Rate the 2022 Tour de France

[RobertCrawley]

9 for me.
Best Tour since 2003 at least. Vingo's strength in the third week prevented a possible 10.

I know 2003 was a great race, but I set it aside because it was part of "that era." I'd go back to 1989 and the 8 seconds as the last great Tour. This 2022 edition was really close in terms of drama and great cycling.

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

You’re right. And I wasn’t clear.

My point is big gaps do not make it less exciting. Back ending a GT with all the difficult stages does not make it more exciting. Trying to design routes that benefit less all round riders like Bardet, Quintana, Yates, Lopez etc to keep them artificially “in the game” only delays action by the racers.

So more TT would help (another exciting day between the real contenders). TTs are downright thrilling when the focus is firmly on the real contenders, not on how Meinjes or Bardet or whomever is losing 5 1/2 minutes over 40 kms and is sadly now out of contention. They never were/should have been in contention.

Having stages with climbs but few valleys helps (Hautacam stage). And they should use the Massif Central every single year.

But MAINLY having just two true contenders who have all round skills is really all that is needed. And designing the course for all-rounders (not 2022 Giro for instance). Lemond used to say that you could count the riders who could legitimately win any given TDF on one hand, often even less. So stop trying to keep “one dimensional” riders in the game until the final few days. It leads to boring racing.

Yeah too many days in the Alps and Pyrenees. More time needed in Brittany and the north and Massif Central. Maybe one more TT but that would give a big advantage to some riders in the same way the mountains do.
I'd love to see them throw the Tro Bro Leon route in there. That'd create time differences though I'm not show how the vehicle entourage would get through it.
One of the better editions though, solid 5.

 

[Big Doopie]

At every important test, it looked like V was the stronger rider.

But there were two moments when V almost lost the race: the downhill on Stage 18 when V did that magnificent save when his wheel popped off after he unclipped, and when he went off the road on Stage 20 on the time trial. And inch here or an inch there, and we'd be having a much different conversation right now.

i would add the cobbles stage. without WvA bringing him back to within 14 seconds, his deficit would have been much greater and pog tactics would have been different. WvA saved Vingo's TDF there.

 

[Carols]

I know 2003 was a great race, but I set it aside because it was part of "that era." I'd go back to 1989 and the 8 seconds as the last great Tour. This 2022 edition was really close in terms of drama and great cycling.

1989 Stands Tall as a 10! While enjoyable this only had half the excitement of 1989 Geez, Fignon and Lemond kept trading yellow back and forth from stage 5 to the Very End. It doesn't get any better than that! JMO

 

[RobertCrawley]

i would add the cobbles stage. without WvA bringing him back to within 14 seconds, his deficit would have been much greater and pog tactics would have been different. WvA saved Vingo's TDF there.

Right! Great point.

 

[OlavEH]

Yeah too many days in the Alps and Pyrenees. More time needed in Brittany and the north and Massif Central. Maybe one more TT but that would give a big advantage to some riders in the same way the mountains do.
I'd love to see them throw the Tro Bro Leon route in there. That'd create time differences though I'm not show how the vehicle entourage would get through it.
One of the better editions though, solid 5.

What does Brittany do except echelons? Which I really don't think should be a decisive factor.

Maybe there could be one less Alps or Pyrenee stage, but at least 5 big mountain stages are almost a must. But agree that Massif Central (and the Vosges except Belles Filles) should be used more. And that I would also like a sterrato stage in the Tour. Maybe there is an issue that most towns in Massif Central are small and can't really afford to pay much for a stage finish.

 

[Valv.Piti]

To people who voted 5 or under: I genuinely don't know why would bother watching cycling for years and desperately hoping for a great and memorable Tour de France-edition if this is your judgement. At that point, the time will never come Im afraid. It rarely gets better than this. Maybe time for another sport?

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

What does Brittany do except echelons? Which I really don't think should be a decisive factor.

Maybe there could be one less Alps or Pyrenee stage, but at least 5 big mountain stages are almost a must. But agree that Massif Central (and the Vosges except Belles Filles) should be used more. And that I would also like a sterrato stage in the Tour. Maybe there is an issue that most towns in Massif Central are small and can't really afford to pay much for a stage finish.

Cos I love echelons as much as Nairo

 

[Carrick-On-Seine]

To people who voted 5 or under: I genuinely don't know why would bother watching cycling for years and desperately hoping for a great and memorable Tour de France-edition if this is your judgement. At that point, the time will never come Im afraid. It rarely gets better than this. Maybe time for another sport?

Personally I enjoy one day races much more than GTs and like to see lumpy stage more than mountains.
However, If two-time Monument winner Pog had won though, I might have given it more than 5.

 

[BR2]

To people who voted 5 or under: I genuinely don't know why would bother watching cycling for years and desperately hoping for a great and memorable Tour de France-edition if this is your judgement. At that point, the time will never come Im afraid. It rarely gets better than this. Maybe time for another sport?

Uhm, I simply prefer a Tour that is not completely dominated by 3 riders? Where there is not one "I can do everything each day without ever getting tired"-rider on the team that already wins the yellow jersey easily, plus one other significant rider and the rest of the riders can pick up the crumbs that are generously left to them?
But yeah, probably time for another sport or no sport anymore or actually doing sports myself

 

[fbjim]

how many tours weren't "dominated" by 3 riders, how many people do you think can remember finished 4th in the hallowed 1989 TDF without looking it up

like yes, there are instances like the very close 2008 TdF with no clear dominant rider, but people like head-to-head fights

 

[Tonton]

Netserk gave it a 10? He stole the show here, no post will top that.

As always, I give it an 8, but this time I mean it. Like many, I hope that it was all legit, that Pog is real and that Vingo is not the New Riis. All we can do is evaluate the entertainment value of this Tour. Of course, we all have preferences and mine won't influence the rating. I know as a Pinot and Rolling Stones fan that "you can't always get what you want".

I couldn't be happier for Denmark. It was a great choice to start Le Tour in that country, fans all over, a good way to settle in, even if wind wasn't a factor. I guess the Northern Sea Gods realized that messing with roadside fan RedheadDane's hair would be a bad idea. A very bad idea.

Imperfect design, but in the end the riders make the race...and what a race it was!

Giros and Vueltas feature a lesser field and weaker teams: comparing them to the Tour is questionable. Here, we had seven riders with top-2 TdF credentials on the start list and a JV team loaded to the gills.

We had the best first week that I can remember, very '14-like. The Granon stage reminded me of the first Tour that I watched, in '75, when Merckx blew himself up in that mythic Pra-Loup stage. On that very day I became addicted to cycling and a fan of Merckx. Now I'm a fan of Tadej Pogacar. He never gave up. Like Merckx in '75, Hinault in '84, LeMond in '89, there was always the feeling that he could turn it around. That may be why Vingegaard kept taking risks and almost lost the Tour twice.

Drama every day, and so many great moments. Besides the Vingo-Pog battle, it was great to witness Jungels, Pidcock, and Matthews epic wins, it was sad to see Geschke's dream of polka dot jersey shattered, heck, even Froome had his moment in the sun. And let's not forget that the '22 TdF will give hope to the Belgian fans: Wout may be "that guy".

 

[fbjim]

the fact that it was someone like Pogacar in 2nd was a big deal, if Sky-era Chris Froome had entered the last mountain stages with a 2:30 lead on GC, absolutely nobody would have believed Uran, Quintana or Bardet could overturn that against the Sky team, outside of hope.

Maybe Contador if he was in his prime.

 

[RedheadDane]

I couldn't be happier for Denmark. It was a great choice to start Le Tour in that country, fans all over, a good way to settle in, even if wind wasn't a factor. I guess the Northern Sea Gods realized that messing with roadside fan RedheadDane's hair would be a bad idea. A very bad idea.

Yes, it was all me! Can't have my hair be messy...
Naah, my hair has definitely seen worse than what a bit of wind can do.

 

[BR2]

how many tours weren't "dominated" by 3 riders, how many people do you think can remember finished 4th in the hallowed 1989 TDF without looking it up

like yes, there are instances like the very close 2008 TdF with no clear dominant rider, but people like head-to-head fights

I am not just talking about the GC. I have become used to/okay with the GC battle being rather boring. I like the smaller stories around it, the subplots. But van Aert was just toying with everyone. While heavily working for his leader(s) and being in a break every second day where other good riders who only did that one break in the whole Tour couldn't follow him, he could easily have won the polka dots in addition to the green jersey with an amount of points not seen in many decades, he had a good chance to win on the Champs-Elysée, but decided to just leave it be after having already given a stage to Laporte.
And then you have someone like van Hooydonck outclimbing good climbers for the same team and Vingegaard in the end being absolutely unbeatable (only on the cobbles he could have really lost time).

 

[red_flanders]

I know 2003 was a great race, but I set it aside because it was part of "that era." I'd go back to 1989 and the 8 seconds as the last great Tour. This 2022 edition was really close in terms of drama and great cycling.

2022 is part of “this era”, I don’t see the distinction. ‘89 of course the best evah! I remember reading the standings in VeloNews at the time, and I think it came out weekly? My dad was telling me it was over, no way to gain back 50 seconds or whatever it was. We really missed being in Belgium that summer and seeing it all live on TV. I must have watched the World Cycling Production tape 100 times after the fact.

 

[Valv.Piti]

the fact that it was someone like Pogacar in 2nd was a big deal, if Sky-era Chris Froome had entered the last mountain stages with a 2:30 lead on GC, absolutely nobody would have believed Uran, Quintana or Bardet could overturn that against the Sky team, outside of hope.

Maybe Contador if he was in his prime.

Ah yes, Tour de France 2017, the most pathetic GT I can remember. Go look at the time gaps stage-by-stage on PCS, for example. Thats a prime example that close racing rarely translates to exciting racing. There never was any doubt that Froome would win that race when he was contested by Aru, Bardet and Uran

 

[RobertCrawley]

2022 is part of “this era”, I don’t see the distinction. ‘89 of course the best evah! I remember reading the standings in VeloNews at the time, and I think it came out weekly? My dad was telling me it was over, no way to gain back 50 seconds or whatever it was. We really missed being in Belgium that summer and seeing it all live on TV. I must have watched the World Cycling Production tape 100 times after the fact.

I don't want to get into it too much, but in my opinion "that era" was largely decided by who had the best doping program, not who was the best rider.

Edit: Please move if too clinical.

 

[Põhja Konn]

8/10

Really good edition, but unfortunately due to a combination of my own heavy work schedule during last two weeks and ASO's indefensively moronic decision to hold all big mountain stages in midweek, I mostly could follow it only through the forum. The main reason it doesn't get a 9 or 10 from me is that suspense was largely gone from GC fight by the end of second week. Pogacar put on real watt-bombs on Alpe and Mende , but could not even get a bike-lenght of a gap out of Vingegaard. Barring something unexpected happening to JV, the Tour was over.

Pog put up a spectacular fight also in the Pyrenees, but there was no weakness in his main rival, no opening to get back significant enough amount of time and it kind of dampened the emotions.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

There never was any doubt that Froome would win that race when he was contested by Aru, Bardet and Uran

Aru tried to an extent, though. Attacked decently early on PBF and won, took the yellow jersey in the Pyrenees, thereby putting Froome's win more than in doubt, then faded because he had planned to peak for a Giro he ended up missing and his recovery was starting to go. Certainly doesn't deserve to be judged as harshly as the most negative version of Bardet and Mr. Zubeldia with Better Legs Uran.

 

[bob.a.feet]

I gave it a 9. I loved it.

I've always felt that a properly raced race - even if it isn't that close - is better than a close race that hasn't been raced at all. Even though there was a sense of inevitability in Vingegaard's win after Alpe d'Huez, we were nonetheless treated to a spectacle in the Pyrenees. In the Giro we saw the opposite - a race that was completely up in the air until the final mountain stage. And yet, the previous stages were so dull we almost didn't care who won.

It's fun to see a Grand Tour decided in the final TT, but I think this Tour was far better than 2020. A decisive final TT is much like a penalty shootout - exciting, but often incapable of erasing the previous 120 minutes of drivel. Although in the case of Grand Tours, it's weeks - not days.

 

[Põhja Konn]

To people who voted 5 or under: I genuinely don't know why would bother watching cycling for years and desperately hoping for a great and memorable Tour de France-edition if this is your judgement. At that point, the time will never come Im afraid. It rarely gets better than this. Maybe time for another sport?

I understand your sentiment, but I also remember how I felt after the 2018 Giro. Sometimes some perfomances are just too much to swallow for some people. We cannot discuss Clinic stuff in this subforum, but rightly or wrongly that stuff (and our limited understanding of it) can have a significant influence on how we see and rate a race.

 

[fbjim]

yeah 2017 did have some fun stuff from Aru though he was a bit of a flash in the pan.

the absolute worst was I think 2016, when there was that final stage with the classic Joux-Plane/Morzine finish that basically was rode neutral because nobody particularly felt like improving in GC.

 

[RedheadDane]

I understand your sentiment, but I also remember how I felt after the 2018 Giro. Sometimes some perfomances are just too much to swallow for some people. We cannot discuss Clinic stuff in this subforum, but rightly or wrongly that stuff (and our limited understanding of it) can have a significant influence on how we see and rate a race.

I know I might be biased, but I'd say there was a major difference between this and the 2018 Giro:

Spoiler: Clinicky stuff, mods: Please move if needed!

Froome was involved in a case at the time... felt a little too "Contador 2011 Giro" to me.

I also just felt so sad for Yates...

 

[Salvarani]

I voted 5.

I would have probably voted 8-9, if only thinking about the entertainment and "lol" moments.

I have to put it down because of other reasons.

Just how I feel about it. I didnt watch the last three stages.