Most Boring WorldTour Race (In General, Not This Year)?

[daveinzambia]

Yeah the TdU sucks so hard. That's why it's where riders like Alberto Contador, Luis Leon Sanchez, Cadel Evans, Peter Sagan and Matt Goss decide to show off their future potential...

Eneco sucks, California sucks, China so far sucks, any race won by the best TT'er on the first day sucks. The TdU and Poland are a league above them, still not Lomabardia or Flanders, but no where near the waste of space Eneco or any tour around Melbourne would be. ACF, come over here and hang out for the week before bagging the TdU again, I'll take you for a ride up a few of the little hills we have and we'll see if you sing the same tune about Adelaide afterwards.

I have to say it is generally a good ad for Adelaide. Does not get the best press in Australia but every year as i am struggling through sydney traffic i see coverage of riders in Adelaide and am jealous

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

You guys perhaps, but I'm more than happy to watch my cyclocross during the winter. I don't bother watching Down Under and by looking at the race summaries I haven't missed a thing in doing so.

I wish they made Qatar World Tour. At least something happens there because of the echelons.

yeah cx is the sh!t.

TDU I never look forward to, I love my cycling but I'm not gonna get excited for a borefest no matter how long the break is.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Yeah the TdU sucks so hard. That's why it's where riders like Alberto Contador, Luis Leon Sanchez, Cadel Evans, Peter Sagan and Matt Goss decide to show off their future potential...

Eneco sucks, California sucks, China so far sucks, any race won by the best TT'er on the first day sucks. The TdU and Poland are a league above them, still not Lomabardia or Flanders, but no where near the waste of space Eneco or any tour around Melbourne would be. ACF, come over here and hang out for the week before bagging the TdU again, I'll take you for a ride up a few of the little hills we have and we'll see if you sing the same tune about Adelaide afterwards.

Your first paragraph is simply a load of ****. just because those riders decided to strech their legs does not make it a good race. it is boring and you know it.

Secondly, I was only joking about Adelaide, man. Settle down. I love Melbourne but Adeliade is still nice. Don't get your knickers in a knot.

 

[craig1985]

TBF to the TDU at least they are changing things up by going over Wilunga once and then finishing on top of it, which should mean there will be a flurry of attacks on the climb. It would be cool if they if they could finish on Mt Lofty as well.

Total Distance:
7.30km | 4.54mi
Starting Altitude:
116m | 381ft
Finishing Altitude:
586m | 1,923ft
Average Gradient: 6.4%
Elevation Gain:
470m | 1,542ft

http://www.cycle2max.com/bike-hill-climb/Greenhill-Road-(Mt.-Lofty).aspx?id=447

It's viable in that it isn't that far from Adelaide (15km east), but it might be too hard in January. Has anybody on here ridden it?

 

[greenedge]

TDU as the first race of the year is allowed to be boring but is in Australia so therefore i like it. No Tour of Qatar on the list??? MSR this year was great. Poland could have less circuits. Beijing has barely happened.

 

[Ferminal]

Your first paragraph is simply a load of ****. just because those riders decided to strech their legs does not make it a good race. it is boring and you know it.

=> The world's best cyclist attacking in ENECO = amazing race

 

[AussieGoddess]

=> The world's best cyclist attacking in ENECO = amazing race

I watched Eneco this year and thought it was great. Yeah I would have preferred more hills, but being a Gilbert fan thats just because I wanted him to win

I voted for TDU .... but seriously the Tour of Beijing (even only being 3 days old) is challenging that in a big way

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I watched Eneco this year and thought it was great. Yeah I would have preferred more hills, but being a Gilbert fan thats just because I wanted him to win

I voted for TDU .... but seriously the Tour of Beijing (even only being 3 days old) is challenging that in a big way

I think this year was one of the worst editions.
I think it is a better race the tdu, but it is mighty disappointing considering the territory they could use.

rather have the tour of holland back.

Also, tour of belgium should be wt way before this race.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

TDU as the first race of the year is allowed to be boring but is in Australia so therefore i like it. No Tour of Qatar on the list??? MSR this year was great. Poland could have less circuits. Beijing has barely happened.

I don't get this. Being the first race makes it no less boring.

 

[El Pistolero]

yeah cx is the sh!t.

TDU I never look forward to, I love my cycling but I'm not gonna get excited for a borefest no matter how long the break is.

The worst period IMO is the period between the last decent CX race and the start of T-A/P-N.

Or the Omloop/Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne weekend, but then it's still a long way to go for the first real classics.

 

[hrotha]

I don't get this. Being the first race makes it no less boring.

You get entertained looking at the new kits and stuff.

 

[hatcher]

Plus you get to see the nerves on riders faces as they realise Willunga Hill is getting closer. Actually I'm one who gets excited for TDU; new riders, new teams, and cycling back on television.

 

[will10]

Plus you get to see the nerves on riders faces as they realise Willunga Hill is getting closer.

It's been a while since I physically laughed at a post on a forum. hatcher, you've made my day.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

The worst period IMO is the period between the last decent CX race and the start of T-A/P-N.

Or the Omloop/Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne weekend, but then it's still a long way to go for the first real classics.

every race feels like a warm up until omloop.

Paris-nice really opens the stage racing calendar.

I guess a couple of the french/Spanish smaller stage races are ok also.
not really much coverage available tho.

 

[craig1985]

I personally like races like the Tour of the Med etc.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I personally like races like the Tour of the Med etc.

That is what I meant, but they really lack in coverage.

 

[Kvinto]

I personally like races like the Tour of the Med etc.

Because of the snow on the Mont Faron?

 

[Captain_Cavman]

I don't get this. Being the first race makes it no less boring.

I disagree. Whether you find something boring is pretty subjective. And that means that your level of engagement will be a factor. Personally speaking I'm always quite enthused by the TDU with the newness of it all, whereas by the time October comes around, I've lost a lot of my interest, paying more attention to transfers and rumours than to the races themselves.

No-one in their right mind would say the GdL was a boring race but it rarely holds my interest. Of course the Tour of Beijing looks as if it ticks all the boxes for boringness, but I wouldn't know as I haven't really followed it.

 

[Reghere]

I want to take my vote back

The 3rd stage of the Tour of Beijing was surprisingly entertaining. The failure of this race however, is such a long Prologue where the race winner & podium is already decided.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

TBF to the TDU at least they are changing things up by going over Wilunga once and then finishing on top of it, which should mean there will be a flurry of attacks on the climb. It would be cool if they if they could finish on Mt Lofty as well.

Total Distance:
7.30km | 4.54mi
Starting Altitude:
116m | 381ft
Finishing Altitude:
586m | 1,923ft
Average Gradient: 6.4%
Elevation Gain:
470m | 1,542ft

http://www.cycle2max.com/bike-hill-climb/Greenhill-Road-(Mt.-Lofty).aspx?id=447

It's viable in that it isn't that far from Adelaide (15km east), but it might be too hard in January. Has anybody on here ridden it?

Anybody who actually wants to climb mountains in January goes to the Tour de San Luís instead, which features climbs tougher than that.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with the difficulty of the TDU, but I feel that they place the few obstacles there are very badly, something that it looks like they're at least beginning to rectify next year with the Willunga Hill finish and a couple of extra laps of the Stirling circuit. They don't need to include more obstacles, as has been said the teams and riders want it to be fairly easy otherwise they'd be in Argentina, just use the ones they have more smartly to let the puncheurs and rouleurs feel like they can make a difference too.

 

[sublimit]

The 3rd stage of the Tour of Beijing was surprisingly entertaining. The failure of this race however, is such a long Prologue where the race winner & podium is already decided.

I enjoyed it despite the useless coverage and lack of time gaps, screen Info etc.
Get to see some pleasant scenery, A break succeeding (just) and heroics by Froome, Deignan and Roche but I fear the rest of the race will be dull though.

 

[jamiephillips]

Historically what about Plymouth- Plymouth, stage 2 of the 1974 Tour. Anyone remember this? I've only ever read about it. Apparently they raced up and down a closed stretch of dual carraigeway? Who said the Brits know nothing about road racing??

 

[craig1985]

Anybody who actually wants to climb mountains in January goes to the Tour de San Luís instead, which features climbs tougher than that.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with the difficulty of the TDU, but I feel that they place the few obstacles there are very badly, something that it looks like they're at least beginning to rectify next year with the Willunga Hill finish and a couple of extra laps of the Stirling circuit. They don't need to include more obstacles, as has been said the teams and riders want it to be fairly easy otherwise they'd be in Argentina, just use the ones they have more smartly to let the puncheurs and rouleurs feel like they can make a difference too.

I don't disagree there. That's why I never understand the criticism that the TDU gets, it's in January so you can't have really hard stages, and the terrain of South Australia doesn't help either. And if the race went to Victoria, they wouldn't use Mt Baw Baw and would probably have a similar route. Hinault has said they could send riders over 2,000m mountain passes at the Tour of Oman, but at the start of the year it isn't right to send riders over that route.

As for boring WT races, would anybody care if Ghent-Wevelgem was dropped down to 1.HC status since E3 will be WT next year?

 

[LugHugger]

The worst period IMO is the period between the last decent CX race and the start of T-A/P-N.

Or the Omloop/Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne weekend, but then it's still a long way to go for the first real classics.

I'll take an hour of 'cross over the Bore Down Under any day. You don't have to wait for T-A/P-N though. One of my favourite races, Tour du Haut Var, starts 18/2 next year. And there's still GvA and Superprestige to fill in the gap. Happy days

 

[l.Harm]

Bejing
TDU
Eneco