Who is the better cyclist: Merckx or Armstrong?

[zapata]

How did this thread get to be ten pages long? It's hard to spell, but once someone had typed merckx, discussion should be over.

 

[pmcg76]

How did this thread get to be ten pages long? It's hard to spell, but once someone had typed merckx, discussion should be over.

I know but there is one person who is claiming thats not the case as Armstrong is equal if not better than Merckx but they shouldnt be compared because they are from different eras and that Merckx himself said Lance was the greatest apparently.

Only problem was he contradicted himself when he said elsewhere that Lance probably wouldnt have won as many Tours if he had competed in other races. He hasnt reappeared much in this thread since. Guess who!!

 

[Big GMaC]

I know but there is one person who is claiming thats not the case as Armstrong is equal if not better than Merckx but they shouldnt be compared because they are from different eras and that Merckx himself said Lance was the greatest apparently.

Only problem was he contradicted himself when he said elsewhere that Lance probably wouldnt have won as many Tours if he had competed in other races. He hasnt reappeared much in this thread since. Guess who!!

..............................

 

[BYOP88]

Axel is better than Lance, case closed.

 

[cotterpin]

M>A

I remember Merckx saying he could've TDF 10 times if he had focused on it the way LA did. Also what % of starts did Merckx win? 'nuff said!

 

[guilder]

How can that questioned be answered without first answering the question "What's better, cycling today or cycling 30 years ago?".

It's a whole different ball game. One thing both guys had in common was the peloton's complacence in letting them go, particulurly Murks.

 

[D Avoid]

Man, that is some ****ed-up sentance structure there.

I find Crab con wanque an interesting starter.

I'm sure Eddy sMerckx every time he gets compared to Wonder Joy, he would have defriended the peoton anyway, as a natural consequence of his personality, disorder is restored until the second leaving, forced or otherwise.

 

[Night Rider]

1. Merckx
big gap
2.Coppi
gap
3. Hinault
4,5,6 (any order you like) Anquetil, Armstrong, Indurain

That's my picks anyway.

 

[Prodigy]

I feel a twitter TT face off coming up!

 

[luckyboy]

1. Merckx
big gap
2.Coppi
gap
3. Hinault
4,5,6 (any order you like) Anquetil, Armstrong, Indurain

That's my picks anyway.

That's only GT riders (missed out Gimondi in terms of GT riders). De Vlaeminck, Kelly, Van Looy, Moser, Maertens, Bahamontes, and maybe even (a bit controversially) Zabel if you look back at what he's won should/could all be up there.

 

[Night Rider]

No, it’s my overall list. Clearly the first three riders on my list were not just GT riders, they had impressive classics wins, and World Titles. Only Armstrong and Indurain are pure GT riders but then again they did win World Titles. I gave more weight to 7 GT wins each to the 7 or 8 classics wins of your riders. Again, that’s just my opinion.

I would love to have put Moser on my list, I considered leaving Indurain off and putting Moser in.

 

[luckyboy]

Yeah, should've said that they are more about GTs than most of the riders I added. Also, wasn't necessarily suggesting that they are all better than the guys you posted, I just wanted to add sprinters, climbers and classics guys who didn't win GTs.

Anyway, added together, that's a pretty formidable group of riders.

 

[MacRoadie]

First there's Merckx....

 

[MacRoadie]

...and then there's the rest of humanity.

 

[Oldman]

First there's Merckx....

And this thread should be done, now.

 

[beroepsrenner]

It is but it's funny how nobody ever tries to discredit Merckx's performances despite his multiple doping infringments........why is this? IMO there is no debate. Merckx is easily the greatest cyclist of all time.

 

[Escarabajo]

It is but it's funny how nobody ever tries to discredit Merckx's performances despite his multiple doping infringments........why is this? IMO there is no debate. Merckx is easily the greatest cyclist of all time.

IMHO, 2 reasons:

1- Most of us did not live in the same time as Merckx, or watch him ride. Just old video clips, and reading magazines or what other people told us about him. I am 40 years young and could not have experience his riding in Colombia. I got interested in cycling in 1983. So people tend to be less judgmental if don’t have direct time experience with actual facts.

2- Different drugs with different effects. To me both are cheating. And Merckx would have probably done the same drugs as Armstrong has been doing. But that is not the debate here. The question was who the better cyclist was. That was easy, given the different effects on the drugs in consideration.

 

[Prodigy]

IMHO, 2 reasons:

1- Most of us did not live in the same time as Merckx, or watch him ride. Just old video clips, and reading magazines or what other people told us about him. I am 40 years young and could not have experience his riding in Colombia. I got interested in cycling in 1983. So people tend to be less judgmental if don’t have direct time experience with actual facts.

2- Different drugs with different effects. To me both are cheating. And Merckx would have probably done the same drugs as Armstrong has been doing. But that is not the debate here. The question was who the better cyclist was. That was easy, given the different effects on the drugs in consideration.

Good points, but one way to settle it is for a twitter TT face off between Merckx and Armstrong. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

 

[flicker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN-NPYpCkBs&feature=fvwe1

Wimps watch this. Go ride your bike a hundred k after watching this.

 

[beroepsrenner]

IMHO, 2 reasons:

1- Most of us did not live in the same time as Merckx, or watch him ride. Just old video clips, and reading magazines or what other people told us about him. I am 40 years young and could not have experience his riding in Colombia. I got interested in cycling in 1983. So people tend to be less judgmental if don’t have direct time experience with actual facts.

2- Different drugs with different effects. To me both are cheating. And Merckx would have probably done the same drugs as Armstrong has been doing. But that is not the debate here. The question was who the better cyclist was. That was easy, given the different effects on the drugs in consideration.

OK. drugs aside. Armstrong based most of his career around the TDF and has won the most. Merckx on the other hand won 5 TDFs but also won multiple editions of the other GTs as well as multiple editions of single day classics, Milan Sanremo being the standout example. On top of these road performances he was also successful on the track in six day racing. He was the complete cyclist. There is plenty of video available to see for yourself just what a formidable competitor he was.

 

[Anonymous]

Clearly, Eddy...not only as a racer, but as a guy as well...

 

[Polish]

Better to live one day as a Tiger than a lifetime as a Sheep

I remember Merckx saying he could've TDF 10 times if he had focused on it the way LA did. Also what % of starts did Merckx win? 'nuff said!

Yes, Eddy should have been more focused.
Lance's Laser-Like Focus, along with the faster cadence, set him apart!

Just kidding just kidding
Eddy is King.

Remember when Floyd had the EPIC Stage 17 attack in the 2006 TdF?
What a Scary Aggressive and Super-Hero-Strong day for Floyd that was!
That was Eddy on a LOT of days

 

[Cyclingmodel]

Clear Merckx is first and Armstrong back.
I would say there are many others between both of them !

 

[buckwheat]

along with the faster cadence

The average recreational cyclist should be disgusted with this cadence advice more than anything else. Unadulterated nonsense. This advice influenced many (except the back to basics, steel is real computerless crowd) to tool around like out of control sewing machines.

Eddy is King.

Yes.

Based on his advice to his son, and to his prodigal son, in addition to his pick me ups, he also would have gone in for the high octane blood work too though.

Remember when Floyd had the EPIC Stage 17 attack in the 2006 TdF?
What a Scary Aggressive and Super-Hero-Strong day for Floyd that was!
That was Eddy on a LOT of days

True. When he was breaking away was anybody dialing up their guru long distance asking if he could sustain it?

 

[tubularglue]

i assume both ran on

enjoy them both. who better - no idea