Comparing the first five-time Tour de France winner Jacques Anquetil to the latest five-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong, we examine the similarities, differences and principal adversaries to project the outcome between Armstrong and Ullrich at this year’s Tour. (Hey - it beats the Magic 8-Ball!)
When Lance Armstrong rolls down the prologue ITT start ramp on July 3 he will be at the beginning of his attempt to do what no other rider has done – win six Tour’s de France. Before Armstrong, four other riders had won five Tours: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Jacques Anquetil – reknowned for his fluid style and tt ability.
Comparing these five great champions is a difficult task because their physical abilities, mental attitudes and the era they raced, were very different. Interestingly there are many parallels between Jacques Anquetil, the very first five-time Tour winner, and Lance Armstrong. Anquetil introduced ‘modern time trialing’ techniques and totally dominated the discipline. His fluid aero style was a revelation and ‘in race after race’ he was able to turn over huge gears with apparent ease. When it came to the Tour ‘maitre Jacques’ would plan his race around the time trials. In the mountains he was less gifted but through sheer will power was able to limit his losses and match most climbers pedal stroke for pedal stroke. By comparison Armstrong has also used the time trial to seal his Tour wins. In the mountains he has learned to stay with the best and, unlike Anquetil, win mountain top finishes. But it must be said that Anquetil’s Tour era saw probably the greatest climbers of all time – Spain’s Federico Bahamontes (the Eagle of Toledo) and Luxembourg’s Charly Gaul (the Angel of the Mountains). At high altitude nobody bettered these two astonishing ‘grimpeurs’.
Like Minded Approach
One area where Anquetil and Armstrong come together is in their approach and attitude to racing. They plan their race campaigns with meticulous care. Anquetil was a pioneer in race preparation. He would go over important courses (mostly TT’s) before the race and note every feature - where the cars had made the road surface smoother, which gear to use and where. No detail was left to chance and on race day he would follow his plan exactly. Armstrong has lifted Anquetil’s approach to race preparation to a new level by scouting out much of the Tour’s route (climbs and difficult stages) every year. A strategy mimicked by all of his main adversaries.
Show Me The Money
Both men made a lot of money for their talents, but Anquetil openly admitted that cash was a source of inspiration. Anquetil’s average appearance fee was about $300, and he made about $70,000 per year throughout his career which lasted until 1969. To put that into context, my parents purchased a medium sized house for about $3,500 in 1961 and they needed a 30-year mortgage to support it. A very good salary at the time was around $1,500 per year.
By contrast Armstrong makes millions each year. Unlike Anquetil who made most of his money from race appearances, Armstrong’s comes from product endorsements. In that respect the world has changed dramatically for top professional cyclists. In Anquetil’s own words: “Cycling is very hard for me. In a normal road season I start training in February and race on average five days per week until the end of October. In August and September (after the TdF) it is every day, often with an 800km car journey through the night from one engagement to the next. I race so often that training is only necessary on special occasions once the season is under way”. Again by contrast, Armstrong focuses his whole season on just Le Tour; everything else is training and preparation.
Raymond Poulidor – couldn’t beat Jacques, but was the clear fan fave.
Gee, That’s a Nice Bike, Mister.
So we see the similarities with time trialing supremacy being used as a strategic weapon, and meticulous preparation as a competitive differentiator. Where they really differ is in equipment. Anquetil cared little for his bike and he left most decisions to his mechanic. Armstrong, as we know, is deeply involved in high tech innovation and goes to great lengths to achieve miniscule advantages.
Behind Every Great Champion, Is Great Rival
Beyond the two men, the next level of comparison is with the competition. Probably the greatest rivalries in cycling history were those between Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor in France and Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali in Italy. Coppi and Bartali polarized Italy with the entire country split almost evenly for one or the other. In the case of Anquetil and Poulidor the vast majority of French people were huge Poulidor fans. Pou-Pou, as he was affectionately known by the public, never won a Tour de France. He was second three times and third five times. Anquetil was seen as an ice-cold calculator, clinical in his approach to the sport and aristocratically arrogant. He simply could not connect with the public, no matter how much he won. Poulidor, as strong as an ox, was personable and his never say die attitude gained great popularity. Known also as ‘the eternal second’, Poulidor was adored by a nation that loves the underdog.
Whenever Anquetil was in the same race as Poulidor it seemed that he was obsessed with never letting him gain the upper hand. In the 1966 Paris-Nice Poulidor beat Anquetil by 36 seconds in the 35.5km TT. This totally outraged Anquetil. On the final stage Anquetil and his team attacked race leader Poulidor endlessly. One reporter counted 38 attempts. The 39th attack came from Anquetil on the Tourettes-sur Loup, a mild slope whose summit was about 34km’s from the finish in Nice. From the eyewitness account: “Poulidor clung to his tormentor’s wheel, leaving the bunch behind, before having to finally give in. Three times that day I saw what a man riding to his limits looks like. The expression on Jacques’ sweat-streaked, hollow face; I’ll never forget it. They say the eyes are the mirror to the soul. Over those miles of triumph this man’s soul was remorseless, seeking vengeance”. Many believed that those final km’s were ridden as fast as any of Anquetil’s record breaking TT’s. The luckless Poulidor rolled over the finish line with the bunch 1 minute 24 seconds after Anquetil “his face a black mask of despair”. That race characterized the obsessive nature of Anquetil’s attitude towards Poulidor. It was the model for their rivalry throughout their careers.
Although Armstrong’s rivalry with Jan Ullrich cannot be considered as intense as that between Anquetil and Poulidor, Amrstrong places Ullrich above all as his primary adversary. We’ve seen some great moments when the two have battled it out. The most famous incident was when Lance, after playing possum all day, gave Ullrich ‘the look’ on Alpe d’Huez. Whenever we see the two in the heat of battle, usually up the great climbs, they will invariably be riding close to each other. Faces streaked in sweat but maintaining a passive look to avoid giving away any emotion or sign of weakness. Even though there are some very serious pretenders to Lances’ throne this year, he still rates Ullrich above the rest. Unfortunately for Jan history is against him. If Anquetil was riding then Poulidor was consigned to second (at best). Likewise even though he has won a TdF, Ullrich has never bettered Armstrong in a Tour that they have ridden together.
Kill Or Be Killed
It is here that we come to maybe the most important comparison between Anquetil and Armstrong. Both riders possess a unique killer instinct that enables them to rise well above all adversity and pain. For them, to win is the only acceptable outcome. While Poulidor and Ullrich possess the physical attributes, they do not have that inbred ‘hunt and kill’ mentality. It is this mental power that will again prevent Ullrich from vanquishing Armstrong if this year’s Tour comes down to the two of them.
Graham R. Jones rides often, is an actve member of the CCB International cycling club, and publishes their website. To read more about this dynamic club visit the newly overhauled CCB web site at http://ccbracing.com . And if you are visiting the Boston area join 'em on a club ride.
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
As the final Madison got underway the arena was packed to the rafters, all the talk of Six Days in crisis forgotten for now. The finale was ... More....
Six Day racing comes to Berlin for the 99th time on Thursday, 28th January, 2010 with the great tradition of winter track racing in Germany in a ... More....
American Classic spent the last couple of years reworking their line up and the 420 Aeros are the latest to leave the bench. Take a look at the new ... More....
A couple years in the making, Pez head up to see arguably the top custom builder on the planet. We hit Serotta's NY shop, take a peek at their ... More....
You’ve still got today and all of tomorrow to ‘git ‘er done! Your holiday shopping that is… and armed with the complete set of 4 gift guides ... More....
If the stocking's not full - somebody's not doing their job. Good thing we're here to help with a big ol' bag full of the kind of stuff we'd love to ... More....
Winter riding is almost upon us - except for you lucky Aussies - and that means less riding outdoors. But with an indoor trainer and a Netflix ... More....
Many ergogenic aids, both legal and illegal, have been touted as the magic bullet that will improve cycling performance. What about something that ... More....
Having goals is one of the important first steps in achieving your dreams. They can be small goals or they can be big goals, but without them you’ll ... More....
Is cycling your religion, or at least one of them? If so, you’re not alone. Many people define themselves as “spiritual,” even if they don’t practice ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Sunday July 20th 1969; that’s 40 years ago now but I remember it clearly as the day that I first became aware of professional bicycle racing – I was ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Coming on four years ago, Saul Raisin was one of THE big things in US pro cycling. Top 40 in a hard Tour de Suisse and mountain king at the Tour de ... More....
The last time we spoke to Garmin's Steve Cozza was after the 2008 Paris - Tours; where he produced another solid performance from a consistent and ... More....
Just about to start his second season with Cervélo - thanks to strong Classic rides and his first Grand Tour finish, in the Giro - Englishman, Dan ... More....
In October, nine-time Tour de France rider Frankie Andreu announced that he would be Director Sportif of the Ohio-based KENDA Pro Cycling p/b ... More....
With so many (too many?) others looking back to best-of-2009 or decade highlights, why not look ahead? A new decade beckons, after all, so who better ... More....
We first talked with Lostende Bike Tours owner and avid cyclist Allan Reeves about his Pyrenees Cycling Challenge, from the Atlantic to the ... More....
So, riding in Texas is mostly flat, with only tumbleweeds and armadillos to avoid right? Well, not exactly. You see, Austin is situated in what’s ... More....
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
The loss of Franco Ballerini is not one that will be forgotten anytime soon. The sport's best are at a loss and two of the greatest riders of our ... More....
Updated! Hallelujah, they're racing in Qatar, and I just got back from celebrating with every other New Orleanian on Bourbon Street. There's ... More....
It was a dark Sunday morning in Italy when the news services announced that Franco Ballerini, ex-professional, former dual Paris-Roubaix winner and ... More....
The maracas shake, 'Cara mia, mine !' blasts from the PA. Bang! The little cannon fires and the hall fills with smoke. Yes, this is the right place, ... More....
When the K-Mart Classic of West Virginia stormed through the state in the mid-90s, it opened awareness as to just how great the bike riding is in ... More....
After riding the final 17 sectors of Paris-Roubaix yesterday, and typing to you with still swollen, sore, and blistered hands, I understand to my ... More....
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/amclass/amc420alarge.jpg",900,698);)
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/serotta/meilarge.jpg",2000,1244);)
