Ranking the best cyclists of all time is an endless debate. It's impossible to compare cycling eras and there's always a personal preference involved. However, the question of who's the greatest cyclist of all time is easy to answer and cannot be debated. Based on the points schema of the King of the Echelon cycling ranking, these 10 legends make up the all-time cycling hall of fame.
If you're curious about the details of the points schema, I wrote about it in this blog post: Pointless rider rankings are useful.
10. Felice GIMONDI (ITA) - 6393pts
Can you imagine: Felice Gimondi is the 10th best rider ever, while Eddy Merckx was his main opponent. It really makes you wonder what his palmares would have looked like without Merckx. But it's not like his Italian gentleman had to complain about what he díd win during this 13-year career as a professional cyclist.
Together with Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault, Gimondi is the only rider who won the 3 Grand Tours (Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España) and the World Championship. Additionally, Felice Gimondi displayed his versatility by winning the 3 most diverse Monuments: Milano-Sanremo, Paris-Roubaix and Il Lombardia
Skip career achievements and jump to n° 9
Tour de France | 1st (1965) 2nd (1972) 4th (1969) |
|---|---|
Giro d'Italia | 1st (1967, 1969, 1976) 2nd (1970, 1973) 3rd (1965, 1968, 1974, 1975) 5th (1966) |
Vuelta a España | 1st (1968) |
World Championship Road Race | 1st (1973) 2nd (1971) 3rd (1970) |
Il Lombardia | 1st (1966, 1973) 2nd (1967, 1970) 3rd (1972) |
Milano-Sanremo | 1st (1974) 2nd (1971) 3rd (1973) |
Paris-Roubaix | 1st (1966) |
Ronde van Vlaanderen | 2nd (1969) |
Tirreno-Adriatico | 3rd (1970) |
Tour de Romandie | 1st (1969) |
Volta a Catalunya | 1st (1972) 2nd (1968) |
Gent-Wevelgem | 2nd (1972) 3rd (1968) |
Flèche Wallonne | 2nd (1965) |
Paris-Bruxelles | 1st (1966, 1976) |
GP des Nations | 1st (1967, 1968) 2nd (1966) |
Giro dell'Emilia | 2nd (1975) 3rd (1969, 1972) |
Giro del Lazio | 1st (1967) 2nd (1977) |
Giro del Veneto | 2nd (1970) |
Giro del Piemonte | 1st (1971, 1973) 2nd (1972) |
Tour de France Green Jersey | 3rd (1965) |
Tour de France stage wins | 3x (1965) 2x (1967) 1x (1969) 1x (1975) |
Giro d'Italia stage wins | 1x (1966) 1x (1968) 2x (1971) 1x (1973) 1x (1976) |
9. Alejandro VALVERDE (ESP) - 6671pts
Anno 2022, 42-year-old Alejandro Valverde is the only active rider to figure in the top-10 of greatest cyclists ever. "El Imbatido" achieved this thanks to his dominance in some of the most important races, versatility, and consistency throughout his 20-year career.
In spite of winning the Tour of Spain and some of the top-tier one-week stage races, the Tour and Giro were out of his reach. Something Alejandro Valverde compensated by a large number of victories in the biggest one-day races on the calendar.
Some stellar numbers:
7 podiums at the Vuelta & España (of which 1 victory),
7 podiums at the World Championship (of which 1 victory),
7 podiums at Liège-Bastogne-Liège (of which 4! victories),
6 podiums at Clasica San Sebastian (of which 2 victories),
9 podiums at Flèche Wallonne (holds the record with 5! victories).
Skip career achievements and jump to n° 8
Tour de France | 3rd (2015) 4th (2014) |
|---|---|
Giro d'Italia | 3rd (2016) |
Vuelta a España | 1st (2009) 2nd (2006, 2019) 3rd (2003, 2012, 2013, 2014) 4th (2004) 5th (2008, 2018) |
World Championship Road Race | 1st (2018) 2nd (2003, 2005) 3rd (2006, 2012, 2013, 2014) 5th (2015) |
Il Lombardia | 2nd (2013, 2014, 2019) |
Liège-Bastogne-Liège | 1st (2006, 2008, 2015, 2017) 2nd (2007, 2014) 3rd (2013) |
Paris-Nice | 2nd (2005) 3rd (2012) |
Critérium du Dauphiné | 1st (2008, 2009) |
Tour de Romandie | 3rd (2006) |
Volta a Catalunya | 1st (2009, 2017, 2018) 2nd (2015) |
Vuelta al País Vasco | 1st (2017) 2nd (2006) |
Amstel Gold Race | 2nd (2013, 2015) 3rd (2008) |
Clasica San Sebastian | 1st (2008, 2014) 2nd (2013) 3rd (2007, 2015, 2016) |
Flèche Wallonne | 1st (2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) 2nd (2007, 2018, 2022) 3rd (2021) |
Strade Bianche | 2nd (2022) 3rd (2014, 2015) |
Giro del Lazio | 1st (2014) |
Milano-Torino | 2nd (2019) 3rd (2018) |
Critérium International | 3rd (2007) |
Tour de France stage wins | 1x (2005) 2x (2008) 1x (2012) |
Giro d'Italia stage win | 1x (2016) |
8. Francesco MOSER (ITA) - 6916pts
The Italian powerhouse was one of the most feared riders of his generation. Giro d'Italia winner, classics king, world champion, 23-times Giro stage winner, 273 professional victories: Francesco Moser in a nutshell.
Tripple Paris-Roubaix (7 podiums!) winner Moser was the main competitor of Monsieur Paris-Roubaix Roger De Vlaeminck, beating him on 2 occasions (1978 & 1979). Despite being more limited in the high mountains, the Italian still won his homeland Grand Tour thanks to his exquisite time trialing skills.
That talent allowed Francesco Moser to break the 12-year-old World Hour Record of Eddy Merckx by 1.4 kilometer, becoming the first rider to cross the 50km mark (50.808km)
Skip career achievements and jump to n° 7
Giro d'Italia | 1st (1984) 2nd (1977, 1979, 1985) 3rd (1978, 1986) 4th (1976) |
|---|---|
World Championship Road Race | 1st (1977) 2nd (1976, 1978) |
Il Lombardia | 1st (1975, 1978) 3rd (1982) |
Milano-Sanremo | 1st (1984) 2nd (1975) |
Liège-Bastogne-Liège | 3rd (1978) |
Paris-Roubaix | 1st (1978, 1979, 1980) 2nd (1974, 1976) 3rd (1981, 1983) |
Ronde van Vlaanderen | 2nd (1976, 1980) |
Tirreno-Adriatico | 1st (1980, 1981) 2nd (1977, 1986) 3rd (1978, 1983) |
Critérium du Dauphiné | 2nd (1975) |
Volta a Catalunya | 1st (1978) |
Vuelta al País Vasco | 3rd (1982) |
Amstel Gold Race | 2nd (1978) |
Gent-Wevelgem | 1st (1979) 3rd (1978) |
Züri Metzgete | 1st (1977) 2nd (1978, 1979) 3rd (1975) |
Flèche Wallonne | 1st (1977) |
Giro dell'Emilia | 1st (1974, 1979) 2nd (1981) |
Giro del Lazio | 1st (1977, 1978, 1984) 2nd (1983) |
Giro del Piemonte | 1st (1974) 3rd (1983) |
GP Frankfurt | 2nd (1980) |
GP des Nations | 2nd (1978, 1979) 3rd (1980 |
Milano-Torino | 1st (1983) 2nd (1980) |
Paris-Tours | 1st (1974) |
Giro del Veneto | 1st (1979) |
Midi Libre | 1st (1975) 2nd (1982 |
Tour de France Green Jersey | 3rd (1975) |
Tour de France stage wins | 2x (1975) |
Giro d'Italia stage wins | 1x (1973) 3x (1976) 4x (1978) 3x (1979) 1x (1980) 1x (1981) 2x (1982) 4x (1984) 3x (1985) 1x (1986) |
7. Sean KELLY (IRL) - 7021pts
Sean "King" Kelly is very much the Alejandro Valverde of the 1980's. Winning the Vuelta a España, multiple top-tier stage races (7 times Paris-Nice winner!) and numerous Monuments and classics made the Irishman one of the last riders that mastered almost all types of races.
Blessed with a sharp sprint, above-average climbing skills, and excellent endurance, Sean Kelly basically owned the Tour de France points jersey during the 80's. Those very same skills allowed him to be successful in 4 out of the 5 Monuments (totaling 9 victories).
Kelly is definitely a rider that should have been on the list of riders that won all Monuments (Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, and Rik Van Looy; if it hadn't been for Adrie van der Poel. The dutchman caused a huge upset by outsprinting Sean Kelly for victory at the 1986 Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Skip career achievements and jump to n° 6
Tour de France | 4th (1985) 5th (1984) |
|---|---|
Vuelta a España | 1st (1988) 3rd (1986) 4th (1980) |
World Championship Road Race | 3rd (1982, 1989) 5th (1985, 1987, 1990) |
Liège-Bastogne-Liège | 1st (1984, 1989) |
Milano-Sanremo | 1st (1986, 1992) 2nd (1984) |
Il Lombardia | 1st (1983, 1985, 1991) 2nd (1986) |
Paris-Roubaix | 1st (1984, 1986) 3rd (1985) |
Ronde van Vlaanderen | 2nd (1984, 1986, 1987) |
Paris-Nice | 1st (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988) |
Volta a Catalunya | 1st (1984, 1986) 2nd (1985) |
Vuelta al Paìs Vasco | 1st (1984, 1986, 1987) |
Tour de Suisse | 1st (1983, 1990) |
Amstel Gold Race | 3rd (1980) |
Clasica San Sebastian | 3rd (1990) |
Gent-Wevelgem | 1st (1988) |
Paris-Tours | 1st (1984) 3rd (1985, 1988) |
E3 Harelbeke | 2nd (1980) |
GP des Nations | 1st (1986) 2nd (1984) |
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | 2nd (1989) 3rd (1980, 1982) |
Paris-Bruxelles | 2nd (1986) |
Giro del Piemonte | 2nd (1983) |
GP Frankfurt | 3rd (1982, 1984) |
4 Jours de Dunkerque | 2nd (1981) |
Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde | 1st (1980) 2nd (1985, 1986, 1987) |
Critérium International | 1st (1983, 1984, 1987) 2nd (1986) 3rd (1985) |
Semana Catalana | 1st (1988) |
Tour de France Green Jersey | 1st (1982, 1983, 1985, 1989) 2nd (1980, 1984) 3rd (1988) |
Tour de France stage wins | 1x (1978) 2x (1980) 1x (1981) 1x (1982) |
6. Roger DE VLAEMINCK (BEL) - 7054pts
Roger De Vlaeminck, a.k.a. "The Gipsy", was the 3rd rider in history (and the last one so far) to win all 5 classics Monuments (after Rik Van Looy and Eddy Merckx). Without Merckx, the Belgian would have been the rider with the most Monument wins (11; followed by Costante Girardengo, Fausto Coppi, and Sean Kelly with 9).
Roger De Vlaeminck is known because of his extreme willpower to be the best. His conviction was that the best riders should never be on the same team but instead should always compete with each other. De Vlaeminck is very outspoken about what was driving him as a rider: beating Eddy Merckx; a victory against Merckx was a lot more valuable.
Roger De Vlaeminck won Paris-Roubaix 4 times (a record he shares with Tom Boonen) and podium 9(!) times which earned him the nickname "Monsieur Paris-Roubaix". Being a former cyclocross world champion has definitely played a role in these extraordinary achievements in the "Hell of the North".
Apart from his Roubaix record, he also won Tirreno-Adriatico 6 consecutive times.
Skip career achievements and jump to n° 5
Giro d'Italia | 4th (1975) |
|---|---|
World Championship Road Race | 2nd (1975) |
Il Lombardia | 1st (1974, 1976) 2nd (1973) |
Liège-Bastogne-Liège |