Top5 greatest off road cyclist

[The devil's own]

1) John Tomac - Needs no introduction, innovator and all round dominator
2) Tom Ritchey
3) Julien Absalon - Never has someone been so dominant in xc.
4) Thomas Frischknecht
5) Nico Vouilloz - Peat may have now won more but he will never match the skill of this guy.

I'd also give honorable mentions to Brian Lopes and the legend that is Shaun Palmer - this man is total domination of whatever he wishes to turn his hand to, and would easily be in my top 5 greatest sports stars of all time.

And finally Jason Mcroy who I'm pretty sure could have been up at the top of this list had he not been taken from the world so early in his life.

[RichardAThackeray]

1) John Tomac - Needs no introduction, innovator and all round dominator
2) Tom Ritchey

4) Thomas Frischknecht

Agreed, Tomac brought a hell of a lot of exposure to the genre (& inovation via Tioga & Yeti)

Tom Ritchy brought thought to the building process (& some beautiful bikes like his P-21 MTB)

How about these British contenders?;

David Baker; equally at home on cross-bike, MTB, or on the road

Tim Gould; Matlock CC, 6 times Three-Peaks winner, & a previous World Hill-Climbing MTB Champion. First man to win the 'Man verses Horse'

Rob Jebb need I say anything?

[PaulE]

I'd also add:
Anne Caroline Chausson first female DH rider to really dominate racing, and still doing well in BMX races now

Juli Furtado for being the female equivalent of Tomac in his earlier days

Sam Hill for riding right on the edge of disaster in DH races, and beating people by several seconds on really tough courses where the rest of the best riders are on the same second as each other

[The devil's own]

I'd also add:


Sam Hill for riding right on the edge of disaster in DH races, and beating people by several seconds on really tough courses where the rest of the best riders are on the same second as each other

If you like that I'd have thought you would have mentioned Chris Korvarik? But I do agree that Sam Hill is a great rider.

[PaulE]

Chris is undaoubtably fast and somewhat scary to watch, but doesn't give the same impression of riding at a different pace to everyone else through the toughest sections that Sam gives. Particularly obvious at the 2008 worlds, where even with a huge crash he still got 3rd... and similarly the year before where he raced down Champerry in the torential rain, crashed, and still got 3rd despite all the other top places going to folks who'd ridden before the rain started.

[Celine Dion]

"Dealy" Ned Overend has to be in there surely. Not sure about Gould or Baker. Good, but not world class. There is a massive x'over now with mtb to road and vice versa. Look at Cadel and Rasmussen. Both ex mtber's turned roadies. To be fair, most mtb xc races are what they used to be. Seem little more than lumpy cyclocross courses now. Back in my day I remember when they were real courses with real mountains or at least hills.....

[RichardAThackeray]

"Dealy" Ned Overend has to be in there surely. Not sure about Gould or Baker. Good, but not world class. There is a massive x'over now with mtb to road and vice versa.

Deadly Nedly!, old 'Mr Specialized' himself


Tim Gould is definately up there (or was), after all a World Championship on the Yanks own turf!

[fellgazelle]

In my opinion there are only 2 names worth linking with the title greatest off road cyclist; John Tomac or Thomas Frischneckt
has anyone else been at the top of the game for so long?