Crazy hard stages collection

[Eshnar]

I'd like to have a thread where we can gather all the hardest GT stages in history. It'd be awesome if some of them could post some reliable info (a profile would be the best option ofc) about those crazy stages of the early 20th century.

I can start mentioning the first ever Pyrenees stage, from Luchon to Bayonne, 327 kms featuring Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, Aubisque and Osquich.

Since one of the goals of this thread is also to be visually impressive, modern stage profiles are allowed (only if they were really hard ), even if they can't match the ancient standards.
For istance, this is the hardest Giro stage post-1960:
Giro 1996, Cavalese - Aprica, 250 kms

The hardest Giro stage in history was probably the crazy Sulmona - Arezzo (Giro 1925), 377 kms, ALL of which on Strade Bianche through the Appennines (though I can't find the route).

I can't wait to watch your contributions

 

[apmfbs]

One of the hardest stages ever in the Tour, Morzine 1983:

Fignon wearing the yellow for the first time in his life and surviving a terrifying stage, where the challenging Delgado lost several minutes.

Fignon survived to assure his victory in the Tour.

 

[Eshnar]

One of the hardest stages ever in the Tour, Morzine 1983:

Great pick almost forgot that one.

 

[apmfbs]

One of the hardest and best stages ever in cycling, the crazy break of Ocaña and Fuente to les Orres 1973, Ocaña was the winner taking adnantage of a puncture of Fuente before the last climb but both of them destroyed the field in the Galibier. It seems a joke but it was like that:

 

[will10]

Also, it doesn't seem right to just post the profile for this next one, so in honour of the Hitch please click here: http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=13542

 

[apmfbs]

The day Bugno surrendered to Indurain in the 1993 Giro, a very hard stage, a very hard day, with the victory in Corvara of Chiapucci.......

Indurain took the pink jersey for the rest of the race

Ugrumov lost 20" that were important for the Giro ( otherwise the stage to Oropa would have been very tense for Indurain)

 

[Capablanca and me]

not long, not "hard", but the circumstances..

from 1919 to 1924 Les Sables d'Olonne-Bayonne stage was 482 km

and the last stage the 1989 Tour IMO was crazy enough to mention it

unfortunately the hardest and last stage for Simpson

 

[The Hitch]

I'd like to have a thread where we can gather all the hardest GT stages in history. It'd be awesome if some of them could post some reliable info (a profile would be the best option ofc) about those crazy stages of the early 20th century.

I can start mentioning the first ever Pyrenees stage, from Luchon to Bayonne, 327 kms featuring Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, Aubisque and Osquich.

Since one of the goals of this thread is also to be visually impressive, modern stage profiles are allowed (only if they were really hard ), even if they can't match the ancient standards.
For istance, this is the hardest Giro stage post-1960:
Giro 1996, Cavalese - Aprica, 250 kms

The hardest Giro stage in history was probably the crazy Sulmona - Arezzo (Giro 1925), 377 kms, ALL of which on Strade Bianche through the Appennines (though I can't find the route).

I can't wait to watch your contributions

I know yall love that because its 250k but its basically Mortirolo finish with Gavia. Tonalle and Mendola are meh and Gavia is 60k from the foot of Mortirolo.

I would have thought there would have been harder Giro stages than that. San Christina maybe, but more importantly the stages were the mountains come back to back to back at the end, like Gardeccia last year or the route through those mountains in 2008 even though it was short or something like the 2003 stage were again it was major mountain after major mountain after major mountain for the finish.

IMO better than Mortirolo with a false flat even if Gavia comes before it.

 

[ebandit]

1919

tdf 1919................... stage 5 was pretty tough 482 km

 

[Eshnar]

I know yall love that because its 250k but its basically Mortirolo finish with Gavia. Tonalle and Mendola are meh and Gavia is 60k from the foot of Mortirolo.

I would have thought there would have been harder Giro stages than that. San Christina maybe, but more importantly the stages were the mountains come back to back to back at the end, like Gardeccia last year or the route through those mountains in 2008 even though it was short or something like the 2003 stage were again it was major mountain after major mountain after major mountain for the finish.

IMO better than Mortirolo with a false flat even if Gavia comes before it.

Speaking of pure hardness I can't see anything past that. I agree other stages may be better designed, or have better combos, but in terms of hardness that one has the edge. Just blindly comparing it to the Gardeccia 2011, we have:
- 21 kms more
- Mortirolo is way harder than any climb of the other stage.
- Gavia too, plus it's consistently higher than Giau.
- Aprica is considerably easier than Gardeccia ofc.
- Tonale is 1% less steep than Cibiana on average, but 5 kms longer.
- Mendola is easier than Piancavallo.

The Gardeccia stage isn't that far from Aprica, but doesn't reach it.

 

[phanatic]

The haters take this one:

Because the riders make the race, and everybody gets broken on this one: the Yellow Jersey, the man who took yellow, the race winner, the stage winner who wheelsucks a dropped king of the mountains back up to the great one himself who is dramaticlly broken in slow motion by Pierre Rolland.

 

[Eshnar]

The haters take this one:

Because the riders make the race, and everybody gets broken on this one: the Yellow Jersey, the man who took yellow, the race winner, the stage winner who wheelsucks a dropped king of the mountains back up to the great one himself who is dramaticlly broken in slow motion by Pierre Rolland.

1) you're completely OT
2) first 9 riders came (together!) inside only 1 minute after the winner. A real massacre.

 

[apmfbs]

We shouldn´t forget to mention to great "solos" of Italian riders:

Coppi 1949

And Chiapucci solo in the way to Sestriere

Two hard, long and legendary stages

 

[phanatic]

1) you're completely OT
2) first 9 riders came (together!) inside only 1 minute after the winner. A real massacre.

1) Define "hardest." 2) An elite autobus.

 

[Netserk]

1) Define "hardest." 2) An elite autobus.

As an example you can use energy usage of the winner (Joule).

 

[Eshnar]

1) Define "hardest." 2) An elite autobus.

1) With the most selective parcour (the Gavia '88 stage someone already posted is somewhat borderline too, since that stage had a "hard" parcour only due to the weather)
2) An autobus doesn't come one minute behind.

 

[Eshnar]

As an example you can use energy usage of the winner (Joule).

Not exactly optimal, since it depends a lot on race circumstances (perhaps the winner had a long breakaway)

 

[Netserk]

Not exactly optimal, since it depends a lot on race circumstances (perhaps the winner had a long breakaway)

I know, but the good thing is that it combines Power and Time.

 

[El Pistolero]

Hardest stage of the last 3 Tours.

 

[jens_attacks]

so where i can find profiles of the old tour de france editions please?

 

[Eshnar]

so where i can find profiles of the old tour de france editions please?

that's the main question, isn't it?

 

[apmfbs]

that's the main question, isn't it?

Here you can find a lot of them, even though some are " forbidden"

http://www.ilciclismo.it/2009/?cat=10

 

[The Hitch]

Speaking of pure hardness I can't see anything past that. I agree other stages may be better designed, or have better combos, but in terms of hardness that one has the edge. Just blindly comparing it to the Gardeccia 2011, we have:
- 21 kms more
- Mortirolo is way harder than any climb of the other stage.
- Gavia too, plus it's consistently higher than Giau.
- Aprica is considerably easier than Gardeccia ofc.
- Tonale is 1% less steep than Cibiana on average, but 5 kms longer.
- Mendola is easier than Piancavallo.

The Gardeccia stage isn't that far from Aprica, but doesn't reach it.

So the position of the mountain on the stage doesnt matter?

Well san christina was similar to that one then. Only stelvio>> gavia

 

[Eshnar]

So the position of the mountain on the stage doesnt matter?

Well san christina was similar to that one then. Only stelvio>> gavia

true, but Santa Cristina had one climb and 60 kms less.

 

[Eshnar]

Here you can find a lot of them, even though some are " forbidden"

http://www.ilciclismo.it/2009/?cat=10

Thanks for posting this! Great site!