Favourite TdF stages

[Singer01]

Can't remember where to, or which year, but the stage where the favourites allowed chiapucci to gain 10 mins set up some fantastic racing subsequently.

 

[vladimir]

Re:

Can't remember where to, or which year, but the stage where the favourites allowed chiapucci to gain 10 mins set up some fantastic racing subsequently.

This must be stage one 1990 when Claudio C gained ten minutes in all the other GC candidates

 

[sienna]

1994 St 10 - Jacky Durand breaks from a break
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na6kJVoyQLM

 

[kingjr]

Re:

Vittel 2017

Oddly enough, Vittel was the destination of my least favorite stage, in 2009, when Nicki Sörensen won. It's strange, because I had no problem at all with Sörensen. To me, it just represented everything that's wrong with flat stages that don't end in a bunch sprint. Similarly to Villeneuve-sur-Lot 2000.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Vittel 2017

Oddly enough, Vittel was the destination of my least favorite stage, in 2009, when Nicki Sörensen won. It's strange, because I had no problem at all with Sörensen. To me, it just represented everything that's wrong with flat stages that don't end in a bunch sprint. Similarly to Villeneuve-sur-Lot 2000.

Excuse me, what? The danes last victory and you are saying something like that?!

 

[kingjr]

Re: Re:

Vittel 2017

Oddly enough, Vittel was the destination of my least favorite stage, in 2009, when Nicki Sörensen won. It's strange, because I had no problem at all with Sörensen. To me, it just represented everything that's wrong with flat stages that don't end in a bunch sprint. Similarly to Villeneuve-sur-Lot 2000.

Excuse me, what? The danes last victory and you are saying something like that?!

As I said, got nothing to do with Sörensen ;D

 

[Valv.Piti]

In before I forgot that Cort actually won last year....

 

[barmaher]

La Plagne 1987 (I will accept Villard de Lans here, but for me the sight of Roche approaching the line a minute before we expected was memorable)
Versailles - Paris 1989 (this is probably the most famous Tour stage ever)
Sestrieres 1992 (I was really into cycling at this stage and was absolutely wetting myself at the audacity of it)
Verbier 2009 (I absolutely despised Armstrong, so this was beauty)
Galibier 2011 (A real wait for the race to warm up, and it exploded)
Alpe d'Huez 2011 (And the next day was even better)
Saint Amand Mortrond 2013 (It's just great when the racing starts so far out)
Arenberg 2014 (Pretty obvious why)
Mont Ventoux 2016 (I will never forget this. A complete wtF moment followed by another one as Froome ran on his cleats)

I have probably missed a load of obvious ones, but these are the ones that came to mind.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

La Plagne 1987 (I will accept Villard de Lans here, but for me the sight of Roche approaching the line a minute before we expected was memorable)
Versailles - Paris 1989 (this is probably the most famous Tour stage ever)
Sestrieres 1992 (I was really into cycling at this stage and was absolutely d
Verbier 2009 (I absolutely despised Armstrong, so this was beauty)
Galibier 2011 (A real wait for the race to warm up, and it exploded)
Alpe d'Huez 2011 (And the next day was even better)
Saint Amand Mortrond 2013 (It's just great when the racing starts so far out)
Arenberg 2014 (Pretty obvious why)
Mont Ventoux 2016 (I will never forget this. A complete wtF moment followed by another one as Froome ran on his cleats)

I have probably missed a load of obvious ones, but these are the ones that came to mind.

I'd put that one on a list of strangest TdF stages.

 

[barmaher]

Yeah, but the drama. I didn't know what was happening. Anger, joy (that we would have a closer Tour), confusion, it had it all.

 

[Koronin]

You're right that that stage had everything. Like most Tour stages I have it on while getting ready for work, due to the craziness of it, I left later for work than I had intended on. (I'm a vendor so I don't have set hours for work, just get the jobs done by their due date and everyone is happy).

 

[sienna]

1997 stage 9 - Laurent Brochard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8PcOHnV2tA

 

[perico]

Luz Ardiden 1988.

That attack was epic after the 6:30 mark

https://youtu.be/zoJNrugqRRc

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

The first attack in 2009 by contador. Don't remember the stage, but first Vandenbrouck made an attack. And then a minute later, Contador went, blew past JVDB, and the issue of "who is the leader" at Astana was settled. I wasn't exactly a big Armstrong fan. Just the fact that then and there Contador pulled the rug from under Armstrong, made it one of my favorite stages.

Arcalis

That was a brilliant stage, if only for the statement Contador made and the resulting fallout.

I agree with many listed here, but have to list 1998, Galibier/Les Deux Alpes

 

[SHAD0W93]

I started watching in 09 and have seen some of the past stages on YouTube. I also enjoy a different perspective compared to the majority. I added what I enjoyed that others have not said yet.

For everything before 09, I enjoyed all of Ullrich's stage wins in the Tour. All of Cavendish's win but in particular his stage 5 in 11, stage 18 in 12, stage 7 in 15, and stage 1 in 16 are the best that had me standing up watching the finish. The last time trial in 13 was insanse as well with the last 5 riders all looking like they would win and the best time changing 4 times in the last 5 riders.

 

[rick james]

Re:

1. Tourmalet 2010
2. Alpe d'Huez 2011
3. Saint Amand-Montrond 2013 (crosswinds)
4. Le Grand Bornand 2009
5. Alpe d'Huez 2015

Also quite fond of Peyragudes 2017, Carcassonne 2018, Semnoz 2013 (time for that climb to return!), Ax-3 annihilation 2013 was also quite fun to watch, because my eyes couldn't believe what they saw!

that whole stage looked stunning

 

[Simurgh]

Re: Re:

1. Tourmalet 2010
2. Alpe d'Huez 2011
3. Saint Amand-Montrond 2013 (crosswinds)
4. Le Grand Bornand 2009
5. Alpe d'Huez 2015

Also quite fond of Peyragudes 2017, Carcassonne 2018, Semnoz 2013 (time for that climb to return!), Ax-3 annihilation 2013 was also quite fun to watch, because my eyes couldn't believe what they saw!

Peyragudes 2017? That might be my number one most disappointing stage, not only in the tour de france but overall. That was a 200 km mountain stage without a significant attack before 500 meters to go.

Aside from that I like your choices though. Completely forgot about the 2013 crosswind stage.

Edit: And just because it hasn't been mentioned yet, the 10 minutes of cotador constantly attacking Rasmussen on the Peyresourde in 2007 might only have been 10 minutes, but I'd say there's a good argument there hasn't been a more incredible climbing battle ever since.

About the Peyragudes stage (which is an odd choice), I think it was because of the first time, we really saw Froome be human in the middle of the Tour, Landa stepping up for real. But yeah, that all happened in the last 500 meters, in a stage where we could have expected more! :lol:

1. Tourmalet 2010
2. Alpe d'Huez 2011
3. Saint Amand-Montrond 2013 (crosswinds)
4. Le Grand Bornand 2009
5. Alpe d'Huez 2015

Also quite fond of Peyragudes 2017, Carcassonne 2018, Semnoz 2013 (time for that climb to return!), Ax-3 annihilation 2013 was also quite fun to watch, because my eyes couldn't believe what they saw!

that whole stage looked stunning

Yeah, it really did! You just made me go look for some footage for refreshing the fading memories of that stage, and gosh, that was a good advertisement of Annecy and the surroundings. Lovely place to visit some day, I hope - and very fitting if the Tour also paid the place a visit once more

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Vittel 2017

Sneaky :lol:

 

[RedheadDane]

I can't remember any specific stages, but I quite like those that - on paper - looks like they're going to be rather uneventful, but then it takes over an hour for the break to get away because everybody wants to get into the break and nobody wants to let others get into the break, at least not if they're not in the break.
Add a bit of cross-wind, and it's gonna be extra fun.

 

[sienna]

Thanks to the people who posted links - these videos have brought back some memories!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

The first attack in 2009 by contador. Don't remember the stage, but first Vandenbrouck made an attack. And then a minute later, Contador went, blew past JVDB, and the issue of "who is the leader" at Astana was settled. I wasn't exactly a big Armstrong fan. Just the fact that then and there Contador pulled the rug from under Armstrong, made it one of my favorite stages.

Arcalis

That was a brilliant stage, if only for the statement Contador made and the resulting fallout.

I agree with many listed here, but have to list 1998, Galibier/Les Deux Alpes

Well the stage itself was some of the worst racing. The pyrenees in that Tour were so incredibly horrible, mostly due to ASO tho.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

The first attack in 2009 by contador. Don't remember the stage, but first Vandenbrouck made an attack. And then a minute later, Contador went, blew past JVDB, and the issue of "who is the leader" at Astana was settled. I wasn't exactly a big Armstrong fan. Just the fact that then and there Contador pulled the rug from under Armstrong, made it one of my favorite stages.

Arcalis

That was a brilliant stage, if only for the statement Contador made and the resulting fallout.

I agree with many listed here, but have to list 1998, Galibier/Les Deux Alpes

Well the stage itself was some of the worst racing. The pyrenees in that Tour were so incredibly horrible, mostly due to ASO tho.

The racing was nothing to write home about, it was Armstrong getting a big dose of reality and the events that followed that made it memorable.

 

[VO2 Max]

Re:

Sestriere '92, i would pay to have another Chiappucci (and a 260 kms mountain marathon back in the race).

Is the correct answer.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

A slightly homer pick would also be the stage to La Touissuire in 2006. Haven't seen it mentioned - Rasmussen won in pretty incredible fashion, Landis cracked in the bottom of the last climb and nobody knew what the **** was going on. Sastre, Klöden, Pereiro, everyone could win. Obviously, the stage the day after over Joux Plane to Morzine is the one everyone remembers, but it was a good stage overall with a great and unpredictable finishing climb where everyone suddenly began to smell blood.

I loved how cocky Rasmussen was after that stage, having been forced to do teamwork earlier in the race: "Today I did it my way." Also, Klöden was a beast that day.

Yes, he was. Although more so on the stage before

I like the La Touissuire 2006 stage so much that it has always been my profile pic. So much drama with the Landis crack, and not just a crack, but the crack to end all cracks (perhaps Cadel in '02 Giro aside). The commentary was very entertaining too, with Phil's regular mistakes only adding to all of the amusement! Plus I guess that I also enjoyed it extra much for the fact that it now looked like Kloden was favourite for the overall. Assuming he could stay with Sastre into Morzine, and gain some time on Pereiro.

And not lose seven minutes to Landis. Of course all of that did not happen.

In regards to other TDF stages, I think that the Peyresourde Contador-Rasmussen battle in '07 is overrated. There was only major action on the last couple of kms of that climb (plus the short descent into the finish), whereas the Tourmalet Contador-Schleck battle is underrated (perhaps because it was on the Tourmalet). Two great riders going at it hard for ten kms, putting MINUTES into EVERYONE. I think it is not remembered so much because one couldn't distance the other, so it didn't effect the battle for yellow, but the climbing was nevertheless super impressive.

The first stage that I ever watched was 'the look' stage from 2001 I think. Armstrong was a lot of things, but he was also pretty entertaining. As has been mentioned, the stage in the Pyrenees where Jan attacked from 3 mountains out was also great. I mean how often have we seen the three contenders for the overall go all out for it THREE mountains from the finish? Again, it is only not really remembered because it didn't effect the final destination of the yellow jersey.

Great shout outs to 2007 Tignes guys, also one of the my favourites. PDB was also absolutely epic that year.

The stage where Landa and Contador went into the breakaway in the mountains and threatened to turn the race on its head in 2017 was also pretty awesome. Once again, it is not so much remembered because in the end it didn't really effect the overall. But if a good stage is about entertaining us for a longer period, then that should rate very highly. In a similar way that stage 4 of the 2015 Giro was epic.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

A slightly homer pick would also be the stage to La Touissuire in 2006. Haven't seen it mentioned - Rasmussen won in pretty incredible fashion, Landis cracked in the bottom of the last climb and nobody knew what the **** was going on. Sastre, Klöden, Pereiro, everyone could win. Obviously, the stage the day after over Joux Plane to Morzine is the one everyone remembers, but it was a good stage overall with a great and unpredictable finishing climb where everyone suddenly began to smell blood.

I loved how cocky Rasmussen was after that stage, having been forced to do teamwork earlier in the race: "Today I did it my way." Also, Klöden was a beast that day.

The stage where Landa and Contador went into the breakaway in the mountains and threatened to turn the race on its head in 2017 was also pretty awesome. Once again, it is not so much remembered because in the end it didn't really effect the overall. But if a good stage is about entertaining us for a longer period, then that should rate very highly. In a similar way that stage 4 of the 2015 Giro was epic.

The first attacker of the day was also the stage winner.

That was a good stage.