Giro d'Italia
- Thread starter Dead Star
- Start date
barnstorm said:
Irish/british edition of this months Cycle Sport contains an interview with the Giro organiser and he said that he made this years Giro course even harder so as to ensure that riders had to race every day of the Giro.
(There is a rumour going round that Basso tried to influence the organisers in to make the course as climber friendly as possible - the rumour was denied).
The Giro has been better entertainment that the TDF from the past number of years.
The parcours have been better - cyclists safety has been better - the whole event has been more exciting and it's been a breath of fresh air.
The climbing in the Giro has been far more exciting than the TDF in recent years.
Given that Basso tried for the double in 2005 - this also helped make the Giro more entertaining than the TDF.
TDF parcours/terrain has been far too formulaic and uninteresting.
musette said:
This isn't necessarily true if Rubiera becomes the GC option. Unlikely but possible.
Although I didn't mention this, by having Rubiera attack the entire group had to raise their pace. This because a number of strong riders were looking for the stage win. As a result Salvodelli was able to increase his gains over everyone else.
lazysegall said:
Danielson's the backup, but he will only be tapped under dire circumstances. Per S Yates: "It's clear from the start that Paolo is number one; there's no question about that.../ Tom ... his objective is to be in the mountains when Paolo needs him. OK, if Paolo suddenly falls off and breaks his leg, then Tom's going to be our hope... but until something like that happens, it's clear that Paolo's number one."
Lim: I have to say that some of the riders seem to like the Giro better than the Tour as well... mainly Italians but it appears that the Giro is getting better and better coverage every year... Armstrong / Ullrich discussions aside I find the Giro a much better viewing in racing terms than the Tour... The race is not as tightly controlled by teams, a lot more attacking and the design of the stages allow for GC favorites to shoot of the front and gain 10 or so seconds... or in some cases lose 10 seconds... one should remember Basso lost more time last year in the opening stages then he did this year... (note him riding across the field to get back on the peleton).....
Each year I try to attend the Tour but have scrapped that idea to go to the Giro.... the scenery is much better in some parts and also its a more relaxed race in terms of security with better access to the riders.... the tour cannot go to the types of places that the Giro goes because of the size of the Tour entourage…
The Tour will always be the biggest but not necessarily the best...
Each year I try to attend the Tour but have scrapped that idea to go to the Giro.... the scenery is much better in some parts and also its a more relaxed race in terms of security with better access to the riders.... the tour cannot go to the types of places that the Giro goes because of the size of the Tour entourage…
The Tour will always be the biggest but not necessarily the best...
limerickman said:
whiteboytrash said:
I agree with you - as a spectacle for the fans the TDF has tended in recent years to come down to about one hours cycling.
Namely the result of the TDF has been condensed to perhaps part of an ITT and perhaps half an hours climbing in a stage.
Whereas the Giro and the Vuelta have had much more attacking and "unpredicatability" regarding the final outcome of the race.
I have never been to the Giro - I have been to the TDF and the Vuelta.
For me the TDF is no longer appealing as a roadside spectator.
The cavalcade of commerical vehicles before the group come through is getting bigger year on year.
It takes ages to pass. Then you have the police outriders marshalling the course coming through.
The fleets of support vehicles and the number of helicopters ensure that the
group when the bunch finally passes it is contained within what acts as a vacuum.
Proximity to roadside fans is minimised.
Seems a bit clinical to me.
Whereas you pointed out - the oneday races are more intimate, access to riders and vehicles is easier.
Give me the Giro/Vuelta any day, as a spectator.
Well it could be hard work to get Schumacher out of the jersey! He has won a lot of smaller tours and did very well (untill he got sick) at Paris-Nice...musette said:
Yes all good points... even Armstrong said of last years Tour that is would come down to one good time trail and one good attack by him to win... and thats what it was... again Armstrong v. other riders arguments aside it wasn't a very good spectacle in racing terms..... where I was glued to the screen everyday watching the Giro.....
Can you tell me more what the Vuelta was like to attend ? Which year did you go ?
Can you tell me more what the Vuelta was like to attend ? Which year did you go ?
limerickman said:
Maybe he`s the same surprise as Cunego in 2004, but Cunego won plenty of races earlier in the season.
I agree that Giro has more interesting stages than Tour, but I think that Armstrong and USPS/Disco was the biggest problem for lack of action in TdF. They really controlled the race and Armstrong was a lot better than others every year, except the year when Ullrich was in Bianchi (Do you remember Ullrich attacking Lance on the final climb? It was the only time we saw Armstrong being dropped in TdF). It was a long period of time, Armstrong won it for 7 consecutive years and I think people just forgot how the Tour was before. I can`t wait this year`s one. I believe there will be a lot more action.whiteboytrash said:
whiteboytrash said:
I was at the 2004 Vuelta Stage 4 Soria to Zaragoza (we were on holiday in the Navarre region of Spain - home to BigMig).
I drove from Pamplona down to Zaragoza for the day.
The stage was a pretty flat stage as I recall - and the stage winner was Petacchi.
Friere finished third that day. The crowds were out in force for Oscar.
2004 was the year Landis blew apart on stage 17, I think.
He had led the Vuelta from about stage 8 and was heading toward overall GC
only to have Heras/Valverde/mancebo rip him to pieces.
Virenque said:
Speak for yourself.
I remember a fresh faced Armstrong being unable to complete a TDF between
1993-1996.
(sorry he did manage to finish one in 1995 - an hour and a half behind Indurain
on GC, heeeeeheeeeeee).
I agree with some of this but almost all teams are now using the one leader strategy.... with this is going to be a lot of teams on the front driving the peleton at 70km for the last half of each stage to stop breaks or to limit them and drive up the mountains at 40km per hour so no one can break away....Virenque said:
The UCI needs to make some changes on the number of riders in each team at GT's..... I say more teams less riders.... this will stop certain teams dominating stages... with ear pieces, TV's and 7 riders riding for one its doesn't make for very exciting racing....
True, but TdF is a lot more controlled. Remember last year`s Savoldelli`s win. Disco were on the front on the flat part of stage but in the mountains he was all alone. And mountains are the most exciting part of every GT.
OK..I mean Armostrong`s winning years. I didn`t watch cycling before..limerickman said:
Personnaly i like the Giro more (as a spectator), but a couple of years ago i went to the Sierra Nevada mountain stage and i had a great time, i have to say though that i trained there a couple of times during the winter and i just love the montana de Malaga and the Sierra Nevada. By the way i was at the Cote de Wanne and a few other hills of today's stage (some are also part of LBL), it's pretty mean, you never get a real rhytm. I doubt that McEwen will win today... but than again he has a long time to come back as the hills are far before today's finish...whiteboytrash said:
By the way, sorry WBT, you won't see me on my bike at Corones, they will close it for everybody, including spectators with a bike. I believe it's the first time they do something like this (closing it the whole day for people on bikes)... Well than i go for the wine...
I remember a Indurain who in his first 4-5 TDF's was only good enough to finish in the bottom half. I remenber an Indurain who was never good enough to finish a Vuelta except one in which he got a second. The list of DNF was usually next to his name. I remember an Armstong who won and dominated 7 TDF's and retired a champion. Indurain won 5 and was handed his ass in the last TDF he rode in.limerickman said:
The funny thing about Indurain was that he was not considerd a great rider for half of his career..... then he just exploded into a champ overnight. And it was overnight. No one could see that coming. Of course everyone said it was because he has was tested and had huge lungs. Of course he was riding for Reynolds who had a their TDF winner testing positive for dope...... Wait , it was a banned substance, but not banned by the TDF. Loopholes.
I remember someone making the argument that Armstrong developed overnight into a tour winner and it had to be something helpful ...... Just like Indurain.
Do you remember a fresh faced World Champion named Armstrong who won the race younger then anyone up to that point?
Indurain was never able to win the rainbow jersey. Matter of fact, the closest he came was when a 21 year rookie named Armstrong was to show him how you win a World's. Indurain was unable to stay with Armstrong.
Sounds like I need to get there early ! I can imagine its going to be crazy on the last section of dirt road.... I will keep a bottle of Northen Italian red for you.... hopefully I'll steady my drinking so I don't miss any of the race when it comes by !cyclingheroes said:By the way, sorry WBT, you won't see me on my bike at Corones, they will close it for everybody, including spectators with a bike. I believe it's the first time they do something like this (closing it the whole day for people on bikes)... Well than i go for the wine...
Similar threads
