As we had quite a few polls about riders, who haven’t won this or that Monument or haven’t won a Monument at all, I want to take a look on the highest achievements of riders in Monuments and get you to discuss about possible future winners of all five. Also Gilbert comes to mind, who just stated that he wants to win all five Monuments.
The first thing you realize, when you look at the numbers, is of course the Cannibal Eddy Merckx. He hast won 19 Monuments in his career, he won all five Monuments more than once and he is the only rider who won three Monuments in one season. Actually, that juggernaut achieved this effort four times. There is no need to compare any rider with him. He is so fuoriclasse as fuoriclasse can be.
Riders, who have won all 5 Monuments
Eddy Merckx 19 Monuments (7xMSrm – 2 RVV – 3 PR – 5 LBL – 2 GdL)
Roger de Vlaeminck 11 Monuments (3 MSrm – 1 RVV – 4 PR – 1 LBL – 2 GdL)
Rik van Looy 8 Monuments (1 MSrm – 2 RVV – 3 PR – 1 LBL – 1 GdL)
To be fair you have to say, that the routes were quite different. None of the three had to face the Cipressa, none of them had to deal with La Roche aux Faucons, Côte de Saint Nicolas or Ans. Only Merckx once faced La Redoute and won. But, that was Merckx. None of them won, when Koppenberg entered the Ronde in 1976.
Keeping that in mind, you think that there is a rider, who could do it? Do you think Gilbert can do it, considering his age and the possibility, that he will never reach his current form again? Peter Sagan and Michal Kwiatkowski are two riders that come to mind. The latter because he just has won the Monument that might be the hardest to win. Who else? Or is it impossible?
The first thing you realize, when you look at the numbers, is of course the Cannibal Eddy Merckx. He hast won 19 Monuments in his career, he won all five Monuments more than once and he is the only rider who won three Monuments in one season. Actually, that juggernaut achieved this effort four times. There is no need to compare any rider with him. He is so fuoriclasse as fuoriclasse can be.
Riders, who have won all 5 Monuments
Eddy Merckx 19 Monuments (7xMSrm – 2 RVV – 3 PR – 5 LBL – 2 GdL)
Roger de Vlaeminck 11 Monuments (3 MSrm – 1 RVV – 4 PR – 1 LBL – 2 GdL)
Rik van Looy 8 Monuments (1 MSrm – 2 RVV – 3 PR – 1 LBL – 1 GdL)
To be fair you have to say, that the routes were quite different. None of the three had to face the Cipressa, none of them had to deal with La Roche aux Faucons, Côte de Saint Nicolas or Ans. Only Merckx once faced La Redoute and won. But, that was Merckx. None of them won, when Koppenberg entered the Ronde in 1976.
Keeping that in mind, you think that there is a rider, who could do it? Do you think Gilbert can do it, considering his age and the possibility, that he will never reach his current form again? Peter Sagan and Michal Kwiatkowski are two riders that come to mind. The latter because he just has won the Monument that might be the hardest to win. Who else? Or is it impossible?