We could keep this blog very short and simply say Eddy Merckx. That’s the name that would be the answer 11 out of 10 times. That is to say, Merckx is pretty much the absolutely undisputed champion when discussing the greatest cyclist of all time. He’s the GOAT. Then again, is he?

Well, it’s first important to understand that it is hugely difficult making comparisons across eras and generations. There are differences in racing styles, differences in equipment, differences in team structures, differences in training methods to keep in mind. And that’s just when thinking about the men’s side. 

If we are trying to consider the best female cyclists of all time, you have to consider not only the issues mentioned above, but also the different racing opportunities the various generations of professional women cyclists have had. Though there were women racers from the very beginning of cycling, the women’s professional peloton in the 50s, 60s, and 70s was thin and the racing took place primarily on track and in time trials. And women’s pay was even worse than it is today. 

Best cyclist in the world?

When speaking of all-time cycling greats, Eddy Merckx certainly won the most, won the biggest, and won against some of the toughest historical competition. He earned the nickname “The Cannibal” because he was insatiable in his pursuit for victory. Winning seemingly effortlessly against the strongest cyclists of his generation, Merckx was feared and respected. 

Beating riders like Joop Zoetemelk and Luis Ocaña, Bernard Thévenet and Raymond Poulidor, Merckx took a total of 11 Grand Tour victories, including five Tours de France and five Giros d’Italia. He won all five Monuments (Milan-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Tour of Lombardy) multiple times, was the holder of the hour record, has the most number of Tour de France stage victories (34 – tied with pure sprinter Mark Cavendish), the list could go on and on. 

One sour note on the Merckx song sheet remains the issue of doping. During the course of his long career there were at least three instances where he returned positive test results for banned substances. In all cases, he claimed his innocence, and in each case he was penalized with results being nullified and racing suspensions. It should also be noted that the substances he tested positive for would not have had as much of an impact on performance as the type of doping that later emerged with blood boosting and EPO. Nevertheless, the connection to doping, whether intentional or accidental, whether effective or ineffectual, has always been an unfortunate blemish on Merckx’s otherwise astoundingly good record and reputation. 

If you want to read more about doping in cycling, check out our earlier article

Pretenders to the title “best cyclist in the world”

There have been incredibly strong cyclists from the very beginning of professional cycling. From Major Taylor, the American track superstar, to Fausto Coppi and Jacques Anquetil in the days before Merckx, to Miguel Induráin, Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich during the heart of the 90s EPO era, sometimes superhuman performances have entertained and excited cycling fans. 

Deciding which of those riders was the best of his era is as difficult as it is today to decide which of the current crop of riders is the best of the best. In 2019 it looked like Egan Bernal would go on to win at least five Tours de France before illness and injury derailed his efforts. Then Tadej Pogacar won two Tours de France in a row, only to be supplanted by Jonas Vingegaard as the two-time defending Tour champion. The fact that Pogacar wins Monuments with equal ease as he did his two Tours puts him in the same class as Merckx, with even the great Eddy calling Pogacar the next Merckx.

Best female cyclist in the world

It’s probably no surprise that women haven’t had quite the accessibility to high-level racing that men have been given. Though there have been exceptional and ambitious women cyclists as long as there have been men, they haven’t had the benefit of all the outlets that the men have had to show their talent. 

Famous stories such as that of Alfonsina Strada illustrate the struggle women have had to be able to do the big races. Italian cyclist Alfonsina Strada slipped her way into the Giro d’Italia in 1924, when she signed up as “Strada, Alfonsin” dropping the last “a” in her first name to hide her gender. The organizers assumed she was a man and by the time the ruse was discovered, it was too late to disqualify her. Though she finished outside the time limit on stage seven, due to a crash and a mechanical, she continued to ride alongside the event, and finished the race in Milan over 20-hours faster than the last man to finish officially.

The greatest number of wins, but not without controversy

French cyclist Jeannie Longo, like Eddy Merckx, can be reasonably considered the most successful woman cyclist ever. With an age-defying career that spanned from 1975 through till 2012, Longo won everything there was for women to win, including the women’s Tour de France, multiple World Championships in multiple disciplines on the track and road, the Olympic road race, and the world hour record. Her list of career wins easily exceeds 1000.

However, as with Eddy Merckx, Longo was involved in doping cases, which darkened the luster of her stellar career. 

The current women’s GOAT

For the title of best ever female cyclist, recently retired Annameik Van Vlueten and still actively racing Marianne Vos must vie for that title. For the past several seasons, Van Vlueten has been on a different level in terms of stage racing and climbing ability. She won all three women’s Grand Tours and was peerless – until 2023 at least – once the women’s races hit the high mountains.

But she didn’t have as many strings to her bow as fellow Dutchy, Marianne Vos, who like Longo, has won frequently, for many years in just about every discipline on and off-road. As an all-rounder who has been racing professionally since 2006, Vos benefited from the punchy types of courses that proliferated women’s races during that time. It’s only recently that most stage races have been venturing into the deep, high mountains, which meant that all-round riders like Vos frequently raced over terrain that suited their talents. 

That is not to take away from her intense intelligence and ability to read races, which may in fact be her most impressive talent. Whenever Vos is in the race, she’s a threat to win, which she has proved endless times over the years.

Cycling Hall of Fame - Conclusion

Though it’s impossible to level the playing field across decades and genders, debating who is the greatest cyclist of all time is still a fun pub game. What’s the most important standard? Most wins? Quality of wins? Total absence of doping accusations? Being a cycling fan is a passion project, which makes objectivity almost impossible. And maybe the best is yet to come.