Greatest Rider never to win a Grand Tour
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Bahaha. Lance could be a good shout indeed.
You shouldn't be encouraging that sort of talk.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Don’t know why I never thought of him earlier - Joaquim Agostinho – 3 podiums, 9 top-ten placings.
In ‘74 he finished 2nd in the Vuelta by only 11 seconds. Some say it was because of faulty (or manipulated) time-keeping during the last stage, a TT which Agostinho won, and that had the time-keeping been accurate, Agostinho (Portuguese) would have been the overall winner, not Fuente (Spanish), who had taken the lead about halfway through the Vuelta.
Hour-long docu (in Portuguese) about Agostinho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBadic6SYbg0 -
Raphaël Géminiani must have this Title and I defy anyone to name a better candidate since the war with Germany.
Thanks Tom. At least you understand the OP. Raphaël GéminianiGeminiani - 6 podiums, mountains prize in Tour and Giro, 3 top tens in a single year.
He rode when the TDF was about "National Teams" and was robbed by politics.
Rik Van Looy - (another Hero of mine) but a GT winner, no way, as he was a great Rouler.
Roger De Vlaeminck - another hero I followed after RVL and a another great Rouler.
Robert Millar - Never, He was given the leader of a team but couldn't handle it.
and qualifies even less than Reeechard Virenque who tried to join the Team Deutsche Telekom method and then had success with the Robert Millar method.
Bahaha Lance was never good enough but would have been a good Rouler.
Charly Mottet - Would be an ousider as he could climb with most of the best and could Time Trial.
Claudio Chiappucci - Bless him was 2nd in the 1990 TDF after the first Half Stage breakaway of 4 riders who were allowed to gain 10 mins. Frans Maassen won the stage but Steve Bauer had the yellow for 9 days then another of the 4, Ronan Pensec had it for 2 days before Claudio took it in the mountains for 8 days. On stage 20 he lost it in the TT to Greg Lemond. I watched him (on German TV) in the 92 Giro mountains attack,attack,attack Miguel Indurain who had to dig deep as other Italians did the same to him.Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 19720 -
I'm sticking with Van Looy.
Besides winning 8 monuments, back to back WCs (plus two silvers) and all major one day races, he was twice on the Vuelta podium, one fourth place, 7th in the Giro and took the Mountains classification.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
Jean Francois "Jeff" Bernard?0
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Raphaël Géminiani must have this Title and I defy anyone to name a better candidate since the war with Germany.
Thanks Tom. At least you understand the OP. Raphaël GéminianiGeminiani - 6 podiums, mountains prize in Tour and Giro, 3 top tens in a single year.
He rode when the TDF was about "National Teams" and was robbed by politics.
Rik Van Looy - (another Hero of mine) but a GT winner, no way, as he was a great Rouler.
Roger De Vlaeminck - another hero I followed after RVL and a another great Rouler.
Robert Millar - Never, He was given the leader of a team but couldn't handle it.
and qualifies even less than Reeechard Virenque who tried to join the Team Deutsche Telekom method and then had success with the Robert Millar method.
Bahaha Lance was never good enough but would have been a good Rouler.
Charly Mottet - Would be an ousider as he could climb with most of the best and could Time Trial.
Claudio Chiappucci - Bless him was 2nd in the 1990 TDF after the first Half Stage breakaway of 4 riders who were allowed to gain 10 mins. Frans Maassen won the stage but Steve Bauer had the yellow for 9 days then another of the 4, Ronan Pensec had it for 2 days before Claudio took it in the mountains for 8 days. On stage 20 he lost it in the TT to Greg Lemond. I watched him (on German TV) in the 92 Giro mountains attack,attack,attack Miguel Indurain who had to dig deep as other Italians did the same to him.
Harsh on Millar - he would have won the Vuelta but for Spanish collusion (organisers as well as riders) in 85.0 -
Agreed and after that, he was offered a team leader role but he didn't want it because he chose to ride his own races without responsibilities.
Harsh on Millar - he would have won the Vuelta but for Spanish collusion (organisers as well as riders) in 85.Raphaël Géminiani must have this Title and I defy anyone to name a better candidate since the war with Germany.
Robert Millar - Never, He was given the leader of a team but couldn't handle it.Geminiani - 6 podiums, mountains prize in Tour and Giro, 3 top tens in a single year.
and qualifies even less than Reeechard Virenque who tried to join the Team Deutsche Telekom method and then had success with the Robert Millar method.Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 19720 -
Cancellara.
Eh? not even remotely suited to GT riding.0 -
Surprised that Tom Simpson hasn't got a mention yet bearing in mind some of the names thrown in the hat. He was a genuine GC contender who also won the World Champs, RVV and MSR.
Definitely more of a claim than say Jeff Bernard0 -
Surprised that Tom Simpson hasn't got a mention yet bearing in mind some of the names thrown in the hat. He was a genuine GC contender who also won the World Champs, RVV and MSR.
Definitely more of a claim than say Jeff Bernard
Bernard finished on the podium in the Tour, led both the Tour and the Giro and won stages in all three GTs. Simpson's best Tour finish was 6th and he only won a single Vuelta stage.
I'd say Bernard was definitely more of a genuine GC contender. Simpson, not so much.0 -
But go back thirty years and not many would have bet against him ending his career without a grand tour win. Brilliant against the clock and not a slouch on a hill either. Plagued by injury and bad luck and couldn't handle the pressure though.Surprised that Tom Simpson hasn't got a mention yet bearing in mind some of the names thrown in the hat. He was a genuine GC contender who also won the World Champs, RVV and MSR.
Definitely more of a claim than say Jeff Bernard0 -
Cancellara.
Eh? not even remotely suited to GT riding.
Didn't realise that was part of the criteria.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19669828#p19669828]TailWindHome in the OP[/url] wrote:We're talking about riders who would be targeting GTs?
It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.0 -
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He won the Tour of Switzerland
And Cavendish has won Qatar, Dubai and Ster ZLM, as well as bucketloads of GT stages.
Cleary he's the rider this thread is looking for.
*runs away*Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Bahaha. Lance could be a good shout indeed.
What's his record though. A few stage wins and that's about it followed by 7 non finishes
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Cancellara.
Eh? not even remotely suited to GT riding.
Didn't realise that was part of the criteria.
If it's not you may as well consider AP McCoy0 -
But go back thirty years and not many would have bet against him ending his career without a grand tour win. Brilliant against the clock and not a slouch on a hill either. Plagued by injury and bad luck and couldn't handle the pressure though.[/quoteSurprised that Tom Simpson hasn't got a mention yet bearing in mind some of the names thrown in the hat. He was a genuine GC contender who also won the World Champs, RVV and MSR.
Definitely more of a claim than say Jeff Bernard
At least he got a Porsche off Tapie0 -
Pah! McCoy was good on the domestic circuit but never cut it on the continent. Never won a race outside the British Isles.Cancellara.
Eh? not even remotely suited to GT riding.
Didn't realise that was part of the criteria.
If it's not you may as well consider AP McCoyTwitter: @RichN950
