Greatest British Cyclist
TheBigBean
Posts: 22,029
It has been discussed on here before, but I could only find separate threads for men and women. Anyway, this is Matt Slater's top 10.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/33663653
Not sure I agree as I think he has overvalued TTs and track, but it is an interesting discussion. Personally, I'd have Cavendish as number 1 (no mention of MSR). Froome has the potential to surpass him, but he'd need a few more GTs.
Edit - should probably list them.
10. Laura Trott
9. Tom Simpson
8. Robert Millar
7. Sir Chris Hoy
6. Chris Boardman
5. Beryl Burton
4. Nicole Cooke
3. Chris Froome
2. Mark Cavendish
1. Sir Bradley Wiggins
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/33663653
Not sure I agree as I think he has overvalued TTs and track, but it is an interesting discussion. Personally, I'd have Cavendish as number 1 (no mention of MSR). Froome has the potential to surpass him, but he'd need a few more GTs.
Edit - should probably list them.
10. Laura Trott
9. Tom Simpson
8. Robert Millar
7. Sir Chris Hoy
6. Chris Boardman
5. Beryl Burton
4. Nicole Cooke
3. Chris Froome
2. Mark Cavendish
1. Sir Bradley Wiggins
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Comments
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Still Wiggo for me, Froome has potential if he diversifies a bit or does a double.0
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Wiggins has an extensive palmares but when you consider that Burton was a champion for years in a sport that didn't really recognize women and Cooke was almost persona non grata at British Cycling then they should have been higher. Simpson rode in 'The Foreign Legion' those riders who took a chance on being able to ride at the highest levels in Europe in a 'sink or swim' modeM.Rushton0
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This question gets harder each year. Just going over the recent 3 contenders:
2 time Tour de France winner, 3(?) other GT podiums, plus assorted stage wins, plus assorted stage race wins.
vs Tour de France winner, 2 other GT podiums, World TT Champion, Olympic TT champ, 3 (?) time Olympic champ on the track, countless world track medals, Hour Record.
vs 26 Tour stage wins, 1 green jersey, 15 Giro stages (1 red jersey). 3 Vuelta stages (1green jersey), MSR, World RR champ.
Palmares wise I gotta go for Wiggo still. However, head to head in the Tour I'd be going Froome the whole way.0 -
Laura Trott in the top 10? WTF? Even if he wanted another woman in there I would have chosen Pendleton or Armistead above her. Also, it's a tough choice but I'd have Beryl as the best woman over Cooke - different eras though so Burton probably got less chance to race the world's best.0
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The list just mentions British cyclists - and leaves off any of the successful MTB Downhillers...pretty poor really.All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0
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Wiggins if you look at cycling across the board. Froome has now won two and is likely to win more and probably either the Vuelta or Giro at some point. Definitely up there as a true great British sportsman but I doubt he'll get the recognition with the general public like Wiggins did.0
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Simpson only 9? Got to be number 6 for me, also burton 2nd maybe even first for me.eating parmos since 1981
Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Aero 09
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www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40044&t=130387990 -
For my money Simpson is head and shoulders above Boardman and Robert Millar.
Not sure about comparing track sprinters to road riders but if Hoy is there Pendleton has to be too. If we are going to have track sprinters what about downhill mountain bike and BMX though ?
Trott's inclusion is a bit of a puzzle.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
No mention of Jimmy SavilleCannondale Killer V
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LOOK KG176
Giant TCR Composite 10 -
Slightly weird list.
It's strange to have both men and women in it, mainly because the opportunities for competition are so different. Women don't even have chance to win a Tour de France, unfortunately.
It's also hard enough to measure stage winning sprinters against GC winning riders, let alone mixing track into it. It begs the question of which disciplines should be included.
Personally, the most impressive, inspiring rider I can think of is Tommy Goodwin, but that would really be comparing apples to pears to oranges to grapes to bananas.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
1. Wiggins.
2. Froome.
3. Cavendish.
4. Millar (Robert).
DD.0 -
I always found Matt Slater a bit of an arse, and he's proved it with this list.
As mentioned above, including Trott is weird. Plus, I heart Cav, so he has to be number one0 -
Top 10s like this are complete crap anyway and there's no debate to be had really. Even the article's preamble serves for not much but for the guy to acknowledge this.0
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The telegraph scraped the barrel of wde eyed hyperbole yesterday and proclaimed thatFroome now bears comparison to Merckx. The only valid comparison I can see is that both their surnames have six letters.
Presumably the purpose was to introduce their MAMIL audience to Eddy Merckx."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666595#p19666595]disgruntledgoat[/url] wrote:The telegraph scraped the barrel of wde eyed hyperbole yesterday and proclaimed thatFroome now bears comparison to Merckx. The only valid comparison I can see is that both their surnames have six letters.
Presumably the purpose was to introduce their MAMIL audience to Eddy Merckx.
WHAT?? Ridiculous stuff0 -
Nicole Cooke should be number one or Cav
As for Froome as much as i admire him, he isnt British, he is African, born in Kenya, rasied in SA.0 -
so to be clear, the greatest British cyclist was born in Belgium to Anglo Australian parents and the 3rd place goes to a Kenyan?fay ce que voudres0
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You forgot to include that no.2 on the list was born overseas as wellso to be clear, the greatest British cyclist was born in Belgium to Anglo Australian parents and the 3rd place goes to a Kenyan?
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What if we said "The Best English Cyclist" ?0
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What if we said "The Best English Cyclist" ?
Define English"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Top four seems reasonable to me. I think you could put Cav, Cooke and Froome in any order 2-4. Wiggo wins by dint of variety and longevity. When Froome wins a bunch sprint I might re-assess things!
I don't think Burton can be sensibly compared to current riders given the way the sport has changed since her day.0 -
Indeed. First generation "expat" kids do have the right though to think of themselves as the same nationality as their parents don't they? I know I would if I was born anywhere else but England and my parents and grandparents etc were all English. Try telling that nonsense to the children of Irish or Scottish kids born in England. So Froome is English stop pretending he is not.so to be clear, the greatest British cyclist was born in Belgium to Anglo Australian parents and the 3rd place goes to a Kenyan?0 -
I remember a time not too long ago when you would struggle to compile a list of ten top British cyclists!
Pointless journalistic nonsense as you can't compare different disciplines and eras at all and it all becomes very subjective anyway. They do it all the time with all sorts of sports just to fill column inches.0 -
"Froome was born on 20 May 1985 in Nairobi , Kenya, to mother Jane and father Clive, a former hockey player who represented England at under-19 level. His mother's parents emigrated from Tetbury , Gloucestershire, England to Kenya to run a crop farm."
Granted Chris Froome lives in Monaco now. That's why have a lot of respect for Sir Bradley Wiggins, very proud of Olympic wins and lives here. I still have respect for Chris Froome though, his choice.0 -
"Froome was born on 20 May 1985 in Nairobi , Kenya, to mother Jane and father Clive, a former hockey player who represented England at under-19 level. His mother's parents emigrated from Tetbury , Gloucestershire, England to Kenya to run a crop farm."
Granted Chris Froome lives in Monaco now. That's why have a lot of respect for Sir Bradley Wiggins, very proud of Olympic wins and lives here. I still have respect for Chris Froome though, his choice.
Wiggins yes pays his taxes in UK, but Froome, wants to have the UK support without contributing back his taxes.+++++++++++++++++++++
we are the proud, the few, Descendents.
Panama - finally putting a nail in the economic theory of the trickle down effect.0 -
Imo there is no competition
2 x TDF , 1 x 2nd TdF , 2 x 2nd Vuelta , lots of other 1 week races and stages
Froome is the best british cyclist ever by a huge margin.
Remember that the other british TdF victory was by Wiggins when Froome was not allowed to compete for win.0 -
1. Froome
2. Simpson
3. Wiggins
Any questions?0 -
1. Froome
2. Simpson
3. Wiggins
Any questions?
Is it a poll of the greatest performer in Grand Tours? Then Froome
Otherwise, no.
When Froome has a stripey jersey, then lets talk.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19667037#p19667037]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:1. Froome
2. Simpson
3. Wiggins
Any questions?
Is it a poll of the greatest performer in Grand Tours? Then Froome
Otherwise, no.
When Froome has a stripey jersey, then lets talk.
No, just best overall cyclist. Actually I should have put Cavendish ahead of Simpson. World TT is beneath all of the monuments in my eyes.0 -
Wiggins 2012 has to be the best single season by a British cyclist of all times."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0
