Armstrong Comparison With Mercyx

"thebooradley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In the wake of his announced retirement all the tributes are flooding
in including comparisons to the great Eddy Mercyx.

I don't think that peaking for 3 weeks and 1 event a year even remotely
puts Lance in the same ballpark. I'm dissapointed in Lance having
suggested he would cement his legacy with some rides in the Classics
and other major races, to finally just fulfilling his Discovery Channel
obligations, and pandering to the American public who know nothing
other than the TDF. If he wins TDF number 7 this will further enhance
his already legendary status and give him more clout with his charity
work and whatever else he decides to do in life, but judging by his
current form an Indurain style fade out with his cycling career seems
more likely.

Now Laurent Jalabert was the closest we have had to Mercyx in the
recent era. The difference between those two was that Mercyx won
everything while Jalabert just tried to win everything. He went from
being a TDF green points jersey winning sprinter to Tour of Spain
winner, Classics winner, World Time Trial Champion, and two time TDF
King of the Mountains.

Yes Armstrong was (is ?) great, but if comparisons are to be made then
Armstrong could have been like Mercyx, but instead chose to be like
Indurain.

Who's Eddy Mercyx?

"thebooradley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Now Laurent Jalabert was the closest we have had to Mercyx in the
recent era. The difference between those two was that Mercyx won
everything while Jalabert just tried to win everything. He went from
being a TDF green points jersey winning sprinter to Tour of Spain
winner, Classics winner, World Time Trial Champion, and two time TDF
King of the Mountains.

I would place Sean Kelly ahead of Jalabert. He won more throughout the
season. My lasting memory of him was in the world championship in '89 when
he realized LeMond was going to beat him in the sprint. Painful disbelief!

"thebooradley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In the wake of his announced retirement all the tributes are flooding
in including comparisons to the great Eddy Mercyx.

I don't think that peaking for 3 weeks and 1 event a year even remotely
puts Lance in the same ballpark. I'm dissapointed in Lance having
suggested he would cement his legacy with some rides in the Classics
and other major races, to finally just fulfilling his Discovery Channel
obligations, and pandering to the American public who know nothing
other than the TDF. If he wins TDF number 7 this will further enhance
his already legendary status and give him more clout with his charity
work and whatever else he decides to do in life, but judging by his
current form an Indurain style fade out with his cycling career seems
more likely.

Now Laurent Jalabert was the closest we have had to Mercyx in the
recent era. The difference between those two was that Mercyx won
everything while Jalabert just tried to win everything. He went from
being a TDF green points jersey winning sprinter to Tour of Spain
winner, Classics winner, World Time Trial Champion, and two time TDF
King of the Mountains.

Yes Armstrong was (is ?) great, but if comparisons are to be made then
Armstrong could have been like Mercyx, but instead chose to be like
Indurain.

Really? Where are those? I haven't read any, and I've read lots of stuff.
I've seen plenty of stuff that says he's a great cyclist. Would you dispute
that? Actually, the first thing I've read comparing him to Merckx since his
announcement of retirement is your post. Why do you have to try to compare
them? Aren't you intelligent enough to realize that they raced in different
times, for different teams, from different countries, for different sponsors
with different agendas? And why do you sell short Lance's Classics record?
Actually, there are very few cyclists who can match it. And throw in a
world championship and a semi-Classic victory, to boot.

Try not to be so small-minded.
--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

Geraard Spergen said:

"thebooradley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In the wake of his announced retirement all the tributes are flooding
in including comparisons to the great Eddy Mercyx.

I don't think that peaking for 3 weeks and 1 event a year even remotely
puts Lance in the same ballpark. I'm dissapointed in Lance having
suggested he would cement his legacy with some rides in the Classics
and other major races, to finally just fulfilling his Discovery Channel
obligations, and pandering to the American public who know nothing
other than the TDF. If he wins TDF number 7 this will further enhance
his already legendary status and give him more clout with his charity
work and whatever else he decides to do in life, but judging by his
current form an Indurain style fade out with his cycling career seems
more likely.

Now Laurent Jalabert was the closest we have had to Mercyx in the
recent era. The difference between those two was that Mercyx won
everything while Jalabert just tried to win everything. He went from
being a TDF green points jersey winning sprinter to Tour of Spain
winner, Classics winner, World Time Trial Champion, and two time TDF
King of the Mountains.

Yes Armstrong was (is ?) great, but if comparisons are to be made then
Armstrong could have been like Mercyx, but instead chose to be like
Indurain.

Who's Eddy Mercyx?

If I named my tailbone, it would be Eddy Coccyx.

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

psycholist said:

Try not to be so small-minded.

Seems to me there are a lot more people complaining about people making
the comparisons, than there are people actually making the comparisons.

THEBOORADLEY (the OP) seems to be both.

"Diablo Scott" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:1114033572.138beea71e64f62893b959e873defcf9@teranews...

Quoted message said:

psycholist said:

Try not to be so small-minded.

Seems to me there are a lot more people complaining about people making
the comparisons, than there are people actually making the comparisons.

Good!

--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

Mark & Steven Bornfeld said:

Quoted message said:

Who's Eddy Mercyx?

If I named my tailbone, it would be Eddy Coccyx.

He's related to the Merck family.

You know who I mean. The pharmaceutical outfit that produced all that
highly traceable and non-effective rEPO

--
Regards,
Ila Kutcherkokoff
(Lorena's Cousin)

MyFirstname MyLastName said:

Mark & Steven Bornfeld said:

Quoted message said:

Who's Eddy Mercyx?

If I named my tailbone, it would be Eddy Coccyx.

He's related to the Merck family.

You know who I mean. The pharmaceutical outfit that produced all that
highly traceable and non-effective rEPO

I thought that was Amgenckx.

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

Mark & Steven Bornfeld said:

I thought that was Amgenckx.

Ah yes, the rDNA outfit
--
Regards,
Ila Kutcherkokoff
(Lorena's Cousin)

Steven Bornfeld wrote:

<If I named my tailbone, it would be Eddy Coccyx.>

Just as long as you resist the temptation to name a son Orel-- or Hiram
Gene or similar (<g>😉. --TP

Geraard Spergen said:

Quoted message said:

Who's Eddy Mercyx?

Mark & Steven Bornfeld said:

If I named my tailbone, it would be Eddy Coccyx.

Naming parts of your anatomy is considered gay by rbr conventions.

I have read a couple of those comparisons including one by Chris
Boardman. The point I was trying to make was that comparisons are
unnecessary and nobody can compare to Merckx (correct spelling this
time) anyway.

Lance has a decent Classics record but nothing spectacular, and I was
expressing my disappointment that he would not be trying to improve on
that. I would much rather have seen him winning races like
Liege-Bastonge-Liege, Tour of Flanders or even Parix-Roubaix than
another TDF.

One other thing that springs to mind is the hour record. I don't know
if he was ever seriously considering it but does his retirement rule
this out completely now?

Good point. I had forgot about Sean Kelly who was slightly before my
time as a pro cycling fan. His classics record was far superior, but I
don't think he was quite the all rounder that Jalabert turned out to be.

"thebooradley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Lance has a decent Classics record but nothing spectacular, and I was
expressing my disappointment that he would not be trying to improve on
that. I would much rather have seen him winning races like
Liege-Bastonge-Liege, Tour of Flanders or even Parix-Roubaix than
another TDF.

One other thing that springs to mind is the hour record. I don't know
if he was ever seriously considering it but does his retirement rule
this out completely now?

Yep. I agree with you completely on that. I thought he looked so strong
and had so much fun on the stage 4 (IIRC) cobbles at last year's tour that
he might really give the cobbled classics some serious consideration. I'd
have loved to see him give Flanders a real go for himself ... and to have
seen him finally take Amstel. And yes, the hour record thing would have
been nice, too. But on that point, I kinda see that as too little to gain
and too much to lose. How much would the hour record build on his
reputation vs. how much would it be diminished if he tried and failed?

--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)

thebooradley said:

Good point. I had forgot about Sean Kelly who was slightly before my
time as a pro cycling fan. His classics record was far superior, but

I

Quoted message said:

don't think he was quite the all rounder that Jalabert turned out to

be.

Check this out and change your opinion; Jalabert doesn't come even
close to Kelly

Amstel Gold Race
1980 3rd
Clasica San Sebastian
1990 3rd
Driedaagse van De Panne - Koksijde
1980 1st
1985 2nd
1986 2nd
1987 2nd
E3-prijs Harelbeke
1980 2nd
Gent-Wevelgem
1988 1st
GP des Nations
1984 2nd
1986 1st
Criterium Internationale
1983 1st
1984 1st
1985 3rd
1986 2nd
1987 1st
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
1984 1st
1989 1st
Milano-Sanremo
1984 2nd
1986 1st
1992 1st
Omloop Het Volk
1980 3rd
1982 3rd
1989 2nd
Paris-Bruxelles
1986 2nd
Paris-Nice
1982 1st
1983 1st
1984 1st
1985 1st
1986 1st
1987 1st
1988 1st
Paris-Roubaix
1984 1st
1985 3rd
1986 1st
Paris-Tours
1984 1st
1985 3rd
1988 3rd
Vuelta a Catalunya
1984 1st
1985 2nd
1986 1st
Tour de France
1984 5th
1985 4th
Vuelta al Pais Vasco
1984 1st
1986 1st
1987 1st
Giro di Lombardia
1983 1st
1985 1st
1986 2nd
1991 1st
Piemonte
1983 2nd
Vuelta a Espana
1980 4th
1986 3rd
1988 1st
Ronde van Vlaanderen
1984 2nd
1986 2nd
1987 2nd
Tour de Suisse
1983 1st
1990 1st
Rund Um Den Henninger Turm Frankfurt
1982 3rd
1984 3rd
Tour de France Points Jersey
1980 2nd
1982 1st
1983 1st
1984 2nd
1985 1st
1988 3rd
1989 1st
4jours de Dunkuerque
1981 2nd
Worlds
1982 3rd
1986 5th
1987 5th
1989 3rd
1990 5th

If it is about who had the better results then Sean Kelly wins without
a shadow of a doubt, but I still think Jalabert had the better all
round record by being a slightly better time trialist and also with his
King of the Mountains victories.

As far as all round results in the different disciplines go I can't
think of anyone since Merckx with such a broad ranging palmares, and I
believe he was unique in his era.

I think Lance would break the hour record with adequate preparation. I
don't think Boardman was in his best form when he set the athletes hour
record and i'm surprised it has lasted this long. It is Boardman's
other hour record on the aero bike which even Armstrong in peak form
would struggle to beat, but that one is now defunct.

I think it comes down to marketability. A 7th TDF would carry more
weight with the American public than any classics or hour records which
most of them will never have heard of.

thebooradley said:

If it is about who had the better results then Sean Kelly wins without
a shadow of a doubt, but I still think Jalabert had the better all
round record by being a slightly better time trialist

That's debateble.

Quoted message said:

and also with his
King of the Mountains victories.

Both these guys were so good that those don't count for much other
than late-career popularity for Jalabert.

JT

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Joop Zoetemelk is clearly the 2nd best rider ever.