All cycling enthusiasts (road cycling, in this case) have asked ourselves at some point: Who are the best cyclists in history? And the answer is not simple because comparing cyclists from different eras is a risky exercise. On the other hand, applying a single criterion to measure the merits of riders who shine in very different terrains is equally unfair. History is full of great sprinters, sublime climbers, tremendous Classics specialists, infallible Grand Tour riders... What is more valuable? Who has more merit? It's a complicated answer. From Tuvalum
, we share our own list here with 10 of the most legendary riders.
We must admit that we give a lot of importance to cyclists who shine in Grand Tours. After all, these have historically been the most followed and most coveted races in the peloton. But it is by no means the only criterion. In any case, all of them are riders who, in one way or another, have contributed to the greatness of cycling history. We remember them in chronological order.
Alfredo Binda (1902-1986): the plasterer's apprentice
Alfredo Binda is remembered for being the first cyclist to win five editions of the Giro d'Italia, as well as three World Championship titles. He was born in Cittiglio (Italy), but moved to Nice (France) as a teenager, where he found work with his uncle as a plasterer's apprentice. In his free time, he and his brother Primo spent time riding bicycles. The 1925 Giro d'Italia marked a crucial moment in Binda's carrera. All of Italy expected Costante Girardengo to win, who at that time was the true idol of the masses. But the young debutant got in his way. Binda's victory was deeply unpopular among fans. After his defeat, Girardengo decided to keep competing to beat Binda, which led to a strong personal rivalry between the two.
In the 1927 Giro, Binda won 12 out of 15 stages; and in 1929, he won 8 stages in a row.
Binda became so dominant that the organizer of the Giro d'Italia (the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport) offered him 22,500 lira to skip the 1930 edition in an attempt to revive interest in the race. The rider from Cittiglio accepted the bribe and decided to compete in the Tour de France, winning two stages. It was not until 1932, with his third World Champion title in Rome, that Italians began to feel sympathy for him. They began to recognize him for what he truly was: the best cyclist to date. Upon retiring, Binda went on to manage the Italian national team, promoting stars like Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, and Gastone Nencini.
Gino Bartali (1914-2000): the pious cyclist
We could say that Gino Bartali was the first star Italian linked to cycling. A phenomenon not only sporting, but also social and political. His victories date back to the years before the Second World War. He won the Giro d'Italia in 1936 and 1937, as well as the Tour de France (1938). Bartali was a pious person and close to the Vatican. During the Second World War, he participated in the rescue of hundreds of Jews persecuted by the Nazis, who invaded Italy from 1943 onwards. On his bicycle, he transported forged documents so that many could escape to southern Italy, which was free territory. Kept away from competition because of the war, he returned after seven years with more victories in major tours. In 1946 he won the Giro again, defeating his greatest rival, Fausto Coppi. In fact, for years he was his main opponent and together they became part of the legend of Italian cycling. In 1948, two years later, he achieved his second and last Tour de France, when almost no one remembered the first. He was an exceptional climber and a relentless attacker. His record may be less complete than that of Hinault, Merckx or De Vlaeminck. However, to live through such a difficult era as the Second World War and win two Tours ten years apart is, simply, extraordinary. His inimitable style represented the transition between the old days and the modern era of cycling.
Fausto Coppi (1919-1960): Il Campionissimo
Still revered today in Italy, Fausto Coppi won almost everything: five editions of the Giro d'Italia (the first at just 20 years old), two editions of the Tour de France, and World Champion in 1953. He achieved the first Giro-Tour double in cycling history. Therefore, it is no coincidence that he earned the nickname Campionissimo. He stood out in almost every aspect of cycling: he climbed like the best, was fast, and a great time trialist. What we could call an unbeatable cyclist. Coppi usually won with large margins over his rivals. His carrera coincided with the Second World War, during which he was held as a prisoner in North Africa. However, he had the great merit of triumphing both before and after the conflict.
In the 1946 Milan-San Remo, Coppi attacked on the Turchino climb, 150 km from the finish, and won solo with a 14-minute lead.
Coppi represented modernity and became a true icon of the society of his time, not only in Italy but also abroad. He transformed professional cycling, applying new training methods and integrating aspects such as dietetics, sports medicine, and technological innovation applied to bicycles. In fact, he was the first to use a lighter model for time trials. He collected all kinds of victories. He was World Champion in 1953, won the Giro di Lombardia five times, was a three-time winner of the Milan-San Remo, and Recordman of the Hour in 1942. A record of almost 46 km that was not beaten until 14 years later, by the great Jacques Anquetil. On January 2, 1960, Coppi died of a malaria attack contracted during a criterium in Africa a few weeks earlier. He was 40 years old. The story of Fausto Coppi came to an end, but the legend of Campionissimo was just beginning.
Felice Gimondi (1942-2019): The Phoenix
Felice Gimondi, the son of a postman and nicknamed The Phoenix, is another of the greats of Italian cycling. He was one of only seven cyclists capable of winning three editions of the Tour de France. The first of these, at 22 years old, in his first participation and in his first season as a professional (1965). Until Egan Bernal's victory in 2019, Gimondi remained the youngest winner of the Tour after World War II. Gimondi also won three Giros d'Italia (1967, 1969, and 1976), carrera in which he reached a total of nine podiums. An unmatched record. He was the second rider (after Jacques Anquetil) to win all three Grand Tours, also achieving 14 stage victories: 7 stages in the Tour, 6 in the Giro, and 1 stage in the Vuelta.
Gimondi won the 1965 Tour de France without being selected to compete in it. An unexpected last-minute withdrawal from his team allowed him to participate and take the victory.
Many considered him the successor to the legendary Fausto Coppi. However, like many other professional cyclists who competed between 1966 and 1976, Gimondi had the misfortune of racing when Eddy Merckx was at his peak. From 1968 onwards, most of his major victories occurred when Merckx was unwell (Giro 1976) or absent (Milan-San Remo 1974). On other occasions, the shadow of doping led to his disqualification, as happened in the 1969 Giro or the 1973 Giro di Lombardia. After Gimondi's death, the Belgian super-champion did not hesitate to recognize him as his toughest rival; in part, because he was the one most similar to himself.
Jacques Anquetil (1934-1987): the elegant champion
Jacques Anquetil was the first rider to win five editions of the Tour de France (in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964), the first to win all five Monuments, and the first to win all three Grand Tours. He won eight Grand Tours during his carrera, which was a record at the time, only later surpassed by Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault. Anquetil grew up on a farm in Normandy where strawberries were grown. He was an elegant rider who performed well on all terrains, but who had an extraordinary talent for racing against the clock. Proof of this is that he was able to win the Grand Prix des Nations nine times, which today would be the World Time Trial Championship. This earned him the nickname Monsieur Chrono. His victories were never spectacular, but they were carefully planned and executed. With the precision of a surgeon. He also knew how to break the script at key moments. Before the 1961 Tour, he promised he would take the yellow jersey on the first day and keep it until the end. And he did. Something extraordinary, considering that his main rivals were Charly Gaul and Federico Bahamontes, previous winners of the race. Anquetil shared a historic rivalry with Raymond Poulidor during his carrera. And although Poulidor usually came up short and did not reach Anquetil's level, many French people felt much closer to the eternal runner-up , to that suffering spirit prone to misfortune. The Norman was an excellent rider, but too cold.
Eddy Merckx (1945-...): The Cannibal
The Belgian Eddy Merckx was the great star of the Molteni team.[/caption] Eddy Merckx was known as The Cannibal for his insatiable hunger for victories. During his carrera, the Belgian dominated professional cycling like no other in history. He practically won everything, which is why he is considered by many to be the greatest cyclist of all time. No one has managed to reach his incredible tally of 11 Grand Tour victories (including 65 stage wins), being the cyclist with the most stage wins in the Tour de France (shared with Mark Cavendish), with 34. In his debut in the Grande Boucle (1969), he won 6 stages, the points classification, the mountain jersey, the combined jersey, and the combativity award. Of course, he was also the overall winner of the race.
During his carrera career, Eddy Merckx won one out of every three races he entered.
In addition to his five overall victories in the Tour, five more in the Giro d'Italia and one in the Vuelta a España, he won all five Monuments (the most prestigious one-day Classics on the calendar), with special mention to his seven triumphs in Milan-San Remo. He was three times World Champion and claimed victory in countless races. In 1972, he set the Hour Record in Mexico at 49.4 km, a mark that was not broken until 28 years later by Francesco Moser. He retired with the incredible tally of 525 victories. An unrivaled palmarès and a stunning fact: Merckx won 30% of the races he entered. Even so, his carrera could have been even more glorious. In 1969 he suffered a serious crash in a track race held in Blois (France). From that day on, he had to live with back problems that affected his performance. His last two Grand Tour victories took place in 1974 (Giro and Tour). That same year he became World Champion for the third time, becoming the first rider to achieve the Triple Crown. After his retirement, only Stephen Roche managed to do it, in 1987.
Roger de Vlaeminck (1947-...): Monsieur Paris-Roubaix
Roger de Vlaeminck was one of the best Classics riders of all time. He is one of only three cyclists (along with Merckx and Rik Van Looy) to have won all five Monuments. But it was in Paris-Roubaix where he forged his legend, taking victory on four occasions, only matched by Tom Boonen. He is considered the greatest specialist of all time in this carrera. Nicknamed The Gypsy For being born into a family of itinerant cloth vendors, he became one of the greatest cyclists in history, but he always had to fight against Eddy Merckx. De Vlaeminck's only advantage was his great skill as a cyclocross rider. In fact, he has been one of the few great professional road racers who also won cyclocross championships. In 1968 he won the Amateur World Championship; in 1975, he won the Professional. Without a doubt, this skill helped him triumph in the Paris-Roubaix and defeat Merckx on this terrain. Roger De Vlaeminck was an ultra-complete cyclist. Determined to pursue a carrera as a footballer, the bicycle crossed his path and he decided to give it a try. And it seems the bet turned out quite well for him.
Bernard Hinault (1954-...): The Boss
In 1978, a young Breton named Bernard Hinault made his debut in the Tour de France and achieved victory. A clear preview of what was to come. The best French cyclist in history boasts five Tours de France, three Giros d’Italia, two Vueltas a España, and a World Championship, in addition to many other races. He was one of the greats who led a generation of cyclists, just as riders like Coppi, Anquetil, or Merckx had done before. Right after the Merckx Era, came the Hinault Era. While his dominance was not as overwhelming, it is a good comparison. Hinault was a super-complete rider who attacked constantly. Nicknamed The Badger, the Frenchman was a tough guy. An example that defines him was the 1980 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where snow and cold caused almost the entire carrera peloton to abandon, except for 21 riders. One of them was Hinault, who reached the finish first with more than 9 minutes ahead of the second place.
Bernard Hinault used to refer to Paris-Roubaix as “a carrera of shit.” But he went there to prove he could win it; and he did.
Bernard Hinault was respected by cyclists, but feared by many for his temper. He was the true Boss of the peloton. Unforgettable was the strike by cyclists he led in the 1978 Tour to protest against double-sector stages. At the end of the 1986 season, he retired to devote himself to agriculture and dairy farming on his farm, together with his cousin René. He also joined ASO, the company that organizes the Tour de France, with which he worked on organizational matters until 2016.
Sean Kelly (1956-...): from sprinter to all-round cyclist
Sean Kelly was one of the most successful cyclists of the eighties and one of the best classics specialists of all time. He was an all-rounder who came very close to 200 victories as a professional. Few thought that this Irishman, who worked with his tractor in the countryside of Waterford, could make it among the best cyclists in history. Although he won a Vuelta a España, his true specialty was short stage races and one-day events. He won no less than seven editions—consecutively!—of Paris-Nice, as well as four of the five Monuments . The Tour of Flanders eluded him, where he finished second three times.
In just one week (both in 1984 and 1986), Kelly managed to string together a 2nd place in Flanders, three stage wins and the overall in the Tour of the Basque Country, and victory in Paris-Roubaix.
Kelly was a medium to good level climber, endowed with a finishing speed that made him a favorite in almost every race he entered. In the Tour de France, he won the points jersey in four editions and finished in the top ten of the general classification four times. Since the UCI ranking (under other initials) was introduced in 1984, he held the world number one spot for six years. Despite his successes, Sean Kelly never lost his nobility on the bike. Polite, solitary, discreet... His simplicity won the admiration of the fans.
Miguel Indurain (1964-...): The Calm Extraterrestrial
Miguel Indurain was a cyclist endowed with enormous power who stood out for his prodigious talent in time trials. His career was clearly marked by his five victories in the Tour de France, sharing this achievement with Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, and Bernard Hinault. In any case, only Indurain managed to do it in consecutive years, between 1991 and 1995. He won his first Tour against Greg Lemond, the big favorite that year. A historic triumph that meant the fourth victory for a Spaniard in the French round, after those of Bahamontes (1959), Ocaña (1973), and Delgado (1988). He won twice in the Giro d'Italia, being one of the seven riders who have managed to achieve the Giro-Tour double. In 1994, he broke the Hour Record with a mark of 53.040 km, and a year later he became World Time Trial Champion. His last great triumph took place at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, where he won the Olympic gold medal in the time trial. Despite his size, Indurain was a notable climber, although not fond of showmanship, even in his best moments. In fact, his calm character and humility inspired almost as much admiration as his feats on the bike. Indurain, who earned the nickname The Extraterrestrial, usually forged his victories with enormous superiority in the time trials, which allowed him to manage good differences to handle himself in the mountains.
It is true that not all of us can be as great as these legends, but we have something in common: we love road cycling. If you want to feel like a champion on the saddle, don't miss our section of refurbished second-hand road bikes
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