Never mind that you’re unlikely to find a Tuna cannery that offers altitude training...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!
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Never mind that you’re unlikely to find a Tuna cannery that offers altitude training...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!
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.
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.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).
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.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.
Never mind that you’re unlikely to find a Tuna cannery that offers altitude training...
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).
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 |
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.Roubaix losing prestige rapidly because it’s never certain when and if it’s going to be raced!
Roubaix losing prestige rapidly because it’s never certain when and if it’s going to be raced!
Crazy how PR is still second despite not being ridden which I think would make a difference.Here is a list of the number of views of the related wikipedia articles in the last year for all languages:
Snippet
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.
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.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 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.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 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.
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.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.