1. Felice Gimondi
Former Italian professional racing cyclist Felice Gimondi, nicknamed “The Phoenix”, was the second cyclist after Jacques Anquetil to achieve the title of all three Grand Tours of road cycling. He is one of the only six cyclists to achieve such an amazing feat. Gimondi has won the Giro d’Italia thrice and achieved the title of the Tour de France in 1965. Besides, he also achieved the Vuelta a España in 1968. Gimondi won Paris–Roubaix and the Giro di Lombardia in 1966 and won the UCI World Championships in 1973.
2. Greg LeMond
An American former professional road racing cyclist, entrepreneur, and anti-doping advocate. A two-time winner of the Road Race World Championship (1983 and 1989) and a three-time winner of the Tour de France (1986, 1989, and 1990), LeMond is considered by many to be the greatest American cyclist of all time.
3. Sean Kelly
One of the most successful cyclists of the 1980s, as well as one of the finest classics riders of all time, Sean Kelly won 193 professional races across his 17-year career. He “only” won one Grand Tour — the 1988 Vuelta a España — but the Irishman won an amazing nine Monuments: three editions of the Giro di Lombardia (now Il Lombardia) and two each of Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Milan-San Remo.
4. Marianne Martin
While the 1980s may have produced some questionable fads (shoulderpads, anyone?) it also birthed the Tour Cycliste Fémenin, later known as the Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale. While “grande boucle” literally means “big loop,” this race was popularized as the “Tour de France for women” and its first race was held in 1984.
5. Beryl Burton
Beryl Burton dominated women’s cycling over several decades, winning seven world titles (two on the road, five on the track) and 96 national British titles. She refused to ever turn professional, turning down an offer from Raleigh Bicycles to remain an amateur in 1960. Burton was most famous for holding the 12-hour record for two years, for both men and women, and set this while passing her nearest competitor and offering him a liquorice stick. Burton’s career spanned such a long time that her daughter, Denise, raced against her and outsprinted her for the 1975 British national title. This led to Burton infamously refusing to shake her daughter’s hand on the podium, showing her fierce competitivenes