Who are your top ten irish cyclists ever?

padohaodha

Hi, just debating last night who are the top ten professional irish cyclists ever? We were fairly agreed about top ten,with a handful of discrepancies,Here's my tuppence worth...

1 sean kelly
2 stephen roche
3 shay elliot
4 martin earley
5 dan martin
6 nicholas roche
7 sam bennett
8 martin irvine
9 paul kimmage
10 philip deignan

I'm open to changing my mind or other cyclists I might have forgotten.Interesting to see what others think

MPFGLB

I would not put Kimmage before Deignan

And that list will change soon with Mullen & Dunbar both world class ...just a few more years

Inquitus

1. Sean Kelly
2. Stephen Roche
3. Shay Elliot
4. Dan Martin
5. Martyn Irvine
6. Nicholas Roche
7. Martin Earley
8. Sam Bennett
9. Philip Deignan
10. Paul Kimmage

Would bump Martyn as he has been a track world champ, drop Earley a few spots as his palmares is not as good as Roche or Dan, but with a GC stage win he betters Bennett for now. Kimmage last because his integrity with regard to doping he never had any chance of getting results.

Eamonnator

Martin Earley has two Grand Tour wins, one in TdF and one in Giro, and represented Ireland in the XC MTB Olympic Race in 1996, but still not enough to push him past Nico Roche.

MPFGLB

Kimmage doped as a rider btw

MPFGLB

Nico Roche has a top 5 and a top 6 in a GT ..as well as 2 GT stage wins

Inquitus

MPFGLB wrote: »

Kimmage doped as a rider btw

Yep I have read his book, but it seems to suggest he did it once or twice and that was the extent of it and only as a measure to get round, not to the level where he might be winning races.

Casula

Going back a bit in time I know but any space on that list for the likes of Alo Donegan? Despite not being a pro, his achievements for the era he cycled in still look impressive: First cyclist to break the hour in 25-mile TT, Navan Road, 1934.

Beasty

If you're going to include non pros then 'arry (Reynolds) must deserve a mention.

MPFGLB

I must admit I never heard of Alo Donegan or 'arry Reynolds

Is there an Irish cycling hall of fame?

Casula

MPFGLB wrote: »

I must admit I never heard of Alo Donegan or 'arry Reynolds

Is there an Irish cycling hall of fame?

Yes. It's here - http://www.cyclingireland.ie/page/about/hall-of-fame

Eamonnator

MPFGLB wrote: »

I must admit I never heard of Alo Donegan or 'arry Reynolds

Is there an Irish cycling hall of fame?

Yes and both of the above are in it

MPFGLB

Thanks


I suppose Martyn Irvine will be in it one day

Redfence74

What about Mark scanlon

Inquitus

Redfence74 wrote: »

What about Mark scanlon

Obviously Junior world champion but beyond that he never really made enough of an impact at senior level to breach this top 10, close between him and Kimmage for the final spot though I guess.

RobFowl

1 sean kelly
2 stephen roche
3 dan martin
4 nicholas roche
5 shay elliot
6 martin earley
7 sam bennett
8 philip deignan
9 paul kimmage
10 Ciaran Power

Tweaked the order, took Martyn out as he has not (yet) done enough on the road. Ciaran has a GT finish and 2 raseanna verall wins as well as a number of stages wins and one day ones as well.

Alan McCormack and John Brady there or thereabouts too.

Dan in 3rd and he has 2 monuments as well as GT top 10's and stages.
Nico above Martin early as he has overall GT top 10's which i would rate above stages (my opinion).

odyssey06

Hard to find fault with the list from @Robfowl.

Very hard to separate Nico & Shay Elliot... Nico wins on longevity (15 GTs completed), but Shay had a podium Vuelta finish.
I think both of them above Martin Earley as a high Grand Tour finish is worth a few stage wins.

Right now I would put Phil Deignan just above Sam Bennett, but I expect Sam B to overtake Deignan, Earley and maybe Nico and Shay over his career.

Lusk_Doyle

Nico and Dan one and two cos that's whom my kids are named after! The rest can fight it out amongst themselves!

odyssey06

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Nico and Dan one and two cos that's whom my kids are named after! The rest can fight it out amongst themselves!

What, no Stephen!?
I suppose Earley would seem a little Victorian.

padohaodha

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Nico and Dan one and two cos that's whom my kids are named after! The rest can fight it out amongst themselves!

Good job you werent a fan of this fella :-)

Mugser

RobFowl wrote: »

1 sean kelly
2 stephen roche
3 dan martin
4 nicholas roche
5 shay elliot
6 martin earley
7 sam bennett
8 philip deignan
9 paul kimmage
10 Ciaran Power

Tweaked the order, took Martyn out as he has not (yet) done enough on the road. Ciaran has a GT finish and 2 raseanna verall wins as well as a number of stages wins and one day ones as well.

Alan McCormack and John Brady there or thereabouts too.

Dan in 3rd and he has 2 monuments as well as GT top 10's and stages.
Nico above Martin early as he has overall GT top 10's which i would rate above stages (my opinion).

1 sean kelly
2 stephen roche
3 dan martin
4 nicholas roche
5 shay elliot
6 martin earley
7 sam bennett
8 philip deignan
9 Ciaran Power
10 Ryan Mullen

I'd take Kimmage off the list, Ciaran has Irelands top ever Olympics finish too (joint top with Dan now since last year though) + he never doped!
Mullen for his performance in the worlds TT last year gets a nod

morana

well if kimmage is gone for doping that means others have to go too.

PEter crinion, Liam horner, peter doyle and if you put nicohlas roche above elliot then you must be new to the sport

MPFGLB

RobFowl only looks young but he has been round a while ... :D

Beasty

MPFGLB wrote: »

RobFowl only looks young

Have you seen him


:pac:

RobFowl

Beasty wrote: »

Have you seen him


:pac:

Here I am

JK.BMC

Kelly
Roche
Elliott

I think this is more or less a certainty in terms of personnel for our 'top 3'

I'm not too sure about the order of the next 7 but I would have Dan, Nico, Earley, Deignan, Power, Bennett and Kimmage

Personality should be irrelevant in these kinds of polls but it can be a powerful influence when thinking of a 'legacy' or reputation and hence 'top 10 greatest....' etc

padohaodha

Matt brammieir or however you spell his name?

RobFowl

JK.BMC wrote: »

Kelly
Roche
Elliott

I think this is more or less a certainty in terms of personnel for our 'top 3'

I'm not too sure about the order of the next 7 but I would have Dan, Nico, Earley, Deignan, Power, Bennett and Kimmage

Personality should be irrelevant in these kinds of polls but it can be a powerful influence when thinking of a 'legacy' or reputation and hence 'top 10 greatest....' etc

I'd rank Dan above Elliot as he has 2 monument wins and a GC top ten at the TDF, Elliot has a second at the worlds a podium at the Vuelta.

Exiled1

When you go below the first six pros in approx. pecking order, you must consider several guys who chose not to go to Europe as pros and, consequently never got to show their undoubted potential.
There were two golden eras in amateur cycling in Ireland, the thirties with Alo Donegan and Harry Reynolds and the sixties with Shay O'Hanlon, Paddy Flanagan, Liam Horner and a few more.
And what would Mick Murphy have achieved with proper training etc. ???

dastardly00

padohaodha wrote: »

Matt brammieir or however you spell his name?

Hmmm don't think I'd have Brammeier in the top-10 in my opinion.

Yes he has been National Road Race champion three times and National TT champion once, but he's never ridden a Grand Tour and has only one other pro win to his name (Stage 4 of Ster ZLM Toer GP Jan van Heeswijk in 2015).

Roadtoad

What's the respect and fascination for a race fixing drug taker that most include?

I'd throw in Paddy Flanagan, who used pass me on the way to work. Fast!