Our countdown takes us to the best cobblestone riders of all time. 4 Ronde van Vlaanderen record-holders and 1 of Paris-Roubaix cross our path with a well-deserved spot in the top-39 of the King of the Echelon Cycling Ranking.
If you prefer to skip the details behind the rider's points total, you can jump right into the ranking here. But what good is counting down without actually counting points? Don't worry, I did the counting already, but I let you take a look at the rider's achievements below. Only the races on which the King of the Echelon ranking is built, are listed. If you're curious about these and the points schema, you can find out in this blog post.
Please note this is the status on 31 December 2021. Click on the rider's name for the latest update.
39. Jan RAAS (NED) - 3384pts
World Championship Road Race | 1st (1979) |
Milano-Sanremo | 1st (1977) 3rd (1980, 1983) |
Paris-Roubaix | 1st (1982) 3rd (1978) |
Ronde van Vlaanderen | 1st (1979, 1983) 3rd (1980, 1981) |
Amstel Gold Race | 1st (1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982) 2nd (1976) 3rd (1983) |
Gent-Wevelgem | 1st (1981) 2nd (1983) 3rd (1979) |
Paris-Tours | 1st (1978, 1981) 3rd (1979, 1983) |
E3 Harelbeke | 1st (1979, 1980, 1981) 2nd (1978) |
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | 1st (1981) 2nd (1977, 1979, 1983) 3rd (1978) |
Paris-Bruxelles | 1st (1978) 2nd (1981) |
Scheldeprijs | 3rd (1980) |
Tour de France stage wins | 1x (1977) 3x (1978) 1x (1979) 3x (1980) 1x (1982) 1x (1984) |
38. Davide REBELLIN (ITA) - 3435pts
World Championship Road Race | 4th (2008) |
|---|---|
Olympic Games Road Race | 2nd (2008) |
Il Lombardia | 2nd (2002) |
Liège-Bastogne-Liège | 1st (2004) 2nd (2001, 2008) 3rd (2000, 2009) |
Paris-Nice | 1st (2008) 2nd (2004, 2007) 3rd (2003) |
Tirreno-Adriatico | 1st (2001) 2nd (1999) |
Vuelta al Paìs Vasco | 2nd (2005) 3rd (1999) |
Amstel Gold Race | 1st (2004) 2nd (2007) |
Clasica San Sebastian | 1st (1997) 3rd (2001, 2004, 2008) |
Flèche Wallonne | 1st (2004, 2007, 2009) 3rd (2005) |
Züri Metzgete | 1st (1997) 3rd (2006) |
Giro dell'Emilia | 1st (2006, 2014) 2nd (2007, 2008) 3rd (2001, 2003) |
Giro del Lazio | 2nd (2002) |
Giro del Veneto | 1st (1998, 1999, 2000) 3rd (2001, 2002) |
GP Frankfurt | 1st (2003) 2nd (2001, 2008) |
Milano-Torino | 2nd (2003) |
Critérium International | 2nd (1998) |
Giro d'Italia stage wins | 1x (1996) |
37. Herman VAN SPRINGEL (BEL) - 3445pts
Tour de France | 2nd (1968) |
|---|---|
Giro d'Italia | 2nd (1971) |
Vuelta a España | 3rd (1970) |
World Championship Road Race | 2nd (1968) |
Il Lombardia | 1st (1968) 2nd (1969) 3rd (1973) |
Liège-Bastogne-Liège | 3rd (1972) |
Milano-Sanremo | 3rd (1966) |
Paris-Roubaix | 2nd (1968, 1971) |
Critérium du Dauphiné | 3rd (1970) |
Tour de Suisse | 3rd (1968) |
Amstel Gold Race | 3rd (1973) |
Bordeaux-Paris | 1st (1970, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981) 2nd (1967, 1976) 3rd (1979) |
Gent-Wevelgem | 1st (1966) |
Züri Metzgete | 1st (1971) |
E3 Harelbeke | 1st (1974) 3rd (1968) |
GP Frankfurt | 3rd (1968, 1969) |
GP des Nations | 1st (1969, 1970) 2nd (1968) |
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | 1st (1968) |
Paris-Tours | 1st (1969) |
Scheldeprijs | 2nd (1972) |
Semana Catalana | 3rd (1973) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 1st (1973) |
Tour de France stage wins | 1x (1967) 1x (1968) 2x (1969) 1x (1971) |
36. Erik ZABEL (GER) - 3547pts
World Championship Road Race | 2nd (2004, 2006) 3rd (2002) 5th (2001) |
|---|---|
Milano-Sanremo | 1st (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001) 2nd (1999, 2004) |
Paris-Roubaix | 3rd (2000) |
Tirreno-Adriatico | 3rd (2004) |
Amstel Gold Race | 1st (2000) |
Cyclassics Hamburg | 1st (2001) 2nd (2006) |
Paris-Tours | 1st (1994, 2003, 2005) 3rd (2001, 2002) |
GP Frankfurt | 1st (1999, 2002, 2005) 2nd (2003) |
Scheldeprijs | 1st (1997) 2nd (1999) |
4 Jours de Dunkerque | 3rd (1995) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 1st (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001) 2nd (2002, 2006) 3rd (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008) |
Tour de France stage wins | 2x (1995) 2x (1996) 3x (1997) 1x (2000) 3x (2001) 1x (2002) |
35. Learco GUERRA (ITA) - 3595pts
Tour de France | 2nd (1930, 1933) |
|---|---|
Giro d'Italia | 1st (1934) 4th (1932, 1935) |
World Championship Road Race | 1st (1931) 2nd (1930, 1934) 5th (1932) |
Il Lombardia | 1st (1934) 3rd (1930) |
Milano-Sanremo | 1st (1933) 2nd (1931, 1935) |
Giro del Piemonte | 1st (1934) |
Tour de France stage wins | 3x (1930) 5x (1933) |
Giro d'Italia stage wins | 2x (1930) 4x (1931) 6x (1932) 3x (1933) 10x (1934) 5x (1935) 1x (1937) |
34. Fiorenzo MAGNI (ITA) - 3687pts
Giro d'Italia | 1st (1948, 1951, 1955) 2nd (1952, 1956) |
|---|---|
World Championship Road Race | 2nd (1951) 4th (1947, 1952) |
Il Lombardia | 2nd (1954) 3rd (1956) |
Milano-Sanremo | 2nd (1956) 3rd (1949) |
Paris-Roubaix | 3rd (1950) |
Ronde van Vlaanderen | 1st (1949, 1950, 1951) |
Bordeaux-Paris | 3rd (1954) |
Giro del Lazio | 1st (1951, 1956) |
Giro del Piemonte | 1st (1942, 1953, 1956) 3rd (1949) |
Giro del Veneto | 1st (1953) 2nd (1947) |
GP des Nations | 3rd (1947) |
Milano-Torino | 1st (1951) 2nd (1954) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 2nd (1953) |
Tour de France stage wins | 1x (1949) 1x (1950) 1x (1951) 2x (1952) 2x (1953) |
Giro d'Italia stage wins | 1x (1948) 1x (1950) 3x (1953) 1x (1955) |
33. Tom BOONEN (BEL) - 3687pts
World Championship Road Race | 1st (2005) 3rd (2016) |
|---|---|
Milano-Sanremo | 2nd (2010) 3rd (2007) |
Paris-Roubaix | 1st (2005, 2008, 2009, 20012) 2nd (2006, 2016) 3rd (2002) |
Ronde Van Vlaanderen | 1st (2005, 2006, 20012) 2nd (2010) |
Gent-Wevelgem | 1st (2004, 2011, 2012) 3rd (2003) |
Paris-Tours | 2nd (2009) |
E3 Harelbeke | 1st (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012) 2nd (2009, 2010) |
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | 2nd (2005, 2012) 3rd (2007, 2015) |
Paris-Bruxelles | 1st (2012, 2016) 2nd (2006) 3rd (2015) |
Scheldeprijs | 1st (2004, 2006) 2nd (2008) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 1st (2007) |
Tour de France stage wins | 2x (2004) 2x (2005) 2x (2007) |
Tom Boonen is arguably the best cobblestone rider of all-time holding a record number of victories at Paris-Roubaix, the Ronde van Vlaanderen and the E3-Hareldbeke. But even this exquisite palmares has a few blind spots. I'm sure he's not losing any sleep over it now, but rest assured; messing up an almost certain victory is always a bitter pill to swallow.
I'm taking you to Paris-Tours 2009. Even though Paris-Tours has lost a lot of its reputation (something I find very deplorable, this should be the 6th Monument), it still is a beautiful name on a rider's palmares. The edition of 2009 is the last one where the best classics riders of the peloton battled for victory: Tom Boonen, Philippe Gilbert, Filippo Pozzato, Greg Van Avermaet and Oscar Freire; they were all in the mix.
After a stunning final Boonen, Gilbert and Borut Bozic sprinted for victory; a race that was Tom Boonen's to lose. Check out the footage below and watch Boonen miscalculate the sprint as Bozic turned out to be fully spent.
32. Franco BITOSSI (ITA) - 3700pts
World Championship Road Race | 2nd (1972) 3rd (1977) 4th (1968) |
|---|---|
Il Lombardia | 1st (1967, 1970) 2nd (1968, 1971) 3rd (1969, 1977) |
Milano-Sanremo | 3rd (1967) |
Tirreno-Adriatico | 1st (1967) |
Tour de Suisse | 1st (1965) |
Volta a Catalunya | 1st (1970) 2nd (1969) |
Züri Metzgete | 1st (1965, 1968) |
Giro dell'Emilia | 1st (1970, 1973) 2nd (1969) 3rd (1965, 1967) |
Giro del Lazio | 1st (1965) 2nd (1974, 1976) |
Giro del Piemonte | 2nd (1966) |
Giro del Veneto | 1st (1970, 1973) |
Milano-Torino | 1st (1968) 2nd (1967, 1972, 1973, 1976) 3rd (1969, 1978) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 1st (1968) |
Tour de France Mountains classif. | 2nd (1968) |
Tour de France stage wins | 2x (1966) 2x (1968) |
Giro d'Italia stage wins | 4x (1964) 1x (1965) 2x (1966) 1x (1967) 2x (1968) 2x (1969) 4x (1970) 1x (1971) 3x (1974) 1x (1975) |
31. Greg LEMOND (USA) - 3801pts
Tour de France | 1st (1986, 1989, 1990) 2nd (1985) 3rd (1984) |
|---|---|
Giro d'Italia | 3rd (1985) 4th (1986) |
World Championship Road Race | 1st (1983, 1989) 2nd (1982, 1985) 4th (1990) |
Il Lombardia | 2nd (1983) |
Liège-Bastogne-Liège | 3rd (1984) |
Milano-Sanremo | 2nd (1986) |
Critérium du Dauphiné | 1st (1983) 3rd (1981, 1984) |
Paris-Nice | 3rd (1986) |
Tirreno-Adriatico | 3rd (1982) |
Tour de Suisse | 3rd (1986) |
Vuelta al País Vasco | 2nd (1985) |
Züri Metzgete | 2nd (1990) |
GP des Nations | 2nd (1983) |
Critérium International | 3rd (1986) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 2nd (1985) |
Tour de France Mountains classif. | 3rd (1986) |
Giro d'Italia stage wins | 1x (1986) |
Tour de France stage wins | 1x (1985) 1x (1986) 3x (1989) |
30. Peter SAGAN (SVK) - 3856pts
Peter Sagan holds the record of 3 world titles together with Alfredo Binda from Italy, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx from Belgium and Oscar Freire from Spain. But the Slovakian is the only rider in history to win it on 3 consecutive occasions.
In 2019 Sagan dethroned the German Erik Zabel (cfr above) as Green Jersey record holder in the Tour de France with 7 overall victories.
World Championship Road Race | 1st (2015, 2016, 2017) 5th (2019) |
|---|---|
Milano-Sanremo | 2nd (2013, 2017) |
Paris-Roubaix | 1st (2018) |
Ronde van Vlaanderen | 1st (2016) 2nd (2013) |
Tirreno-Adriatico | 2nd (2016) |
Amstel Gold Race | 3rd (2012) |
Gent-Wevelgem | 1st (2013, 2016, 2018) 2nd (2012) 3rd (2014, 2017) |
E3 Harelbeke | 1st (2014) 2nd (2013, 2016) |
GP Montréal | 1st (2013) 2nd (2010, 2016) |
GP Quebec | 1st (2016, 2017) 2nd (2019) |
Giro del Veneto | 2nd (2010) |
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | 2nd (2016, 2017) |
Strade Bianche | 2nd (2013, 2014) |
BeNeLux Tour | 3rd (2016) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 1st (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019) 2nd (2020) |
Tour de France stage wins | 3x (2012) 1x (2013) 3x (2016) 1x (2017) 3x (2018) 1x (2019) |
29. Fabian CANCELLARA (SUI) - 3944pts
World Championship Road Race | 4th (2011) 5th (2009) |
|---|---|
Olympic Games Road Race | 3rd (2008) |
Milano-Sanremo | 1st (2008) 2nd (2011, 2012, 2014) 3rd (2013) |
Paris-Roubaix | 1st (2006, 2010, 2013) 2nd (2008, 2011) 3rd (2014) |
Ronde van Vlaanderen | 1st (2010, 2013, 2014) 2nd (2016) 3rd (2011) |
Tirreno-Adriatico | 1st (2008) |
Tour de Suisse | 1st (2009) |
Olympic Games Time Trial | 1st (2008, 2016) |
World Championship Time Trial | 1st (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010) 3rd (2005, 2011, 2013) |
E3 Harelbeke | 1st (2010, 2011, 2013) 2nd (2007) |
Strade Bianche | 1st (2008, 2012, 2016) |
Tour de France stage wins | 1x (2004) 2x (2007) 1x (2008) 1x (2009) 2x (2010) 1x (2012) |
28. Luis OCANA (ESP) - 3957pts
Tour de France | 1st (1973) |
|---|---|
Vuelta a España | 1st (1970) 2nd (1969, 1973, 1976) 3rd (1971) 4th (1974, 1975) |
World Championship Road Race | 3rd (1973) |
Critérium du Dauphiné | 1st (1970, 1972, 1973) 2nd (1971) |
Paris-Nice | 2nd (1970) 3rd (1971, 1972, 1976) |
Volta a Catalunya | 1st (1971, 1973) |
Vuelta al País Vasco | 1st (1971, 1973) 3rd (1974) |
GP des Nations | 1st (1971) 2nd (1973) 3rd (1968, 1970) |
4 Jours de Dunkerque | 2nd (1972) |
Midi Libre | 1st (1969) |
Semana Catalana | 1st (1969, 1973) 2nd (1975) 3rd (1970, 1971) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 3rd (1973) |
Tour de France Mountains classif. | 3rd (1973) |
Tour de France stage wins | 1x (1970) 2x (1971) 6x (1973) |
27. Ferdi KUBLER (SUI) - 3961pts
Tour de France | 1st (1950) 2nd (1954) |
|---|---|
Giro d'Italia | 3rd (1951, 1952) 4th (1950) |
World Championship Road Race | 1st (1951) 2nd (1949) 3rd (1950) |
Il Lombardia | 2nd (1949) |
Liège-Bastogne-Liège | 1st (1951, 1952) 3rd (1954) |
Tour de Romandie | 1st (1948, 1951) 2nd (1949) 3rd (1947) |
Tour de Suisse | 1st (1942, 1948, 1951) 2nd (1952) 3rd (1941) |
Bordeaux-Paris | 1st (1953) |
Gent-Wevelgem | 2nd (1954) |
Paris-Tours | 2nd (1953) |
Züri Metzgete | 1st( 1943) 2nd (1950) 3rd (1947) |
GP des Nations | 2nd (1948) |
Milano-Torino | 1st (1956) |
Paris-Bruxelles | 3rd (1954) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 1st (1954) |
Tour de France stage wins | 2x (1947) 1x (1949) 3x (1950) 2x (1954) |
26. Johan MUSEEUW (BEL) - 3966pts
World Championship Road Race | 1st (1996) 4th (1993) |
|---|---|
Milano-Sanremo | 3rd (1992) |
Paris-Roubaix | 1st (1996, 2000, 2002) 2nd (2001) 3rd (1995, 1997) |
Ronde van Vlaanderen | 1st (1993, 1995, 1998) 2nd (1991, 1994, 2002) 3rd (1996, 1999) |
Amstel Gold Race | 1st (1994) 2nd (1992) 3rd (1996) |
Clasica San Sebastian | 3rd (1995) |
Cyclassics Hamburg | 1st (2002) |
Gent-Wevelgem | 2nd (1990) 3rd (1994, 1996, 2000) |
Paris-Tours | 1st (1993) 3rd (1989) |
Züri Metzgete | 1st (1991, 1995) 2nd (1994) 3rd (1996) |
E3 Harelbeke | 1st (1992, 1998) 3rd (2002) |
GP Frankfurt | 2nd (1991) |
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | 1st (2000, 2003) |
Paris-Bruxelles | 2nd (1996) 3rd (1991, 1993) |
Scheldeprijs | 2nd (1992, 1997) 3rd (1990) |
Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde | 1st (1997) 2nd (1990) |
4 Jours de Dunkerque | 1st (1995, 1997) 3rd (1991) |
Tour de France Points classif. | 2nd (1990, 1992, 1993) |
Tour de France stage wins | 2x (1990) |
Just like Tom Boonen above, fellow Belgian Johan Museew was the victim of a self-inflicted sprint defeat. One that cost him a lot: a monument, a 3rd overall World Cup victory and being the sole record-holder of most Ronde van Vlaanderen victories (4).
The Tour of Flanders 1994 was going to be decided with a royal sprint between the biggest classics riders of that era: Andrei Tchmil (winner of Sanremo, Flanders and Roubaix), Franco Ballerini (double Paris-Roubaix winner), Gianni Bugno and 1993-winner Johan Museeuw. Although the sprint of a hard 260km classic like the Ronde is always a special thing, nobody would bet against Museeuw after the solid race he did and as a winner of numerous bunch sprints in the past (including the Tour de France stage on the Champs Elysées)
But sometimes stars simply are not aligned. Sprint dynamics and Franco Ballerini, who made a deal with Gianni Bugno and(!) Johan Museeuw but eventually preferred his compatriot's offer, made that Museeuw had been focussing on the wrong wheel and suddenly had to come back from the last position. An impossible mission that he nearly completed but a finish photo and 7mm separated him from a consecutive Tour of Flanders victory.
In hindsight, you can clearly see there were some very shady moves in the last few km leading up to the sprint.
25. Jan ULLRICH (GER) - 3984pts
Tour de France | 1st (1997) 2nd (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003) 3rd (2005) 4th (2004) |
|---|---|
Vuelta a España | 1st (1999) |
Olympic Games Road Race | 1st (2000) |
Tour de Suisse | 1st (2004, 2006) 3rd (1997, 2005) |
Olympic Games Time Trial | 2nd (2000) |
World Championship Time Trial | 1st (1999, 2001) 3rd (1994) |
Cyclassics Hamburg | 1st (1997) 3rd (2003) |
Züri Metzgete | 2nd (1997, 2000, 2001, 2003) |
Giro dell'Emilia | 1st (2001) |
Giro del Lazio | 3rd (2004) |
Milano-Torino | 3rd (1999) |
Tour de France Mountains classif | 2nd (1997, 2001) |
Tour de France stage wins | 1x (1996) 2x (1997) 3x (1998) 1x (2003) |
Giro d'Italia stage wins | 1x (2006) |
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