Who was the last pure climber

[Steve Austin]

to win the tour and how many have?

I want pure climbers, not the sort who can hang on in the hills and blitz the TT. The sort who can ride up the Ventoux whilst making it look like they are pootling to the shops.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Pantani?

 

[Keith Oates]

Correct, the late and great Pantani!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Steve Austin]

Was thinking Pantani, gawd bless him.

who was before that?

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Was thinking Pantani, gawd bless him.

who was before that?

Pure climber before il pirate, hmm, Delgado?

 

[Monty Dog]

Delgado and then prior to that, Lucien Van Impe - I'd nominate Van Impe as he was probably the last that wasn't chemically assisted.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Delgado and then prior to that, Lucien Van Impe - I'd nominate Van Impe as he was probably the last that wasn't chemically assisted.

Ha ha, prove it

 

[giant man]

The fantastic Pantani

 

[Monty Dog]

Well Delgado gave a positive sample for a well-known masking agent which was on the IOC list but not on the UCI one. We all know the story about Panatani - do I need to elaborate? As Van Impe's victory was in 1976, it was prior to all the EPO and blood-doping shenanigans we can assume he was relatively 'clean' by today's standards.

 

[Squaggles]

Well , they were doping in the 60's and the 80's , how sure are you that the 70's was any different ?

 

[Rob S]

Pantani was the last...before that Herrera.

 

[Squaggles]

Herrera won the Tour of Spain in 1987 but he didn't win the Tour de France .

 

[User169]

Pantani was the last...before that Herrera.

[Pedant mode on] Herrera didn't win GC, although he did win KOM in all three grand tours. [Pedant mode off]

There's an interesting quote in Matt Rendell's "Kings of the Mountains" where Herrera is asked why he retired seemingly prematurely. He says something along the lines of "I got tired of chasing fat arses up mountains".

Although it is probably fair to say that doping has always been a feature of pro-cycling, I can't help feeling that the early '90s onwards saw a levelling of the playing field to an extent greater than had previously been the case. That was at least what I took Herrera to be saying.

Anyway, a great clip of Herrera in action here..



Terrible footage, but fantastic commentary! Colombia! Colombia! Colombia!

 

[gbyers]

Pantani was the last...before that Herrera.

[Pedant mode on] Herrera didn't win GC, although he did win KOM in all three grand tours. [Pedant mode off]

There's an interesting quote in Matt Rendell's "Kings of the Mountains" where Herrera is asked why he retired seemingly prematurely. He says something along the lines of "I got tired of chasing fat arses up mountains".

Although it is probably fair to say that doping has always been a feature of pro-cycling, I can't help feeling that the early '90s onwards saw a levelling of the playing field to an extent greater than had previously been the case. That was at least what I took Herrera to be saying.

Anyway, a great clip of Herrera in action here..



Terrible footage, but fantastic commentary! Colombia! Colombia! Colombia![/quote]

No I don't think he meant the field was levelling. I think this quote is taken to mean he couldn't catch the fat arses because they were doping which made them faster than him - a natural climber.

 

[Rob S]

Herrera won the Tour of Spain in 1987 but he didn't win the Tour de France .

Sorry...I just read the title not the first line of the post!!!