Who's the greatest cyclist of all time?

Some would say Pee Wee Herman.

Some would say Albert Einstein.

(Einstein is definitely the smartest.  Oh, wait!  I forgot about Pee Wee!)

But seriously...

Greg LeMond's name might come up in the discussion.

Greg was the first American to win the Tour de France... and he ended up winning 3 times in his career.  (Along with numerous other races.)  And, like Lance Armstrong who followed, he overcame overwhelming odds at one point in his career, to return to triumph as a competitive cyclist.  (He was shot with a shotgun during a hunting trip... still carries some pellets.)

Greg is the greatest cyclist I've ever met.  He came to Boise in 1995, and I enjoyed a brief audience (definitely a Brush with Greatness)...

Some would say Lance Armstrong.

Lance has now won 6 Tours de France, more than any other rider in history.  And he was interrupted in the process by a bout with near-death.  Every American should be proud of Lance.

My vote - greatest of all time - would go to "The Cannibal"... Eddy Merckx.

Eddy, from Belgium, raced from 1968 to 1978, back before most Americans realized there was any such thing as bike racing.  (Imagine!  Racing?  On bicycles?)  Eddy was called "the cannibal" quite simply because he "devoured" his competitors!  He was never a favorite with the press - he wasn't a flamboyant, cocky superstar-type.  He just hopped on that bicycle and let it do the talking, as he dropped the competition.

Consider...

Eddy won the Tour de France 5 times, and was leading his sixth when a fan attacked him.  (Those CRAZY Euro bike race hooligans!)  He was injured, and it dropped him out of contention. Besides the five Tours de France (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974... winner of 35 individual stages over the period), he won five Tours of Italy (1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974); one Tour of Spain (1973); two Tours of Belgium (1970, 1971); and one Tour of Switzerland (1974). He won three world road championships (1967, 1971, 1974), 32 major classics, and numerous other races for a career victory total of 525. To put that into perspective... Lance Armstrong has won 75 professional races.
    (Partial source - Microsoft Encarta)

How about women?  Do they race bikes?

(DUH!  Stupid question, especially if you've lived in Idaho for any length of time... where the Women's Challenge was raced for many years.)

The greatest female cyclist?  No doubt about it - Jeannie Longo of France.

She dominated women's cycling like The Cannibal dominated men.  She was the French Champion from 1979 to '89, and again in '95. (!!)  She won the Women's Tour de France in 1987, '88, and '89. She was World Champion in 1985, '86, '87, '89, and '95. She won the Olympic Silver Medal in the road race in 1992, and the Gold Medal in 1996.  If Jeannie was racing, the competition was for second place.

Here's a photo of Jeannie when she was racing in the Women's Challenge in Idaho, in 2000:

(She didn't win in 2000, but she won a couple times - in 1991 and again in '99.)