Tour de France
Merckx best ever, even if Armstrong breaks record

By Mark Akins
Seattle Times staff

AFP/GETTY IMAGES, 1974 Eddy Merckx shares the podium with runner-up Raymond Poulidor, left, and third-place Vicente López Carril after Merckx's fifth Tour victory in 1974.

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

Lance Armstrong is the best road cyclist on the planet. But best ever? No, and it's not close.

Belgium's Eddy Merckx, "The Cannibal," is the No. 1 rider in the Cycling Hall of Fame's all-time rankings (cyclinghalloffame.com). Armstrong is ranked 10th.

Cycling has never before or since seen anyone like Merckx, who was equally dominating in stage races and one-day classics.

Merckx, 59, now builds racing bikes, watches his son Axel race (for Lotto-Domo) and is a friend and advisor to Armstrong. Both men have five Tour de France victories, but the similarities end there. Some comparisons:

Overall race wins : Merckx nearly 500, about 400 more than Armstrong.

Tour de France stage wins : Merckx 34, Armstrong 17.

Days in yellow : Merckx 96, Armstrong 60.

Margin of victory : Merckx won the Tour by an average of 11 minutes, 50 seconds; Armstrong 5:44.

Other jerseys : Merckx won two Tour de France climber's jerseys and three sprinter's jerseys; Armstrong has none of either.
 
Merckx was so dominating in his 1969 Tour debut that, according to Cycle Sport magazine, a joke started making the rounds:

"Did you hear that Merckx, Raymond Poulidor and Felice Gimondi were all fined on the Col du Tourmalet?"

"No, why?"

"Poulidor and Gimondi for letting themselves be pulled by a truck. Merckx because he was pulling the truck."

"The Cannibal" rarely lost, except to injuries. Early in 1978, he retired at 32 — Lance Armstrong's age.

Mark Akins: 206-464-8994 or makins@seattletimes.com