Why they rank here
Maitre Jacques was the first rider to win five Tours de France, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964, and he did it by mastering the discipline others feared: the time trial. His position on the bike was so refined that he could gain minutes against the clock and then defend a lead in the mountains with cold calculation. Anquetil took eight Grand Tours in total, adding two Giri d'Italia and the 1963 Vuelta a Espana, and in 1964 became the first man to win the Giro and Tour in the same season since Coppi. He also dominated the Grand Prix des Nations time trial, winning it nine times. His rivalry with the popular Raymond Poulidor, the eternal runner-up, transfixed France even as Anquetil coolly beat him time and again.
Career profile
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