Every year, more and more gifted cyclists are building a reputation for themselves with great feats of skill and endurance. However, among all these riders, only a few truly stand out from the rest. These are the real legends in the sports world. If you’ve never read or heard anything about cycling, or you’ve never followed any sport, now is the time to get your diary or notepad and start jotting down a few names.
These are the legends that you’ll need to know more about and remember because they’ve shaped the world of sports. All the cyclists that we’ll talk about have greatly contributed to the world of sports and earned a huge status through the results that they’ve managed to achieve. Let’s get started!
1. Fausto Coppi
Fausto Coppi is a world champion, five-time winner of the Giro Italia, world hour record holder, and two-time winner of Tour De France. The cyclist was given the nickname ‘the champions of champions’. Fausto was known for winning big, in most cases, more than ten minutes. He was dominant in the sports world before and after World War II where he was captured as a prisoner of war in Africa.
2. Gino Bartali
Gino Bartali had a fierce rivalry with Fausto Coppi. Their beef ended up dividing Italy because they would rather not race together than help each other out while representing their nation. Bartali managed to win Tour de France twice and the Giro three times. His greatest achievement emerged in 2010 when fans placed bets on best NV betting sites right here as he was preparing for a race. Bartali covered for the efforts to rescue affected Jews during the war using his training. He hid a Jewish family and saved lots of lives. He also carried documents and messages using his bicycle to the resistance in Italy. He was a legend on the bike and his feet.
3. Jacques Anquetil
Jacques was the first rider to win the Tour de France five times. He was popular for his unique trailing ability. Before the Tour de France of 1961, he stated that he would hold the yellow jersey from the first day throughout the tour. He managed to do this incredibly thus holding his spot on our list. Anquetil is one of the few riders who won all three Grand Tours and managed to add to his success five Paris titles.
4. Beryl Burton
Beryl Burton was the most popular female cyclist for decades. She won seven world titles (five on the track and two on-road) and more than ninety British titles. She refused to become a professional by turning down the offer from Raleigh Bicycles in 1960. Burton was popular for holding a two-year 12-hour record for both males and females. Burton’s career lasted for years. Although, she is originally from England, people started placing cycling wagers all around the world – she became particularly famous in Nevada State. That is why many bettors were placing wagers at LuckyNevada. Even her daughter managed to race against her and outshined her in 1975. Burton refused to shake her daughter’s hand on the podium to show how competitive she was.
5. Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx is one of the best cyclists in history. He was nicknamed “The Cannibal” for winning most of the professional cycling games like no other. The cyclist from Belgium won Tour de France five times together with Giro d’Italia. He also won once the Vuelta an Espana. His remarkable total of 65 Grand Tour victory stage puts him at the top while setting a record that’s not likely to be broken soon. His success was not just confined to the Grand Tours only. He won the Cycling monuments several times and became the champion of the world war race three times. He managed to win more than five hundred times in his 28 years as a cyclist.
6. Greg LeMond
Greg LeMond was one of the cyclists who was involved in some of the most dramatic and exciting moments in the history of cycling. We would not complete this list without including Greg LeMond. He won Tour de France back in 1989 by a few seconds at the final stage. LeMond was the first American to win Tour de France and claimed two world road titles. After retiring, LeMond has been vocal and passionate about the disadvantages of using drugs to enhance performance.
Conclusion
There are a lot of successful cyclists across the world. However, some legends left an indelible mark in the world of cycling. Despite the pain in their legs, they pushed on and claimed their victory.
