Ferdinand Bracke who set the previous record in Rome at sea level had a better mark.
By 1972 Cochise turned pro. His best results in big races were:
5th in the World Pursuit Championship 1972
8th in the World Pursuit Championship 1973
11th in the World Championship 1974
15th in the World Championship 1973
16th in the Tour of Lombardy 1975
17th in the Tour of Lombardy 1974
18th in the Giro 1974
19th in the World Championship 1975
27th in the Tour of France 1975
33rd in the Giro 1975
41st in the Giro 1973
71st in Milan Sanremo 1974
73rd in Milan Sanremo 1973
His wins as a pro:
Baracchi Trophy 1973 (partnering Felice Gimondi)
Camaiore GP 1973
Cochise was a truly great rider but to defy Merckx, he was not good enough.
The Colombians also had a big Flandrian, which is no longer the case today. Giovanni Jimenez won a lot of kermess races in Belgium and finished the Tour of Flanders in 1973 (32nd) and the Worlds in 1971 (33rd).
To close the chapter about Latin America I would add that Jempi Monseré had to deal with a Mexican rider in the pre-Olympic race he won in Mexico in 1967. They were in the break all day along, across the mountains, caught by a small group but Jempi won the sprint.
Eastern Block
Of course during the Cold War, cyclists from the Communist World could not turn pro in the West. However I'm still wondering why tennis aces such as Lendl or Nastase could? But well ...
Did Merckx ever have to face a Eastern European in his career? Of course he did.
In Sallanches 1964, the Easterners were there. Alexei Petrov even finished 7th. Petrov already had a reputation as great TTist in the Eastern block. Merckx was 19, a kid. Petrov was 27, in his prime. And the route was really hard.
Again, Jempi Monseré and even Roger De Vlaeminck had to cope with Eastern blockers too in their Amateur years. At the Worlds in Heerlen Monseré was in the leading group with Klaus Ampler (DDR), Conti and René Pijnen. But Jempi made a mistake and stopped pulling, the chasers came back. Graham Webb won. Monseré was 10th, De Vlaeminck 7th and Ampler was behind. Ampler was 26 (in his prime) and already had a huge reputation as Peace Race winner among other big wins, De Vlaeminck was 20, Monseré was 19 (kids).
Australia (+ New Zealand)
Australia has a huge tradition in track cycling. The best trackies in Merckx's time were Danny Clark and Graeme Gilmore. Of course, both were also roadies but when they got to road races in their spare time, they didn't have quite the same results as say Patrick Sercu for example, who made the same transition.
But Australia's road cycling history did not start with Phil Anderson. Already in 1914 Don Kirckham finished 9th in Milan Sanremo (I said above the 1910's were a first Golden Era), Ivor Munro 26th, Charles Piercey 28th. In the 1920's the great Sir Hubert Opperman came to Europe and won Paris-Brest-Paris, the Bol d'Or and was 3rd in Paris-Brussels, among others. One of his team mates was a Kiwi, whose name I don't remember.
Also many races that still exist today have a long history, such as Grafton to Invernell, the Herald Sun Tour or Melbourne to Warrnambool. 1957 winner of the Herald Sun Tour Russell Mockridge also defied the Euros. He was probably one of the greatest Australian talents ever but in Europe he mainly won kermess races + the Six-Days of Paris. He still managed to finish 42nd in Paris-Roubaix. To my knowledge, the first Aussie to finish the race. Oh by the way, did Coppi ever face an Aussie? Yes, in this Paris-Roubaix and ... two famous pursuit test matches against Syd Pattersson (very high regarded).
In times of Merckx, the best Aussies had the name Gary Clively, Don Allan and Bill Lawrie + Graeme Gilmore and Danny Clark.
And the Kiwi Bruce Biddle. All more than decent riders.
The USA
Here I have to admit that they weren't huge in number. Still, I can find two name: Mike Neel and George Mount.
Mount got to know Merckx when the latter got to Pennsylvania with Patrick Sercu for a Six-Days race. Merckx told him: "if you want to win races, go to France; if you want to learn about bike racing, go to Italy."
Mount just finished 6th in the Olympic Road Race in Montreal.
Neel didn't finish that race due to crash but yet he got a pro contract just after that and was selected for the Worlds in Ostuni. Far behind Maertens and Moser, Merckx won the sprint of a small peloton. Behind him were up-and-coming French talent Hinault, Felice Gimondi, Jan Raas, Aussie Don Allan and ... Mike Neel as 10th. He would never made another great performance like that one.
That pic is priceless:
He's far left.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the non-Euros started to win big (the 80's) when Euro cycling started to decline. Don't forget that between WWII (and even before) and the 70's, cycling was the top most popular sport in Europe. Popular culture was full of reference to cycling: French cinema, Italian cinema, Belgian litterature, etc. Its popularity was well ahead of football's or tennis'. This is by far no longer the case.
The bike was also the most popular means of locomotion until the vespa came up in the mid-fifties (which led to a cycle crisis and the first extra-sport sponsor). Before that, everybody used the bike in everyday life and for their jobs. Coppi was a delivery man for a grocist. He used his bike. Same for Bobet, Van Looy, Kübler, Van Steenbergen, Impanis, etc.
When Merckx started cycling, the vespa had come up. Yet, I had the info that only 20% of working class people could afford it (which was already a huge progress).
By the 80's Europe started becoming really prosperous. Eddy Planckaert considered himself a "luxury Flandrian". He didn't bother to train in winter. Neither did Hinault actually. No wonder that the World #1 was a mighty Irish farmer still driving a tractor when his future manager first met him.
PS: Damn, I should really stop typing novels !
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