If You Could Ride...

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  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    bilirubin wrote:
    Fignon or Pantani but without the short lived life, just give me a happy retirement

    And some hair?
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Bernard Hinault would be tempting, more a force of nature than a rider. But Coppi just has a mythical aura about him. He has to be the ultimate.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • andyjr
    andyjr Posts: 635
    Richard Virenque
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Timoid. wrote:
    Bernard Hinault would be tempting, more a force of nature than a rider. But Coppi just has a mythical aura about him. He has to be the ultimate.

    Coppi comes across as a massive gimp who rode a bike pretty fast and had some good journos following him....
    _
  • Dirty_Harry
    Dirty_Harry Posts: 34
    Through reading biographies and watching documentaries I'd have to say Anquetil. Every clip of Anquetil in a tt is amazing; his pedaling style is so smooth and effortless. Apart from his 'family relationships' his personal life sounded pretty awesome too - he basically lived like a movie star drinking and eating all the finest stuff...

    bobet-anquetil.jpg

    ja_profile.jpg

    8)
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Bernard Hinault would be tempting, more a force of nature than a rider. But Coppi just has a mythical aura about him. He has to be the ultimate.

    Coppi comes across as a massive gimp who rode a bike pretty fast and had some good journos following him....

    If it wasn't for those pesky wars, you'd speak of him instead of Merckx. He wasn't desperately pleasant but hey, what can you do
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • rozzer32
    rozzer32 Posts: 3,923
    I'd say either Cancellara or Contador.

    Fabian because I'd love to be able to just ride away from a peloton when I fancied it and he makes it look so easy.

    Contador because I'd love to be able to climb as easy as he does, instead of struggling to maintain a speed where I don't just topple over.
    ***** Pro Tour Pundit Champion 2020, 2018, 2017 & 2011 *****
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Bernard Hinault would be tempting, more a force of nature than a rider. But Coppi just has a mythical aura about him. He has to be the ultimate.

    Coppi comes across as a massive gimp who rode a bike pretty fast and had some good journos following him....

    How so? The man beat people by bigger margins than Merckx. Even Eddy called him the greatest* . Bartali was a nicer guy and a fantastic rider, but he wasn't as good as Coppi.

    You just don't like Eytealians.


    *yes, Eddy is the greatest, but that's not the OP question.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Timoid. wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Bernard Hinault would be tempting, more a force of nature than a rider. But Coppi just has a mythical aura about him. He has to be the ultimate.

    Coppi comes across as a massive gimp who rode a bike pretty fast and had some good journos following him....

    How so? The man beat people by bigger margins than Merckx. Even Eddy called him the greatest* . Bartali was a nicer guy and a fantastic rider, but he wasn't as good as Coppi.

    You just don't like Eytealians.


    *yes, Eddy is the greatest, but that's not the OP question.

    Mean more as a person rather than a rider.

    Read his biography and came out thinknig "Bartoli sounds like a dude, this guy sounds like a chump", even if Bartoli was supposed to be the austere older chap.
    _
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Bernard Hinault would be tempting, more a force of nature than a rider. But Coppi just has a mythical aura about him. He has to be the ultimate.

    Coppi comes across as a massive gimp who rode a bike pretty fast and had some good journos following him....

    How so? The man beat people by bigger margins than Merckx. Even Eddy called him the greatest* . Bartali was a nicer guy and a fantastic rider, but he wasn't as good as Coppi.

    You just don't like Eytealians.


    *yes, Eddy is the greatest, but that's not the OP question.

    Mean more as a person rather than a rider.

    Read his biography and came out thinknig "Bartoli sounds like a dude, this guy sounds like a chump", even if Bartoli was supposed to be the austere older chap.


    Not thinking of personality. The three GOATs (I'll brook now argument here) are Merckx, Coppi and Hinault. All of them were a$$holes, but fearsome riders. Although Hinault was nice to his domestiques.

    Bartali was pretty much a saint and a hero who during the war saved many lives. If I was standing at the side of the road I'd be cheering on Bartali. But if I could ride like one of them it would be Coppi. Even Bartali would have liked to ride like Coppi.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • LesDiablesRouges
    LesDiablesRouges Posts: 28
    Should have said except Merckx. Who wouldn't want to have the nickname of the cannibal. If you exclude Merckx I'd pick Lucho Herrera.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Part of me would love to be Cancellara in his pomp. Just to have that unbelievable power at your disposal and scare motorbikes because they can't go round corners as quick as you. Would be awesome. Wanting to be Merckx goes without saying I suppose. As an all round cyclist and personality I'd like to be Fignon but I just can't bring myself to accept that monstrosity of a haircut.
  • shockedsoshocked
    shockedsoshocked Posts: 4,021
    Ulle, obviously. My legs would be two massive spinning pillars of soul crushing muscle honed by years of pushing an 11-11 cassette.
    "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"

    PTP Runner Up 2015

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