5 most influential cyclists ever ?

It’s not often I’d nick a tweet and make it into a post but I’d nearly forgotten about this with the rush to get the site running and getting the schedule right for the episodes. However hat tip goes to @greezus for this poser ..

If you could pick the 5 most influential cyclists ever, who would they be?

John and I both agreed on our 5 – Coppi, Merckx, Obree, Hinualt, Lemond. Our choices aren’t the best cyclists, they are as the tweet suggested the most influential.

Coppi – There are many reasons to pick Fausto, his dedication of a whole team to his requirements, weighing his meat before dividing it up into portions, pre riding some TdF Climbs before the race, does this all sound very modern and Armstrong ish, Coppi was doing this in the 50′s.

Merckx – What needs to be said about The Cannibal, he wrote every record in the book, he broke them and rewrote them. He set the bar for everyone to achieve he drove mechanics nuts to strife for the perfect position, he strode for more from everyone all around him because he demanded it of himself.

Obree – I know most people would have picked Boardman, but without Obree seeing the chinks in all the rules I don’t think we would have Boardman driving on either, Obree pressed the wrong buttons within the UCI so much so that they burnt the rule book, made the rules to ban anything he could think of, he finally brought track cycling back center stage.

Hinault – The Badger, one of the hardest bastards ever to ride a bike, he asked for no quarter and gave no quarter. He was the searing superstar of the 80s, he bent his body to his will at perilous cost, he was the first real modern Patron of the Peleton. He has gone on to command the roads of France as part of the TdF, famously leveling a protestor at the end of one stage also.

LeMond – It pains me to include a limpet in this list, as the rest are heroes of mine, but for his services rendered to the technical aspects of cycling and the start of that revolution from his Tri Bars, he has to be included.

What are your thoughts ? Stick your suggestions in the comments below and we’ll compile a list and see who are the top 5 most influential cyclists as voted by you, the good people of the internets.