Best Stages/Races

[Forever The Best]

In this thread we post stages of GTs/one-week races or classics/Worlds/Olympics that were great, preferably profile and video of that stage/classic. (preferably from the 21st century but examples like Piau Engaly '99, Selva di Val Gardena '98 should be still allowed )
I start by the most recent stage race example:
Stage 8 Paris-Nice 2017 Nice-Nice 115,5 km

After a great Paris-Nice with 2 echelon stages already making gaps, a short TT with an uphill finish, Mur de Fayence and a HC MTF at Couillole Sergio Henao who was dropped by Contador on Couillole was leading the race with 30 seconds on Dan Martin and 31 seconds to Contador. 8th and the last stage was a short stage that has some dificulties but the reason that this stage delivered was because that the previous days were brutal and that the final climb is not very hard and the distance between final climb and the finish has some false flats so Contador and co. had to attack from the penultimate climb to win the race.
Contador attacked and dropped Henao and the others on La Turbie, and the race went down to the wire with Henao trying to limit his losses on the remaining part of the stage and winning the race with just 2 seconds. What an epic stage and finale that was _O_

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEiu3LA3D-Q

 

[DFA123]

Very nice idea for a thread. One of my all time favourites is the 2001 Giro dell'Emilia. No particular reason why, but I guess it just features an iconic climb(one of the early generation muritos), great camerawork and the great Jan Ullrich sprinting up 14% gradients in the big ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmjUCOwcOT8

 

[shalgo]

Re:

Very nice idea for a thread. One of my all time favourites is the 2001 Giro dell'Emilia. No particular reason why, but I guess it just features an iconic climb(one of the early generation muritos), great camerawork and the great Jan Ullrich sprinting up 14% gradients in the big ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmjUCOwcOT8

Crazy to watch Ullrich vs. Rebellin from 16 years ago and realize that Rebellin is actually two years older than Ulle.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

GW '16 is one of the best races I've seen. Most entertaining too. And no, I wasn't born this millennium.

 

[Red Rick]

Best early season warm up race: Ruta del Sol 2015

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Very nice idea for a thread. One of my all time favourites is the 2001 Giro dell'Emilia. No particular reason why, but I guess it just features an iconic climb(one of the early generation muritos), great camerawork and the great Jan Ullrich sprinting up 14% gradients in the big ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmjUCOwcOT8

Crazy to watch Ullrich vs. Rebellin from 16 years ago and realize that Rebellin is actually two years older than Ulle.

Haha, yes! It's ridiculous that Rebellin was already 30 by then! And he won the same race just three years ago.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

Very nice idea for a thread. One of my all time favourites is the 2001 Giro dell'Emilia. No particular reason why, but I guess it just features an iconic climb(one of the early generation muritos), great camerawork and the great Jan Ullrich sprinting up 14% gradients in the big ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmjUCOwcOT8

Thanks a lot!
Here is another one, again from Paris- Nice:

Paris-Nice 2008 Stage 6 Sisteron-Cannes 206 km

After stage 4 that finished in Mont Serein Gesink took the lead 32 seconds ahead of Rebellin and 35 seconds ahead of Nocentini. After stage 5 going to a breakaway and not a change on overall standings Gesink was still the leader going into stage 6. Rebellin, who was twice a runner-up in this race wasn't wanting to be 2nd again.

On the top of the Col du Tanneron the race exploded with Chavanel, Rebellin, Cunego, LLS and Nocentini attacking. Gesink couldn't react and got passed by lots of riders in the descent got even dropped by Popovych slipped to the 3rd group while the Rebellin group bridges to Julich and Kohl (Rebellin's dom) in the descent. Chavanel attacked in the last km and won the stage. Popo group arrived at 44 seconds with Gesink group arriving at 1'29, 1'23 behind Rebellin and Nocentini as Gesink slipped all the way down to 4th even behind Popo. Rebellin took the GC lead 3 seconds ahead of Nocentini that day and kept his lead on the final stage , finally winnig Course au Soleil.

Couldn't find a video, sorry

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

GW '16 is one of the best races I've seen. Most entertaining too. And no, I wasn't born this millennium.

You mean '15 perhaps? 2016 edition was great as well but 2015 one was even better.
And I don't know what does this have with being born in this millennium?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Not necessarily a truly great stage by any means, but I liked Ax-3-Domaines in 2013. The final climb links perfectly up with Port de Pailheres, one of the best and hardest climbs of the Pyrenees, so it happens occasionally people go bananas there (T-Mobile did in 2005). Quintana attacked there, the first time we saw him on the biggest scene really. Sky dominated the front, but obviously couldn't shut it down on Pailheres.

Once we reached the bottom of Ax-3, Kennaugh gave what was left and Porte killed people. I absolutely love the first MTF of a race when they go this hard, similar to PSM in 2015 or Blockhaus 2017. Evans, A. Schleck, Antón, Purito, gone. Contador in visible trouble and lost 2 minutes in the end, on a really short distance, while Froome caught Quintana who also lost a bunch of time. Valverde proved to be back for good in TdF with a very good performance.

Stars around 20.30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYTawO7FHhs

 

[Forever The Best]

Not necessarily a truly great stage by any means, but I liked Ax-3-Domaines in 2013. The final climb links perfectly up with Port de Pailheres, one of the best and hardest climbs of the Pyrenees, so it happens occasionally people go bananas there (T-Mobile did in 2005). Quintana attacked there, the first time we saw him on the biggest scene really. Sky dominated the front, but obviously couldn't shut it down on Pailheres.

Once we reached the bottom of Ax-3, Kennaugh gave what was left and Porte killed people. I absolutely love the first MTF of a race when they go this hard, similar to PSM in 2015 or Blockhaus 2017. Evans, A. Schleck, Antón, Purito, gone. Contador in visible trouble and lost 2 minutes in the end, on a really short distance, while Froome caught Quintana who also lost a bunch of time. Valverde proved to be back for good in TdF with a very good performance.

Stars around 20.30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYTawO7FHhs

The profile of the stage:

2013 was an extrmely boring TDF with the only great stage being Saint Amand de Montrond one. The MTFs were solid but there wasn't any action elsewhere. The first 7 days were pathetic, riders softpedaled LGB etc.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

2005 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Cangas de Onis - Estación de Esquí Valgrande-Pajáres, 191km
Final climb

The Puerto de Pajáres is a Vuelta classic, back from before the days of mountaintop finishes, but since the establishment of a ski station above it, it was a common stop-off in the race during an era of relative repetition as a number of classic mountains established their mythos. Ironic, then, that Pajáres' most memorable stage came with the decisive moment of the stage already having taken place by the base. A day earlier, Heras, placed 2nd on GC, had thrown everything bar the kitchen sink at race leader Denis Menchov, but the Russian remained iron man, and clung to a 47" gap on the GC. Rabobank's reserves were depleted, but with a 40km time trial to come and some relatively tame stages in the Sierra de Madrid, it would take something audacious to wrest control of the race from Menchov unless it was done on the ensuing stage to Pajáres.

In the end, we got something audacious, on the ensuing stage to Pajáres.

First, Liberty Seguros put Ángel Vicioso and Joseba Beloki in the break of the day. Then Michele Scarponi got into a counter-attack which joined forces with the front group. When a further large group was formed on the Alto de La Collaona, Marcos Serrano marked it. When the leaders hit La Colladiella, a climb which is borderline cat.1/cat.2, the break had five minutes, when Heras attacked, disintegrating the heavily reduced péloton and isolating Menchov along with other heads of state. A further attack near the summit gave him daylight, and then he decided to try to kill himself in pursuit of the Vuelta, descending like a man possessed; at the base of the descent he found his domestiques waiting by their bikes, then Team Time Trialling their way to the front; Menchov by contrast was suffering alone in the valley. Once Serrano and Vicioso had pulled Heras to the front, Beloki and then finally Scarponi took over, setting hellacious pace at the front and shelling numerous contenders as the rain began to tumble. When Boots finally exploded, Heras dropped everybody for good, with only escapees Samuel Sánchez and Javier Pascual within two minutes of him; Menchov lost over 5 minutes, finished alone and despondent, and the course of the Vuelta was changed - forever, for it was after this race that Heras was unceremoniously removed from top level cycling forever, and the lid began to come off the bubbling pot that would become Operación Puerto.

 

[ice&fire]

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

I watched this stage again on youtube some days ago
Unfortunately I couldn't see it live at the time!

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

2005 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Cangas de Onis - Estación de Esquí Valgrande-Pajáres, 191km
Final climb

The Puerto de Pajáres is a Vuelta classic, back from before the days of mountaintop finishes, but since the establishment of a ski station above it, it was a common stop-off in the race during an era of relative repetition as a number of classic mountains established their mythos. Ironic, then, that Pajáres' most memorable stage came with the decisive moment of the stage already having taken place by the base. A day earlier, Heras, placed 2nd on GC, had thrown everything bar the kitchen sink at race leader Denis Menchov, but the Russian remained iron man, and clung to a 47" gap on the GC. Rabobank's reserves were depleted, but with a 40km time trial to come and some relatively tame stages in the Sierra de Madrid, it would take something audacious to wrest control of the race from Menchov unless it was done on the ensuing stage to Pajáres.

In the end, we got something audacious, on the ensuing stage to Pajáres.

First, Liberty Seguros put Ángel Vicioso and Joseba Beloki in the break of the day. Then Michele Scarponi got into a counter-attack which joined forces with the front group. When a further large group was formed on the Alto de La Collaona, Marcos Serrano marked it. When the leaders hit La Colladiella, a climb which is borderline cat.1/cat.2, the break had five minutes, when Heras attacked, disintegrating the heavily reduced péloton and isolating Menchov along with other heads of state. A further attack near the summit gave him daylight, and then he decided to try to kill himself in pursuit of the Vuelta, descending like a man possessed; at the base of the descent he found his domestiques waiting by their bikes, then Team Time Trialling their way to the front; Menchov by contrast was suffering alone in the valley. Once Serrano and Vicioso had pulled Heras to the front, Beloki and then finally Scarponi took over, setting hellacious pace at the front and shelling numerous contenders as the rain began to tumble. When Boots finally exploded, Heras dropped everybody for good, with only escapees Samuel Sánchez and Javier Pascual within two minutes of him; Menchov lost over 5 minutes, finished alone and despondent, and the course of the Vuelta was changed - forever, for it was after this race that Heras was unceremoniously removed from top level cycling forever, and the lid began to come off the bubbling pot that would become Operación Puerto.

That was a great stage indeed. A masterpiece of Liberty Seguros and Heras. Menchov had a very weak team and had to lead his group in the valley and cracked in the end.
It really sucks that we don't have a coverage of the ascent and descent of Colladiella.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

Another awesome pick. Attacks from Giau with the everyone being isolated, riders being dropped/coming back, huge gaps all round with even Contador not flying in the end like he usually did, only arriving 6 seconds ahead of Grande Scarponi.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

2005 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Cangas de Onis - Estación de Esquí Valgrande-Pajáres, 191km
Final climb

The Puerto de Pajáres is a Vuelta classic, back from before the days of mountaintop finishes, but since the establishment of a ski station above it, it was a common stop-off in the race during an era of relative repetition as a number of classic mountains established their mythos. Ironic, then, that Pajáres' most memorable stage came with the decisive moment of the stage already having taken place by the base. A day earlier, Heras, placed 2nd on GC, had thrown everything bar the kitchen sink at race leader Denis Menchov, but the Russian remained iron man, and clung to a 47" gap on the GC. Rabobank's reserves were depleted, but with a 40km time trial to come and some relatively tame stages in the Sierra de Madrid, it would take something audacious to wrest control of the race from Menchov unless it was done on the ensuing stage to Pajáres.

In the end, we got something audacious, on the ensuing stage to Pajáres.

First, Liberty Seguros put Ángel Vicioso and Joseba Beloki in the break of the day. Then Michele Scarponi got into a counter-attack which joined forces with the front group. When a further large group was formed on the Alto de La Collaona, Marcos Serrano marked it. When the leaders hit La Colladiella, a climb which is borderline cat.1/cat.2, the break had five minutes, when Heras attacked, disintegrating the heavily reduced péloton and isolating Menchov along with other heads of state. A further attack near the summit gave him daylight, and then he decided to try to kill himself in pursuit of the Vuelta, descending like a man possessed; at the base of the descent he found his domestiques waiting by their bikes, then Team Time Trialling their way to the front; Menchov by contrast was suffering alone in the valley. Once Serrano and Vicioso had pulled Heras to the front, Beloki and then finally Scarponi took over, setting hellacious pace at the front and shelling numerous contenders as the rain began to tumble. When Boots finally exploded, Heras dropped everybody for good, with only escapees Samuel Sánchez and Javier Pascual within two minutes of him; Menchov lost over 5 minutes, finished alone and despondent, and the course of the Vuelta was changed - forever, for it was after this race that Heras was unceremoniously removed from top level cycling forever, and the lid began to come off the bubbling pot that would become Operación Puerto.

I was literally just about to post this stage. What a stage that was!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8pnzTV_1gs shows the highlights of what happened during the stage, and in decent video quality.

 

[Valv.Piti]

You can basically throw any Mortirolo-Aprica stage in here as well. Of the stages I've seen, 2010 was the best, but also 2015 was pretty amazing.

Another not so spectacular MTF, but a stage which I have really fond memories of, was Courchevel 2005. Keeping the theme of first MTF in Tour de France. Rasmussen was in great shape, the best he had ever been at that point by a mile, while Illes Balears had brought Mancebo and Valverde as a very dangerous two-pronged attack, which to be honest still was very unlikely to really beat Armstrong.

Anyways, after talks of US Postal being in crisis after the stage to Gerardmer that Weening famously won, the train was in full force and dropped people left and right. Vino lost over 5 minutes, T-Mobile disintegrated as a whole, while Basso also had a not so great day. Surprisingly, the only 3 riders to keep up with Armstrong were Michael, Bala (TdF debut) and Mancebo. Valverde beat Armstrong in a brutal sprint on Courchevel and it was glorious and so my love affair truly began.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzeS8JUPh2w&t=2s

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Re: Re:

GW '16 is one of the best races I've seen. Most entertaining too. And no, I wasn't born this millennium.

You mean '15 perhaps? 2016 edition was great as well but 2015 one was even better.
And I don't know what does this have with being born in this millennium?

Yep, '15. My mistake. Time flies.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re: Re:

2005 Vuelta a España, stage 15: Cangas de Onis - Estación de Esquí Valgrande-Pajáres, 191km
Final climb

The Puerto de Pajáres is a Vuelta classic, back from before the days of mountaintop finishes, but since the establishment of a ski station above it, it was a common stop-off in the race during an era of relative repetition as a number of classic mountains established their mythos. Ironic, then, that Pajáres' most memorable stage came with the decisive moment of the stage already having taken place by the base. A day earlier, Heras, placed 2nd on GC, had thrown everything bar the kitchen sink at race leader Denis Menchov, but the Russian remained iron man, and clung to a 47" gap on the GC. Rabobank's reserves were depleted, but with a 40km time trial to come and some relatively tame stages in the Sierra de Madrid, it would take something audacious to wrest control of the race from Menchov unless it was done on the ensuing stage to Pajáres.

In the end, we got something audacious, on the ensuing stage to Pajáres.

First, Liberty Seguros put Ángel Vicioso and Joseba Beloki in the break of the day. Then Michele Scarponi got into a counter-attack which joined forces with the front group. When a further large group was formed on the Alto de La Collaona, Marcos Serrano marked it. When the leaders hit La Colladiella, a climb which is borderline cat.1/cat.2, the break had five minutes, when Heras attacked, disintegrating the heavily reduced péloton and isolating Menchov along with other heads of state. A further attack near the summit gave him daylight, and then he decided to try to kill himself in pursuit of the Vuelta, descending like a man possessed; at the base of the descent he found his domestiques waiting by their bikes, then Team Time Trialling their way to the front; Menchov by contrast was suffering alone in the valley. Once Serrano and Vicioso had pulled Heras to the front, Beloki and then finally Scarponi took over, setting hellacious pace at the front and shelling numerous contenders as the rain began to tumble. When Boots finally exploded, Heras dropped everybody for good, with only escapees Samuel Sánchez and Javier Pascual within two minutes of him; Menchov lost over 5 minutes, finished alone and despondent, and the course of the Vuelta was changed - forever, for it was after this race that Heras was unceremoniously removed from top level cycling forever, and the lid began to come off the bubbling pot that would become Operación Puerto.

I was literally just about to post this stage. What a stage that was!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8pnzTV_1gs shows the highlights of what happened during the stage, and in decent video quality.

Ah, thanks a lot! It seems that Heras couldn't get rid of Menchov on the climb and dropped him on the descent though, which makes it even more impressive imo.

 

[Alexandre B.]

2015 Paris-Nice, stage 6: Vence - Nice, 181,5km

Wet stage, cold stage. Etixx were very aggressive in the climbs and attacked on the descent of Col Saint-Roch with Tony Martin, Michal Golas and world champion Michal Kwiatkowski, wearer of the yellow jersey. Tony Gallopin, the eventual stage winner, was the only rider from the peloton to follow the move.

On the Peille climb, Gallopin distanced Kwiatkowski and the remaining of the break while the Sky duo consisting of Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas worked hard to bring back the attackers. The Pole was eventually caught before the summit but the Frenchman was well ahead. Both Sky riders fell on the descent, bleeding time not only to Gallopin but to the first group of GC chasers represented by Simon Špilak, Rui Costa, Rafael Valls and Jakob Fuglsang.

This stage registered 49 abandons. That was tough.

A brief summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhd51bWvIhs

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

2015 Paris-Nice, stage 6: Vence - Nice, 181,5km

Wet stage, cold stage. Etixx were very aggressive in the climbs and attacked on the descent of Col Saint-Roch with Tony Martin, Michal Golas and world champion Michal Kwiatkowski, wearer of the yellow jersey. Tony Gallopin, the eventual stage winner, was the only rider from the peloton to follow the move.

On the Peille climb, Gallopin distanced Kwiatkowski and the remaining of the break while the Sky duo consisting of Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas worked hard to bring back the attackers. The Pole was eventually caught before the summit but the Frenchman was well ahead. Both Sky riders fell on the descent, bleeding time not only to Gallopin but to the first group of GC chasers represented by Simon Špilak, Rui Costa, Rafael Valls and Jakob Fuglsang.

This stage registered 49 abandons. That was tough.

A brief summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhd51bWvIhs

Kwiatek and Gallopin showing that they are true racers, both Sky riders struggling, actionfrom long way out etc. that stage was another great one.
The Nice stages happen to be great lots of times. 2007, 2009 and 2016 are also great examples of it.

OT: Valls was very good in the beginning of 2015, what happened to him after? He just disappeared, right?

 

[ice&fire]

This one may not have had the number of DNF of that in Paris Nice 2015, but the weather also had a play

 

[Ricco']

Re: Re:

Very nice idea for a thread. One of my all time favourites is the 2001 Giro dell'Emilia. No particular reason why, but I guess it just features an iconic climb(one of the early generation muritos), great camerawork and the great Jan Ullrich sprinting up 14% gradients in the big ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmjUCOwcOT8

Thanks a lot!
Here is another one, again from Paris- Nice:

Paris-Nice 2008 Stage 6 Sisteron-Cannes 206 km

After stage 4 that finished in Mont Serein Gesink took the lead 32 seconds ahead of Rebellin and 35 seconds ahead of Nocentini. After stage 5 going to a breakaway and not a change on overall standings Gesink was still the leader going into stage 6. Rebellin, who was twice a runner-up in this race wasn't wanting to be 2nd again.

On the top of the Col du Tanneron the race exploded with Chavanel, Rebellin, Cunego, LLS and Nocentini attacking. Gesink couldn't react and got passed by lots of riders in the descent got even dropped by Popovych slipped to the 3rd group while the Rebellin group bridges to Julich and Kohl (Rebellin's dom) in the descent. Chavanel attacked in the last km and won the stage. Popo group arrived at 44 seconds with Gesink group arriving at 1'29, 1'23 behind Rebellin and Nocentini as Gesink slipped all the way down to 4th even behind Popo. Rebellin took the GC lead 3 seconds ahead of Nocentini that day and kept his lead on the final stage , finally winnig Course au Soleil.

Couldn't find a video, sorry

Gesink crashed on the descent on this stage, didn't he?~

I really liked this stage to Cannes, it's a shame that Paris - Nice doesn't finish there for so many years now.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Re:

This one may not have had the number of DNF of that in Paris Nice 2015, but the weather also had a play

Yep, this was excellent too. Fantastic dynamics along the way. Proper hard win by the man with the dog.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re: Re:

Very nice idea for a thread. One of my all time favourites is the 2001 Giro dell'Emilia. No particular reason why, but I guess it just features an iconic climb(one of the early generation muritos), great camerawork and the great Jan Ullrich sprinting up 14% gradients in the big ring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmjUCOwcOT8

Thanks a lot!
Here is another one, again from Paris- Nice:

Paris-Nice 2008 Stage 6 Sisteron-Cannes 206 km

After stage 4 that finished in Mont Serein Gesink took the lead 32 seconds ahead of Rebellin and 35 seconds ahead of Nocentini. After stage 5 going to a breakaway and not a change on overall standings Gesink was still the leader going into stage 6. Rebellin, who was twice a runner-up in this race wasn't wanting to be 2nd again.

On the top of the Col du Tanneron the race exploded with Chavanel, Rebellin, Cunego, LLS and Nocentini attacking. Gesink couldn't react and got passed by lots of riders in the descent got even dropped by Popovych slipped to the 3rd group while the Rebellin group bridges to Julich and Kohl (Rebellin's dom) in the descent. Chavanel attacked in the last km and won the stage. Popo group arrived at 44 seconds with Gesink group arriving at 1'29, 1'23 behind Rebellin and Nocentini as Gesink slipped all the way down to 4th even behind Popo. Rebellin took the GC lead 3 seconds ahead of Nocentini that day and kept his lead on the final stage , finally winnig Course au Soleil.

Couldn't find a video, sorry

Gesink crashed on the descent on this stage, didn't he?~

I really liked this stage to Cannes, it's a shame that Paris - Nice doesn't finish there for so many years now.

From what I know/remember he didn't crash, he was descending very bad and when he saw the crash of Frank Schleck he began to descend even worse and in a pretty short descent he was even got dropped by Popovych group.