Rate the 2023 Giro d'Italia

[wheresmybrakes]

Who are the lunatics that gave more than 4 to this race?

I think I'm one of them, but not sure as I can't count.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Gave it a 2. The breakaways and final time trial were good, but the lack of GC fight made the breakaway battles less enjoyable because you would always only have the breakaway. It wasn‘t just no attacks but the sheer amount of Puccio or Swift or Michael Matthews on the front on tough climbs that hurt the race.

I don‘t even think the route had too much to do with it. I know the Week 1 MTFs were weak but having zero attacks combined is insane. Gran Sasso is like 6.5 k at 7% at altitude at the end and Evenepoel was possibly impeded by his crash and we still ended up with about 30 riders finishing same time like we finished in Quimper or something. I would rather watch the first six kilometers of a Super Planche ascent because they‘re twice as selective.
Then we get one hill where Roglič attacks to get the hype going before coming to the Stage 9 ITT which is another insane outlier in terms of time gaps which is cool for that stage but horrible for the race. Then Remco and TGH abandon and we‘re set up for disaster.
After another lull we get to a potential queen stage which is shortened because of a weird bargain between riders and organisers. Apparently there‘s a headwind on the final climb which leads to another horrible ascent where none of the top contenders test a reportedly ailing Roglič because they‘re afraid of the Stomp. After roadblocking and not trying to even ride Tempo before the final hill on a stage before a rest day the GC awakens on Bondone (as early as stage 16) and we think the race might be saved because no one can feel secure before the final TT.

Now I must remind you of the final week of the 2011 Tour which was:
- Gap stage to annoy Andy Schleck
- Pinerolo stage to annoy Andy Schleck even more
- Agnel- Izoard- Galibier MTF(horrible for a long-range attack with the long valley before the finish)
- Galibier from the hard side -> Alpe d‘Huez
- long TT
- Cav cobbled boulevard sprint

The stage order here is awful. The finishes get progressively harder and there has been a lack of action the first two weeks so no big time gaps. I‘ll concede that a flat TT is a much clearer incentive for climbers to attack than an MTT but it‘s still horrible. That final week has an amazing reputation.

Meanwhile in the 2023 Giro the Zoldo Alto stage actually delivers somewhat despite most of Cibiana being ridden at a snail’s pace. Coming up next is the big Dolomites showdown with a variety of climbs for a last decisive attack… oh, wait, Ben Swift is pacing the Giau. The contenders wait for the last two kilometers and the time differences are negligible. Then, finally, the gimmick MTT this Giro has decided to hoist upon itself arrives and it delivers, Primoz Roglic wins in dramatic fashion and some of his supporters are brought into the ICU with a permanent erection.

In the 2011 Tour, Contador and Samu Sanchez attack a bunch of times and Andy Schleck wins the Galibier stage by over two minutes after a long-range move, only to be controlled by Evans on an Alpe d‘Huez stage where Cadel has to chase for a long, long time after suffering a mechanical on the Télégraphe. Tommy Voeckler cracks on the final mountains while his teammate Pierre Rolland bests the aggressive Sanchez and Contador for the stage win and Evans secures the title in a somewhat less dramatic final TT.

Could this year’s riders have delivered similarly in this race? Probably not.
Did they even try? Congrats on winning the Zubeldia award, everyone from 3 to 9 on GC except Pinot.
We’re the breakaways good? Yes
Was it still a waste of time to watch this race most of the time? Yes
Was the 2012 Giro bad? I‘m told it was.
Was this worse? Rhetorical question

Good riddance.

There was no queen stage, but here we have the queen post.

I think there is one way this Giro was a 10:

Entertainment of the race: 2
Entertainment of the forum: 8

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

No I do mean good breakaway action, of course there can be different degrees of quality in individual breakaway stages but I think it all tends to even out over a whole GT

I tend to disagree, while I get that it evens itself out often, I think there are more and less memorable breakaways, and I think it is fully possible to have more or less memorable breakaways in a GT. Why wouldn't be that part of the rating then?

Also this Giro had a very large number of sucessfull breaks, if people enjoy that it makes sense to include it in the rating imo.

But we will probably disagree on this.

But now that I am already being curious. What falls into the "friedns along the way" category for you?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Upon further review, I've changed my vote to a 2, because of how annoyed I still am about them using English phrases and English names for Italian places in the graphics. No it's not called the Caldonazzo Lake or front of the race; it's Lago di Caldonazzo and testa della corsa. Getting to learn a few words and phrases in different languages is also an important part of the viewing experience in my book.

 

[Lequack]

Life of a fan
PS: Volume warning

https://twitter.com/x/status/1663460121421160449

View: https://twitter.com/CapaVieira/status/1663460121421160449?s=20

 

[Netserk]

No I do mean good breakaway action, of course there can be different degrees of quality in individual breakaway stages but I think it all tends to even out over a whole GT

I think the 2014 Giro had very poor breakaways. I also think the breaks were worse and had worse action last year than this year.

 

[Lequack]

Martin Marcellusi proposes to girlfriend after Giro-finish in Rome

Martin Marcellusi vraagt vriendin ten huwelijk na Giro-finish in Rome

De Giro d’Italia is voor Martin Marcellusi extra mooi geëindigd. De 23-jarige coureur van Green Project-Bardiani CSF Faizanè haalde voor het eerst de finish van zijn thuisronde en heeft dat moment aangegrepen om zijn vriendin Cristina ten huwelijk te vragen in Rome. Ze zei ja, dus is ze nu zijn...

www.wielerflits.nl

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View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CszGA04uHjo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

[SafeBet]

Upon further review, I've changed my vote to a 2, because of how annoyed I still am about them using English phrases and English names for Italian places in the graphics. No it's not called the Caldonazzo Lake or front of the race; it's Lago di Caldonazzo and testa della corsa. Getting to learn a few words and phrases in different languages is also an important part of the viewing experience in my book.

If you can switch to RAI they still use Italian in the graphics (and they probably will for as long as they can considering their audience).

 

[SafeBet]

Martin Marcellusi proposes to girlfriend after Giro-finish in Rome

Martin Marcellusi vraagt vriendin ten huwelijk na Giro-finish in Rome

De Giro d’Italia is voor Martin Marcellusi extra mooi geëindigd. De 23-jarige coureur van Green Project-Bardiani CSF Faizanè haalde voor het eerst de finish van zijn thuisronde en heeft dat moment aangegrepen om zijn vriendin Cristina ten huwelijk te vragen in Rome. Ze zei ja, dus is ze nu zijn...

www.wielerflits.nl

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CszGA04uHjo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Funny thing about this.
Yesterday I asked him to record a brief interview about his Giro and he replied to me: "sorry I can't... today I'm going even more full gas than in the previous three weeks 😉"

 

[topcat]

Gave it a 1 and that’s being super generous. The Giro di Fear. Everyone afraid to try something. The 1 is mainly for the amusement that G could have won the race if he wasn’t a chicken SHlT.

 

[staubsauger]

Upon further review, I've changed my vote to a 2, because of how annoyed I still am about them using English phrases and English names for Italian places in the graphics. No it's not called the Caldonazzo Lake or front of the race; it's Lago di Caldonazzo and testa della corsa. Getting to learn a few words and phrases in different languages is also an important part of the viewing experience in my book.

Gallnötschsee!

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I must have been feeling generous, as I gave it a 4; but it wasn't a good one. The weather, illness, crashes took most of the intrigue out of the race. And, please, stop this obsession with back-loading the route.....

A GT is a 3 week, 21 stage race, where the early stages should matter as much as the later ones. However, the Giro doesn't think so; back-loading just means riders tend to save themselves for the brutal last few days......and you can't really blame them.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

Upon further review, I've changed my vote to a 2, because of how annoyed I still am about them using English phrases and English names for Italian places in the graphics. No it's not called the Caldonazzo Lake or front of the race; it's Lago di Caldonazzo and testa della corsa. Getting to learn a few words and phrases in different languages is also an important part of the viewing experience in my book.

Most other sports do this, so they're only following suit.

 

[staubsauger]

I watched Ariel the little mermaid on Pentecost and the 2023 Giro d'Italia was worse than it. So I went back down to rate it a 2!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

After 40 votes:
Mean - 3.55
10% trimmed mean - 3.125
Median - 3

So far, comfortably the lowest this forum has rated a GT.

After 100 votes:
Mean - 3.57
10% trimmed mean - 3.225
Median - 3

Things have unironically been dragged up slightly because a lot of people have given a 4 in the meantime.

 

[topcat]

After 100 votes:
Mean - 3.57
10% trimmed mean - 3.225
Median - 3

Things have unironically been dragged up slightly because a lot of people have given a 4 in the meantime.

Single number summary of a data set more exciting than the giro stages?

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

I voted 5 because "it's the Giro".

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Gave it a 1 because 0 wasn't an option.
And i thought last year was bad, lol.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Gallnötschsee!

No, and it's not the Three Merlons or Across Flanders either

 

[hrotha]

But now that I am already being curious. What falls into the "friedns along the way" category for you?

Haha that was just a hyperbolic joke, I wasn't actually thinking of anything specific when I wrote that

(Although I guess giving it a good score only because your pet rider won might qualify?)

 

[topcat]

Haha that was just a hyperbolic joke, I wasn't actually thinking of anything specific when I wrote that

(Although I guess giving it a good score only because your pet rider won might qualify?)

Keep up the great posts. You’re doing amazing, sweetie.

 

[staubsauger]

No, and it's not the Three Merlons or Across Flanders either

Frankly, I asked for it and you delivered!

 

[Escarabajo]

I really don't understand awarding points for things like the scenery, the breakaways or the friends we made along the way

Scenery is BS, I give you that, but breakaways is an integral part of racing. And kept me entertained to some extent. I really don't get your opposition to that.

 

[SafeBet]

Scenery is BS to some, not to me. It's an integral part of what the Giro as a TV product has to offer.
Some Giros are more spectacular than others from a landscape point of view and this one in particular ticked all the right boxes for me.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Scenery is BS to some, not to me. It's an integral part of what the Giro as a TV product has to offer.
Some Giros are more spectacular than others from a landscape point of view and this one in particular ticked all the right boxes for me.

I kinda get the sentiment, but in a way: it's Italy it's always gorgeous! Also I guess there has to be some cut off between the Race and the TV Product in the Rating. Like: I can somehow get the scenery thing a bit, as the race takes place in it, but e.g. to deduct a point because of the TV coverage would seem unfair to the race to me.