Reader Nominated Riders for Campionissimo

Reader Comments: "The Flying Badger" Bernard Hinault

R Mc from Podium Café nominates Bernard Hinault: Kelly was King of the Classics, but Hinault was King. Look at his palmares, and look at how he won, especially Liege the year he won by 20 minutes in the blizzard of 1980. Hinault might be my all-time favorite rider.

Chris F. from Podium Café nominates Bernard Hinault: Certainly the Badger HAS to be in there. By every standard imaginable, he makes the cut.

Bruno P. from Podium Café nominates Bernard Hinault: Hinault was a champion. Winning P-R the only time he ever rode it, saying how much he hated it and would never ride again. He was awesome.

Demon Cats from Podium Café nominates Bernard Hinault: Hinault was probably the last of the Campionissimos. There haven’t really been any such bad-asses afterwards.

Comment by The Team Chef from Podium Cafe: There have been only two since Merckx, Hinault and Kelly. Neither Indurain or Armstrong make the cut, as neither of them had even a single Monument victory. How can one possibly be a Champion of Champions without capturing one of these races?

Comment by Markk from Podium Cafe: Merckx and Hinault- This is it for Champion OF CHAMPIONS. All the others mentioned here are champs and worthy of respect, but these two would be the only ones when in their prime were favored in almost any race they were serious about. Secondly they were serious about almost all the kinds of races. That is the only thing keeping Armstrong off the list.

Bernard Hinault:

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