10 best Aussie cyclists

g wrote:
Because there was a thread on rbr about the 10 best yank cyclist, I'm
wondering who makes the list of best Aussies of all time.

My relatively uninformed choices:

1. Phil Anderson
2. Danny Clark
3. Russell Mockridge
4. Hubert Opperman
5. Robbie McEwen
6. Stuart O'Grady
7. Brad McGee
8. Neil Stephens
9. Gary Neiwand
10. Sean Eadie

ciao
GK

Martin Vinnicombe?
Shane Kelly?

&roo

"hippy" wrote

Problem is.. I wasn't born when some of these riders were around.
Hinault and Merckx I've heard of, sure. Opperman as well. But as
for what they achieved and when they did it I'm pretty vague. Even
some modern riders escape me as I can only put down those I see
on TV or read about online or in magazines.
That's one of the reasons there is never universal agreement on most
top 10 lists.

You can have a top ten current cyclists then. A list of greatest Oz
cyclists of all time should include Opperman, Anderson and Clark.

Theo

"hippy" wrote

Problem is.. I wasn't born when some of these riders were around.
Hinault and Merckx I've heard of, sure. Opperman as well. But as
for what they achieved and when they did it I'm pretty vague. Even
some modern riders escape me as I can only put down those I see
on TV or read about online or in magazines.
That's one of the reasons there is never universal agreement on most
top 10 lists.

You can have a top ten current cyclists then. A list of greatest Oz
cyclists of all time should include Opperman, Anderson and Clark.

Theo

Spider1977 wrote:

I'm no cycling historian, but it couldn't be possible to leave Danny
Clark out of any top ten in Australian cycling, could it? The guy was
winning on the toughest world circuit for 30 years.

I was lucky enough to witness his win in the Burnie Wheel on New Years
Day in 1977. It will go down as won of the greatest rides in history.

I have been to only one 6 day race, it was in Munich in 1991. Danny won
that one too. In front of 16,000 people and a crowd favourite. It was
kind of like a beer hall/velodrome combined. Great atmosphere.

Saw the number recently, something like 73 wins out of 230+ Six Day
races. They lived like dogs, sleeping under boards then racing till
midnight the next day..

GK

Spider1977 wrote:

I'm no cycling historian, but it couldn't be possible to leave Danny
Clark out of any top ten in Australian cycling, could it? The guy was
winning on the toughest world circuit for 30 years.

I was lucky enough to witness his win in the Burnie Wheel on New Years
Day in 1977. It will go down as won of the greatest rides in history.

I have been to only one 6 day race, it was in Munich in 1991. Danny won
that one too. In front of 16,000 people and a crowd favourite. It was
kind of like a beer hall/velodrome combined. Great atmosphere.

Saw the number recently, something like 73 wins out of 230+ Six Day
races. They lived like dogs, sleeping under boards then racing till
midnight the next day..

GK

hippy wrote:

"g" wrote in message
...
Propose your top 10 then.

1. Stuart O'Grady
2. Baden Cooke
3. Robbie McEwan
4. Cadel Evans
5. Brad McGee
6. Sean Eadie
6. Kris Kovarik
7. Nathan Rennie
8. Anna Milward
9. Kathy Watt
10. Sid Taberlay

This is a list of current riders.
OK, but McEwen has more stage wins in the Tour than O'Grady and a bundle
of stages in the Giro. Also the first Aussie to win any category in the
Tour, the Green jersey. He won a phenomenal 20+ races last year. Baden
Cooke's palmares are much smaller than O'Grady's, apart from the Green
jersey, he is still beginning.
Robbie is easily No. out of that lot.

Cadel Evans won 2 mtb worlds titles, but its a case of comparing mtb
worlds to a road worlds. Road gets 10 times the money, media coverage
and more hotly contested than mtb. So I'd count anything won on the road
to be harder than off road, sorry. Cadel has only done only a handfull
of good things on the road so far.
By my reckoning Brad McGee is above Cadel and Baden.

GK

hippy wrote:

"g" wrote in message
...
Propose your top 10 then.

1. Stuart O'Grady
2. Baden Cooke
3. Robbie McEwan
4. Cadel Evans
5. Brad McGee
6. Sean Eadie
6. Kris Kovarik
7. Nathan Rennie
8. Anna Milward
9. Kathy Watt
10. Sid Taberlay

This is a list of current riders.
OK, but McEwen has more stage wins in the Tour than O'Grady and a bundle
of stages in the Giro. Also the first Aussie to win any category in the
Tour, the Green jersey. He won a phenomenal 20+ races last year. Baden
Cooke's palmares are much smaller than O'Grady's, apart from the Green
jersey, he is still beginning.
Robbie is easily No. out of that lot.

Cadel Evans won 2 mtb worlds titles, but its a case of comparing mtb
worlds to a road worlds. Road gets 10 times the money, media coverage
and more hotly contested than mtb. So I'd count anything won on the road
to be harder than off road, sorry. Cadel has only done only a handfull
of good things on the road so far.
By my reckoning Brad McGee is above Cadel and Baden.

GK

"g" wrote in message
...
Saw the number recently, something like 73 wins out of 230+ Six Day
races. They lived like dogs, sleeping under boards then racing till
midnight the next day..

How does a 6-day race work? Ride as many k's as possible
in 6 days or is there more structure to it than that?

hippy
(I know I could google for this, but it might make for a more
interesting thread if I don't ;-) )

"g" wrote in message
...
Saw the number recently, something like 73 wins out of 230+ Six Day
races. They lived like dogs, sleeping under boards then racing till
midnight the next day..

How does a 6-day race work? Ride as many k's as possible
in 6 days or is there more structure to it than that?

hippy
(I know I could google for this, but it might make for a more
interesting thread if I don't ;-) )

"g" wrote in message
...
my top ten

This is a list of current riders.

Yes, that's why I didn't do a top10 in the first place! :P
This list is more of a personal favourites than a top 10.
Stuart O'Grady is higher because I like him more - simple.

OK, but McEwen has more stage wins in the Tour than O'Grady and a
bundle
of stages in the Giro. Also the first Aussie to win any category in
the
Tour, the Green jersey. He won a phenomenal 20+ races last year. Baden
Cooke's palmares are much smaller than O'Grady's, apart from the Green
jersey, he is still beginning.
Robbie is easily No. out of that lot.

He was going to be number 1, but O'Grady was, lets say, in my good books
after trying so hard in the tour and being so "aussie" about it in the
interviews.

Cadel Evans won 2 mtb worlds titles, but its a case of comparing mtb
worlds to a road worlds. Road gets 10 times the money, media coverage
and more hotly contested than mtb. So I'd count anything won on the
road
to be harder than off road, sorry. Cadel has only done only a handfull
of good things on the road so far.

Obtaining the Maglia Rosa? Have we had anyone else do that?
I'm sure you're right, but that's why I didn't make a top 10 to start
with,
my knowledge of other people's race results very limited

hip