Brad Wiggins 2012 TDF - Best ever British Sporting Achievement?

[Smokin Joe]

SJ - Beryl Burton consistently beat all the men. Have you not heard the humbug story?

She did not consistently beat all the men. She once broke the 12 hour TT record (where she offered Nim Carline the legendary humbug, or was it a liquorice allsort?), but success in a domestic time trial is very small beer in the grand scheme of things, as proved by British TT legends who rode the GP des Nations and got hammered by all and saundy.

 

[dellzeqq]

one can only disagree. Her twelve hour record beat the mens twelve hour record and wasn't matched for two years - but the best thing about it is that the CTT were so worried about her overtaking men that they made her last out, hoping to limit the 'damage'. On the track she won the World Pursuit five times, the silver three times and the bronze three times - Vicky Pendleton, wonder that she is, has a way to go to match that. She also won the World Road Race twice.

And, whatever you think of domestic competition, being the top woman rider every year for 25 years isn't too shabby.

For those of you who are not familiar with BB - http://www.cyclorama.net/viewArticle.php?id=264

 

[ACW]

Ben Ainsley 3 gold 1 silver and still competing, switched sailing class and had to gain 18kg

 

[tigger]

Phil Taylor. 15 times World Champion. You can't argue with that!

 

[User169]

Phil Taylor. 15 times World Champion. You can't argue with that!

Yeah, bet Wiggo couldn't have won the tdf with a pint in one hand!

 

[dragon72]

Phil Taylor. 15 times World Champion. You can't argue with that!

Yeah, "World" (aka UK & Holland) champion. .
Like the St Louis Cardinals are World Champs at baseball.

 

[Smokin Joe]

one can only disagree. Her twelve hour record beat the mens twelve hour record and wasn't matched for two years - but the best thing about it is that the CTT were so worried about her overtaking men that they made her last out, hoping to limit the 'damage'. On the track she won the World Pursuit five times, the silver three times and the bronze three times - Vicky Pendleton, wonder that she is, has a way to go to match that. She also won the World Road Race twice.

And, whatever you think of domestic competition, being the top woman rider every year for 25 years isn't too shabby.

For those of you who are not familiar with BB - http://www.cyclorama.net/viewArticle.php?id=264

That is the normal starting position for the fastest rider in a TT and has been since the dawn of time.

 

[dellzeqq]

except that she wasn't nominally in the same TT

 

[Noodley]

Sheesh, it's like Jeremy Kyle meets Question of Sport in here.

 

[Smokin Joe]

except that she wasn't nominally in the same TT

Starting at the back gives you an advantage as you've got the rider in front as a target to catch. There's nothing worse than having a rider of similar ability setting off one minute behind you, they nearly always catch you up.

Best woman rider of her era, but nowhere near the best ever British cyclist.

 

[bof]

Are you suggesting that people who compete at top level have no requirement for endurance fitness ? . A local rider to me does much of his training on a roadie . His name is Scott Redding. If you had spent any time on the track on a motorbike you would appreciate this. They are very physically demanding.

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Actually those guys and the F1 drivers are very, very fit. IMO one of the best ever reality TV shows was one for a competition for a place as trainee racing driver and the episode where they eliminated all the chubby boy racers who lived at home with their mums because they failed a simple fitness test was a joy to watch.