This year we had 3 great Grand Tours with the result going down to the last day of racing in all of them and 2 unexpected winners . Personally I preferred the Vuelta as I like the shorter stages with more happening with some savage climbs and this year decisive racing from the first stage . TDF normally is more interesting purely because nearly all of the top racers are there but I think it lacks the excitement of the Vuelta . The Giro for me sits in between the other 2 but is bettered by the Vuelta . What are your views ?
Giro for me, not because of a Brit winner, just better racing. No one dominant team led to better racing in the GC. Also some great individual stage wins.
TDF also did have some great non GC stages though.
Vuelta to me was a bit of a formality. I like Roglic, but he does make for dour racing. Vuelta had weak underperforming teams, some stages seemed to be in the wrong order and nullified racing. The day before the Angrilu should have been a cracker of a stage, but GC took it easy knowing what was to come.
I thought Cannondale and Sunweb were excellent in the GT’s.
Depends on who's racing, but I generally prefer the Giro.
This year's Tour certainly provided the best moment though, with Pogacar's dramatic triumph.
I like the Vuelta. Loads of hills! Hills are good
None of them, the spring classics (or autumn) are miles better.
TDF for its sheer scale.
Vuelta for the racing.
I think the TDF could look to the Vuelta for some inspiration, try some crazy steep climbs and mix it up a little (I know they have a bit but they still play it too safe IMO).
TDF seems to be moving back away from the more-modern style for 2021, but that's cool with me - I think they're in a good position to change the style of parcours from year-to-year.
By contrast the Vuelta has carved a cool niche as a climb-fest and the Giro - I dunno - a kind of prettier, cooler, more chilled out Tour?
I'd have an Aston Martin if I could afford the depreciation.
The problem for me this year was the sheer amount of cycling crammed into a couple of months... by the time the Vuelta came round I was starting to overdose. Best bit about all of them is that it was never quite clear who was going to win, the Sky* Train snorefest is hopefully a thing of the past.
* Ineos, Jumbo, whatever.
The Tour is the Tour, it's always going to create the most interest, and it's the one that most teams and riders would like to win. For that reason it's always going to be interesting.
A decade ago I'd have said that the Giro had the most exciting cycling, but recently I'd say that this has been true of the Vuelta (other than this year, I thought the last week wasn't well planned and lacked excitement).
I think maybe its position in the calendar has helped, it's a last chance to rescue an unsuccessful season for many teams/riders, and there's nothing to worry about afterwards, so everyone seems to really go for it.
My question: If you were a pro would you rather join the 5 x Tdf winners club (Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault, Indurain), or the all three GT winners club (Anquetil, Grimondi, Merckx, Hinault, Contador, Nibali, Froome)?
The Mongolian one where they had to build the car from bits.
After that then the boat one was great
Mongolian one was good. I wasn’t so keen on the boat one I must say.
The subcrawl, Glasgow, in winter.
the giro seems to have the best racing as a fan but I can't help but love the ritual of watching the tour throughout July.
Racing is great at the moment because no-one team is dominant.
Good question: I'm no racer but I'd rather have all 3 than 5 tour wins - hell I'd take one of any of them, or just a stage !
Season1 Ep1
@easily, being a bit older and a long time roadie, I'd go with the 5 x TDF wins. The Vuelta just doesn't have the same prestige, either now or historically.
Also watching a 57 year old bald American win the Vuelta a few years ago made me lose a little bit of the cache I held the race in. I don't know why but that win just irks me.
I don't even care too much about doping, including Armstrong and his wins, but for some reason I can't quite allow myself to let that one slip.
And yeah I know the Giro and the TDF have had some dubious victors, Ryder Hesjedal for example. But at least Ryder had the grace of being under 50, having previously had a top 5 overall in the TDF and good results in other races (including classic and monuments).
Yes I know Horner was only 51 😉
Yes I know Horner was only 51
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They're all great. The Vuelta often has some of the best stand-out stages but also quite a few plodders along Spain's six-lane, perfectly smooth motorways. The Giro has stunning scenery. The TDF usually has amazing variety and the marquee climbs. But this year it's been all about the younger generation making the race - like Hirschi, Kuss etc. Reckon we're set for a few years of thrilling racing whatever the GT.
I enjoyed both the TDF and vuelta this year, quite enjoy watching the daily highlight shows. I'd like to have enjoyed the Giro but realised it was on too late on a random channel and couldnt find a catch up of the days I had missed!
Probably the tour, just as its the tour and the most prestigious. But i like the Vuelta, for the exciting racing. Especially when there are riders who are desperate for a new contract and need to perform. But it has become too much of a climbers race.
And as much as I enjoy watching the grand tours, and the its in the mountains where the race is usually won or lost, it's a bit like watching a slow bike race at times. I'd rather a grand tour didn't go into the high mountains at all.
I much prefer watching racing on the flat in crosswinds, or up and down short punchy climbs and think that is way more exciting than seeing riders riding uphill slowly for 20mins to an hour on each mountain, where the overall contenders usually wait until last climb of day before attacking.
Some of the smaller 3 to 7 day stage races (tour of Norway, 4 days of Dunkirk, tour of Britain, tour of Yorkshire etc) are much more exciting to watch as there is a lot more attacking riding. Where each of the stages are more like one day classic races.
Something about the Giro really appeals to me after getting around to reading a couple of books on it but also the classic big climbs on Le Tour blow me away, maybe because I've been looking at them over so may years its almost like I've ridden them.
Apart from the lack of sweating, aching muscles and ultimately failure halfway up.
The tour for me. Even on the boring years. Its not just the racing, its the scenery and I still get excited when the itv4 music comes on. I love the Pyrenees stages most.
Then the Giro and then Vuelta. The Critérium du Dauphiné is a favourite too.
Weirdly enough I've tried road biking so many times and just don't get on with it but I do love the aesthetics of a road bike.
Road bikes in general are just stunning.