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

[Libertine Seguros]

Winners go into the history books. Second places get forgotten, unless they become famous more for what they didn't achieve than what they did (see: Poulidor, Raymond).

Was Ullrich a better GT rider than people who won Giri and Vueltas when he was around? Certainly. But we know that now, because we're the ones that watched Ullrich race. 2nd place doesn't get a jersey to keep on the wall, 2nd place doesn't get mentioned when people are just flicking through the record books 20-30 years down the line.

In the here and now, 2nd in the Tour may be more prestigious than a Vuelta win. Arguably. But come 20-30 years' time, when it's no longer a memory but a legacy, a victory in one of the other GTs will always be more valuable.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

the last attack of il pirata was on cascata del toce i think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q20N04Rxw34

gibo said him and pantani were never friends,but rivals.
that wasn't the age of holding hands to the finish line and kissing on the mouth after the finish.
martinelli(then saeco's director not anymore pantani's) shouted in gibo's ears all those km in the cascata del toce stage to let pantani go,let pantani go,let him win the stage.
gibo didn't listen,why?because there was also a pantani age when he used to ridicule them all,giro 1999,il pirata massacred all of them in every mountain stage.the rumours were that he might have attacked even on the mortirolo,the stage after campiglio where everything ended.
i don't even think pantani needed a gift,champions don't need that(see his reaction after ventoux 2000).nobody knows if that victory could have change his tragic destiny...

of course u are right but he finished outside of the top 10 in this stage...thats why i said zoncalan stage is the last try coz he finished 5th..anyways its sad either ways...what a legend!!

 

[Nikoloz]

more interesting I think...

2 giro wins (?) 1 tour win

A) >
B) =
C) <


I don't have an answer yet...

 

[El Pistolero]

more interesting I think...

2 giro wins (?) 1 tour win

A) >
B) =
C) <


I don't have an answer yet...

2 Giro wins > 1 Tour win

A Giro+ Vuelta win in the same year > 1 Tour win(who won Velo d'Or that year: Sastre or Contador? )

 

[Nikoloz]

2 Giro wins > 1 Tour win

A Giro+ Vuelta win in the same year > 1 Tour win(who won Velo d'Or that year: Sastre or Contador? )

it's more like Basso Vs. Evans

or Simoni Vs. Sastre

(-:

if think this way...

A...!!!

 

[pedaling squares]

Libertine beat me to it, I also think that history remembers winners and not runners-up. But the TDF brings more publicity and thus sponsors and salary dollars, so Schleck benefits more from his 2nd place finishes. Another point is the quality of the field. Recent Gira have had high quality fields, those victories were very prestigious. But if everyone who's anyone skips Italy and goes to France in a given year, the Giro victory will be less valued. Poor Andy, that would be his luck - win a GT over a mediocre field and be heckled here as King of the Dipshits.

 

[LaFlorecita]

more interesting I think...

2 giro wins (?) 1 tour win

A) >
B) =
C) <


I don't have an answer yet...

A) >
Now you have your answer.

 

[Nikoloz]

A) >
Now you have your answer.

yes...

1 tour win...




this time 4 shure...

 

[rzombie1988]

Andy should go for the Giro, but he won't. He will settle for 4th or 5th at the tour instead, and that's in the best situation.

 

[auscyclefan94]

2 Giro wins > 1 Tour win

A Giro+ Vuelta win in the same year > 1 Tour win(who won Velo d'Or that year: Sastre or Contador? )

Again, winning the tour is harder to win than the giro but winning two giro's is a bigger acheivement than winning 1 tour amongst the real fans (such as the ones on CNF)

 

[El Pistolero]

Again, winning the tour is harder to win than the giro but winning two giro's is a bigger acheivement than winning 1 tour amongst the real fans (such as the ones on CNF)

For Contador the Tour in 2009 sure looked a lot easier than the Giro in 2011

 

[Walkman]

Again, winning the tour is harder to win than the giro but winning two giro's is a bigger acheivement than winning 1 tour amongst the real fans (such as the ones on CNF)

Personally I'd rather win the Tour once than the Giro twice just as I'd rather win one olympic gold (in "my" sport) than two world championships. Just my two cents...

 

[auscyclefan94]

Personally I'd rather win the Tour once than the Giro twice just as I'd rather win one olympic gold (in "my" sport) than two world championships. Just my two cents...

You'd rather win the Olympics over the WC? Personally I don't rate the Olympics in cycling. My view is that a cyclist would rather win a GT, the rainbow jersey or a monument than a gold medal. I guess in the media the olympics is a bigger so you do have a point.

 

[jamiephillips]

Haven't read the whole thread but I reckon that there's a good few winners of the Giro who wouldn't come second in the Tour. Well loads in fact, Menchov, Cunego, Moser, Saronni, Di Luca, Bugno blah blah blah, ok Bugno came second in the tour but what about Visentini and Chioccioli, Hampsten etc, etc...... Basso, Binda......etc..
So historically speaking I reckon they're about even....

 

[The Hitch]

You'd rather win the Olympics over the WC? Personally I don't rate the Olympics in cycling. My view is that a cyclist would rather win a GT, the rainbow jersey or a monument than a gold medal. I guess in the media the olympics is a bigger so you do have a point.

he said hed rather win the olympics in his sport. We dont know what that is but maybe walkman can tell us. Personaly though I think the Gold medal in olympics is big. It had possibly the best startting line up for any race in ages.

 

[El Pistolero]

he said hed rather win the olympics in his sport. We dont know what that is but maybe walkman can tell us. Personaly though I think the Gold medal in olympics is big. It had possibly the best startting line up for any race in ages.

I don't think there were many differences with the line up of LBL that year.

Contador perhaps, but was clearly not good enough and contend to do domestique work instead.

edit: Samu didn't enter LBL in 2008. And Cancellara.

 

[The Hitch]

I don't think there were many differences with the line up of LBL that year.

Contador perhaps, but was clearly not good enough and contend to do domestique work instead.

Look who came 1st. More importantly look who came 3rd /2nd.

Also the holders of all 3 grand Tours. Thats rare.

It was a combination of all types of riders, taking the trip to the Orient to be a part of the Greatest sporting event on the planet.

 

[El Pistolero]

Look who came 1st. More importantly look who came 3rd /2nd.

Also the holders of all 3 grand Tours. Thats rare.

It was a combination of all types of riders, taking the trip to the Orient to be a part of the Greatest sporting event on the planet.

We might get a similar field at the Worlds this year. I've already heard Contador and the Schlecks talk about it.

 

[The Hitch]

As to the importance or non of, of the olympics, well, Im not sure that Vuelta or even Giro winners get this reception upon landing at their home airport after the victory.

Or neccesarily get to do this at the nou camp the week after.

 

[The Hitch]

Or this at the Valencia racetrack.

 

[Walkman]

You'd rather win the Olympics over the WC? Personally I don't rate the Olympics in cycling. My view is that a cyclist would rather win a GT, the rainbow jersey or a monument than a gold medal. I guess in the media the olympics is a bigger so you do have a point.

he said hed rather win the olympics in his sport. We dont know what that is but maybe walkman can tell us. Personaly though I think the Gold medal in olympics is big. It had possibly the best startting line up for any race in ages.

As Hitch points out I did not mean cycling. I think I'd rather wear the rainbow jersey than win the Olympics in cycling but since I am into alpine skiing fist hand, hence I said my sport, I'd rather win the Olympics than be a two time world champion in alpine skiing.

But I agree with Hitch on this one. The Olympics is a big thing and for that very reason I do rate Sammy very high. The man has got an Olympic gold and I respect that. I'd rather have that than a Vuelta victory. But I guess it's kind of personally what victories people rate and don't rate.

 

[El Pistolero]

edit: for some reason I didn't see a picture when you first posted.

Where's that pic from anyway?

 

[The Hitch]

edit: for some reason I didn't see a picture when you first posted.

Where's that pic from anyway?

I said the Nou Camp. Its Barcelona's stadium

 

[El Pistolero]

I wonder who won the F1 car or Samu

 

[The Hitch]

I wonder who won the F1 car or Samu

Well Voeckler couldnt even beat a horse.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voeckler-loses-out-to-trotting-horse

Gadret did though, which furthers his case for being on the list of best all rounders