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

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

He didnt win but he beat Canc as Federer finished 3rd and Cancellara finished 5th

http://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/sport/Ueberflieger_Ammann_symbolisiert_Sportjahr_2010.html?cid=29101340

The point about San Sebastian was not comparing it to the Worlds, but rather a rebuttal to the idea that riders doing the Olympics with "The Tour in their legs" is a sign of weakness. I was arguing that, San Sebastian, Dauphine, Worlds, etc prove that riders are still on peak if they do a race in the weeks following a GT.

And Cadel, well he hardly got a heros reception coming home with the Rainbow jersey did he?

As for the rest, well agree to disagree. I think in most countries an olympic gold would be better welcomed than a rainbow jersey, especially since its seen as the pinnacle of sporting achievement, and whatsmore, the 4 year reigning champion period greatly trumps the 12 month one offered by the stripes.

Most countries would probably value the olympics higher, maybe, maybe not.

But the individual and the ones involved I think would value the stripes.

But yeah it all comes down to opinions.

 

[jamiephillips]

Didn't Rebellin say that getting a silver in the Olympic road race was for him, the equal of winning a classic?

 

[El Pistolero]

He didnt win but he beat Canc as Federer finished 3rd and Cancellara finished 5th

http://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/sport/Ueberflieger_Ammann_symbolisiert_Sportjahr_2010.html?cid=29101340

The point about San Sebastian was not comparing it to the Worlds, but rather a rebuttal to the idea that riders doing the Olympics with "The Tour in their legs" is a sign of weakness. I was arguing that, San Sebastian, Dauphine, Worlds, etc prove that riders are still on peak if they do a race in the weeks following a GT.

And Cadel, well he hardly got a heros reception coming home with the Rainbow jersey did he?

As for the rest, well agree to disagree. I think in most countries an olympic gold would be better welcomed than a rainbow jersey, especially since its seen as the pinnacle of sporting achievement, and whatsmore, the 4 year reigning champion period greatly trumps the 12 month one offered by the stripes.

It depends on the cyclist. Phil values the rainbow jersey a lot higher than Olympic gold for example(and don't for one second think that Olympic gold is not big in a country like Belgium, it's huge).

What you seem to forget is Cancellara had a killer year in 2008, maybe even more so then in 2010. He won Milan-San Remo, got Olympic gold in the time trial, Olympic bronze in the road race, bronze at Paris-Roubaix, won Tirreno-Adriatico, won 2 stages in the Vuelta, etc

For any rider you'll get more benefits from the rainbow jersey than the Olympic gold. It doesn't make any difference what one's country thinks, he'll still reap the benefits from the jersey even if no one in his home country knows him. World champions get a lot more media attention than Olympic champions in cycling.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Didn't Rebellin say that getting a silver in the Olympic road race was for him, the equal of winning a classic?

He also said his silver was a victory for clean cycling, so I wouldn't trust everything Davide Rebellin says.

 

[The Hitch]

He also said his silver was a victory for clean cycling, so I wouldn't trust everything Davide Rebellin says.

David is entitled to his opinion

The fact that he was caught lying with motive does not give you justification in an unrelated matter, does not give you justification to dismiss his own opinions.

 

[Gregory]

Some valuable insights in this thread into unwritten and sort of implicit hierarchy of achievements in the Grand Tours.

To add a couple of my thoughts:

Giro win is indeed in my opinion more prestigious than coming second at the Tour, although in most of the cases, being second at the Tour is more difficult to achieve. Time works in favor of the Giro winner however, and as the years go by, the winners are remembered more, and the second places - not so much. That is why guys like Gibo or Savoldelli will ultimately go down as bigger legends than guys like Leipheimer or Beloki or Kloeden

But to put Giro in a proper position in respect to the Tour:

Tour 3rd >>> Giro 2nd
Tour top 10 GC > Giro stage win
Tour stage win > any place in Giro top 10 outside podium
Green or Polka dot jersey > any place in Giro top 10 outside podium, probably on par with 2nd or 3rd place at the Giro IMO
One day in yellow jersey > winning any of the remaining Giro jerseys with the exception of pink (i.e. ciclamino, green, young rider, most active etc.)

So, as we see, winning the Giro holds a very big prestige, but the value of other achievements in the Giro doesn't stand very high compared to the Tour...

 

[jamiephillips]

He also said his silver was a victory for clean cycling, so I wouldn't trust everything Davide Rebellin says.

Don't worry I won't, but he did also win some classics so I'm going to trust his evaluation of the olympic silver that I mentioned!!