Most Prestigious / Your Favorite One Day Races

[Leinster]

I was reading too fast and read "canneries" and had this image of a bunch of skinny dudes freezing while riding around fish canneries in Alaska!

Never mind that you’re unlikely to find a Tuna cannery that offers altitude training...

 

[BigCoward]

OG RR winner should get a gold Jersey with the Olympic rings on for the next 4 years.

 

[Avoriaz]

Here is my view of the one day races. Apologies if I have forgotten any, but that should presuppose a low score:

Spinal Tap 11: Tour of Flanders
: Paris-Roubaix, Strade Bianchi,
: World Champs, Tour of Lombardy, Omloop (it means the season has started)
: LBL, MSR, Le Samyn, E3, Nokere Koerse, GW, GP Quebec (love the course)
: Amstel, Paris-Tours, FW, Dwars
: others

i understand why people rate the Olympic RR but it registers merely as a quaint distraction. I would argue that this is because it is new but I gave Strade 5 pints. My ratings are based on how eagerly I jump out of bed on the day of the race. De Ronde is already causing sleepless nights

 

[tobydawq]

I get what you're saying about Strade, but I feel like the riders do take it a bit more seriously than "just an early season race"; witness it becoming such a good form indicator for MSR in recent years, but also quite a few GT riders showing up there instead of being on an altitude camp in the Canaries or whatever (Valverde, Bardet, Fuglsang, Dumoulin, Pinot, all have top 10s in the past 5 editions). Like Liege, it's a very strong test of an all-rounder, and if someone had only come up with the idea for it sooner, it would surely rank higher.

Some people just don't understand how tough Strade is and misinterpret the early selection as an indicator for only very few people being interested in performing. It's very strange.

 

[Cannavaro]

Interesting!
Because I had doubts about this being too anglo-centric. Idk what website you used but just looking at Paris-Roubaix over the last 30 days (use the page information listed under tools on the sidebar of the page) I get the following data.

English version: 12,114
Spanish version: 4,081
Dutch version: 8,033
French version: 8,238
Italian version: 7,168

But if we then take Ronde van Vlaanderen:
English version: 10,497
Spanish version: 4,031
Dutch version: 11,997
French version: 7,273
Italian version: 7,375

And MSR
English version: 27,484
Spanish version: 10,100
Dutch version: 29,180
French version: 20,875
Italian version: 28,475

So yeah just looking at these numbers it does not seem like there is an obvious regional preference for some races over others (apart from the country that the race is held).

I use https://pageviews.toolforge.org (which gives more or less the same numbers for the last 30 days). Thank you a lot! It was a very good idea to check this.

 

[Leinster]

Some people just don't understand how tough Strade is and misinterpret the early selection as an indicator for only very few people being interested in performing. It's very strange.

The early selection is one of the great things about Strade. We so rarely get to see races where the top 5-10 riders are going head to head without the benefit of a train of some sort. Only some tough editions of Ronde and Roubaix come close.

And a part-result of that is that there’s really nowhere to hide in Strade; it’s almost invariably won by the strongest rider in the race, to an extent that I think is more true than for any other bike race I can think of.

 

[RedheadDane]

Never mind that you’re unlikely to find a Tuna cannery that offers altitude training...

You can - however - still work at a fish factory, and turn out to be a fairly decent pro. As evidenced by not-Chris Harper.

 

[Cannavaro]

Interesting!
Because I had doubts about this being too anglo-centric. Idk what website you used but just looking at Paris-Roubaix over the last 30 days (use the page information listed under tools on the sidebar of the page) I get the following data.

English version: 12,114
Spanish version: 4,081
Dutch version: 8,033
French version: 8,238
Italian version: 7,168

But if we then take Ronde van Vlaanderen:
English version: 10,497
Spanish version: 4,031
Dutch version: 11,997
French version: 7,273
Italian version: 7,375

And MSR
English version: 27,484
Spanish version: 10,100
Dutch version: 29,180
French version: 20,875
Italian version: 28,475

So yeah just looking at these numbers it does not seem like there is an obvious regional preference for some races over others (apart from the country that the race is held).

Turns out that you can look at all languages at once by selecting "langviews". It creates a little problem with the world championship since some countries do not have a separate article for the mens road race. So you can end up with either 517136 views for the UCI Road World Championship or with 285082 for the Mens road race. The truth is anywhere in between. Furthermore races which were cancelled last year have a disadvantage. Races which were held two times between 1.4.2020 and 31.3.2021 due to postponements have an advantage.

Here is a list of the number of views of the related wikipedia articles in the last year for all languages:

1.	World Championship	517136 / 285082
2.	Paris - Rubaix	429747
3.	Tour of Flanders	375161
4.	Milan - San Remo	359171
5.	Liege - Bastogne - Liege	282269
6.	Strade Bianche	240165
7.	Giro di Lombardia	177762
8.	Fleche Wallone	145231
9.	Amstel Gold Race	117441
10.	Gent Wevelgem	110366
11.	Omloop Het Nieuwsblad	67602
12.	Paris - Tours	60922
13.	Brabantse Pijl	49777
14.	Dwars door Vlaanderen	49150
15.	Clasica San Sebastian	41208
16.	Milan - Torino	36151
17.	E3 Harelbeke	31090
18.	Scheldeprijs	24393
19.	Bretagne Classic	23279
20.	Three Days of Bruges - De Panne	22331
21.	Giro del Piemonte	21206
22.	Giro dell'Emilia	18481
23.	EuroEyes cyclassics	16682
24.	Brussels Cyclassics	16615
25.	Japan Cup	12707
26.	Grand Prix Montreal	11226
27.	Grand Prix Quebec	11078
28.	Coppa Bernocchi	7091
29.	GP Mihuel Indurain	7063
30.	Coppa Agostini	6796
31.	Grand Prix de Fourmies	5852

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

My Fovourites

In general I've always favoured classics and semi-classics over stage races and try not to miss out on any of them, though Le Tour was my first race as a spectator back in 1986 (or rather larger race event I should say, been a spectator since late 70ies to minor amateur races in my home country).

During the 80ies and most of the 90ies, La Doyenne was by far my favourite of classics.
But since mid 90ies, I've been absolutely wild about every single Belgian cobblestone spring classics with ofcourse De Ronde as the pinnacle.

And ofcourse P-R will always be up there as the official 'Queen of Classics'.
AGR was very high on my list in the 80ies. I hope the new finish will bring some more excitement back in the future.

However, speaking excitement and passion overall for one day races the Worlds have always won by a far distance.
Mens Elite RR WC has been my 'christmas eve' since early 80ies and for the last couple of decades I've planned months before up to the day, arranging with my family so I could watch the entire race undisturbed, i.e. right from the gun to the podium celebrations.

Though this race typically isn't the most exciting race for the first many hours, for me, it just hijacks my emotions completely, even if absolutely nothing happens. I'm 'in the zone' enjoying every detail, just as a level of most the monuments in the closing 30k.

So a personal list, obviously not completely reflecting what is the most prestegious one day races:

6 stars: UCI World Championships Mens Elite RR (even the most boring edition for centuries will completely wash over the others for me)
5 stars: Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix
4 stars: Liége-Bastogne-Liége, Strade Bianche, Milano-Sanremo, E3 Harelbeke, Omloop Het Volk, Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne
3 stars: Paris-Tours, GP Quebéc, GP de Plouay, Giro di Lombardia, La Fléche Wallone, Dwars Door Vlaanderen, Nokere Koerse, Gent-Wevelgem
2 stars: Tour de l'Eurométropole, Donostia-Donostia Klássikao, Amstel Gold Race, Brügge-De Panne, GP Herning, Paris-Bruxelles
1 star: De Brabrantse Pijl, Paris-Camenbert, Le Samyn and newer Belgium races as GP Monsére and Gooikse Pijl.

I bet I forgot some.

I think it is meaningless to make 'the most prestigeous' a discussion. A personal list, however, is an interesting one

 

[Eshnar]

what is most impressive to me in those wikipedia lists is not only that SB has more hits than Lombardia, but that it has over 50% more hits than the next non-monument in the list

Poor Lombardia though Expected, but still...

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I've always been a fan of those terrain races so Roubaix and Flandres top my list (they are also most prestigious, alongsite WC) and obviously Strade is great as well.

 

[Sciatic]

Roubaix losing prestige rapidly because it’s never certain when and if it’s going to be raced!

 

[Cannavaro]

Roubaix losing prestige rapidly because it’s never certain when and if it’s going to be raced!

I think it will more turn into a mythical race like Elfstedentocht. Every year people will anxiously looking at the forecasts, getting hope and going crazy when figures drop for some time only to be disappointed finally when figures inevitably raise again.

 

[will-10]

Roubaix losing prestige rapidly because it’s never certain when and if it’s going to be raced!

Or is it the opposite - more prestigious as it gets rarer and rarer.... maybe one Roubaix every four years is enough like the Olympics or World Cup?

 

[RedheadDane]

It will turn into this mythical event that people talk about in hushed voices during the quiet hours of the night.

 

[hayneplane]

Favourites
Worlds, PR, Olympic RR, RVV,Strade
LBL,Lombardy,E3,Ventoux
San Sebastian, Amstel, Canada classics, Flèche,GW
MSR,Emilia,DDV
The rest
Scheldeprijs

Prestige
PR,Worlds,RVV,Olympics
LBL,Lombardy, Strade
MSR
Amstel,Flèche,E3,GW
Canada classics,San Seb,Plouay
The rest

In recent years I think the Olympics has had a big up shift in popularity and prestige due to the last two editions. GVA in the gold helmet at the front of so many big races has elevated its status.

On the flip side the biggest loser in recent times is the loss of status of Paris-Tours and to a lesser degree Hamburg.

 

[Panda Claws]

Here is a list of the number of views of the related wikipedia articles in the last year for all languages:

Snippet

Crazy how PR is still second despite not being ridden which I think would make a difference.

 

[will-10]

In recent years I think the Olympics has had a big up shift in popularity and prestige due to the last two editions. GVA in the gold helmet at the front of so many big races has elevated its status.

The reality is an Olympic gold can transform a rider's life much more than a Flanders win or a San Remo.

Hopefully whoever wins this year doesn't skimp on the gold. Bettini, Sanchez and Greg have all gone big in recent times

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The reality is an Olympic gold can transform a rider's life much more than a Flanders win or a San Remo.

I don’t believe that Olympic gold dramatically changed the life of any recent winner in men’s road racing. Even Samuel Sanchez, the only one for whom it was unquestionably their major career achievement.

 

[Leinster]

In recent years I think the Olympics has had a big up shift in popularity and prestige due to the last two editions. GVA in the gold helmet at the front of so many big races has elevated its status.

On the flip side the biggest loser in recent times is the loss of status of Paris-Tours and to a lesser degree Hamburg.

I think the prestige of the Olympics has definitely been increased by the fading memory of back when it was essentially a supplemental Amateur Worlds.

Paris-Tours' loss of status is a shame, as it's had some great editions in recent years. And I think that has also hurt Lombardia; since they're both generally on the same weekend now, the Autumn Double is pretty much impossible.

 

[red_flanders]

I don’t believe that Olympic gold dramatically changed the life of any recent winner in men’s road racing. Even Samuel Sanchez, the only one for whom it was unquestionably their major career achievement.

I wonder if y'all are saying different things. "Changed the life" might mean what happened to the rider outside of the sport. Olympic Gold is a national honor, and life-changing for many an athlete. I don't think it changes a cyclist's career on the bike that much, but it's a very nice honor.

 

[tobydawq]

I don’t believe that Olympic gold dramatically changed the life of any recent winner in men’s road racing. Even Samuel Sanchez, the only one for whom it was unquestionably their major career achievement.

Yeah, Greg didn't have a good spring the following year at all.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I wonder if y'all are saying different things. "Changed the life" might mean what happened to the rider outside of the sport. Olympic Gold is a national honor, and life-changing for many an athlete. I don't think it changes a cyclist's career on the bike that much, but it's a very nice honor.

My point was precisely that while it is indeed “life-changing for many athlete”, I agree that it doesn’t change a cyclist’s career on the bike that much.

There are sports that are centrally about the Olympics. Sports which essentially borrow the Olympics audience once every four years, where incomes are supported by public and private Olympic funding. And there are mass spectator sports with their own audience and traditions and prestigious events. In those sports, the Olympics is much less prestigious.

So if you are a track cyclist, your income mostly comes from Olympic related grants, your coaching and support from programmes that are funded with the Olympics as the main goal. And only an aficionado will ever know your name if you don’t win Olympic medals. If you do, you become a minor national figure, albeit interchangeable with medalists in hundreds of other minor disciplines. Road cycling, at least for men, is different. It’s not football, or even basketball or cricket. But it’s a real mass spectator sport with its own traditions and own major events and own audience.

Because I think the Olympics is a relatively minor thing in men’s road cycling, I come across to a lot of people here as hating the Olympics. Actually I think that the most important thing to note about the Olympics is that it’s the single strongest force for equality for women’s sports and the fact that I don’t put huge importance on the men’s road race as a cycling event is a pretty minor thing,

 

[tobydawq]

But the men's OGRR isn't a pretty minor thing whether or not you think it.

 

[The Hegelian]

I get what you're saying about Strade, but I feel like the riders do take it a bit more seriously than "just an early season race"; witness it becoming such a good form indicator for MSR in recent years, but also quite a few GT riders showing up there instead of being on an altitude camp in the Canaries or whatever (Valverde, Bardet, Fuglsang, Dumoulin, Pinot, all have top 10s in the past 5 editions). Like Liege, it's a very strong test of an all-rounder, and if someone had only come up with the idea for it sooner, it would surely rank higher.

Yeah for sure - that's why I said 'I'm going against the riders' (as well as the fans). I think it has serious prestige for them.