Favourite 'small' race

[Nirvana]

Re:

Tour of Qatar

(says no one ever)

Very good pick, in some editions we had 4/5 echelon stages out of six days.
Memorable was the one in 2005 where CSC totally smashed the field with peloton at 32 minutes.

 

[burning]

Re: Re:

this

Volta is always unpredictable, crazy tactics and outstanding performances. the last refuge of old times cycling

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33458&p=2169724&p2169724

Great post by LS about the best cycling race.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Re: Re:

this

Volta is always unpredictable, crazy tactics and outstanding performances. the last refuge of old times cycling

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33458&p=2169724&p2169724

Great post by LS about the best cycling race.

Tarteletto-Isorex (a team I'm closely following) will ride this year. I'm very interested what will happen. I've heard that Eurosport will broadcast it, is this true? Cos that'll be one hell of a watch.

 

[Koronin]

Of the smaller races (excluded, GTs, Monuments, big one week races and other one day races such as Fleche Wallone, Amstel, and Strade Bianche) here are a couple of my favorite races:

Andalucia
Murcia
California
Dwars

 

[Durden93]

Re: Re:

Really Emilia is everything Fleche fails to be.

This.

I know it’s early but. I really enjoyed the Otztaler 5500 and its concept

This too but unfortunately the race probably wasn't a very big success as it won't take place again this year.

There are so many good races worth mentioning. Trentino, pais Vasco, Yorkshire and eneco/binckbanck are all phenomenal stage races and I don't even know where to start with one day races.That said while I probably enjoy stages in these small races just as much as gt stages no really small one day race I know comes close to the greatness of monuments. You know, tro bro leon might have great racing from early on but you don't have the enormous stakes which make long range attacks in big races even more epic.

Anyway if I have to chose, I'd say Emilia is my favorite small one day race, pais vasco my favorite small stage race (although I actually wouldn't call it small, but it got frequently mentioned here)

Have the organizers confirmed its cancellation?

 

[FilipeFD]

Re: Re:

Tarteletto-Isorex (a team I'm closely following) will ride this year. I'm very interested what will happen. I've heard that Eurosport will broadcast it, is this true? Cos that'll be one hell of a watch.

i seriously doubt it. havent heard of anything in that way, not even from portuguese eurosport comentators.

 

[Nirvana]

Re: Re:

Really Emilia is everything Fleche fails to be.

This.

I know it’s early but. I really enjoyed the Otztaler 5500 and its concept

This too but unfortunately the race probably wasn't a very big success as it won't take place again this year.

There are so many good races worth mentioning. Trentino, pais Vasco, Yorkshire and eneco/binckbanck are all phenomenal stage races and I don't even know where to start with one day races.That said while I probably enjoy stages in these small races just as much as gt stages no really small one day race I know comes close to the greatness of monuments. You know, tro bro leon might have great racing from early on but you don't have the enormous stakes which make long range attacks in big races even more epic.

Anyway if I have to chose, I'd say Emilia is my favorite small one day race, pais vasco my favorite small stage race (although I actually wouldn't call it small, but it got frequently mentioned here)

Have the organizers confirmed its cancellation?

If you are referring to Otztaler Pro 5500 yes, because they can't have live coverage from Eurosport due to clashing date with other events.

 

[Laporte17]

I love a lot of races that have been mentioned, but Vendee is better than them all.

Also, in terms of races I've never actually watched, Giro del Medio Brenta and Tour du Jura (The Swiss classic, not the French Stage race) always look awesome.

 

[Echoes]

Across Flanders (Dwars door Vlaanderen) should become again Across Belgium (À travers la Belgique/Dwars door België) to be likeable to me.

 

[SKSemtex]

From small stage races I like former Eneco. Such a great concept. Flat stage. Cobbles. Mini Ardennes. ITT. Quite good place in calendar. Unfortunately the stage design is not as good as concept. This could be like stage world championship. Pity that there is no big montain +2000 m around.

I hope one day somebody will prepare one day race where we could have it all.
First part some HC climb, than some echelons part, some cobbles and miniamstel on the end.

 

[Red Rick]

From small stage races I like former Eneco. Such a great concept. Flat stage. Cobbles. Mini Ardennes. ITT. Quite good place in calendar. Unfortunately the stage design is not as good as concept. This could be like stage world championship. Pity that there is no big montain +2000 m around.

I hope one day somebody will prepare one day race where we could have it all.
First part some HC climb, than some echelons part, some cobbles and miniamstel on the end.

Too bad the plan to cram an artificial mountain in the Netherlands fell through

 

[railxmig]

I forgot the name of that Sölden race (it seems to be Ötztaler Radmarathon) which uses Monte Giovo/Jaufenpass and Rombo/Timmelsjoch. That one is (for now) my favourite race. I hope it will be clear of any RoboSky trains in at least the near future. Other race i like is Tour de l'Avenir (if it can be counted as a smaller race), as it seems to be sort of an ASO testing ground in the Alps and for an amateur race designer it's always nice to follow this race. I guess i should also look closer towards some of the bigger women races like Giro Donna(?) or whatever the name of it was but somehow i just cannot find enough time and will for it.

 

[May0maniac]

From small stage races I like former Eneco. Such a great concept. Flat stage. Cobbles. Mini Ardennes. ITT. Quite good place in calendar. Unfortunately the stage design is not as good as concept. This could be like stage world championship. Pity that there is no big montain +2000 m around.

I hope one day somebody will prepare one day race where we could have it all.
First part some HC climb, than some echelons part, some cobbles and miniamstel on the end.

A beefed up Roma Maxima could have been a bit like that race.
Longer climbs and steep ones like Lombardia and LBL in the middle, then a cobbled climb and at the end all the way on the Via Appia Antica, that includes the few sections that feature really nasty cobbles and have been used by the Giro del Lazio in the 80ies and early 90ies.

 

[Bardamu]

From small stage races I like former Eneco. Such a great concept. Flat stage. Cobbles. Mini Ardennes. ITT. Quite good place in calendar. Unfortunately the stage design is not as good as concept. This could be like stage world championship. Pity that there is no big montain +2000 m around.

I hope one day somebody will prepare one day race where we could have it all.
First part some HC climb, than some echelons part, some cobbles and miniamstel on the end.

A beefed up Roma Maxima could have been a bit like that race.
Longer climbs and steep ones like Lombardia and LBL in the middle, then a cobbled climb and at the end all the way on the Via Appia Antica, that includes the few sections that feature really nasty cobbles and have been used by the Giro del Lazio in the 80ies and early 90ies.

Such a shame Roma Maxima ceased to exist, the last edition was great! Even though the Lazio region is relatively flat, there are enough hills to have an exciting parcours and finish in Rome.

 

[May0maniac]

From small stage races I like former Eneco. Such a great concept. Flat stage. Cobbles. Mini Ardennes. ITT. Quite good place in calendar. Unfortunately the stage design is not as good as concept. This could be like stage world championship. Pity that there is no big montain +2000 m around.

I hope one day somebody will prepare one day race where we could have it all.
First part some HC climb, than some echelons part, some cobbles and miniamstel on the end.

A beefed up Roma Maxima could have been a bit like that race.
Longer climbs and steep ones like Lombardia and LBL in the middle, then a cobbled climb and at the end all the way on the Via Appia Antica, that includes the few sections that feature really nasty cobbles and have been used by the Giro del Lazio in the 80ies and early 90ies.

Such a shame Roma Maxima ceased to exist, the last edition was great! Even though the Lazio region is relatively flat, there are enough hills to have an exciting parcours and finish in Rome.

Yes, but they lack cycling culture and almost nobody in Rome really cares about cycling.

 

[Bardamu]

From small stage races I like former Eneco. Such a great concept. Flat stage. Cobbles. Mini Ardennes. ITT. Quite good place in calendar. Unfortunately the stage design is not as good as concept. This could be like stage world championship. Pity that there is no big montain +2000 m around.

I hope one day somebody will prepare one day race where we could have it all.
First part some HC climb, than some echelons part, some cobbles and miniamstel on the end.

A beefed up Roma Maxima could have been a bit like that race.
Longer climbs and steep ones like Lombardia and LBL in the middle, then a cobbled climb and at the end all the way on the Via Appia Antica, that includes the few sections that feature really nasty cobbles and have been used by the Giro del Lazio in the 80ies and early 90ies.

Such a shame Roma Maxima ceased to exist, the last edition was great! Even though the Lazio region is relatively flat, there are enough hills to have an exciting parcours and finish in Rome.

Yes, but they lack cycling culture and almost nobody in Rome really cares about cycling.

True, it is always a shock to me when my Italian friends don't even know who Vincenzo Nibali is. Cycling is not a very big sport in Italy, but when you do meet an enthusiast they are completely crazy about the sport.

 

[SafeBet]

It is a very big sport.
But only for the over60.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Giro del Trentino, definitely.

Also Tour de Luxembourg has been very good occasionally (I think it's a fairly unique race) despite a lack of quality opposition to whoever the participating star rider has been.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

It is a very big sport.
But only for the over60.

That’s interesting. Whenever I’ve been in Italy one of the things Ive noticed is that there seem to be many more people out training on road bikes than in France or Spain (and many many more than here in Ireland).

 

[Tonton]

Trentino yes.

Tour de l'Ain is great, just not enough big names. Criterium International (RIP) was a great 3-day challenge.

Emilia is my vote, just before Binche-Chimay-Binche.

 

[Zama_Olyas]

Tour of China

 

[WheelofGear]

Re:

Tour of China

I've always wondered the riders aren't refusing to race there. They will gladly ride in the smog without any protests but Extreme Weather Protocol is used to cancel windy and snowy races. :lol:

 

[tobydawq]

Tour of China II

 

[SafeBet]

Re: Re:

It is a very big sport.
But only for the over60.

That’s interesting. Whenever I’ve been in Italy one of the things Ive noticed is that there seem to be many more people out training on road bikes than in France or Spain (and many many more than here in Ireland).

It's true, but most of them are the age of my father (and some probably the age of my grandpa). Cycling has little appeal to people in their 20s and 30s.

 

[Carols]

Paris-Camembert