Professional cycling is the toughest sport in the world. No other sport can compare for pushing its competitors to the boundaries of physical and mental suffering in the way that cycling does. But to win the most iconic races in cycling requires more than just brute strength, and those who do so have an X-factor that sets them apart from the rest of the peloton. From world champions to monument winners, multiple Tour de France victors and the fastest-ever sprinters, we speak exclusively to the most successful stars in cycling’s recent history, riders who have dominated the podium top steps as well as the headlines and in doing so left an indelible mark on the sport’s modern era.