Rate the Giro!

[Robert5091]

The first two weeks were average/poor - last week, worth your TV licence fee.

 

[Mr.White]

Re:

As dramatic as Vuelta last year. True emotional rollercoaster I have to say.
10/10

To me, much better than Vuelta last year.

 

[May0maniac]

8/10, 2015 was even better but that was a really good gt, the first week was rather poor.

 

[sir fly]

It's been better than I've expected.
I've been expecting far less exciting GT battle and processional Alpine conclusion.
Even when nothing was expected - something has happened. Riders fully exploited the route's bounty.
9 from me, 'cause there were some other editions that equally thrilled me.

 

[hrotha]

How can anyone compare this to any Vuelta.

 

[Jancouver]

I voted 8.

1 point off for a few dull stages
1 point off for not having some of the best riders participating.

I truly hope that one year, all the WT teams will ditch the Tour for whatever reason ($$$) and send their best riders to the Giro

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

How can anyone compare this to any Vuelta.

I can compare it to the 1983 Vuelta

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

I voted 8.

1 point off for a few dull stages
1 point off for not having some of the best riders participating.

I truly hope that one year, all the WT teams will ditch the Tour for whatever reason ($$$) and send their best riders to the Giro

Next year maybe the dollar might be in the Giro, probably not as much as the Tour but enough.

 

[Red Rick]

Very hard one. Looking back at the first two weeks, there's nothing that really stands out, though a lot of things were kinda good. I'd say the only disappointing stages were the Sestola and Cividale stage. Otoh, the Roccassaro, Praia and Asolo stage were all better than I expected. The TT sucked.

Then there was the last week. It was a total roller coaster. Action from 50k out not once, but 3 times, and even today you had Valverde going on the first climb, and then trying to get a gap in the descent of the Bonette.

Compared to last year, I don't think it was better though. Last year we had crazy *** happening almost everyday. Full on GC action on stage 4 and 5, Crashgate, bikechangegate, Jesologate, Mortirolo, Ologno, epic TT, finestre, Astana issues. Last year had it all. The only thing last year was that the fight for the GC win was less tight. A Contador win never looked really in danger, apart from after the crash, the first 2km of Mortirolo, and a very short part of the Finestre. This year had way more excitement for the MR.

The chronology was like this. Nibali/Landa/Valverde battle>OMG Dumoulin could contend for the Giro>Nibali/Landa/Valverde battle>OMG Landa is gonna wreck them all>OMG Nibali looks weak>OMG Nibali's wrecking Valverde>OMG Kruijswijk could win the Giro>OMG Kruijswijk is gonna win the Giro>OMG Kruijswijk is losing the Giro but could still win it>OMG Chaves is gonna win the Giro>OMG Nibali wins the Giro.

Overall, there were slightly less crazy things going on. I think the race suffered somewhat from having few medium MTF's early on, and having the TT be too short, and too hilly. We consistenly saw selections being created, but in the first 2 weeks we never saw anyone leave it all on the road, not only for a short time. Roccasaro was the only exeption

I think I would give a point less than last year, which would be a 9. But Kruijswijk didn't win, so I give a total 1. Not really obviously

 

[Kwibus]

The race wasn't as crazy as last year in the early weeks, but besides a few really boring sprint stages I really didn't find the early weeks too bad.

The GC action was great, allthough the outcome ofcourse not what I wanted and I really had a hangover because of dissapointment yesterday, but that's cycling! Heroics and dramas. It was once again a great race, the giro rarely dissapoints.

 

[togo95]

I guess I had too high expectations, compared to most of you. 6 is my rating. I found the whole first two weeks disappointing, apart from maybe Roccaraso, which was ok. Corvara, Paganella and Risoul stages were awesome of course, but 3 awesome stages alone don't make an out of the world GT. They are just the reason why I rated it 6 rather than 2.

 

[The Principal Sheep]

As good as we can expect, incredible third week for a variety of reasons, likely the best we'll see this year (but let's hope not).

 

[Põhja Konn]

8. Very good race but not in the same league as 2010 version. First half of the race was forgettable, but second half brilliant. Still, the end result is definitely a bit underwhelming with the pre-race favourite still winning despite being so weak for most of the race.

 

[Tonton]

I gave it a 8. If it wasn't for the past two days, it would have been a 5. Dull first half, weak field...Great stages yesterday and today. Epic.

 

[Eshnar]

I gave 9/10 to last years' Giro and I do think this one was not as good, mainly because the first 2 weeks were worse, although the third was better...


8/10

 

[Brullnux]

I have the utmost respect for everyone finishing what has been a tremendous last week, and I'll include Ciccone because he won a stage. Well done to everyone in the top 10, everyone played their part and I really enjoyed the last week. I gave it 8, but I've never given a race 10, not even Paris-Roubaix for some weird reason which I cannot explain.

 

[Netserk]

Behind '10 and '15. Some truly magnificent stages, but too many underwhelming ones in the first half of the race.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

I gave it an 8. It takes some stars aligning to make the first 10 days' GC battle thrilling. But, it doesn't take too much to make the rest: sprints, mountains points, break vs. peloton, etc, exciting.

I liked seeing the pink jersey trade hands so often in those first 10 days, but it was done by the leader loosing it and giving it to the guy behind him, as opposed to a rider earning it by moving into 1st position. What made the last week so exciting was just that: the Pink Jersey wearer earned it, rather than inheriting it (argue about Kruiswijk's crash somewhere else please).

 

[hfer07]

8 to me since the last week was a pure thrill, even when Kruijswijk had the upper hand, the events kept unfolding unexpectedly to the last crescendo when Nibali topped it off with courage

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

The result makes me want to give it a 1 but that is not fair, but I cannot really rate it properly at the moment.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

I voted 8.

1 point off for a few dull stages
1 point off for not having some of the best riders participating.

I truly hope that one year, all the WT teams will ditch the Tour for whatever reason ($$$) and send their best riders to the Giro

If it ever happens then it will be next year, for the 100th edition. I don't see why not. Quintana, Froome and Contador are all giving it everything at this years Tour; why wouldn't they want to win the Giro next year (well for Contador, that's if he is still racing)? Nibali will certainly race it. SK will be back. Hopefully it will be a loaded race as far as the parcours and peloton goes.

And a 9 from me for the 2016 edition. Hats off to Nibali. Amazing victory. Amazing rider.

 

[Pantani_lives]

8/10

Entertainment value, twists and unexpected turns: 10 - How often does it happen that everything turns around in the final two mountain stages?

Winning strategy: 9 - Astana and Vinokourov had a good plan and executed it according to the book.

Design: 9 - A lot of variation, good stages in the middle mountains, and the toughest at the end. It's a pity that the long time trial was ruined by the rain.

Fairness: 6 - The strongest guy didn't win. It was decided by a crash. On the other hand staying on your bike is part of the game.

Quality: 6 - Froome or Contador would have been at least five minutes ahead, but then people would have complained that the race was boring. Nibali was strong in the Alps, but not in the first two and a half weeks.

 

[Ferminal]

Re:

How can anyone compare this to any Vuelta.

Yeh - I was thinking the same to myself earlier, if you're doing a GT comparison you don't really both thinking about Vueltas.

And yes this did remind me a lot of the 2011 Tour but if anything the stages were better and stuff did happen before the final Wednesday albeit only by a few days. Overall the quality of the individual stages means that you'd always take this race if offered to you at the start of the year (especially given the parcours).

8.

 

[IndianCyclist]

10 for me
Never had a GC position fluctuated like a one day race. Overturning a deficit of ~5 min is almost impossible. The last one to be decided this way would be 2006 Landis. The way in which this GC was decided was epic.

 

[DFA123]

Great race, gave it a nine. Best GC battle in a grand tour for a long time - especially if you had serious doubts about Kruijswijk's ability to hold on to his lead. Excellent mountain stages, and a couple of other intruiging stages - Trentin's win in particular.

Sprint stages were a mixed bag, but not necessarily bad - they are what they are. Greipel's win on that chaotic stage when he was left alone by his team, and Kittel's demonstrations of raw power were worthy of a GT. Also the failure of Lampre and Trek to prevent Kulge from soloing to the win was an entertaining finish to what was otherwise the least interesting stage.