Is the Giro the best GT?

[Pharazon]

it seems to me the last few years the Giro has been by far the most exciting of the Grand Tours...

the TDF is generally rather predictable... all the big guns are there, and you generally know just what's going to happen...

always seems to be the Vuelta is when everyone's tired and it just becomes a bit of a who's left standing wins.. people drop out for the worlds...

but the Giro's been great, esp this year but the last few years have also been good... seems you've got a great mix of up and coming racers and big guns on the downside.. you never really know what's going to happen. italian weather in may, weird breaks, crashes around dutch roundabouts, menchov falling on his **** time after time, etc


i don't know, maybe it's just a knee jerk because this year had been so great

it just seems i have more fun watching the giro than any other tour

 

[offbyone]

Definitely good points, but it will never be the best tour until the best riders and complete teams consistently show up. But as you pointed out, events like today, would doubtfully happen if the A-squad teams were there.

 

[Eyjafjallajokull]

Well, you have to remember that a lot of hardcore cycling fans talk up the Giro as a way of differentiating themselves from the commoners. It's their way of proving they are the real deal. They like the fact that only proper fans follow the Giro and they can be apart of that select group. They enjoy being snobs about it, bascially.

Whilst it's true that the Giro is generally more unpredictable and thus superficially more exciting, this is not always for the right reasons, as we have seen during this tour. The best rider does not win.

To be totally honest, though the TdF can get boring, the unique buzz of a cycling race that is followed on mass all over the world and reaches parts that other races cannot reach, plus the standard of competition being higher, cannot really be replicated.

Also France in July is more attractive.

 

[titan_90]

The Giro is far more of an exciting race to watch, IMHO the organizers design a much better parcor. The Tour is far too predictable in its parcor from year to year, I thought Prudome was going to change that predictability with the first week in 08 being so exciting but that doesn't seem to be the case. Last years Tour was like watching paint dry.

 

[Magnus]

... TDF ... all the big guns are there...

Giro ... mix of up and coming racers and big guns on the downside ... you never really know what's going to happen. italian weather in may, weird breaks, crashes around dutch roundabouts, menchov falling on his **** time after time, etc

TdF for me.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The Tour is designed around having the best. The Giro is designed around being the best.

Is the Giro the best GT? Yes.

The Vuelta is 2nd.

Colombia is 3rd. Actually, the Vuelta a Colombia is better than the Vuelta a España, but I don't get enough coverage of it.

 

[Potomac]

I'm a fan of both the Tour and the Giro. I don't understand why some people have a need to denigrate various bike races.

 

[janus1969]

I'm a fan of both the Tour and the Giro. I don't understand why some people have a need to denigrate various bike races.

As primarily a lurker for a long time, what I conclude is that most people who frequently post want to complain, insult, and otherwise show superiority in the same manner as a 14 year old...but that's just my opinion; I could be wrong...

 

[dolophonic]

Also France in July is more attractive.

Fail! Italy looks like the place to race...

It's not about being snobbish, just having an understanding that there are other Gt's than just the Tour. As the Giro has consistently proven, attacking riding makes for great races and we have seen that at the Giro for years.
I am happy to watch them all.. great stuff.

 

[Jukebox]

Whilst it's true that the Giro is generally more unpredictable and thus superficially more exciting, this is not always for the right reasons, as we have seen during this tour. The best rider does not win.

Um, you know the race hasn't finished yet, right?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm a fan of both the Tour and the Giro. I don't understand why some people have a need to denigrate various bike races.

I'm not denigrating the Tour, I'm praising the Vuelta a Colombia.

Quite simply, I think it has better racing than the Tour. The Tour's racing follows formula, and there's quite simply too much riding on it for teams to take the kind of risks they might elsewhere. As a result, it's always something of a disappointment. Despite that, I'll always be pumped for the Grand Départ and I'll still be sucked in by it. I'll just note at the end of the year that, from a racing perspective, it was the least interesting of the three Grand Tours. Just like normal.

 

[Oldman]

The Tour is designed around having the best. The Giro is designed around being the best.

Is the Giro the best GT? Yes.

The Vuelta is 2nd.

Colombia is 3rd. Actually, the Vuelta a Colombia is better than the Vuelta a España, but I don't get enough coverage of it.

There might be a correlation between the amount of PED's consumed/rider in those last two. I've heard of some pretty indiscreet consumption at Columbia. I've never seen it, myself. I do like the absolute crazy attacking in the high mountains of the Vuelta, though.

 

[dolophonic]

From Marco Pinotti' Twitter...
"another fast start in today's stage. normalized power in the first 2 hrs 325 watts"
i dont think they roll out at the tour like that too often..

 

[The Sheep]

From Marco Pinotti' Twitter...
"another fast start in today's stage. normalized power in the first 2 hrs 325 watts"
i dont think they roll out at the tour like that too often..

the giro used to be known for taking it slow

 

[steelciocc]

Si

re. Is the Giro the best GT? - Si

 

[Eyjafjallajokull]

Fail! Italy looks like the place to race...

It's not about being snobbish, just having an understanding that there are other Gt's than just the Tour. As the Giro has consistently proven, attacking riding makes for great races and we have seen that at the Giro for years.
I am happy to watch them all.. great stuff.

There is a little bit of "I'm in the in-crowd" about it though, isn't there? That's not necessarily wrong I suppose.

The scenery is more personal. Italy would obviously be looking even better in July, but I just like the French countryside better - plus there is no earthquake damage!

 

[Notso Swift]

Well, you have to remember that a lot of hardcore cycling fans talk up the Giro as a way of differentiating themselves from the commoners. It's their way of proving they are the real deal. They like the fact that only proper fans follow the Giro and they can be apart of that select group. They enjoy being snobs about it, bascially.
.

Maybe because it is a true considered opinion? It is easy to be arrogant when you are right

I do agree with others, you don't have to choose one or the other, the TdF is a bench mark for so many things, but I also have said that the Giro is the best RACE of its type

 

[SpartacusRox]

Fail! Italy looks like the place to race...

It's not about being snobbish, just having an understanding that there are other Gt's than just the Tour. As the Giro has consistently proven, attacking riding makes for great races and we have seen that at the Giro for years.
I am happy to watch them all.. great stuff.

From a cycling fans perspective the Giro is often the most exciting GT. Largely because it tends to be a bit more even in terms of contenders. The weaker field (relative to the tdf) makes it so.

In terms of perceived importance worldwide it comes a distant second to the Tour and I say that from a media, sponsors, public interest perspective. For most of the top GT teams (non Italian ones) it will always be viewed either as a warmup race for the Tour or as an opportunity to give second tier GC riders such as Vino a chance at a GT victory.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes......................

 

[Ferminal]

Does the Pope Greipel in the woods?

 

[Captain Kirk]

Another convert for GIRO.

After 20 years of TDF watching I am totally hooked by Giro, the ascents, decents, the pave, the strade/gravel...the scenery.

I had come to the conclusion after 7 years of a certain riders domination it lay at his feet or pedals, but I can see the TDF itself bares the blame too !

GO THE GIRO

 

[Zen Master]

Another convert for GIRO.

After 20 years of TDF watching I am totally hooked by Giro, the ascents, decents, the pave, the strade/gravel...the scenery.

I had come to the conclusion after 7 years of a certain riders domination it lay at his feet or pedals, but I can see the TDF itself bares the blame too !

GO THE GIRO

Guess what ?!? You haven't seen anything yet !!?
After L’Aquila madness final week with Zoncolan ( practically a hardest climb in the cycling world ) Mortirolo ( second hardest ), Plan de Corones TT ( Alpe d'huez TT looks like child's play comparing to this ) and last but not least famous Passo del Gavia will be definitely brutal and super-excited

 

[BroDeal]

Guess what ?!? You haven't seen anything yet !!?
After L’Aquila madness final week with Zoncolan ( practically a hardest climb in the cycling world ) Mortirolo ( second hardest ), Plan de Corones TT and last but not least famous Passo del Gavia will be definitely brutal and super-excited

I think this is why Evans may still have a shot at the win. There is a lot to come, and it's going to be great.

At the risk of riders putting a curse on me, I think we need some snow.

 

[Zen Master]

I think this is why Evans may still have a shot at the win. There is a lot to come, and it's going to be great.

At the risk of riders putting a curse on me, I think we need some snow.

Exactly ! But not only him, Basso, Vino or Nibali can still win Giro. We have practically a perfect cycling storm here and only snow at Gavia missing

 

[Nicoper]

My opinion is that Giro is by far the best GT.
Its only flaw is that the overall form of riders (not GC contenders but their team mates) is sometimes lower and they tend to abandon the race. But, who knows, maybe its the course that forces them to abandon.

Basic advantage of Giro and Vuelta over the Tour are the crazy and ridiculous climbs. I always saw Tour as more civilized of the three, but Giro was always my favorite.

And just to add...
Arroyo for the win