For my generation, he is the Lion of Flanders. Unequivocally. Unchallenged. Evermore, evermore. Boonen is a monster; but he is only the apprentice. In Flemish, his name rhymes with “Lion”: he is Museeuw de Leeuw van Vlaanderen. He is the quintessential Hardman.
Here, in the first edition of the Velominati Study of a Hardman, is Johna Museeuw climbing the 20% ramps of the cobbled Kapelmuur in the Ronde van Vlaanderen:
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@Jarvis
This also really bothered me about him, just like Zabel, coming out at the end and claiming it was just for the "last year." Come on. Either man up or keep denying. All they do when they say that is lose respect from both camps in my opinion. But, he was a Hardman, no denying (but I'd take Kelly over him anyday!)
What about Johan's hair? Followers of cycling from the late 80's might remember his receeding hair line during the 1990 season. Then the following year he had a full head of hair again. Never mind doping in cycling, what about hair transplants?
Seriously though Musseeuw was one hard mother! He raced for the ADR team in 1989 and was a teammate of Greg LeMond.
I sent a letter to the Lotto team in 90 or 91 asking them for team photos, they sent back a pack of cards showing the entire team & a printed booklet of the team's palmares. The section for Johan showing every result from the previous season took up almost as many or perhaps more pages than the rest of the entire team combined apart from Hendrik Redant. Johan started in Feb winning & placing in sprints, winning hot spot sprints & was still producing results in October. I had the pleasure of seeing him race in Ireland & the UK in the Kelloggs Tours over several years. He always seemed to be in the mix for stage sprints everyday, could get over the climbs with the lead riders & when he went to MG-GB team in 92 continued his win tally.
Regardless of the mentions of doping Johan was a natural & classy rider a hard as nails & a real Spring Classics star on the cobbled races.
True sadness about the doping near end of career, but most I know agree it will never shadow his overall career and indeed his friendly personality which is often rare even at the amateur level let alone the pro peloton. A class act.