Best Year for Grand Tours

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

Back to the "2011 Tour was good" myth. To quote Libertine Seguros: "The 2011 Tour was an exceptional Dauphine Libere"

Of the years I've watched, 2010>2015>>2008>>>2011>2017>2016>2014>2013>2012>2009

In 2011:
Gilbert and Evans won stages on punchy finishes
There was action from the gun in the alpe d'huez stage and of course Andy's great attack
Tour was in doubt until the final TT
Thor won two stages in the rainbow bands

That's significantly better than the Dauphine.

Until stage 12 everybody was on their TTT time save for a few seconds created by the crash farce on stage 1 and the few seconds Evans gained at MDB. Apart from the half dozen contenders who crashed out because the péloton was too nervous because there were no potentially decisive stages. The Pyrenees were almost as bad as 2009. All of the interesting action came in the last 5 stages before the Champs. Because all the eventfulness was backloaded into the last week, everybody came out of the race remembering how great the Andy and ADH stages were, and forgot that most of the first half of the race was absolute garbage.A one week race doth not a Grand Tour make.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Back to the "2011 Tour was good" myth. To quote Libertine Seguros: "The 2011 Tour was an exceptional Dauphine Libere"

Of the years I've watched, 2010>2015>>2008>>>2011>2017>2016>2014>2013>2012>2009

In 2011:
Gilbert and Evans won stages on punchy finishes
There was action from the gun in the alpe d'huez stage and of course Andy's great attack
Tour was in doubt until the final TT
Thor won two stages in the rainbow bands

That's significantly better than the Dauphine.

Until stage 12 everybody was on their TTT time save for a few seconds created by the crash farce on stage 1 and the few seconds Evans gained at MDB. Apart from the half dozen contenders who crashed out because the péloton was too nervous because there were no potentially decisive stages. The Pyrenees were almost as bad as 2009. All of the interesting action came in the last 5 stages before the Champs. Because all the eventfulness was backloaded into the last week, everybody came out of the race remembering how great the Andy and ADH stages were, and forgot that most of the first half of the race was absolute garbage.A one week race doth not a Grand Tour make.

The Pyrenées were almost as bad in how they were raced, but you have to admit the stage designs were SIGNIFICANTLY better than those from 2009. Ancizan-Tourmalet-Ardiden alone on stage 12 was better than anything 09 had, the problem was Contador was bad and the Schlecks didn't really understood the danger of status quo against a much more prolific time trialer such as Evans

 

[Forever The Best]

Re: Re:

Back to the "2011 Tour was good" myth. To quote Libertine Seguros: "The 2011 Tour was an exceptional Dauphine Libere"

Of the years I've watched, 2010>2015>>2008>>>2011>2017>2016>2014>2013>2012>2009

In 2011:
Gilbert and Evans won stages on punchy finishes
There was action from the gun in the alpe d'huez stage and of course Andy's great attack
Tour was in doubt until the final TT
Thor won two stages in the rainbow bands

That's significantly better than the Dauphine.

Until stage 12 everybody was on their TTT time save for a few seconds created by the crash farce on stage 1 and the few seconds Evans gained at MDB. Apart from the half dozen contenders who crashed out because the péloton was too nervous because there were no potentially decisive stages. The Pyrenees were almost as bad as 2009. All of the interesting action came in the last 5 stages before the Champs. Because all the eventfulness was backloaded into the last week, everybody came out of the race remembering how great the Andy and ADH stages were, and forgot that most of the first half of the race was absolute garbage.A one week race doth not a Grand Tour make.

The Pyrenées were almost as bad in how they were raced, but you have to admit the stage designs were SIGNIFICANTLY better than those from 2009. Ancizan-Tourmalet-Ardiden alone on stage 12 was better than anything 09 had, the problem was Contador was bad and the Schlecks didn't really understood the danger of status quo against a much more prolific time trialer such as Evans

B... b... but Schleck got 2 seconds over Evans on Plateau de Beille and that he was surely not gonna lose too much time in the TT! :lol:

 

[barmaher]

1987 is the answer.
Kelly should have won the Vuelta, nice winner in the end.
Great Giro battle between two team mates.
Roche wins a see-saw Tour.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

Back to the "2011 Tour was good" myth. To quote Libertine Seguros: "The 2011 Tour was an exceptional Dauphine Libere"

Of the years I've watched, 2010>2015>>2008>>>2011>2017>2016>2014>2013>2012>2009

In 2011:
Gilbert and Evans won stages on punchy finishes
There was action from the gun in the alpe d'huez stage and of course Andy's great attack
Tour was in doubt until the final TT
Thor won two stages in the rainbow bands

That's significantly better than the Dauphine.

Until stage 12 everybody was on their TTT time save for a few seconds created by the crash farce on stage 1 and the few seconds Evans gained at MDB. Apart from the half dozen contenders who crashed out because the péloton was too nervous because there were no potentially decisive stages. The Pyrenees were almost as bad as 2009. All of the interesting action came in the last 5 stages before the Champs. Because all the eventfulness was backloaded into the last week, everybody came out of the race remembering how great the Andy and ADH stages were, and forgot that most of the first half of the race was absolute garbage.A one week race doth not a Grand Tour make.

Thank goodness for the TTT then

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

2006 for me, and probably always.

There were a lot of boring flat stages, but no back to back stages can ever compete with 16 and 17 from that Tour. Partly because my favourite rider Andreas Kloden was a strong contender for yellow, but also just that drama of the Landis crack on Latoussierre, and then the following early attack to end all early attacks....continuing to gain minutes on the Columbierre, then holding it on the Juplaix....just remarkable, regardless of outside factors.

And then there was the Vuelta. I took almost no interest in GT's outside of the Tour until 2011, except for that Vuelta. Vino was my second favourite rider, and his battle with Valverdje was brilliant, with a few mini 'Fuente De' moments, including when he took off on the descent to snatch the gold jersey, that was awesome.

And in recent years I've even caught up on that year's Giro and admired Robo Basso in full flight! A great year for GT's.