Best stage in modern cycling

[will10]

OK, I've chosen the word "best" to be deliberately vague - you decide if it should be best route, best spectacle, best racing, whatever.

"modern cycling" is also deliberately vague, ain't I just the worst? I just wanted to rule out the epic 300km mountain stages that were around in the 40s and 50s.

To kick things off:

Giro d'Italia 2005, Stage 19, Savigliano - Sestriere (Le Valli Olimpiche), 190 km

The stage that had it all, a topsy turvy GC battle, the arrival of a new contender in Rujano, a death-defying descent from Savoldelli to save his maglia rosa, and the discovery of the truely spectacular Colle delle Finestre.

Also rather poignantly one of the last times we saw Gilberto Simoni at his very best, barring his Zoncolan victory in 2007.

For your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xOJniKOuCs

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I call stage 7, best one I remember

 

[The Hitch]

Mortirolo 2010.

 

[airstream]

 

[jens_attacks]

2006 tour de france,stage 17

 

[Lupetto]

Easy one...

 

[halamala]

Tour de France 2001, Stage 13, Foix - Saint-Lary-Soulan (Pla d'Adet), 194 km

Col du Portet d'Aspet (2.6 km at 8.6%)
Col de Menté (11.1 km at 6.4%)
Col du Portillon (8.3 km at 7.3%)
Col de Peyresourde (13 km at 7%)
Col de Val Louron-Azet (7.4 km at 8.3%)
Pla d'Adet (10.3 km at 8.3%)

Ullrich attacked. Col de Peyresourde, ascent.

Ullrich. Col de Peyresourde, descent.

Jalabert. Col de Val Louron-Azet, descent.

 

[halamala]

Heras, Armstrong and Ullrich. Beloki dropped. Pla d'Adet.

Ullrich, Heras and Armstrong. Pla d'Adet.

Ullrich attacked. Pla d'Adet.

 

[The Hitch]

You are aware that you chose a stage Contador won?

 

[halamala]

Armstrong attacked. Pla d'Adet.

Armstrong. Pla d'Adet.

Ullrich. Pla d'Adet.


1 Lance Armstrong (USA) US Postal Service 5.44.22 (33.80 km/h)
2 Jan Ullrich (Ger) Telekom 1.00
3 Joseba Beloki (Spa) ONCE-Eroski 1.46
4 Roberto Heras (Spa) US Postal Service
5 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step 2.29
6 Igor Gonzalez De Galdeano (Spa) ONCE-Eroski 2.52
7 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) CSC - Tiscali 3.12
8 Marcos Serrano (Spa) ONCE-Eroski 3.15
9 Inigo Chaureau (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 3.25
10 Andrei Kivilev (Kaz) Cofidis 4.02

 

[The Hitch]

You are aware that you chose a stage Contador won?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

was it stage 14? this year's giro, beautiful.

edit-nope 15.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Mortirolo 2010.

For some obvious reasons, I turned the feed off during that stage.

My favourite...

Amazing stage.

 

[gregrowlerson]

2006 tour de france,stage 17

My favourite stages for the racing ever are probably this and the one before it; stage 16 the Landis crack!

Pla d'Adet stages in '01 & '05 are possibly the best mountain stages ever drawn up at the TDF. I'm not sure why they haven't gone back to it lately. Maybe in 2013?

 

[Eric8-A]

2006 tour de france,stage 17

Even though we know the story behind this, it was still one hell of a stage.

 

[Quixote]

Easy...stage 7 of this year's tour. Check out the profile:


Le Mans______________________/\_______________________Chateauroux

Or was it stage 3?

Olonne sur Mer________________________________________Redon

..

 

[Eric8-A]

2010 Vuelta al Pais Vasco: Stage 5

 

[airstream]

You are aware that you chose a stage Contador won?

Sure. I guess it was the most spectacular MTF as for a real GC fighting. I didn't see any other climb which would be passed at such a furious pace from the base of the ascent to the top. Amazing.

 

[Mellow Velo]

As already posted Colle delle Finestre-Sestrieres 2005 and Mortirolo 2010
ACF's Montalcino pick was another epic, too.

I'd like to add this one, from the 2008 Giro.
Di Luca gambles all. Uses Savoldelli to perfection.
End result: Contador cracks.



Other notable Giro gem, simply because no one expected it to happen.
2003: Stage 10 Montecatini-Faenza and Simoni's Saeco ambush of Garzelli's pink jersey.

Other than the to Alpine stages, this year, nothing really sticks in my mind as far as the Tour is concerned, unless I go back to 1998 and Pantani's pounce on the Galibier
to destroy Jan Ullrich.

Non-GT?
Paris-Nice 2008: Stage 7 - March 14: Manosque - Fayence, 191km
We all know what happened that day.

 

[Tank Engine]

Agree with Will10, the 2005 Giro stage to Sestriere gets my vote. A brilliant climax (maybe the best ever) to a grand tour. The stage Evans won to Montalcino was also great.

I'll throw in another stage to Sestriere, this time in the tour. I'm of an age that allows me to think that 1992 is modern. Chiappucci on the attack all day and Big Mig cracking at the end.

 

[Walkman]

2010 Vuelta al Pais Vasco: Stage 5

Was this the stage when AC, Anton and Mosquerra (?) attacked and then was joined by Soler? Wich resulted in constant attacking until Anton got away? In that case, that was a helluva stage!

 

[The Hitch]

Nah, that was Burgos I think. Pais Vasco stage 5 was... No scrap that.

edit it was the one won by Purito. I dont remember it that well i remember the one from the day before better.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Vuelta al País Vasco 2010 stage 5 was the one with two climbs of the Alto de Aia, with Txurruka attacking the breakaway and J-Rod attacking the bunch, Txurruka crashing in the lead after hitting oil on the descent and nearly being hit by Gesink when he went down a couple of minutes later, Samuel Sánchez attacking the second time around and only Valverde being able to go with him, and Chris Horner dragging himself onto their tail. That was a good stage.

The infamous Contador-breaking stage when Mosquera attacked and Contador and Antón went with him, then Soler put in a herculean effort to bridge, and they wore down and broke Contador, was stage 3 from the 2010 Vuelta a Castilla y León.

The 2010 Vuelta a Burgos had a great stage of its own, the one to Lagunas de Neila, with Caruso leading thanks to the TTT, but Samu, Nibali and Mosquera all close at hand, Igor Antón just a few seconds back, and the four attacking each other. Nibali eventually cracked in the last few hundred metres, and Samu nipped ahead of Mosquera to take the win and the GC by 1 second (they had been tied before then).

Personally, I preferred the same stage in 2009, when Mosquera and Soler broke away on the penultimate, shallow climb to try and make up time, and Danielson was leading. Masciarelli and Tondó went to chase down the leaders, while Valverde and Rodríguez worked Danielson over. Soler had to attack Mosquera once they were clear because he was behind on the GC, and did so over and over again until eventually cracking with 1km to go; Mosquera zipped ahead to win the stage, Soler was caught by Tondó and Masciarelli, and Valverde attacked Danielson to take the GC.

The 2011 stage to Lagunas de Neila was really good too actually. That's just a great setup for racing.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Was this the stage when AC, Anton and Mosquerra (?) attacked and then was joined by Soler? Wich resulted in constant attacking until Anton got away? In that case, that was a helluva stage!

In the snow?
It was the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, 2010: Stage 3 : Leon - Alto del Morredero
http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=17210

 

[sagard]

1988 snowstorm Gavia Stage will never be repeated due to modern concerns over rider safety!