Peloton Legends, San Marcos, CA (2026)

04/25/2022

Birthday cheer to Alejandro Valverde who turns 42 today. Born April 25, 1980 “Balaverde” is 10th on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights

• 4x Liége-Bastogne-Liége (’06, ’08, ’15, ’17)
• 1x Gold Medal World Championship Road Race (’18)
• 2x Silver Medal World Championship Road Race (’03, ’05)
• 4x Bronze Medal World Championship Road Race (’06, ’12, ’13, ’14)
• 5x La Flèche Wallone (’06, ’14, ’15, ’16, ’17)
• 2x Clásica de San Sebastián (’08, ’14)
• 3x Spanish National Road Race Champion (’08, ’15, ’19)
• 1x Roma Maxima (’14)
• 2x Critérium du Dauphiné (’08, ’09)
• 3x Volta a Catalunya (’09, ’17, ’18)
• 1x Tour of the Basque Country (’17)
• 1x 3rd place Giro d’Italia (’16)
• 1x 3rd place Tour de France (’15)
• 1x 1st place Vuelta a España (’09)
• 3x 2nd place Vuelta (’06, ’02, ’19)
• 3x 3rd place Vuelta (’03, ’13, ’14)
• 4x Points Classification Vuelta (’12, ’13, ’15, ’18)
• 20x Grand Tour stages (’05 – ’19)
• 2x UCI Pro Tour Champion (’06, ’08)
• 2x UCI World Tour Champion (’14, ’15)
• 1x UCI World Ranking Champion (’18)

Alejandro Valverde is the only active rider who is in the Top 10 of the Peloton Legends ranking system. In all three of the Grand Tours, he’s finished in the Top 20 twenty-four times. Twenty-four times! Unbelievable. Balaverde is one of only seven cyclists to have won a race in every major road category. He’s been on the podium in seven World Championship Road Races. Seven! Unreal. He’s won Liége four times and La Flèche Wallone five times! And he’s still racing at the age of 42 and still very competitive; he nearly won Flèche for a sixth time last week. Enjoy it, folks; this is the last year we get to see this legend in action.

04/24/2022

Birthday cheer to André Darrigade who turns 93 today! Born April 24, 1929 “Dédé” is 89th on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights

• 1x Giro di Lombardia (1956)
• 1x Gold Medal World Championship Road Race (1959)
• 1x Silver Medal World Championship Road Race (1960)
• 2x Bronze Medal World Championship Road Race (1957, 1958)
• 1x French National Road Race Champion (1955)
• 1x Trofeo Baracchi (1956 with Rolf Graf)
• 1x Critérium National (1959)
• 2x Points Classification Tour de France (1959, 1961)
• 23 Grand Tour stages (1953-1960)

Still the greatest French sprinter in the history of the sport. Of those 23 Grand Tour stage victories, five of them were the opening stages of the Tour de France, so it’s no surprise that Darrigade was often riding in the yellow jersey in the early part of the race. Although Dédé might beg to differ, I count his most impressive victory as the 1956 Giro di Lombardia when he outkicked both Fausto Coppi and Fiorenzo Magni to the line when the race used to finish in the Milan velodrome. Darrigade was the right-hand man to both Louison Bobet and Jacques Anquetil, so it’s remarkable that he claimed as many stages as he did in the Tour (22) while also laying claim to the green points jersey in both 1959 and 1961. A good case can be made that had he received a bit more support during the 1956 Tour, he would have won the race that year rather than Roger Walkowiak. Cheers to a living legend.

04/21/2022

Belated birthday cheer to Rolf Sørensen who turned 56 yesterday. Born April 20, 1965 “Il Biondo” (The Blonde) is 93rd on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights

• 1x Tour of Flanders (1997)
• 1x Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1993)
• 1x Paris-Tours (1990)
• 1x Danish National Road Race Champion (1986)
• 2x Paris-Brussels (1992, 1994)
• 1x Rund um den Henninger Turm (1993)
• 1x Milan-Turin (1993)
• 1x Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne (1996)
• 2x Tirreno-Adriatico (1987, 1992)
• 1x Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali (1990)
• 1x Ronde van Nederland (1996, 1998)
• 6x Grand Tour stages (1989-1986)

Photo: As

04/19/2022

Remembering Delio Rodriguez, born on April 19, 1916. Rodriguez is 73rd on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights

• 1x 1st place Vuelta a España (1945)
• 1x Points Classification Vuelta a España (1945)
• 39x Grand Tour Stages (all Vuelta, 1941-1947)

Rodriguez is not one of the names that typically come up when discussing the great sprinters in the sport, but he does hold the record for the most stage victories in the Vuelta – 39 of them. Like his compatriot, Julián Berrendero, the speedy Spaniard had the misfortune of racing during WWII, the Spanish Civil War, and the Franco regime. He won a race in Italy in 1935, but that was the only result I could find outside of his home country. He certainly would have gained greater recognition had he raced in the other Grand Tours during his career.

04/19/2022

Belated birthday cheer to Pedro Delgado who turned 62 on April 15th. “Perico” is 70th on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings can go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights

• 1x Setmana Catalana (1993)
• 1x 1st Tour de France (1988)
• 1x 2nd Tour de France (1987)
• 1x 3rd Tour de France (1989)
• 2x 1st Vuelta a España (1985, 1989)
• 1x 2nd Vuelta a España (1990)
• 2x 3rd Vuelta a España ( 1992, 1994)
• 9 Grand Tour stages (1985-1992)

Delgado was an amazingly consistent stage race specialist, having placed in the top 10 in eighteen editions of all three Grand Tours. I would imagine if he could have one “do-over” in his career it would be the first two days of the 1989 Tour de France. He showed up late to the start ramp of the opening prologue, which saw him lose 2 minutes and 40 seconds before he even took a pedal stroke; a shame because he was clearly in great form, finishing within 17 seconds of the time set by Erik Breukink. The next day was a rare two-stage day, the first being a 135.5 km (84.2 mi) flat stage followed by a 46 km (29 mi) team time trial later in the day. Delgado didn’t eat enough during the first part of the day, and after bonking during the time trial his team had to nurse him through the rest of the stage; he lost another 4’32”. The Spaniard was dead last after the first two days but did stage an amazing comeback. Perico ended up finishing in 3rd place that year, only 3’34” behind Greg LeMond. I think that Delgado might have claimed the podium’s top step had he not had such bad luck at the start of the race; he was clearly the strongest in the mountains that year.

Photo: ©Getty

04/18/2022

Remembering Raymond Poulidor, born April 15, 1936. “Poupou” is 29th on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights

• 1x Milan-San Remo ('61)
• 1x Silver Medal World Championship Road Race ('74)
• 3x Bronze Medal World Championship Road Race ('61, '64, '66)
• 1x La Flèche Wallone ('63)
• 1x Grand Prix de Nations ('63)
• 1x Critérium des As ('72)
• 5x Critérium National ('64, '66, '68, '71, '72)
• 1x French National Road Race Champion ('61)
• 2x Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ('66, '69)
• 1x Catalan Week ('71)
• 2x Paris-Nice ('72, '73)
• 1x Grand Prix du Midi Libre ('73)
• 3x 2nd place Tour de France ('64, '65, '74)
• 5x 3rd place Tour de France ('62, '66, '69, '72, '76)
• 1x 1st place Vuelta a España ('64)
• 1x 2nd place Vuelta a España ('67)
• 11 Grand Tour stages ('62-'74)
• 1x Super Prestige Pernod ('64)

Poulidor was a gifted all-rounder but had the misfortune of having to compete against two of the greatest Grand Tour champions of all time. At the front half of Poupou’s career it was Jacques Anquetil and during the second half it was Eddy Merckx. It should come as no surprise that he also earned the nickname of “The Eternal Second,” which wasn’t exactly true because he did win the 1964 Vuelta. Poulidor had a long career and was competitive throughout, turning pro with in 1960 and retiring with the same team in 1977. As a testament to that longevity, he won Milan-San Remo in 1961 and at the age of 40 in 1976 placed 3rd in the Tour de France. Unbelievably, despite placing on the podium eight times in the Tour, he never once donned the Yellow Jersey; not even for a single day. The cycling gods can be a cruel lot.

04/08/2022

Remembering Julián Berrendero, born April 8, 1912. The Spanish climber is 79th on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights

• 3x Spanish National Road Race Champion (1942-1944)
• 2x Volta a Catalunya (1943, 1946)
• 2x 1st place Vuelta a España (1941, 1942)
• 2x 2nd place Vuelta a España (1945, 1946)
• 2x Mountains Classification Vuelta a España (1942, 1945)
• 1x Mountain Classification Tour de France (1936)
• 12x Grand Tour stages (1937-1948)

Of any on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list, I’m guessing there are fewer fans familiar with Berrendero than any other cyclist. After all, he raced in a different era and nearly all of it was in Spain during the 1940s when no other nations competed. After competing in France in the mid-30s, he returned home after the Spanish Civil War only to be immediately arrested and sent to a concentration camp for a year and a half. Luckily, he survived the malnourishment and beatings and was allowed to race again in the Vuelta, which he won in ’41 and ’42. When he was finally allowed to race outside of the country again in the 1949 Tour de France, the entire Spanish team was eliminated from the race due to a mechanical which caused them to miss the time cut. Sadly, it would be the last time Berrendero would compete, his best years having been lost to WWII and the Francoist dictatorship.

Photo: ©Profimedia

04/01/2022

Birthday cheer to Paolo Bettini, born April 1, 1974. “Il Grillo” is 37th on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights

• 1x Milan-San Remo (2003)
• 2x Liège-Bastogne-Liège (2000, 2002)
• 2x Giro di Lombardia (2005, 2006)
• 2x Gold Medal World Championship Road Race (2006, 2007)
• 1x Silver Medal World Championship Road Race (2001)
• 1x Gold Medal Olympic Road Race (2004)
• 1x Clásica de San Sebastián (2003)
• 2x Championship of Zurich/Züri-Metzgete (2001, 2005)
• 2x Italian National Road Race Champion (2003, 2006)
• 1x Giro del Lazio (2002)
• 1x HEW Cyclassics (2003)
• 1x Coppa Placci (2001)
• 1x Tirreno-Adriatico (2004)
• 1x Coppi e Bartali (2000)
• 2x Points Classification Giro d’Italia (2005, 2006)
• 8x Grand Tour stages (2000-2008)
• 3x UCI World Cup (2002-2004)
• 1x UCI Road World Rankings (2003)

Paolo Bettini was one of the premiere Classics specialists of the Aughts. He was deadly on the hills and had a wicked sprint; he won a race in nearly every type of single-day event, which also led to winning three straight season-long competitions. It’s also worth noting that Bettini is the only professional to have won both the Olympic Gold Medal and World Championship Gold Medal, a further testament that he is one of the all-time greats.

03/28/2022

Birthday cheer to Tony Rominger born March 27, 1960. “The Hammer” is 18th on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights:

• 2x Giro di Lombardia (1989, 1992)
• 2x Grand Prix de Nations (1991, 1994)
• 1x Giro dell’Emilia (1988)
• 2x Paris-Nice (1991, 1994)
• 2x Tirreno-Adriatico (1989, 1990)
• 3x Tour of the Basque Country (1992-1994)
• 2x Tour de Romandie (1991, 1995)
• 1x Catalan Week (1993)
• 1x 1st place Giro d’Italia (1995)
• 1x 2nd place Tour de France (1993)
• 3x 1st place Vuelta a España (1992, 1993, 1994)
• 1x 3rd place Vuelta a España (1996)
• 1x Points Classification Giro d’Italia (1995)
• 1x Points Classification Vuelta a España (1993)
• 1x Mountains Classification Tour de France (1993)
• 2x Mountains Classification Vuelta a España (1993, 1996)
• 21 Grand Tour stages (1988-1996)
• 1x 1st place UCI Road World Rankings (1994)

He was one of the great stage racers from the 90s. Along with Eddy Merckx and Laurent Jalabert, Rominger is the only cyclist to have captured all three Classification Jerseys (GC, Points, and Mountains) in a single Grand Tour, which he accomplished in the 1993 Vuelta. Given that he suffered from allergies in the heat of the summer (his Vuelta successes occurred when the race was still held in the spring), it’s surprising that he didn’t try to win the Giro more often. He only entered the race once in the last eight years of his career in 1995. Not only did he win that year, but led the race from the second stage on, claimed four stages, and captured the Points Classification. He is the second-highest ranked Swiss cyclist in my scoring system, just behind Ferdi Kübler, who is 17th on the list.

03/23/2022

Belated birthday cheer to born March 22, 1967. “Cipo” is 28th on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights:

• 1x Milan-San Remo (2002)
• 1x Gold Medal World Championship Road Race (2002)
• 3x Gent Wevelgem (1992, 1993, 2002)
• 1x Italian National Road Race Champion (1996)
• 1x GP E3 (1993)
• 2x Scheldeprijs (1991, 1993)
• 1x Four Days of Dunkirk (1992)
• 3x Points Classification Giro d’Italia (1992, 1997, 2002)
• 57 Grand Tour stages (1989-2002)

Arguably the greatest pure sprinter in the sport’s history. He holds the record for most victories in the Giro d’Italia, having broken Alfredo Binda’s record of 41 stages in 2003 which had stood for 70 long years. The “Lion King” is one of only eight other cyclists to have won more than 30 Grand Tour stages in the Modern Era (WWII – present), and he is also one of only seven other cyclists to have won more than 150 road races in his career. “Super Mario” indeed.

Photo ©Cor Vos

03/21/2022

Remembering Nino Defilippis who was born March 21, 1932. “Cit” is 94th on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights:

• 1x Giro di Lombardia (1958)
• 1x Silver Medal World Championship Road Race (1961)
• 2x Italian National Road Race Champion (1960, 1962)
• 2x Tre Valli Varesine (1953, 1960)
• 2x Giro del Piemonte (1954, 1958)
• 2x Giro dell’Emilia (1954, 1955)
• 2x Giro del Lazio (1958, 1962)
• 1x Giro di Toscana (1960)
• 1x Tropheo Baracchi with Giancarlo Astrua ( 1952)
• 1x Giro del Veneto (1961)
• 1x Mountains Classification Vuelta a España (1956)
• 18x Grand Tour stages (1952-1964)

03/21/2022

Remembering Hugo Koblet who was born March 21, 1925. “The Pedaler of Charm” is 51st on the Peloton Legends Top 100 list. To see the complete rankings go to https://bit.ly/3mTjaZx

Career Road Highlights:

• 1x Grand Prix de Nations (1951)
• 2x Züri-Metzgete (1952, 1954)
• 1x Critérium des As (1951)
• 1x Switzerland National Road Race Champion (1955)
• 3x Tour de Swiss (1950, 1953, 1955)
• 1x Tour de Romandie (1953)
• 1x 1st place Giro d’Italia (1950)
• 2x 2nd place Giro d’Italia (1953, 1954)
• 1x 1st place Tour de France (1951)
• 1x Mountains Classification Giro d’Italia (1950)
• 12 Grand Tour stages (1950-1956)

It’s not often you see a photo of Fausto Coppi following the wheels of anyone, but such was the case in the 1951 Tour de France. In that year’s Tour, Koblet the dashing Swiss rider who was also known as “Beautiful Hugo,” went on a rampage winning the race by dominating some of the greatest names in the sport’s history – Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, and Fiorenzo Magni, all finishing far behind him that year. Koblet won the race by a margin of 22 minutes, but there was never a repeat of that legendary performance. After that crushing victory, his racing and results experienced a rapid, mysterious decline; although he started the Tour two more times, he did not finish either of them.

Photo ©Cor Vos

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