Best day of 2013?

[burning]

I just wanted to make a poll to get the forum's opinion about best racing in 2013. I made a short list of honorable mentions but there are only 9 slots for poll options, so feel free to disagree with me.
(The list is sorted by race date, my vote goes to echelon stage in TDF)

Honorable mentions:

Whole Tour of Oman
Strade Bianche
Roma Maxima
E3 Harelbeke
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Giro d'Italia, Stage 20
Vuelta a España, Stage 14
World Championships RR

 

[Netserk]

E3 ~70 -> ~30km to go.

 

[jsem94]

Tirreno stage.

 

[burning]

E3 ~70 -> ~30km to go.

Yeah, E3 was very exciting until Cancellara went away

 

[SafeBet]

Sant'Elpidio and it's not even close.

 

[Pentacycle]

 

[The Hitch]

I just wanted to make a poll to get the forum's opinion about best racing in 2013. I made a short list of honorable mentions but there are only 9 slots for poll options, so feel free to disagree with me.
(The list is sorted by race date, my vote goes to echelon stage in TDF)

Honorable mentions:

Whole Tour of Oman
Strade Bianche
Roma Maxima
E3 Harelbeke
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Giro d'Italia, Stage 20
Vuelta a España, Stage 14
World Championships RR

Ok I guess TDF echelon stage I can see why people enjoyed it (though Imo at the end of the day anyone who didn't know deep down it had absolutely no impact on GC since Froome still had a huge margin and was clearly the best person in the race, was just deluding themselves)

And Oman had a certain thrill to it when Contador attacked 20k out or whatever but aside from that how are any of these better than Paris Roubaix?

Vuelta stage 14? Im guessing thats the one where Nibali cracked first. Ok sprint from Barguil vs Uran but 3k out nothing had happened.

Kadri's solo break and a sprint for 2nd? Was it that special?

Moser Moreno from 10k out on Strade Bianchi. 10k of good racing but again, everyone else just did a sprint up the final climb?

Liege which was the usual nothing until final few k? I remember tuning in with 15k to go as I had an essay i was doing, asked what had happened and it turned out - nothing yet.

Giro 20? what the one where they softpedalled for 200k then went up the mountain, Nibali attacked with 3k to go?

Worlds RR? Where 1 lap from the end after 260km everyone was still yawning and only the final couple of km of the final fiesole ascent produced anything.

E3 Harelbeke? Same winner but less exciting.

 

[burning]

snip

Paris-Roubaix is in the poll, so it is better than everything in second list.

 

[Netserk]

E3 Harelbeke? Same winner but less exciting.

 

[rghysens]

1) PR
2) stage 13 TDF
3) stage 6 T-A

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Tirreno stage is my favourite moment.

 

[SKSemtex]

some other nice races


T-A epic stage 6 + stage 3 (Sagan beating Cav for the first time )

Brabantse Pijl - nice atacks on the end by Greg Van Avermaet and Gilbert but Sagan was just too strong that day

G-V

Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, Prix Cycliste de Québec - both races were pretty exciting

 

[LaFlorecita]

This definitely _O_

 

[ColAgnel]

Paris - Roubaix was the best race of the year. Exiting from the very first beginning although it missed Tom Boonen to make it even more special.
I also think Le Grand Prix du Québec was very good racing and could easily fit on the list. Great, tough uphill sprint.
Stage 20 of Le Tour de France, to Annecy Semnoz, was also good.

 

[fraserhughes]

T-A Stage 6 for me.

Honorary mention to Tony Martin's solo break in the Vuelta and Stage 9 at the tour - would have better imho had the outcome been different but still exciting racing.

 

[SKSemtex]

I am posting the one of the best for Cadence (wer is he/she? - I miss him, her )

 

[Peccio89]

Paris-Roubaix, and without the Aussie fun it would have been even better.

 

[Ruudz0r]

For me TA stage 6 + TDF stage 9 (the first 3 hours of the race or so where Froome got Isolated and Garmin went crazy).

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Rund um Frankfurt was good (any race where you can't tell whether Pozzovivo or Greipel will finish first even with 200m to go has got its balance right). Also Monte Beigua was very good, and Pola de Lena if only for sentimental reasons. Beñat Intxausti's Giro stage, similarly. Also while the spectacle wasn't up to much the final TT in the Volta a Portugal was pretty tense with still 3 riders able to win (4 before it was clear that an extra GC-relevant day was too much for Hernâni Brôco's recuperation again). So much top level racing I didn't watch this year though. From the list, more than likely Roubaix, since I didn't watch Tirreno-Adriatico.

 

[JRanton]

1. Tirreno stage 6
2. Tour stage 13
3. The Bonascre Massacre

 

[JRanton]

some other nice races


T-A epic stage 6 + stage 3 (Sagan beating Cav for the first time )

Brabantse Pijl - nice atacks on the end by Greg Van Avermaet and Gilbert but Sagan was just too strong that day

G-V

Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, Prix Cycliste de Québec - both races were pretty exciting

I've noticed a trend in these races.

 

[Afrank]

Paris-Roubaix easily, by far some of the best racing we've had this year.
2nd TA stage.
3rd MSR.

Also enjoyed the echelon stage, Nibali on Tre Cime, Quintana on Annecy, Phinney's solo at Pologne, Martin's solo, Nibali and Horner battling it out on Angliru, and Roma Maxima.

 

[The Hitch]

I just checked the Tirreno stage on youtube. With 15k and like 20 minutes to go its all still together.

And after Nibali breaks away and Murito joins him and Sagan, the outcome is settled. Its not like the last 5k were - omg who is going to win this. it was obvious Nibali would take the gc and Sagan would take the stage.

A few years ago that wouldnt have even been remembered. The only reason it is is because people are so biased against Sky, in favour of Nibali, and cycling has been so crap recently well take anything whatsoever.

Still compared to Paris Roubaix its like 2010 Giro vs 2011 Tour of Beijing.

There Cancellara looked out of it at various points (30k to go when he went back to the car. When he failed to drop Stybar or Vanmarke and OPQS had 2 riders in the group. When they approached the sprint and Vanmarke had the rep as a better sprinter). It was way further out, a way more important race and way more OMG moments.

Poll says 2013

 

[SafeBet]

I just checked the Tirreno stage on youtube. With 15k and like 20 minutes to go its all still together.

All still together? There were maybe 40 riders including the ones in the breakaway.

It was raced full gas from the get go.

 

[Pippo_San]

To me it's the start of the season as a whole.
Best start in years, even Paris-Nice was entertaining (and that says a lot in itself).

Considering the poll I split my vote between the Porto Sant'Elpidio Stage at T-A and Milano-Sanremo, exciting moments also on the forum