Top 10 Cyclists from your country of all time

[Mainerider]

I am from the United States so here is my list (its going to be a little rough since I am not great on my cycling history)

1. Lance Armstrong
2. Greg Lemond
3. Andrew Hampsten
4. Levi Leipheimer
5. Christian Vande Velde
6. George Mount
7. Bobby Julrich
8. George Hincapie
9. David Zabriskie
10. Davis Phinney

Unhonorable Mention
1. Floyd Landis
2. Tyler Hamilton
3. Scott Moninger

Well if we're going to ignore doping (which it appears some are), you've got to put Tyler Hamilton in the top 10 Americans.

2nd Giro
4th TDF (stage winner)
1st LBL
1st Dauphine Libere (I think ?)
1st Tour of Romandie
1st Olympic Time Trial

Plus, regardless of what he's taking, one of the toughest guys to ride in the pro peleton.

 

[elapid]

I'd be happy with that list for the male road cyclists.Since it's the list of the top 10 Australian cyclists of all time, I think we have to start thinking about track riders as well. Danny Clarke and Gary Gilmour to start.

What about oldies like Edgar Gray, Sid Patterson, Russell Mockridge, Robert Spears, John Nicholson, Graeme French, Gordon Johnson, Alf Goulett and Graham Gilmour.

More recently Danny Clarke, Dean Woods, Ryan Bayley and Shane Kelly.

 

[elapid]

Any list for Aussies that doesn't include Sid Patterson isn't worth the effort!

But Sid was a trackie and not a roadie. He is definitely on the track cycling list.

 

[Anonymous]

he may have been a long time ago but people still remember Major Taylor, here
in the states. John Howard too.

Man, you guys are missing one OBVIOUS choice:

1. Liz Hatch

I mean, there is not set criteria, and I promise you that the one rider I would love to watch more than ANY rider listed is Ms Hatch. I think a really bumpy course would work pretty well. Too bad she doesn't ride Roubaix.

I still remember fondly sitting on the grass watching Pezzo at the 96 Olympics riding with her jersey unzipped. Jiggly isn't the appropriate word, but its the first word that comes to mind.

 

[Garry Allen]

feeling pretty stupid here. It is Graham Gilmour. I'd challenge Peter Besanko. Great results in Australia including multiple wins in Melbourne Warnambool. Dominant throughout the 80s here. Basically unknown overseas.
http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/coureurfichestats.php?coureurid=1999
And if you are going to take the hard men it ahs to be Alan Peiper and Neil Stephens. Neil Stephens for riding the 3 GTs in one year as a domestique, stage win in TDF. Alan Peiper for being Alan Peiper.

 

[heinkel12]

feeling pretty stupid here. It is Graham Gilmour. I'd challenge Peter Besanko. Great results in Australia including multiple wins in Melbourne Warnambool. Dominant throughout the 80s here. Basically unknown overseas.
http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/coureurfichestats.php?coureurid=1999
And if you are going to take the hard men it ahs to be Alan Peiper and Neil Stephens. Neil Stephens for riding the 3 GTs in one year as a domestique, stage win in TDF. Alan Peiper for being Alan Peiper.

Sid Patterson did actually finish second in an Australian road title but I take your point. Just put Bulldog Besanko in to represent the domestic champs. I'd still rank him in front of Neil Stephens though.

 

[elapid]

BTW - great thread. Really enjoying this one.

 

[ashortcyclist]

Male or Female, one great cyclist left off the US list, a member of the US Bicycling Hall of Fame & Olympic Hall of Fame

Connie Carpenter

[Connie has won four World Championship medals; Silver in the 1977 World Road Race, Bronze in 1981 World Road Race, Silver in the 1982 World Pursuit and Gold at the 1983 World Pursuit. She brought back the Gold Medal from the 1984 Olympic Games and has won 12 national championships. She has also competed in speed skating and rowing and has coached the USCF Junior Woman's Team.]

 

[MrContador]

Norway

1. Thor Hushovd
2. Jostein Wilmann
3. Knut Knudsen
4. Dag Otto Lauritzen
5. Atle Kvålsvoll
6. Dag Erik Pedersen
6. Edvald Boasson Hagen
7. Kurt Asle Arvesen
8. Jaanus Kuum
9. Atle Pedersen
10. Steffen Kjærgaard

 

[Clemson Cycling]

I was going with the female free list. My list with dopers which other people are putting in theirs (Simpson, Vinokourov , Riis, Rasmussen, Merckx, etc)

1. Armstrong
2. Lemond
3. Hampsten
4. Leipheimer
5. Hamilton
6. Landis
7. Vande Velde
8. Hincapie
9. Julrich
10. Moninger

Yeah I took Mount out and flopped a few

 

[Greisty]

I am from the United States so here is my list (its going to be a little rough since I am not great on my cycling history)

1. Lance Armstrong
2. Greg Lemond
3. Andrew Hampsten
4. Levi Leipheimer
5. Christian Vande Velde
6. George Mount
7. Bobby Julrich
8. George Hincapie
9. David Zabriskie
10. Davis Phinney

Unhonorable Mention
1. Floyd Landis
2. Tyler Hamilton
3. Scott Moninger

Jonathan Boyer? Eric Heiden?

 

[mzroadie]

Hey, Clemson Uncycling dude. Sliding in Moninger as a member of unhonorables pegs you as clueless and of no credibility for future posts.

 

[Clemson Cycling]

Scott Moninger won 247 races (though none of them really meant anything) which is a pretty high mark (one that no one else on my list comes close to approaching), but I guess looking back on it I don't really know why I put him there (I put George Mount on my first list and don't know anything about him). If that ruins my credibility then so be it. It is a forum which is a place for ideas and you can ignore what I post.

So here is my more intelligent list

1. Armstrong
2. Lemond
3. Hampsten
4. Leipheimer
5. Hamilton
6. Landis
7. Vande Velde
8. Hincapie
9. Julrich
10. Phinney

PS That was such a great way to make you entry on to the forum. Welcome. Oh and what does you list look like?

 

[danyela]

Nice list... I'd only do a couple differently.

1. Sarah Ulmer
2. Tino Tabak (top twenty in the Tour, a Dutch national championship, two podiums at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and a 2nd in the Tour of Flanders are still enviable palmares amongst "Kiwi" cyclists).
3. Paul Jesson (still only Kiwi to win an individual Grand Tour stage - 1980 Vuelta, stage 10. Would have a far greater palmares had it not been for the accident in which he lost his leg).
4. Greg Henderson (track world championship, numerous road wins in the US and only Kiwi to win a ProTour road race gets him ahead of Julz).
5. Julian Dean
6. Hayden Roulston
7. Brian Fowler (remaining amateur counts against him IMO as he was never tested at a truly top level)
8. Graeme Millar
9. Jack Swart
10. Eric Mackenzie

agreed... I would just add Ali Shanks in there somewhere, she's only been riding for about 4 years or so and is World Pursuit Champion

And we still have no French, Italian or German list?

 

[runninboy]

I am from the United States so here is my list (its going to be a little rough since I am not great on my cycling history)

1. Lance Armstrong
2. Greg Lemond
3. Andrew Hampsten
4. Levi Leipheimer
5. Christian Vande Velde
6. George Mount
7. Bobby Julrich
8. George Hincapie
9. David Zabriskie
10. Davis Phinney

Gosh kind of heavy on cyclist as of late
here are a few you missed
1) Major Taylor
2) Lemond u r rught on Greg
3)Victor Hopkins
He set the world record for 5 miles in his first yeat of cycling
http://www.bikeiowa.org/HallOFame/VictorHopkins/Victor.html
4)Lance Armstrong
5)Andy Hampsten
6) Freddie Hoffman
check other threads for more info
7)Bobby Julich
8)Levi
9)Jack Disney
10) Leonard Nitz

 

[auscyclefan94]

Australia:
1. Robbie McEwan
2. Stuart O'Grady
3. Cadel Evans (if he wins tour he'll go n.o1)
4. Phil Anderson
5. Hubert Opperman
6. Neil Stephens
7. Brad Mcgee
8. Allan Peiper
9.Simon Gerrans
10. Sean Kelly

 

[Steampunk]

Canada:

1) Steve Bauer
2) Micheal Barry
3) Ryder Hesjedal
4) Gord Fraser
5) Svein Tuft
6) Alex Stieda
7) Brian Walton
8) Curt Harnett (Track)
9) Christian Meier (Watch out for him when he gets some more Euro experience in!)
10) Alison Sydor (Best Canadian female cyclist on road and mtb!)

Kudos on including Sydor. She belongs on any best Canadian cycling list.

 

[Zaschrona]

Czech Rep:
1. Roman Kreuziger Jr.
2. Jan Svorada
3. Jan Hruska
4. Frantisek Rabon
5. Pavel Padrnos
6. Rene Andrle
7. Vlastimil Moravec (maybe the best Czech rider ever, Peace Race winner,..)
8. Tomas Konecny
9. Ondrej Sosenka
10. Roman Kreuziger Sr. (1991 Osterreich Rundfahrt winner,..)

 

[ak-zaaf]

it seems there are no italians here, so i'll try up italy

1. coppi
2. bartali
3. binda
4. gimondi
5. moser
6. magni
7. bottecchia
8. saronni
9. bugno
10. hard pick (sprinter? cipo, basso? classics? bettini, argentin? gt's? pantani, nencini?)

plz discuss

 

[Carl0880]

Well being second generation german immigrants, I will do one for Germany. It was harder then i thought to make one up.

1. Erik Zabel
2. Jan Ullrich
3. Marcel Wust
4. Olaf Ludwig
5. Dietrich Thurau
6. Heinz Muller
7. Rudy Altig
8. Jens Voigt
9. Remund Dietzen
10. Andreas Kloden

I perfer more consistent performances, not massive big results. This is why Kloden is just in my top 10, even though he does have 2 2nd place TDF finishes, just doesn't have much substance outside. This also why I put Zabel above Ullrich, but it was a tough decision. 7 podiums in the TDF, Olympic Medal, and a Vuelta win is impressive, but as many of us agree, just seem like he just never came up with hte performances we expected when we first saw him in 1996 rise to prominence. Zabel raced year-round, won just about everything a sprinter could, and competed at the highest level for almost 15 years.

 

[Carl0880]

it seems there are no italians here, so i'll try up italy

1. coppi
2. bartali
3. binda
4. gimondi
5. moser
6. magni
7. bottecchia
8. saronni
9. bugno
10. hard pick (sprinter? cipo, basso? classics? bettini, argentin? gt's? pantani, nencini?)

plz discuss

Chiappucci deserves mention also, but i think Number 10 personally should go to either Argentin or Gilberto Simoni. 7 podiums in the Giro is impressive.

 

[Roude Leiw]

it seems there are no italians here, so i'll try up italy

1. coppi
2. bartali
3. binda
4. gimondi
5. moser
6. magni
7. bottecchia
8. saronni
9. bugno
10. hard pick (sprinter? cipo, basso? classics? bettini, argentin? gt's? pantani, nencini?)

plz discuss

Pantani, I think he should be at leat mentioned

 

[Roude Leiw]

So here we go for Luxembourgs Top Ten List

1. Charly Gaul
2. Nicolas Frantz
3. Francois Faber
4. Andy Schleck
5. Kim Kirchen
6. Frank Schleck
7. Jean "Bim" Diederich
8. Jean Goldschmit
9. Marcel Ernzer
10. Jean Kirchen

 

[SarahDane]

Ahh ye forgot Matti Breschel.
Also keep an eye on André Steensen, neopro from Saxobank

Yup, will do, and also Alex Rasmussen.

 

[flyor64]

Gosh kind of heavy on cyclist as of late
here are a few you missed
1) Major Taylor
2) Lemond u r rught on Greg
3)Victor Hopkins
He set the world record for 5 miles in his first yeat of cycling
http://www.bikeiowa.org/HallOFame/VictorHopkins/Victor.html
4)Lance Armstrong
5)Andy Hampsten
6) Freddie Hoffman
check other threads for more info
7)Bobby Julich
8)Levi
9)Jack Disney
10) Leonard Nitz

+1 on Marshall Taylor.

Always knew of him, but only really appreciated what he did, how much he won, and just how popular he was (on both sides of the "color line" at the time), after reading "Major". When you have a future heavyweight boxing world champion looking to him as inspiration it says a lot.