The 10 Greatest Cyclists of All-Time
The 10 Greatest Cyclists in History
Trying to come up with the greatest cyclists of all-time creates a lot of debate among fans!
The Sporting Blog ranks the top cyclists in history - weighing factors like victories, records, longevity and impact on the sport.
One of the greatest cyclists in the 1950s and 1960s, Jacques Anquetil
The cyclists on this list etched their names into history through their amazing achievements and indelible influence. It must be said however that the history of cycling is tainted by drug use, proven and unproven.
As such it makes little sense to try and pick apart who indulged in doping and who didn’t, much like baseball in the 90s and 2000s, its safe to assume everyone was on ‘gear’ of some sort… so let’s just tell it like is is.
In this article, we’ll list the top 10 cyclists of all-time, including all the latest stats and facts. Read on to find out more!
1. Eddy Merckx
Nicknamed “The Cannibal”
He won five Tour de France titles
He racked up a total of 525 career victories
Eddy Merckx earned fame as the most accomplished cyclist in the sport's history.
Nicknamed "The Cannibal" for his insatiable will to win, the Belgian rider dominated professional cycling in the 1960s and 1970s.
Merckx competed aggressively in every race, attacking early and often blowing apart the peloton. His relentless style and sustained success captivated cycling fans worldwide.
Merckx racked up a staggering 525 career victories, including five Tour de France titles, five Giro d'Italia titles, eleven grand tour stages in a single Tour and a record-setting hour record.
Yet beyond the record books, Merckx earned adoration for his swashbuckling attacking style.
He raced with long solo breakaways and audacious accelerations that shattered his competition.
2. Jacques Anquetil
He won the national Grand Prix des Nations time trial at age 19
He won four Tour de France titles
He won two Giros d’Italia
Jacques Anquetil established himself as one of cycling's all-time greats through his grace, speed and strategic brilliance.
The dashing Frenchman won followers worldwide with his elegant riding style and tactical acumen. While others relied on brute power, Anquetil moved with fluid efficiency.
He conserved energy until critical moments when he accelerated with stunning speed to dispatch rivals. Anquetil first showed his greatness by winning his national Grand Prix des Nations time trial at age 19.
He dominated the sport in the 1950s and 1960s, claiming four Tour de France titles, two Giros d'Italia and countless one-day classics.
Along with high-profile victories, Anquetil burnished his legend with audacious race tactics.
Anquetil radiated style and charisma which endeared him to cycling fans. Anquetil set new sports standards with his success, panache and pioneering tactics.
Though fellow greats like Merckx claimed more wins, Anquetil's grace, speed and smarts make him one of cycling's most renowned and well-loved figures.
3. Bernard Hinault
Earned the nickname “The Badger”
He won five Tour de France titles between 1978 and 1985
He was skilled at riding over all terrain
Bernard Hinault earned the nickname "The Badger" for his tenacious, aggressive style.
The French rider claimed five Tour de France titles between 1978 and 1985, establishing himself as one of cycling's greatest champions. Hinault attacked relentlessly in the high mountains, dropping rivals burst after burst.
He also triumphed in rain, snow and crosswinds, earning a reputation for persevering through pain and tough conditions. Beyond his mental fortitude, Hinault possessed a versatility rarely seen on the track.
He won hilly grand tours and bone-jarring classics like Paris-Roubaix with equal skill.
Euro Sport reports that Hinault's Arc de Triomphe victory at the 1980 Liege–Bastogne–Liege came three days after beating specialists in the Amstel Gold Race.
His combined skills across all terrain and his willingness to attack made every stage a must-see.
However, Hinault also drew criticism for reneging on a promise to help teammate Greg LeMond win the 1986 Tour de France. The public admired Hinault's confidence but questioned his sportsmanship.
4. Mario Cipollini
He claimed the Maglia Rosa at the Giro d’Italia 42 times during his career
He won the Road World Championships
He raced in custom kits, such as animal prints
Mario Cipollini earned fame as the top sprinter of his generation and cycling's greatest showman. The flamboyant Italian dazzled fans with his speed, power and style.
Cipollini claimed the Maglia Rosa at the Giro d'Italia a record 42 times (stage victories) during his career, including winning the points classification three straight years.
One of Mario Cipollini’s iconic cycling kits
Cipollini won the Road World Championships and Milano-Sanremo classic in his signature sprint finishes.
However, Cipollini's victories only tell part of the story. He became cycling's biggest star by cultivating a larger-than-life persona. Cipollini raced in custom kits featuring wild designs like animal prints.
5. Jan Ullrich
He won gold in the road race at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
He won the Tour de France in 1997 aged just 23 years old
He won the Clasica San Sebastian
The German rider Jan Ullrich etched his name in cycling lore through explosive climbing and an epic rivalry with Lance Armstrong.
After winning gold in the road race at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Ullrich established himself as Armstrong's chief Tour de France rival.
Jan Ullrich cemented his place as an all-time great by amassing an impressive list of victories over his illustrious career.
He stood on the top of the Tour de France podium in 1997, proving his talent by winning the world's most prestigious race at 23 years old.
Ullrich triumphed at the challenging Tour of Switzerland not once but twice, underlining his versatility as a cyclist.
Ullrich also won the prestigious Clasica San Sebastian among other classic races, showcasing his diverse abilities.
6. Fausto Coppi
A champion of professional road cycling in the 1940s and 1950s
He won five Giro d’Italia titles
He won two Tour de France titles
Fausto Coppi earned the title of the greatest cyclist of all-time through his numerous victories and record-breaking performances.
Coppi dominated professional road cycling in the 1940s and 1950s. He won the Giro d'Italia five times and the Tour de France twice.
Coppi achieved many landmark victories, such as winning the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia in the same year twice, in 1949 and 1952. This remarkable double victory demonstrated Coppi's versatility as a climber and time trialist.
In addition to his victories, Coppi set numerous records that stood for decades. In 1942, he set a new hour record, covering 45.871km on a bicycle at the Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan.
Coppi broke the record for ascending the feared Cima Coppi climb at the Giro d'Italia, reaching the 2,758m summit in just 18 minutes.
During the 15th stage of the 1949 Giro d'Italia, Coppi achieved an epic solo victory, winning the 254km mountain stage by a margin of 14'43" over his rivals.
7. Miguel Indurain
He won five consecutive Tours from 1991-1995
A double victory at the Giro d’Italia
He won two road race World Championships (1995 and 1996)
Miguel Indurain established himself as one of cycling's greatest stage racers through his unprecedented dominance at the Tour de France in the early 1990s.
The Spanish rider demonstrated a rare combination of time-trialling ability and resilience in the mountains, allowing him to win five consecutive Tours from 1991 to 1995, the longest streak in cycling history.
Indurain's phenomenal capacity to sustain high power outputs propelled him to victories in lengthy trials.
Indurain won the 65km stage 20 time trial in the 1992 Tour by a staggering margin of three minutes over the second-place finisher.
His superiority against the clock delivered crucial time gains over his rivals. In addition to his five Tour titles, Indurain achieved an outstanding double victory at the Giro d'Italia and Tour in 1992.
He also won two road race World Championships, in 1995 and 1996. Indurain's record-setting performances, consistency and versatility across varied terrain make him one of the most accomplished stage cyclists of all-time.
8. Sean Kelly
He won two Paris-Roubaix and four Milan-San Remo
Known for his sprinting power and endurance
In the 1984 Paris-Roubaix, Kelly made a solo attack 45km from the finish
Sean Kelly demonstrated exceptional versatility and consistency throughout his long professional cycling career, earning him a reputation as one of the sport's greatest one-day racers.
The Irish rider claimed victory at nine Monuments, including Paris-Roubaix twice and Milan-San Remo four times.
Kelly triumphed in the points classification at the Tour de France four times from 1982 to 1989. He possessed an uncanny ability to prevail in unpredictable, single-day classics through tactical prowess.
His sprinting power and endurance allowed him to overcome late surges by rivals. According to PEZ Cycling News, in the 1984 Paris-Roubaix, Kelly made a solo attack 45km from the finish.
9. Felice Gimondi
He won the Tour de France in 1965 - his debut season
He won two Giro d’Italia titles in 1967 and 1969
He won the Paris-Roubaix in 1966
Felice Gimondi established himself as one of the most well-rounded stage racers of his generation through victories at cycling's Grand Tours and a World Championship title.
The versatile Italian rider excelled in time trials and high mountain passes, skills that propelled him to triumph at the sport's most prestigious stage cyclists.
Gimondi made a stunning entrance to professional cycling by winning the Tour de France in his debut season in 1965.
At just 22 years old, he defeated reigning champion Jacques Anquetil.
Gimondi claimed two Giro d'Italia titles in 1967 and 1969, along with the Vuelta a Espana in 1968. In addition to his Grand Tour success, Gimondi triumphed at top one-day races.
He also won the prestigious Paris-Roubaix in 1966. Gimondi achieved many successes, winning four monument classics, including Milan-San Remo in 1974. He also won the Giro di Lombardia twice, in 1966 and 1973.
10. Lance Armstrong
He first made his mark as a triathlete in 1989 and 1990
In 1991, he became the youngest-ever US Amateur Cycling Champion
Seven consecutive Tour victories (1999-2005)
From a young age, Lance Armstrong demonstrated exceptional talent in endurance sports. He first made his mark as a 16-year-old triathlete, winning national sprint championships in 1989 and 1990.
Armstrong turned his focus to professional cycling in 1991 and quickly rose through the ranks. That year, he earned the distinction of youngest-ever United States Amateur Cycling Champion.
Armstrong continued his meteoric ascent by becoming World Champion in 1993 at just 21 years old.
His standout abilities landed him a professional contract to compete in Europe, where he made his Tour de France debut.
Armstrong wasted no time making an impact, winning individual stages in 1993 and 1995. His early results foreshadowed his record-shattering seven consecutive Tour victories between 1999 and 2005.
However, Armstrong's legacy remains complicated due to his admission of using drugs.
Who Are the Greatest Cyclists of All-Time?
While disagreements may arise regarding the precise order of the greatest cyclists of all-time, the extraordinary cyclists on this list earned recognition for their record-shattering performances and big achievements!
Have we missed anyone off our list? Who is the greatest cyclist of all-time? Tell us in the comments!
