Tour de France Rate Tour de France 2023

[Stringerbellisnotdead]

Le Tour is over. It was good, it will go down as a (I think) a memorable one. But how good was it? Was it better than last year? Where does it rank historically?

 

[Red Rick]

7.

 

[Mayomaniac]

7.

That's pretty fair and also my answer.

 

[OlavEH]

7.

Fantastic first week. Perhaps best in recent history. Also great breakway stages the rest of the Tour. But the GC battle felt a bit like an anti-climax after stage 9. Therefore not more than 7.

 

[IndianCyclist]

8. While not better than last year, this year the GC suspense was much better till the ITT. The last 2 mountain stages though simply collapsed for the lack of competition. A sprinters battle never materialized. Breakaways were limited. But it was already known that it was going to be the Pog Vinge show. Besides when was the last time 2 top contender really duked it out in the TDF. Only 2010 i think.

 

[RedheadDane]

7.
Great racing, but too many incidents (moto, or spectator related) for it to be perfect.
Also the fact that it's ending!

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I thoroughly enjoyed it, gave it a 9. I do wish some of the riders had done better, but c'est la vie, for the young ones there's always next year.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Last year was a 7.5 that I rounded down to a 7. This year was a bit weaker overall, but IMO still a 7. The first six stages carry it pretty heavily... but they were the best first six stages you'll ever see in a GT. After that, it was decent (but still on pace for at least an 8) until the massive anticlimax of the third week. Coupled with the KOM battle also ending anticlimactically and the green jersey (and with it most sprint stages) and the white jersey being uncontested, there's a bit of a sour taste in the end because it could have been so much more. On the other hand, we did have some excellent breakaway action in weeks 2 and 3 so I can't feel particularly negatively about any part of the race, and when no week was bad, then a perfect start has to push it above a 6.

 

[Jan the Man]

I gave an 8 but on reflection maybe a 7. The racing was hard and there were a number of exciting stages, particularly early on in the race.

The GC battle had some jeopardy until stage 16. The green jersey comp and KOM was rather meh but the route created some aggressive racing.

 

[Stringerbellisnotdead]

An 8 for me. 1st week was excellent, then Kwiatkowski’s win on Grand Colombier (my fav !!) and Joux Plane stage were highlights of the 2nd week. Everyone was so hyped up for the final days and a GC battle for the ages..maan, such a shame. A week ago this really felt like it could’ve been the greatest Tour this century or sum.

Still, a great race. I prefer last year’s, but
many things to remember from this edition. Kwiato’s win, insane Marie Blanque stage and then big remontada from Pog next day. WVA being insane, Mohoric/Gall’s stage wins and THAT ITT by Jonas. Not bad, let’s hope ASO doesn’t screw it up for next year!

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Even though it was not my preferred outcome it was really good most of the time. I will give it 7 (would give it at least 8 if the fight for victory had lasted till the last weekend).
The first week was sensational and stage 6 was an all-time great. The second week was very tight and the suspence was growing (but the action was more limited). Then the beginning of week 3 was shocking: first TT performance by Vinge and then unfortunately Pog's collapse, which ended the battle for good and emotions were completely gone for the last few days (the only drawback of the race).

 

[Valv.Piti]

Last year was a 7.5 that I rounded down to a 7. This year was a bit weaker overall, but IMO still a 7. The first six stages carry it pretty heavily... but they were the best first six stages you'll ever see in a GT. After that, it was decent (but still on pace for at least an 8) until the massive anticlimax of the third week. Coupled with the KOM battle also ending anticlimactically and the green jersey (and with it most sprint stages) and the white jersey being uncontested, there's a bit of a sour taste in the end because it could have been so much more. On the other hand, we did have some excellent breakaway action in weeks 2 and 3 so I can't feel particularly negatively about any part of the race, and when no week was bad, then a perfect start has to push it above a 6.

Wait really, was last year a 7? I think that TDF was the best GT I have seen and I rated that one a 9.

I think I'll give this 8. I was very into this one, but unfortunately Pog didn't have it. Too many completely flat stages in week 1 though for my liking and the racing really suffered because of that. But definitely closer to 7 than 9 this year.

 

[Netserk]

My immediate reaction would have this above 2019. Of the past decade, only last year was clearly better, I think.

 

[bjaelkesex]

7. Would have been 8 if Pinot won yesterday

 

[slim charles]

Gave it an 8. In terms of GC it was probably a 7, all in all [though it looked like it was going towards a 9], but generally, it was very entertaining - among the most fun editions I've seen [though still behind last year, I think]

Would have preferred if Pogacar won it [well, frankly, would have liked the most if it was a complete surprise, and it wasn't neither Pogi nor Jonas], and if Thibaut won the stage [although there is something poetic about him trying and not succeeding]. And Cav and Sagan [though this never seemed even remotely possible].

Anyway, I'm happy with it, I already miss it. We have a worthy winner, we've had some great battles.. It perhaps wasn't an epic Tour, but it was really good. Especially after that Giro.

 

[Red Rick]

Part of me is actually thinking stages like Puy de Dome or Grand Colombier were considered tense at the time because of anticipating the future battles to come, which then turned out to be a turd.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

It perhaps wasn't an epic Tour, but it was really good. Especially after that Giro.

Oh god, not the Giro! This year's Tour restored my faith in watching GTs, it was just a lot of fun and some hard racing too. (Campenaert's pull in stage 18 is one I'll remember for a while.)

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Part of me is actually thinking stages like Puy de Dome or Grand Colombier were considered tense at the time because of anticipating the future battles to come, which then turned out to be a turd.

Yup, there was a big suspence until the TT and then pfff...it disappeared.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Wait really, was last year a 7? I think that TDF was the best GT I have seen and I rated that one a 9.

I think I'll give this 8. I was very into this one, but unfortunately Pog didn't have it. Too many completely flat stages in week 1 though for my liking and the racing really suffered because of that. But definitely closer to 7 than 9 this year.

I'll quote what I said last year - the main reason is Pogacar never dropping Vingegaard which meant there were no twists (despite the really hard racing) in the final 10 days. Feel like we've been a bit unlucky in some ways with the past few Tours - if something slightly bigger than a Cambasque happens in the final 10 days, the 2022 Tour has a near perfect GC battle, and this Tour was on course for a near perfect GC battle prior to the TT. I think Pogacar and Vingegaard have the modern-day equivalent of the 1989 Tour in them, but two years in a row it has refused to quite come together that way.

Gave it a 7, but it was really close to being an 8.

The positives - three big mountain stages with racing before the final climb - a rarity in any GT nowadays, let alone the Tour. Excluding the Danish sprints, pretty much every day was raced, the prolonged battles to make the break really helped and it's something we couldn't have gotten to enjoy every day until not too long ago. Those two are definitely enough to make it the best Tour of those I've watched, which is 2009 onwards.

So, why only a 7 for the best Tour in at least 14 editions? I'll start with a minor point - the 2019 Tour would likely have bested this one had it not fallen apart at the last due to freak accidents (Pinot's injury and landslides causing the penultimate mountain stage being called off and the final one to be castrated) so a better Tour than this one isn't far-fetched. However, my main criticism is that Vingegaard's yellow jersey was never in jeopardy after Granon. If Pogacar drops him in earnest on one of those Pyrenees stages and claws back at least a minute, I would probably have given a 9 (maybe even a 10 depending on how that would have affected the following stages) and we're talking best GT of a generation - as it is, we only need to go back four years to find a Giro that beats it. I also deducted some points for the lack of competition for minor jerseys - green and white were completely uncompetitive and the only person targeting the polkadots somehow failed to win it. And finally, Jumbo-Visma were a little too strong for my liking.

In other words, Van Aert was the one rider who unironically dragged this race down a bit for me, I wish he actually was a Belgian Pozzato

Oh, and finally - if I would be comparing this Tour only to other Tours rather than all GTs, it would be a full point higher - on the edge of 8 and 9.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

7. Last year was a 9. Both years disappointed that my guy didn’t win, but this year had the anticlimax, the big bomb drop on an ITT instead of the craziest mountain stage I can remember watching (Granon), the returning champ win instead of the rebellion succeeding, and some big guns (Wout, MvDP, Alaphilippe) failed to win a stage, which, to me, was disappointing.

 

[RedheadDane]

7. Would have been 8 if Pinot won yesterday

Then it would have been a million!

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

10/10 points…

By the way:

I just remembered Lance‘s speech, on the podium, in Paris, in July 2005…

When I, few minutes ago, remembered that his last words were „Vive le Tour. Forever.“, it brought me tears to my eyes. How right he was…

Vive le Tour, forever. Vive Lance, forever. Can‘t wait for next July, for TdF 2024…

 

[jaylew]

8.5

I thoroughly enjoyed this year's race, I just wish it had been decided later.

 

[Red Rick]

In hindsight I shoulda rated last year an 8.

 

[Cookster15]

Not my preferred outcome but gave it a 7. Hard to rate higher when there is a 7 minute gap to 2nd and 11 minutes to 3rd.