Great riders without a National title

[Guybrush]

Most of the greatest riders have dominated their national championships, on the other hand there's a minor group of them without a national (profesional) honor.

Comes to mind Jens Voigt and many others but i left them to your memory... who are they?

 

[BigMac]

Wouldn't really qualify Jens Voigt as one of the greatest riders, though.

 

[Alexandre B.]

We're talking about the road, right? Jacques Anquetil, then.

He won the title in the amateur ranks, though.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Roberto Heras.

 

[DFA123]

Most of the greatest riders have dominated their national championships, on the other hand there's a minor group of them without a national (profesional) honor.

Comes to mind Jens Voigt and many others but i left them to your memory... who are they?

lol, what?

There must be loads of great climbers that have never won their national road race or TT - particularly in the last 25 years as riders have become more specialized. Don't think Pantani ever won one, nor Froome.

 

[TMP402]

There must be loads of great climbers that have never won their national road race or TT - particularly in the last 25 years as riders have become more specialized. Don't think Pantani ever won one, nor Froome.

I looked this up a while ago, if I remember correctly, Froome has never even entered the national TT champs, and only rode the RR once, coming 4th in 2008 or 09. I think the course was designed for Cavendish but Froome kept attacking and tore up the field.

My bemusement at this fact led me to wish the British cycling authorities would designate a random MTF in the Tour as the national RR, in order to give Froome an easy jersey.

 

[TMP402]

Most of the greatest riders have dominated their national championships, on the other hand there's a minor group of them without a national (profesional) honor.

Comes to mind Jens Voigt and many others but i left them to your memory... who are they?

The German RR champs are weird. Yes, Greipel has won, but no Kittel, Degenkolb or Martin? Instead Knees, Wagner and Buchmann.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Sean Kelly.
Stephen Roche.

Kelly won junior national titles in both the Road Race and the Time Trial. He also came second in the senior Road Race. But he never won either title at senior level.

Roche won a national cyclocross title and like Kelly won the junior Road Race and came second in a senior Road Race, but again never won a senior RR or TT title.

In both cases this was mostly about eligibility - they got their second places as amateurs, then turned pro and weren't eligible. Their careers were almost entirely covered by years when pros weren't allowed into the national RR. There was only a separate pro national RR once during their careers, which is when Kelly came second.

 

[StryderHells]

One of Australia's greatest in Cadel Evans never won a nationals

 

[Guybrush]

Most of the greatest riders have dominated their national championships, on the other hand there's a minor group of them without a national (profesional) honor.

Comes to mind Jens Voigt and many others but i left them to your memory... who are they?

lol, what?

There must be loads of great climbers that have never won their national road race or TT - particularly in the last 25 years as riders have become more specialized. Don't think Pantani ever won one, nor Froome.

i quote myself "and many others but i left them to your memory"

come on then! Pantani and Froome are two easy ones, who else?

 

[Guybrush]

There must be loads of great climbers that have never won their national road race or TT - particularly in the last 25 years as riders have become more specialized. Don't think Pantani ever won one, nor Froome.

I looked this up a while ago, if I remember correctly, Froome has never even entered the national TT champs, and only rode the RR once, coming 4th in 2008 or 09. I think the course was designed for Cavendish but Froome kept attacking and tore up the field.

My bemusement at this fact led me to wish the British cycling authorities would designate a random MTF in the Tour as the national RR, in order to give Froome an easy jersey.

Froome was 2nd in the 2010 nationals TT (Wiggo was 1st)

 

[DFA123]

Most of the greatest riders have dominated their national championships, on the other hand there's a minor group of them without a national (profesional) honor.

Comes to mind Jens Voigt and many others but i left them to your memory... who are they?

lol, what?

There must be loads of great climbers that have never won their national road race or TT - particularly in the last 25 years as riders have become more specialized. Don't think Pantani ever won one, nor Froome.

i quote myself "and many others but i left them to your memory"

come on then! Pantani and Froome are two easy ones, who else?

Well, if Voigt is considered one of the greatest riders, then there are quite literally hundreds, possibly even thousands, of 'greatest riders' that have never won a national title. So it becomes a bit of a worthless challenge to name them.

But, if we're going to set this interminable ball rolling, I'll go with Alberto Elli.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I think Voigt was named because he was one of biggest German riders for a long time. To be honest I'm quite shocked he didn't even win once in his very long career.

 

[BigMac]

Re:

I think Voigt was named because he was one of biggest German riders for a long time. To be honest I'm quite shocked he didn't even win once in his very long career.

Probably never bothered to race it tactically either. Was too busy making pointless attacks.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Gerrie Knetemann
Briek Schotte
Jacques Anquetil
José Manuel Fuente
Luís Alberto "Lucho" Herrera
Marco Pantani
Frank Vandenbroucke
Phil Anderson
Óscar Freire
Antonin Magne (2nd 4 times)
Richard Virenque
Tony Rominger
Marino Basso
Ivan Basso
Giovanni Battaglin
Greg Lemond
Alex Zülle
Vicente Trueba
Marino Lejarreta

 

[Jancouver]

Re:

Gerrie Knetemann
Briek Schotte
Jacques Anquetil
José Manuel Fuente
Luís Alberto "Lucho" Herrera
Marco Pantani
Frank Vandenbroucke
Phil Anderson
Óscar Freire
Antonin Magne (2nd 4 times)
Richard Virenque
Tony Rominger
Marino Basso
Ivan Basso
Giovanni Battaglin
Greg Lemond
Alex Zülle
Vicente Trueba
Marino Lejarreta

What a list!

For some reason, the name that popped up when I read it was Oscarito. I mean, is there any other 3x World Champ without a national title?

I guess the Spanish nationals are not exactly suited to the "fast" man and all he got is one 3rd place in 1998.

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

Gerrie Knetemann
Briek Schotte
Jacques Anquetil
José Manuel Fuente
Luís Alberto "Lucho" Herrera
Marco Pantani
Frank Vandenbroucke
Phil Anderson
Óscar Freire
Antonin Magne (2nd 4 times)
Richard Virenque
Tony Rominger
Marino Basso
Ivan Basso
Giovanni Battaglin
Greg Lemond
Alex Zülle
Vicente Trueba
Marino Lejarreta

What a list!

For some reason, the name that popped up when I read it was Oscarito. I mean, is there any other 3x World Champ without a national title?

I guess the Spanish nationals are not exactly suited to the "fast" man and all he got is one 3rd place in 1998.

I think Freire's lack of success was more related to the team support.

 

[Guybrush]

Most of the greatest riders have dominated their national championships, on the other hand there's a minor group of them without a national (profesional) honor.

Comes to mind Jens Voigt and many others but i left them to your memory... who are they?

lol, what?

There must be loads of great climbers that have never won their national road race or TT - particularly in the last 25 years as riders have become more specialized. Don't think Pantani ever won one, nor Froome.

i quote myself "and many others but i left them to your memory"

come on then! Pantani and Froome are two easy ones, who else?

Well, if Voigt is considered one of the greatest riders, then there are quite literally hundreds, possibly even thousands, of 'greatest riders' that have never won a national title. So it becomes a bit of a worthless challenge to name them.

But, if we're going to set this interminable ball rolling, I'll go with Alberto Elli.

then you totally miss the point... it isn't about a list of names, i'm sure there's lots of good stories... why a great rider didn't won it? did he tried? the typical national parcour didn't suit him? bad luck? too much competition?

i'm sure the elder members will bring good stories!

but if you want to continue the discusion if Voigt was or not great you do it in his personal thread
http://forum.cyclingnews.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=168&hilit=jens+voigt.

 

[El Pistolero]

Considering time trials are lame: Contador.

Greg van Avermaet is also a notable name that hasn't won the nationals yet. He's not an all-time great of course, but he is one of the best one-day riders in the current peloton. Also rather surprising that the great Eddy Merckx only won it once. This is the guy that holds the record for most wins in the Giro, Tour, World Championships, Milan-San Remo, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Gent-Wevelgem.

 

[DFA123]

Most of the greatest riders have dominated their national championships, on the other hand there's a minor group of them without a national (profesional) honor.

Comes to mind Jens Voigt and many others but i left them to your memory... who are they?

lol, what?

There must be loads of great climbers that have never won their national road race or TT - particularly in the last 25 years as riders have become more specialized. Don't think Pantani ever won one, nor Froome.

i quote myself "and many others but i left them to your memory"

come on then! Pantani and Froome are two easy ones, who else?

Well, if Voigt is considered one of the greatest riders, then there are quite literally hundreds, possibly even thousands, of 'greatest riders' that have never won a national title. So it becomes a bit of a worthless challenge to name them.

But, if we're going to set this interminable ball rolling, I'll go with Alberto Elli.

then you totally miss the point... it isn't about a list of names, i'm sure there's lots of good stories... why a great rider didn't won it? did he tried? the typical national parcour didn't suit him? bad luck? too much competition?

i'm sure the elder members will bring good stories!

but if you want to continue the discusion if Voigt was or not great you do it in his personal thread
http://forum.cyclingnews.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=168&hilit=jens+voigt.

Fine, that's a fair point. I just that the statement in the opening post 'Most of the greatest riders have dominated their national championships' is not really true, if you are considering solid pros like Voigt as being amongst the greatest riders.

Particularly with regards to great climbers and stage racers in the last 25 years. Not many have won their National Road Race, let alone dominated it.

 

[GP Blanco]

Re:

Considering time trials are lame: Contador.

Greg van Avermaet is also a notable name that hasn't won the nationals yet. He's not an all-time great of course, but he is one of the best one-day riders in the current peloton. Also rather surprising that the great Eddy Merckx only won it once. This is the guy that holds the record for most wins in the Giro, Tour, World Championships, Milan-San Remo, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Gent-Wevelgem.

I do not know the results but maybe Merckx handed out the national championships to his team mates. Marianne Vos usually does the same.

 

[Pantani_lives]

As cycling has become more specialized between tour and one-day racers it has happened more often in recent times and it will happen more often that a great tour rider doesn't win a national title.

Here are some big names who haven't won the road race in their country:

France: Anquetil, Mottet, Virenque
Belgium: Eddy Planckaert, VDB, Van Petegem
Netherlands: Jan Janssen, Knetemann
Spain: Delgado, Lejarreta, Escartin, Freire, Heras, Sastre, Contador
Italy: Pantani, Gotti, Petacchi, Basso
Germany: Kittel, Martin, Degenkolb
Switzerland: Rominger, Zülle
Denmark: Rasmussen
Russia: Tonkov, Menchov
UK: Boardman, Froome
USA: LeMond (Did he participate?)
Canada: Hesjedal
Colombia: Herrera, Botero, Quintana
Australia: Anderson, Evans

 

[Guybrush]

Re:

As cycling has become more specialized between tour and one-day racers it has happened more often in recent times and it will happen more often that a great tour rider doesn't win a national title.

Here are some big names who haven't won the road race in their country:

France: Anquetil, Mottet, Virenque
Belgium: Eddy Planckaert, VDB, Van Petegem
Netherlands: Jan Janssen, Knetemann
Spain: Delgado, Lejarreta, Escartin, Freire, Heras, Sastre, Contador
Italy: Pantani, Gotti, Petacchi, Basso
Germany: Kittel, Martin, Degenkolb
Switzerland: Rominger, Zülle
Denmark: Rasmussen
Russia: Tonkov, Menchov
UK: Boardman, Froome
USA: LeMond (Did he participate?)
Canada: Hesjedal
Colombia: Herrera, Botero, Quintana
Australia: Anderson, Evans

a TT is a national title.

of the last 3 GT top 10
Giro: Chavez, Kruijswijk, Amador
Vuelta: Aru, Quintana, Chavez, Nieve, Moreno
Tour: Froome, Gesink, Bardet, Rolland

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Popovych?

 

[AlexNYC]

Re:

As cycling has become more specialized between tour and one-day racers it has happened more often in recent times and it will happen more often that a great tour rider doesn't win a national title.

Here are some big names who haven't won the road race in their country:

France: Anquetil, Mottet, Virenque
Belgium: Eddy Planckaert, VDB, Van Petegem
Netherlands: Jan Janssen, Knetemann
Spain: Delgado, Lejarreta, Escartin, Freire, Heras, Sastre, Contador
Italy: Pantani, Gotti, Petacchi, Basso
Germany: Kittel, Martin, Degenkolb
Switzerland: Rominger, Zülle
Denmark: Rasmussen
Russia: Tonkov, Menchov
UK: Boardman, Froome
USA: LeMond (Did he participate?)
Canada: Hesjedal
Colombia: Herrera, Botero, Quintana
Australia: Anderson, Evans

Botero was Colombian National Road Race and ITT champion.