Most prestigious 2.1 stage race.

[ingsve]

I read this comment by the organizers of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

"The race is on the level of the Tour de France, bringing the high speeds, danger and adrenaline of professional biking to elevations over 2 miles high in some of the most picturesque terrain in the world—the Colorado Rocky Mountains."

I guess in one way this statement is true if you lump all professional cycling into one class and compare it to domestic amateur cycling for example. But for a cycling fan that regularly follows professional cycling the comment is a bit comical. However, it did make me think about the prestige of various 2.1 stage races.

Which do you think is the most prestigious out of all the 2.1 stage races in the calender?

Here are all the current 2.1 races:

Tour de San Luis
La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria-Challenge Calabria
Etoile de Bessèges
Tour of Qatar
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel
Tour of Oman
Volta ao Algarve
Tour Cycliste International du Haut Var
Giro di Sardegna
Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen
Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
Circuit Cycliste Sarthe - Pays de la Loire
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
Albert Achterhes Profronde van Drenthe
Vuelta Asturias Julio Alvarez Mendo
Szlakiem Grodòw Piastowskich
Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid
Tour de Picardie
Circuit de Lorraine Professionnel
DELTA Tour Zeeland
Ster ZLM Toer
Route du Sud - La Dépêche du Midi
Tour de Slovénie
Course de Solidarnosc et des Champions Olympiques
Brixia Tour
Paris-Corrèze
Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta
Tour de l'Ain - La route du progrès
Tour of Utah
USA Pro Cycling Challenge
Tour du Poitou Charentes
Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda by Bergamasca
Giro di Padania
Giro della Regione Sicilia
Tour of China
Tour of Britain
Circuit Franco-Belge

There are some fairly old and traditional races in that list.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Can I select a few?

-Mediterraneen
-Settimana Internazionale
-Settimana Lombarda (check the honour list of that one)

 

[kurtinsc]

I've got no idea which is first, but I'd consider the "top level" of those races to be:

Volta ao Algarve
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali


Just my opinion though, based on the number of top riders who seem to show up to race hard.

 

[icefire]

Portugal .

 

[Libertine Seguros]

In terms of history and importance nationally, the Volta a Portugal by far. Like, really far. But that makes nary a blip outside its borders anymore.

Internationally, we would probably be talking Coppi e Bartali and Castilla y León, followed by the Tour Med, Tour de l'Ain and Lombarda.

USAPCC, if it shows even moderate growth, with a few years' history, should be at the top, if it isn't promoted to .HC sharpish.

 

[roundabout]

Not sure about prestige but this one is pretty good as far as 2.1 races go.

Good choices from D_T.

Asturias was pretty cool once.

 

[kurtinsc]

Portugal .

Not many top riders seem to contest that one. And Algarve is in the same country and generally has a much bigger name field.

 

[Jamsque]

Sarthe and West-Vlaanderen are pretty well thought of too.

 

[luckyboy]

Probably these I would say..

Tour Méditerranéen
Volta ao Algarve
Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda by Bergamasca

Volta a Portugal seems to be pretty Portugal-centric, no big riders go there.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Westvlaanderen is more of a race thought of for developing youngsters though; doesn't tend to bring in as many established names imo as the likes of Castilla y León and Coppi e Bartali.

 

[Lanark]

West-Vlaanderen is a pretty terrible race, even the Belgian or Dutch top cyclists ignore it like the plague. Maybe you guys are mistaking it with the Driedaagse van de Panne, which is a good race, but 2.HC.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

WestVlaanderen this year was nicknamed the Driekilometer van West-Vlaanderen since the prologue set everything.

 

[Echoes]

Y'all got it wrong.

Answer is Giro di Sardegna.

Check out the palmares:
http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/etapes/eta_td_sardaigne.php

Until around 1980, it was some sort of a Paris-Nice equivalent (or a bit less)

 

[El Pistolero]

I'll be going for Castilla y Leon and Qatar because the other races have a meh field.

 

[ingsve]

USAPCC, if it shows even moderate growth, with a few years' history, should be at the top, if it isn't promoted to .HC sharpish.

I wonder if it's just a coincidence or if there is some deliberate though behind that Tour of California is opposite the Giro and USAPCC is opposite the Vuelta. Especially in light of the talk about TOC being the 4th GT.

 

[The Hitch]

I vote Bartali.

USAPCC, if it shows even moderate growth, with a few years' history, should be at the top, if it isn't promoted to .HC sharpish.

I wonder if it's just a coincidence or if there is some deliberate though behind that Tour of California is opposite the Giro and USAPCC is opposite the Vuelta. Especially in light of the talk about TOC being the 4th GT.

Enemies of cycling have already began suggesting that Vuelta should be destroyed to make way for this new uspcc crap.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I wonder if it's just a coincidence or if there is some deliberate though behind that Tour of California is opposite the Giro and USAPCC is opposite the Vuelta. Especially in light of the talk about TOC being the 4th GT.

The Vuelta is early this year because of the Worlds coming forward. In reality, the USPCC is in the Deutschlandtour's old slot, and is about as much of a threat to the Vuelta too.

 

[El Pistolero]

West-Vlaanderen is a pretty terrible race, even the Belgian or Dutch top cyclists ignore it like the plague. Maybe you guys are mistaking it with the Driedaagse van de Panne, which is a good race, but 2.HC.

Yeah, don't know how anyone can find that race prestigious.

 

[Fetisoff]

Vuelta Murcia is my guess

 

[BillytheKid]

I vote Bartali.






Enemies of cycling have already began suggesting that Vuelta should be destroyed to make way for this new uspcc crap.

You seem to be obsessed with something that's not real. A three-week grand tour in the states is not even on the radar. It's all in your mind. The Spanish will never let the Vuelta die. The uspcc will die, however, if they can't get the television right. That's the total embarrassment. The altitude does make a difference, but there are plenty of uphill finishes that have been left out. You could have a circuit race in Aspen for those posh #$%^ while finishing today's stage at the top of the last climb. As designed, it is a weak race. The crap is in the creation. The are even very steep climbs on the posh slopes that line the town, but you would have to block someone's drive. Gawd!

 

[The Hitch]

You seem to be obsessed with something that's not real. A three-week grand tour in the states is not even on the radar. It's all in your mind. The Spanish will never let the Vuelta die. The uspcc will die, however, if they can't get the television right. That's the total embarrassment. The altitude does make a difference, but there are plenty of uphill finishes that have been left out. You could have a circuit race in Aspen for those posh #$%^. While finishing today's stage at the top of the last climb. As designed, it is a weak race. The crap is in the creation. The are even very steep climbs on the posh slopes that line the town, but you would have to block someones drive. Gawd!

Well the bit about the Giro and Vuelta getting destroyed (moved down to 2 weeks but its the same thing) in order to accomodate Cali was suggested by none other than UCI president Pat Mcquaid.

Now as i understand the same people are behind this race as Cali.
I also hear that Lance Armstrong (cycling itself) is behind this race, the same twit who said on the day of the Zoncolan that the cycling world should be talking about a "beautiful race in California".

And on the very first day of the very first USPCC it was already suggested by the Eurosport commentator and some **** writing in, that Vuelta should be cut down to make way for this new race.

Looks like the judases might be trying to double up on 2 of the classic grand tours.

So as unlikely as it is that the will succeed in killing our sport, I do take these threats seriously. I hate its proponents and look forward to their destruction.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I agree with whats been said about these upstarts' usurping attitude. In the USPCC thread I found myself frustrated with a few that tried to diminish the value of the new race, but in in a much bigger context they were right (more eating crow: they picked up the arrogance I had not paid close enough attention to notice).

That being said. There is no way I can do anything but be optimistic and excited about the prospect of new races, and neither should any of you either. Survival of the sport is good for some, but growth is better. Accessibility for spectators, and up and coming riders and teams go hand in hand with new races.

I'm sometimes feel a little too nationalist in defending the ToCA and USPCC, but I just ask the informed cycling population to be careful with the criticisms. They are powerful, but can and should be constructive, rather than defensive/destructive.

A little off topic, and not aimed at anyone, but whatever.

Prestige is a funny word. It means different things to different people. I will say if I was a rider and had to choose one overall victory to insert into 2011 from the list regardless of prizes, it might be Algrave.

 

[hfer07]

Volta ao Algarve
Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia
Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta
Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda by Bergamasca

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Westvlaanderen is more of a race thought of for developing youngsters though; doesn't tend to bring in as many established names imo as the likes of Castilla y León and Coppi e Bartali.

true, not a prestigious race at all. If you do good as a neo-pro on the other hand (Keukeleire, Boeckmans last year) it's a good start of your career. Shows you've got some potential

 

[boomcie]

West-Vlaanderen is a pretty terrible race, even the Belgian or Dutch top cyclists ignore it like the plague. Maybe you guys are mistaking it with the Driedaagse van de Panne, which is a good race, but 2.HC.

Never ignore the plague. Beginner's mistake.
3-daagse West-Vlaanderen is pretty weak though.

Volta ao Algarve
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
Tour Médi.