2nd at Le Tour vs 1st at Il Giro.

[Havetts]

That would suck indeed, because now there's still the possibility for us Dutchies to watch it on Sporza.

Only way to follow something besides the monuments, a few spring classics and the Tour.. And Belgian commentary is awesome, theyre very knowledgeable and Flemish is such a nice version/dialect/(language ) when you compare it to Dutch. I always enjoy hearing Flemish commentary.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

I guess it all comes down on how you define prestige. And for this question it also depends on the timescale you put on it. In my opinion it is something like this:
1 year: 2nd Tour > 1st Giro
5 years: 2nd Tour = 1st Giro
10 years: 2nd Tour < 1st Giro
I'm basing this on the general public, since it is the general public that defines prestige, not the hardcore fans. A second place will get you lots of media attention, lots of sponsor interest and a nice salary raise. Far more so than winning the Giro would, unless you are Italian. The general public will have a far better idea who got second in the Tour than who won the Giro. Prestige in my opinion means attention given. The attention to anything in the Tour is far bigger than anything that happens in any other race. What a cycling team eats the day before a stage is more important than who won a stage at the Giro. Of course that is talking from a general public point of view and not my personal opinion.
However as time goes by, palmarès gets more important. Your second place in the Tour will be forgotten faster than your win in the Giro. The more times goes by, the more important your win becomes.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You can always use ETB. That broadcasts the Spanish stage races either live or in highlight form, the one-day races in highlights, San Sebastián live and highlights of some otherwise hard to find races like Montepaschi Strade Bianche.

Now they've set up the excellent video replay facility you can rewatch them to this day.

 

[theyoungest]

Also Italy

I hear its big there

Ya think

Also in Spain Giro was big especially as Contador was doing it. El Pais had the Giro as one of its 3 main stories on the website every day during the race. Veo7 one of the main channels - which does Barca Real games, covered it.

Well, tell that to Contador, who says he'll never do the Giro again... probably not because he thinks it's that prestigious.

Denmark or at least the one town is forking out 2 mil to stage the Giro. I know its not big in Holland but that Amsterdam prologue had some of the best crowds ive ever seen and then they said they had 800 thou spectators for the 2nd stage too.

Dutchies will show up for any kind of sports event, if you tell them it's important.

 

[Arnout]

For most cycling fans/telespectators is like this:
Tour winner
Cavendish
Tour Podium
Thor Hushovd
Cancellara
Polka Dot
That guy who was hit by a car
That guy who won al Alpe d'Huez
..
The guy who got caught
..
Sean Kelly (or the comentators of their country)
..
Kenny
....
Giro Winner

For most people? Not in my country.

 

[El Pistolero]

For most people? Not in my country.

Obviously Johnny Hoogerland, Kolobnev and Pierre Rolland are a bigger cyclist than Philippe Gilbert. His post is one big factual statement.

Didn't you know people who watch the Tour on TV only know the guys who win sprints on flat stages and guys who win an mythical climbs? They, for some reason, are incapable of knowing anybody else during a Tour. It's one of the big mysteries of life.

 

[Havetts]

Obviously Johnny Hoogerland, Kolobnev and Pierre Rolland are a bigger cyclist than Philippe Gilbert. His post is one big factual statement.

Can't you mention someone else then Gilbert or Contador once, I know its hard. Give it a try, maybe it feels good...

 

[El Pistolero]

Can't you mention someone else then Gilbert or Contador once, I know its hard. Give it a try, maybe it feels good...

Just ignore me because in all honesty all you can do is whine like a little baby. Bye.

 

[The Hitch]

Can't you mention someone else then Gilbert or Contador once, I know its hard. Give it a try, maybe it feels good...

Contador would have been the better example

Ya think


Well, tell that to Contador, who says he'll never do the Giro again... probably not because he thinks it's that prestigious.


Dutchies will show up for any kind of sports event, if you tell them it's important.

Contador says a lot of things and contradicts himself. He said that but then he also said another time that its his favourite race and hell do it again in 2 or 3 years.

Just like he said Angiliru was harder than 2 months later said Zoncolan was harder despite not doing either in that period.

As for dutchies, well still the crowds were immense. In britain they wouldnt have got much more than the water careers on the road.

Also in Britain many papers didnt even mention Weylands death, to show just how different it is in this country.

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador would have been the better example

No it wouldn't. Read the post I quoted again: it mentions Tour winner and Giro winner. Contador is both. So he was included on his list.

Name me the 4 best cyclists that are still active. You'll see that 3 of them are mentioned on his list

 

[theyoungest]

As for dutchies, well still the crowds were immense. In britain they wouldnt have got much more than the water careers on the road.

Just bring the Giro start to London.

Crowds at for instance the Eneco Tour are much different, trust me

For most people? Not in my country.

You mean the Dutch don't rate Kenny above *random Giro winner*? Wouldn't be surprised if they do. If only because they don't know who this Giro winner (say, Basso) is.

 

[The Hitch]

No it wouldn't. Read the post I quoted again: it mentions Tour winner and Giro winner. Contador is both. So he was included on his list.

Name me the 4 best cyclists that are still active. You'll see that 3 of them are mentioned on his list

Contador is a Tour winner but he is not the Tour winner. Tour winner on the list means Cadel. Contador is Giro winner.

He is under "guy who won Alpe" - Rolland, so it would have been reasonable for you to laugh at the idea that Pierre Rolland is more famous than Contador.

 

[The Hitch]

Just bring the Giro start to London.

Crowds at for instance the Eneco Tour are much different, trust me

No one would know what it is. TDF got less crowds in London than Giro in Amsterdam and in Giro Amsterdam it was pretty crappy weather and I couldn't see a sport on the road not filled by crowds. Even all the overpasses were full.

Giro crowds for a london prologue would be crap.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

No it wouldn't. Read the post I quoted again: it mentions Tour winner and Giro winner. Contador is both. So he was included on his list.

Name me the 4 best cyclists that are still active. You'll see that 3 of them are mentioned on his list

Valentino Rossi
Chris Hoy
Alberto Contador
Marianne Vos

what do I win?

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador is a Tour winner but he is not the Tour winner. Tour winner on the list means Cadel. Contador is Giro winner.

He is under "guy who won Alpe" - Rolland, so it would have been reasonable for you to laugh at the idea that Pierre Rolland is more famous than Contador.

No, it just mentions Tour winner. You're a Tour winner for life. If it said "the" Tour winner then yes, but it does not specify. Besides, my post was sarcasm. Don't know why you guys take it so seriously lol(the post I quoted was probably a joke as well by the way).

 

[The Hitch]

Valentino Rossi

Id say you are a hypocrite for taking the **** out of Guardini for not being able to climb a hill and then you post this.

No, it just mentions Tour winner. You're a Tour winner for life. If it said "the" Tour winner then yes, but it does not specify. Besides, my post was sarcasm. Don't know why you guys take it so seriously lol(the post I quoted was probably a joke as well by the way).

And my post was a joke too.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Ya think


Well, tell that to Contador, who says he'll never do the Giro again... probably not because he thinks it's that prestigious.


Dutchies will show up for any kind of sports event, if you tell them it's important.

He said he wasn't going to do it next year. Not that he would never do it again

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Id say you are a hypocrite for taking the **** out of Guardini for not being able to climb a hill and then you post this.

Rossi could climb a hill on a bike if it had an engine. Guardini? Jury's still out.

 

[BroDeal]

These days winning the Giro is better than winning the Tour. Unlike the Tour, the Giro uses a real GT route.

 

[airstream]

I think, such a route is worth to be used about once in 15-20 years. Who knows, possibly the lack of really hard climbs will make them act more decisively on the available ones. On the other hand, the likes such as Wiggins or Menchov have an unique chance to podium or win accordingly. The Giro '09 route frustrated me much more than this one. That was a total mockery.

 

[theyoungest]

No one would know what it is. TDF got less crowds in London than Giro in Amsterdam and in Giro Amsterdam it was pretty crappy weather and I couldn't see a sport on the road not filled by crowds. Even all the overpasses were full.

They really do make it look good on television

It was crowded, but not that crowded. Unlike the Grand Départ in Rotterdam.

 

[El Pistolero]

They really do make it look good on television

It was crowded, but not that crowded. Unlike the Grand Départ in Rotterdam.

Yeah, I was there at both. It was pretty crazy. Next year I'll go again in Liège. Gotta love these Tour starts close to home.

 

[The Hitch]

Yeah, I was there at both. It was pretty crazy. Next year I'll go again in Liège. Gotta love these Tour starts close to home.

No doubt you will go to the Vuelta depart in Holland in a couple of years

They really do make it look good on television

It was crowded, but not that crowded. Unlike the Grand Départ in Rotterdam.

You cant really tell if your there either because you dont see all 8k just a section. I think the tv is as good a guide as any and it seemed Amsterdam was just as packed as Rotterdam.

 

[El Pistolero]

No doubt you will go to the Vuelta depart in Holland in a couple of years



You cant really tell if your there either because you dont see all 8k just a section. I think the tv is as good a guide as any and it seemed Amsterdam was just as packed as Rotterdam.

Only if Contador starts

 

[theyoungest]

You cant really tell if your there either because you dont see all 8k just a section. I think the tv is as good a guide as any and it seemed Amsterdam was just as packed as Rotterdam.

You just need to look at the numbers to know that isn't true. But who cares, it worked on tv, apparently.