Rate the 2023 Giro d'Italia

[Tem]

A witty and ironic response (chapeau), however, I take umbrage with you final tally: a 7? Really? When not much of anything happens around Italy for three weeks and all we hear are crickets (and I know a cast of characters was forced into an early exit, but...), it can only mean one thing: a) poor course design and b) a remaining cast of characters with zero panache. By contrast, a 7 means a very good Giro and this was anything but a very good Giro. Let the criticism role.

11 pros - 4 cons = 7.. quick maf!

But to response slightly less silly.. you make a valid point ofc. But you have to consider that most/lots/some of us also put our emotions into final ranking. I have no shame to admit that if final outcome would be different (friggin chain) my final mark wouldnt be higher then 5.
And this goes both ways.. im sure some ppl were (rightfully) disappointed cause Remco (and Hart) had to abandon and their rank would be different if race would be exactly same with different rider in pink at the end.

I partially agree with course comment. Looking back i dont think it was best idea to have last TT on day 20.. i would scrap day 9 TT and replace it with last one. But im also sure that every1 of us would tweak it slightly different .
I do not agree with zero panache comment tho.. i know we all look to main actors for extra umph, but look at Healy, Pinot, Gee.. great race by them imo. I also think all 3 'main' riders delivered at some point, but i agree that they didnt deliver all the time.

And also.. this forum (in general, dont have any1 specific in mind) is full of 'duh.. no breakaways, boring' posts.. and now we have Giro that had a meaningful breakaway on practically every stage it goes to 'duh, to many breakaways, not enough GC'..
And and! Pog/Rog/Remco/Vinge have 27 minutes advatage.. boooring.. and now we have top 3 fighting for literally seconds till last day.. and its also not good .

Anyways.. this edition was either excellent for some or catastrophic for others.. so.. job done i guess .

 

[Elos Anjos]

OK, you want to make a pun, that's fine.

It's not about Roglic, it's about - at least the riders I sheer the most for - any rider who has that fighting and tragic profile. That Roglic is the rider that fulfills those features it's just a coincidence.
Why did Pogacar became more likeable since he lost?
Why do fans praize spectacular all or nothing attacks and belittle robotic racing like the Sky of old?

The answer is the same.

 

[Extinction]

11 pros - 4 cons = 7.. quick maf!

But to response slightly less silly.. you make a valid point ofc. But you have to consider that most/lots/some of us also put our emotions into final ranking. I have no shame to admit that if final outcome would be different (friggin chain) my final mark wouldnt be higher then 5.
And this goes both ways.. im sure some ppl were (rightfully) disappointed cause Remco (and Hart) had to abandon and their rank would be different if race would be exactly same with different rider in pink at the end.

I partially agree with course comment. Looking back i dont think it was best idea to have last TT on day 20.. i would scrap day 9 TT and replace it with last one. But im also sure that every1 of us would tweak it slightly different .
I do not agree with zero panache comment tho.. i know we all look to main actors for extra umph, but look at Healy, Pinot, Gee.. great race by them imo. I also think all 3 'main' riders delivered at some point, but i agree that they didnt deliver all the time.

And also.. this forum (in general, dont have any1 specific in mind) is full of 'duh.. no breakaways, boring' posts.. and now we have Giro that had a meaningful breakaway on practically every stage it goes to 'duh, to many breakaways, not enough GC'..
And and! Pog/Rog/Remco/Vinge have 27 minutes advatage.. boooring.. and now we have top 3 fighting for literally seconds till last day.. and its also not good .

Anyways.. this edition was either excellent for some or catastrophic for others.. so.. job done i guess .

The final outcome shouldn't matter in an objective critical assessment of a race, but the action that took place. This Giro simply lacked action, which doesn't mean one can't still enjoy a race, but rating it inevitably leads to memories and comparisons with other editions. Moreover, this year the stars aligned for a poor edition, bad weather, falls, abandons, but also the leading and supporting casts were against entertainment. Too much strategy and negative racing, with frontrunners Roglic, Thomas and Almeida simply lacking panache. Yet the Lussari stage ended up providing some drama, but it was too little, too late unfortunately. Then there is an incompitent figure in Vegni designing a course an 8 year-old could do better.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

I gave it a 6, mainly because I watched a couple of stages in person and really enjoyed that. There was a fair bit of drama, too, though not really the good kind. The ITTs were all strangely exciting, stage 8 was great, but the Remco abandon really hurt the race. TGH too because he and G might have done something creative, but I don’t think TGH was the indomitable force others seem to think. Without that crash, the race would have been infinitely better because Roglic also wouldn’t have been hurt. Remco in the race and a minute ahead would have been great for the race too. Close to a great race but bad luck plus as others have endlessly said, Lussari was too late.

 

[OlavEH]

Anyways.. this edition was either excellent for some or catastrophic for others.. so.. job done i guess

If this version were excellent for any other than Roglic fans, I really wonder what they would think of a version that actually was good. Like 2010 or 2016.

 

[Extinction]

I gave it a 6.m, mainly because I watched a couple of stages live and really enjoyed that. There was a fair bit of drama, too, though not really the good kind. The ITTs were all strangely exciting, stage 8 was great, but the Remco abandon really hurt the race. TGH too because he and G might have done something creative, but I don’t think TGH was the indomitable force others seem to think. Without that crash, the race would have been infinitely better because Roglic also wouldn’t have been hurt. Remco in the race and a minute ahead would have been great for the race too. Close to a great race but bad luck plus as others have endlessly said, Lussari was too late.

I agree, but still think the score is too high. To me a 6 is sufficient, but I don't rate overall this Giro as such: 7 is pretty good, 8 is very good, 9 is excellent, 10 is superlative.

 

[Tem]

If this version were excellent for any other than Roglic fans, I really wonder what they would think of a version that actually was good. Like 2010 or 2016.

I ofc think that 2016 edition was excellent .

 

[hrotha]

What would it take for the people who rated it 6 or above to give a grand tour an F?

But you have to consider that most/lots/some of us also put our emotions into final ranking.

Hey, tedium is an emotion too

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

What would it take for the people who rated it 6 or above to give a grand tour an F?

Hey, tedium is an emotion too

All the big favorites to drop out or not start, a no name rider winning who only won because of attrition, no interesting ITTs with early speculation about implications, no drama in the last stage, no big wins by exciting new riders like Healy, no feel good story like Roglic winning the Giro on the final stage MTT or Cavendish winning the stage into Rome.

 

[Netserk]

All the big favorites to drop out or not start, a no name rider winning who only won because of attrition, no interesting ITTs with early speculation about implications, no drama in the last stage, no big wins by exciting new riders like Healy, no feel good story like Roglic winning the Giro on the final stage MTT or Cavendish winning the stage into Rome.

Has that ever actually occurred?

 

[Wyndbrook]

Well no riders died, no race leaders disqualified, no major controversy, no police busts or raids.
So not that bad I guess.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

H

Has that ever actually occurred?

Probably not and I’m probably easier to please than some. Even a bad GT is still a beautiful event with lots of beautiful suffering.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Before announcing your rating, you may wish to bear this in mind:

In stating your opinion of the race, you take on great responsibility.

So the forum votes 65-35 in favour of Peyroteo jumping off a bridge...

 

[gregrowlerson]

Virgin Netserk, uses the full scale from 1 to 10, maximises information of vote

Chad Tonton, the quality of a race is a state of mind, he freely chooses for it to always have the quality of an 8

So let me get this clear: If everyone thinks you're a 10, you think everything else is an 8?

 

[CyclistAbi]

At the end of a GT as a whole you have to ask yourself a question. Did it deliver? Yes, Giro 2023 did just that.

And that is all that matters in the end.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

At the end of a GT as a whole you have to ask yourself a question. Did it deliver? Yes, Giro 2023 did just that.

And that is all that matters in the end.

Oh my god. Utter delusion.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Oh my god. Utter delusion.

There is the internet truth and there is the real world reality. On internet the predominate stance usually is negative. Just like your comment. In real world usually a more positive stance is taken. As in the end who would really want to live in such negative world, as internet has become.

And let me tell you something. In real world the shear amount of emotions at this Giro edition. Historically high. That alone can burst any internet bubble. But i get it. What does the internet know about that. On internet you go and rate something as 1 or 2. To make you feel better. As you feel like crap. And supposedly that should fix it.

If you don't get it on why this GT delivered. Then first thing is to get off the internet for a while. Maybe to visit a GT edition or two. And eventually you should figure it out.

But OK. That is likely too much to ask in this day and age. So there you have it. The internet Giro edition failed to deliver. Per usual. The internet got it all figured out. The rest is OK.

 

[CyclistAbi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1662560922634682376

View: https://twitter.com/giroditalia/status/1662560922634682376


Some Monday Morning Motivation. Healthier dose then coffee. If you exclude your Internet addiction that is!

Beautiful.

 

[OlavEH]

If you don't get it on why this GT delivered. Then first thing is to get off the internet for a while. Maybe to visit a GT edition or two. And eventually you should figure it out.

But OK. That is likely too much to ask in this day and age. So there you have it. The internet Giro edition failed to deliver. Per usual. The internet got it all figured out. The rest is OK.

No, it didn't. One GC stage delivered. The rest didn't. The Giro as whole was the worst version I've seen in the 20 years I've followed the race.

 

[DNP-Old]

Ultimately, what this comes down to is what one understands when reading the term ''delivered''. When using said term, one associates it with spectacle, with excitement and passion. However, if using it in a wider context, then yes, this Giro absolutely delivered. It delivered boredom, it delivered apathy, it delivered dullness, and, possibly, death due to lethargy.

 

[tobydawq]

There is the internet truth and there is the real world reality. On internet the predominate stance usually is negative. Just like your comment. In real world usually a more positive stance is taken. As in the end who would really want to live in such negative world, as internet has become.

And let me tell you something. In real world the shear amount of emotions at this Giro edition. Historically high. That alone can burst any internet bubble. But i get it. What does the internet know about that. On internet you go and rate something as 1 or 2. To make you feel better. As you feel like crap. And supposedly that should fix it.

If you don't get it on why this GT delivered. Then first thing is to get off the internet for a while. Maybe to visit a GT edition or two. And eventually you should figure it out.

But OK. That is likely too much to ask in this day and age. So there you have it. The internet Giro edition failed to deliver. Per usual. The internet got it all figured out. The rest is OK.

This Giro sucked. I don't know how I can tell you that without being on the internet, though. Saying it didn't suck would mean that you forget what happened on all stages apart from 8, 16 and 20 (and maybe the other two time trials) and that you have forgotten what every other Grand Tour in recent history has been like.

Or just that you are only guided by who won in the end. My two favorite GC riders are Roglic and Thomas, yet I was so, so disappointed with how this race unfolded.

 

[Extinction]

I didn't follow on the internet, but watched live feed on RAI television and was at the finish in Rome. It was the most boring edition I've ever seen, for how it was raced (zero panache), for the cast of characters who abandoned (who maybe could have added some spice to an insipid soup) and for how it was designed (too back-loaded that produced mostly no action).

 

[topcat]

I didn't follow on the internet, but watched live feed on RAI television and was at the finish in Rome. It was the most boring edition I've ever seen, for how it was raced (zero panache), for the cast of characters who abandoned (who maybe could have added some spice to an insipid soup) and for how it was designed (too back-loaded that produced mostly no action).

Replace G and Rog by Nibali and Horner and there would have been action. It was boring beyond belief and now it’s boring to say how boring it was.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Without the chain drop maybe some of you would have a case. As for saying things like only one stage delivered. I was bored watching the rest.

That is in my opinion normal GT racing.

You hope for that one moment to happen and if it does the GT delivered. The rest of it should frustrate you.

But OK. Pogi attacks like all the time. Lets take a look at his Tour campaigns. In 2020 edition he didn't. In 2021 edition he did after Rogla abandoned. In 2022 edition he did and he lost. So this is rather a moot argument.

As for this specific GT. There was a lot of breakaway action on this edition. A lot of attrition. On top of that when the race is over. Only then you can asses in retrospective what exactly have you have been watching. For example who should attack or defend more. Among the GC favorites.

And it's not like there wasn't that involved. For example Rogla attacked successfully and gained time on Evenepoel, Almeida and Thomas. And all three of them at some point gained time on Rogla. So there was that.

And last but not least.

Rogla didn't win this GT by bonus seconds!

 

[CyclistAbi]

All in all if you are an avid GT fan and you rate highly moments like stage 20 of TDF 2020, stage 11 of TDF 2022 ... As some examples from the recent history. As this are the moments that made the race, then you have to do the same in regards to stage 20 of Giro 2023.

Or you are biased in some way and it affects your judgement.