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Best race you ever seen

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Since I started to watch the giro one year too late (2011) the best gt I have ever seen was the giro last year. Races like the Vuelta 2011 were closer but if I remember correctly there weren't any stages with action for more than a few kilometers on a mtf.
I think the people who dislike last years giro, do so because there wasnt a close battle till the end, but they forget that the crucial aprica stage came on stage 16, that on the first 15 stages almost every day something exciting happened and that even after the gc was more or less over, there were still some absolutely great stages. (Contador's crazy revenge attack on stage 18 anyone?)
Lets say stage 17 would have gone over Moncenisio and Contador would already have cracked there, last years giro maybe would have been even better but still it was definitely the best gt since I watch cycling.
 
Mar 14, 2016
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Gigs_98 said:
Since I started to watch the giro one year too late (2011) the best gt I have ever seen was the giro last year. Races like the Vuelta 2011 were closer but if I remember correctly there weren't any stages with action for more than a few kilometers on a mtf.
Ain't that the story of the Vuelta over the last few years?
 
CheckMyPecs said:
Gigs_98 said:
Since I started to watch the giro one year too late (2011) the best gt I have ever seen was the giro last year. Races like the Vuelta 2011 were closer but if I remember correctly there weren't any stages with action for more than a few kilometers on a mtf.
Ain't that the story of the Vuelta over the last few years?
Right, but many people here really seem to love these races. Even the vuelta 2012, 2013 and 2014 which are liked by the vast majority of cycling fans were mostly boring for me. The Vuelta 2012 had one epic stage, the mtf's in 2013 were all raced so alike that I can't find one single stage which will really stay in my memory and 2014 where everyone freaked out about the battle between froome and Contador was also pretty boring to me because there wasnt one single time in which I had the feeling Froome could maybe beat Bertie.

Last year was basically the first time I saw gc action in a vuelta early in a stage (stages 11 and 20) and I would definitely say that the Vuelta last year was also the best vuelta I have ever seen.
 
I can't understand one can enjoy a stage race above a classic but well it's the way it is apparently.

Paris-Roubaix 1992 (was not a particular fan of Duclos-Lassalle but it was my first Paris-Roubaix ever since and a passion was born, for an 8 year old kid, it was fascinating), 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016.

Cyclocrosses of Koksijde 2008, of Overijse 2008, World Championship 2007, of Roubaix 2009, of Namur 2010.

Paris-Tours 1991 (first ever seen too, another era, starting my fanboyism of Edwig Van Hooydonck and Johan Capiot, though I'm ashamed of the latter one, now. A time Johan Museeuw was impressive without being too clinicked)

Omloop Het Volk 2002 & 2006, Het Nieuwsblad 2011 (because of Sep)

Tro Bro Léon 2011 (I haven't seen live the one that Mourey won but saw it the next evening, so I can't count it in too.)

Milan-Sanremo 2003 & 2008. Championship of Zurich 2005 (but well perhaps some other sections suit those better).

Fléron-Fléron, queen stage of the Tour of Belgium 2009 (Bert De Waele wins, battle between Boom & Albert)

Stage 1 of the 2010 Tour of Belgium (Gilbert winning in a long-range attack on a panflat echelon rainy stage)

Stage 8 of the Tour of Switzerland 2007 (Cancellara's 5km attack, battle with Gilbert).
 
Echoes said:
I can't understand one can enjoy a stage race above a classic but well it's the way it is apparently.

Paris-Roubaix 1992 (was not a particular fan of Duclos-Lassalle but it was my first Paris-Roubaix ever since and a passion was born, for an 8 year old kid, it was fascinating), 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016.

Cyclocrosses of Koksijde 2008, of Overijse 2008, World Championship 2007, of Roubaix 2009, of Namur 2010.

Paris-Tours 1991 (first ever seen too, another era, starting my fanboyism of Edwig Van Hooydonck and Johan Capiot, though I'm ashamed of the latter one, now. A time Johan Museeuw was impressive without being too clinicked)

Omloop Het Volk 2002 & 2006, Het Nieuwsblad 2011 (because of Sep)

Tro Bro Léon 2011 (I haven't seen live the one that Mourey won but saw it the next evening, so I can't count it in too.)

Milan-Sanremo 2003 & 2008. Championship of Zurich 2005 (but well perhaps some other sections suit those better).

Fléron-Fléron, queen stage of the Tour of Belgium 2009 (Bert De Waele wins, battle between Boom & Albert)

Stage 1 of the 2010 Tour of Belgium (Gilbert winning in a long-range attack on a panflat echelon rainy stage)

Stage 8 of the Tour of Switzerland 2007 (Cancellara's 5km attack, battle with Gilbert).

That was such a surprise, Echoes! I had never imagined you didnt enjoy the GT's over the classics.
 
2011 Tour.

Other than the 2010 Giro there has not been a GT with so many riders in and about the top 5 who you could say could win.

At that time we all still believed Contador could attack on one stage because we had never seen him fail.

Andy's huge attack/

Even sammy sancez attacked from afar

Cadels mechanical and chase

Voecklar

Last GT without any team having more than a singular domestique, Still amazed teams didnt have any good team mates.
 
Mainly because the first week and a half was garbage with nothing but crashes to cause GC gaps and loads of contenders and domestiques were eliminated by the demolition derby cos of the backloading meaning everybody was still trying to protect everybody ten days in, and the 2010 Spa stage was raced harder than the Pyrenées.

The last week of the 2011 Tour was great, but that's all. It was the best Dauphiné I've ever seen, but as a Grand Tour it's massively overrated.
 
Re:

Libertine Seguros said:
Mainly because the first week and a half was garbage with nothing but crashes to cause GC gaps and loads of contenders and domestiques were eliminated by the demolition derby cos of the backloading meaning everybody was still trying to protect everybody ten days in, and the 2010 Spa stage was raced harder than the Pyrenées.

The last week of the 2011 Tour was great, but that's all. It was the best Dauphiné I've ever seen, but as a Grand Tour it's massively overrated.

Still much better than the 2014 Tour ! 2012 Vuelta was a good one also 2007 Tour and 2010 Tour as far as recent GTs go along with 2016 PR and maybe the 2010 Giro.
 
Criterium du Dauphine 2014, final stage.

Contador and Froome allowed 3rd placed Talansky to get into the break. Then they spent all day chasing in miserable weather. Froome cracked badly and Contador rode the last 2 hours out of his saddle trying to make up the 40s deficit...but never did. It was the most exciting bike race I had ever seen...until this year's Roubaix.
 
Re:

QuickZulu said:
Criterium du Dauphine 2014, final stage.

Contador and Froome allowed 3rd placed Talansky to get into the break. Then they spent all day chasing in miserable weather. Froome cracked badly and Contador rode the last 2 hours out of his saddle trying to make up the 40s deficit...but never did. It was the most exciting bike race I had ever seen...until this year's Roubaix.

Welcome to the forum! :)

The final stage in the 2014 Dauphine was brilliant, indeed, though I'm not quite sure where you get that 40s time-gap between Talansky and Contador from :p Contador attacked and was roughly 2 minutes behind Talansky with 20 km left of the stage, ultimately finishing 1:06 behind Talansky on the stage. (or do you mean 40 seconds in the overall GC?)
 

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