- Nov 12, 2024
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As a newcomer, there may already be a thread about this and if so, my apologies and please merge with that but I couldn't find one. I know the monuments and classics are largely considered more prestigous, with the Grand Tours and Worlds obviously ahead as well, but I wanted to talk about the stage races and where they rank. The Major tours are quite clearly the top 7, but where are they individually ranked? And what about the other 5, where are they seen to be after it? I've only been watching cycling for 15 or so years so my experiences will probably be much different to yours but this is the way I see it:
1. Criterium du Dauphine. The Dauphine is the main precurser to the Tour obviously and despite being the second youngest of the 7 it definitely has more prestige than the others in my viewing of cycling, whether or not that holds true across the board I'm not sure. It has big mountains, the views are incredible and it just feels massive in comparison to the rest.
2. Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Obviously the oldest and it's the first real purely GC test of the year with Tirreno and Paris-Nice having sprint stages littered throughout. It's also often the hardest race to watch as an Aussie (especially when you get up at 5 for work...) but you make the effort a few nights to see how everyone is really shaping up heading into Grand Tour season, so this is an important marker which I really enjoy watching.
3. Paris-Nice. This is the point where I start to debate where to rank these races. It's usually the one where ASO try new things (Like the TTT format) but I still feel like it deserves its spot in this place because it's the first of the tours for a reason, it often has a stage for the sprinters which I feel most of these Tours should but don't necessarily have.
4. Tour de Suisse. 3-5 were the hardest to rank, Suisse is the other one right before the Tour and I feel it should be more recognised despite being next to the Dauphine which is obviously currently #1 in my opinion (and unlikely to change). Maybe it's a touch too close to the Tour in this regard but I still feel that way.
5. Itzulia Basque Country. I know it's had three different names but I'm calling it this. It's got some absolutely brutal climbs usually and a good break in the middle of the Classics season but I also feel it's a little lost because of that too? Not really an early season indicator as most of the favourites here have probably ridden Catalunya, Paris-Nice or Tirreno but also a little far out from the Giro to get a real indication.
6. Tirreno-Adriatico. Surprised I have it ahead of Romandie? Fair enough, it's the one with the most sprints and as such I'm guessing most people probably have it as the bottom of these Major Tours, but I have it highter obviously, as it gives a more balanced week than the others, and loses points for being at the same time as Paris-Nice. Great race usually anyway.
7. Tour de Romandie. Yep, 7th. You don't really see any Giro contenders race it at all, and it's a shame because despite it being 7th, it's still obviously a prestigeous race in its own right. I'm not a fan of how often they have two ITT's in the race (only one since 2019 has had fewer than 2) in a 6 day race, would feel better served if it were only one instead.
8. Tour de Pologne. Obviously the main lead up race between the other GT's and the Vuelta, this race is usually pretty balanced between mountains, ITT and flat so we get the best of all worlds and a good indicator for the last GC of the season for those that rode the Giro, or a good closer for those that rode the Tour.
9. UAE Tour. Had a hard time splitting this and TDU, but the fact is you get to see the likes of Tadej, Roglic, Evenepoel often start their seasons here instead of TDU, as much as I hate that. Usually 7 stages and has an ITT and a couple of mountain stages which bumps it above my home country's race.
10. Tour Down Under. If it had the right profile and length it could easily be above the UAE, I feel like it's one stage short of what it needs to be, and also feel like it needs one less sprint stage. Give it another stage around Mt Lofty as well as WIllunga Hill and maybe add an ITT, either as a prologue or at the end.
11. Gree Tour of Guangxi. I found it tough to rank these last two next to each other but this one at least has a little climbing in it so it makes the GC more interesting than Renewi, and the results are often a surprise, with only Enric Mas so far as a normal GC in GT guy whose won it.
12. Renewi Tour. Yep, Renewi at the bottom, it's not a GC race at all, as shown by the fact you basically just have to be a really be a good ITT rider with one minor "Hilly" stage for you to separate yourself from the rest.
So yeah, there are my rankings. Cheers.
1. Criterium du Dauphine. The Dauphine is the main precurser to the Tour obviously and despite being the second youngest of the 7 it definitely has more prestige than the others in my viewing of cycling, whether or not that holds true across the board I'm not sure. It has big mountains, the views are incredible and it just feels massive in comparison to the rest.
2. Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Obviously the oldest and it's the first real purely GC test of the year with Tirreno and Paris-Nice having sprint stages littered throughout. It's also often the hardest race to watch as an Aussie (especially when you get up at 5 for work...) but you make the effort a few nights to see how everyone is really shaping up heading into Grand Tour season, so this is an important marker which I really enjoy watching.
3. Paris-Nice. This is the point where I start to debate where to rank these races. It's usually the one where ASO try new things (Like the TTT format) but I still feel like it deserves its spot in this place because it's the first of the tours for a reason, it often has a stage for the sprinters which I feel most of these Tours should but don't necessarily have.
4. Tour de Suisse. 3-5 were the hardest to rank, Suisse is the other one right before the Tour and I feel it should be more recognised despite being next to the Dauphine which is obviously currently #1 in my opinion (and unlikely to change). Maybe it's a touch too close to the Tour in this regard but I still feel that way.
5. Itzulia Basque Country. I know it's had three different names but I'm calling it this. It's got some absolutely brutal climbs usually and a good break in the middle of the Classics season but I also feel it's a little lost because of that too? Not really an early season indicator as most of the favourites here have probably ridden Catalunya, Paris-Nice or Tirreno but also a little far out from the Giro to get a real indication.
6. Tirreno-Adriatico. Surprised I have it ahead of Romandie? Fair enough, it's the one with the most sprints and as such I'm guessing most people probably have it as the bottom of these Major Tours, but I have it highter obviously, as it gives a more balanced week than the others, and loses points for being at the same time as Paris-Nice. Great race usually anyway.
7. Tour de Romandie. Yep, 7th. You don't really see any Giro contenders race it at all, and it's a shame because despite it being 7th, it's still obviously a prestigeous race in its own right. I'm not a fan of how often they have two ITT's in the race (only one since 2019 has had fewer than 2) in a 6 day race, would feel better served if it were only one instead.
8. Tour de Pologne. Obviously the main lead up race between the other GT's and the Vuelta, this race is usually pretty balanced between mountains, ITT and flat so we get the best of all worlds and a good indicator for the last GC of the season for those that rode the Giro, or a good closer for those that rode the Tour.
9. UAE Tour. Had a hard time splitting this and TDU, but the fact is you get to see the likes of Tadej, Roglic, Evenepoel often start their seasons here instead of TDU, as much as I hate that. Usually 7 stages and has an ITT and a couple of mountain stages which bumps it above my home country's race.
10. Tour Down Under. If it had the right profile and length it could easily be above the UAE, I feel like it's one stage short of what it needs to be, and also feel like it needs one less sprint stage. Give it another stage around Mt Lofty as well as WIllunga Hill and maybe add an ITT, either as a prologue or at the end.
11. Gree Tour of Guangxi. I found it tough to rank these last two next to each other but this one at least has a little climbing in it so it makes the GC more interesting than Renewi, and the results are often a surprise, with only Enric Mas so far as a normal GC in GT guy whose won it.
12. Renewi Tour. Yep, Renewi at the bottom, it's not a GC race at all, as shown by the fact you basically just have to be a really be a good ITT rider with one minor "Hilly" stage for you to separate yourself from the rest.
So yeah, there are my rankings. Cheers.
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