Robert Millar or Tom Simpson

[Crackle]

Millar for me, yes as Yello says Simpson had the better palmares but Millar was something else when you watch him just ride away.

Do you remember his last tour (I think) where he kept attacking on a Pyrranean stage and Indurain just kept reeling him back. After, he was interviewed and said he couldn't understand why Indurain was doing that as he, Millar, wasn't a GC threat.

 

[Noodley]

Millar oozed class and was the coolest person on earth IMO.

Right I'm away to watch The High Life again on youtube

Not that I'm saying he was better then Simpson. Mind you, I reckon these "who is better" things end up with squabbling rather than appreciating individual achievements.

 

[yello]

Mind you, I reckon these "who is better" things end up with squabbling rather than appreciating individual achievements.

Indeed. As I said elsewhere, you don't have to decide who was better. Appreciate both for what they were as they were both fantastic riders in their own ways.

 

[steve23]

Originally Posted by steve23
Simpson by a mile IMO.
just something about him (yea yea he took drugs but everyone did in that era). he just looked classy. whereas Millar didnt, and is a woman now!!!!!! hehe!

Dave5N Quote:

Kimmage is an arse and Millar was very classy indeed.

Based on your post above, which are you?

ok ok, handbags at dawn or what!!?? its my opinion, i prefer Simpson, never really liked Millar!!! the post was made in jest love, lighten up!!!

 

[Hilldodger]

Now I can't decide if him or Simpson was the greatest British rider

Here we go again

What about Fred Wood, Charlie Barden, AW Harris, Reg Harris, the Linton Borthers?

Or do you mean of the modern post war era?

 

[User269]

I think Beryl Burton was the greatest British rider. Her autobiography "Personal Best" has just gone back into print.

The Simpson and Millar books are superb, as are the riders themselves. It is of course silly to try and establish who is really the greatest rider without establishing the criteria. Even then, I don't consider it reasonable to make comparisons over a period of historical time, or to compare riders who achieved different goals, or rode in vastly different events.

Back to the fun though............Simpson v Millar.........well, what are their palmares? Doh! There I go again, getting all boring...........

Dare I mention Chris Boardman? Record breaker, TT rider, track, road, continental team, Tour de France. And he suffers from sinusitus like me.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Boardman was strictly a short distance time trialist and a track rider. He was good at what he did, but he doesn't even come close to Hoban, let alone Simpson or Millar.

As good as Burton was, women's racing was nowhere near as competitive as it is now during the period she raced.

 

[gemma83]

Bradley Wiggins is a true british hero, his rides from when he was a juvenile to today have been awesom

 

[Chrisz]

Simpson v Millar.........well, what are their palmares?

OK, stupid question now, but WTF are 'Palmares'??

I've tried googling it and wikipedia - all I can come up with are references to the slave trade and free slaves in Brazil - I'm guessing neither rider was also a slave owner??

 

[mondobongo]

Palmares are what races a Rider has won.

Robert Millar Palmares

 

[Dave5N]

Don't worry about it, this thread comes up from time to time.

Fortunately, in three years it will be entirely redundant and we will all obsequiate at the throne of King Cav.

 

[Chrisz]

Palmares are what races a Rider has won.

Robert Millar Palmares

Ah ha!! A career record or CV

 

[beancounter]

Fortunately, in three years it will be entirely redundant and we will all obsequiate at the throne of King Cav.

Never in a million years.

That muppet isn't fit to pump up Millar's tyres, never will be.

bc

 

[HLaB]

Can't be Simpson - how can a sport idolize someone who died whilst competing under the influence of drugs??

+1

Oooooh, now that's a can of worms. I've just finished reading Paul Kimmage's 'Rough Ride'. It's not one for the cycling fan boys and he's someone who seems to have made a lot of enemies over the years. However, its difficult to read it and believe anyone was clean in either Millar's or Simpson's eras.

That's my next read,I got the book for Christmas, I'm half way through 'The Hour' and 'Put me Back on the Bike ' at the mo.

 

[resal1]

This is a palmares :
http://www.nicolecooke.com/main/palmares/index.html

I think it eclipses all apart from Burton. But as Smokin Joe correctly describes, Burton had the misfortune to be dominant when Women's racing was just getting going. The World Road champs were 35 to 38 miles long and there was absolutely no supporting calendar, so tactics were virtually non-existent. A good letter in the comic, this week, summed it up with an analogy to the situation in Athletics. Fanny Blankers Koen won 4 golds in the London in 1948. However it was the first time 3 of those events were at the Olympics. Her winning 200 m time was aparently 24.7m. Her winning margin in that event - 0.7 sec still stands as the biggest. I quick check of the last 200m Junior World Champs shows that with that time she would not even get in the final of the Junior 200m let alone win medals. (ok tartan tracks are quicker - but 3 seconds in 20?) However - you can only beat who is in front of you on the day.

2 Best ever Brit rides I have seen live - Millar - alone on the Bonnette 1993 (after the Izward and Vars) minutes ahead of the next group - Indurain in Yellow, and Cooke winning Flanders 2007 with a fantastic display of both agression, strength and inteligent riding. Best male, best female.