Tour de France Rate Tour de France 2023

[Gigs_98]

I just realized that this Tour went a lot like the 2015 Giro. Incredible first week with some unusually big battles, a fight with mere seconds between first and second through the 2nd week until a TT where one rider took a lot of time on the other one. Then on the most anticipated mountain stage the rider in 2nd cracks, ensuring the gc win of the current leader but the 2nd placed rider still gets his redemption on the final mountain stage(s).

In 2015 it was Contador and Aru, in 2023 it was Vingegaard and Pogacar.

Considering the 2015 Giro is a forum favorite I really wonder how the people finding the last week of this Tour so horribly dull rated that Giro.

 

[KZD]

I gave it an 8.

One of the best Grand Tours of the last years. The only thing that prevents a higher score was the fact that first place overall was decided on stage 17 and the absence of an echelon stage once again (first week flat stages were boring).

I particularly liked the fact that apart from Philipsen, we had a lot of different winners some of those for the first time and we had a few surprises like the emergence of Felix Gall as a GC contender and Cofidis finally breaking their stage win drought.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I just realized that this Tour went a lot like the 2015 Giro. Incredible first week with some unusually big battles, a fight with mere seconds between first and second through the 2nd week until a TT where one rider took a lot of time on the other one. Then on the most anticipated mountain stage the rider in 2nd cracks, ensuring the gc win of the current leader but the 2nd placed rider still gets his redemption on the final mountain stage(s).

In 2015 it was Contador and Aru, in 2023 it was Vingegaard and Pogacar.

Considering the 2015 Giro is a forum favorite I really wonder how the people finding the last week of this Tour so horribly dull rated that Giro.

Aprica 2015 >>> Loze 2023
Sestriere 2015 >>> Le Markstein 2023
And then there was also good GC action into Cervinia and decent GC action into Verbania which the 2023 Tour has no answer to. Yes, there are parallels in how the GC battle played out, but the 2015 Giro final week had so much more action.

 

[Netserk]

2022
2023
2019
2015
2014
2021
2020
2018
2016
2017

Very unsure about the middle rankings.

 

[Põhja Konn]

I just realized that this Tour went a lot like the 2015 Giro. Incredible first week with some unusually big battles, a fight with mere seconds between first and second through the 2nd week until a TT where one rider took a lot of time on the other one. Then on the most anticipated mountain stage the rider in 2nd cracks, ensuring the gc win of the current leader but the 2nd placed rider still gets his redemption on the final mountain stage(s).

In 2015 it was Contador and Aru, in 2023 it was Vingegaard and Pogacar.

Considering the 2015 Giro is a forum favorite I really wonder how the people finding the last week of this Tour so horribly dull rated that Giro.

Contador looked really vulnerable in that last week as opposed to Vingegaard this year being in complete control after the TT. Also Contador had to fight basically alone against by far the strongest team in the race instead of having one of those guarding his back. Last but not least having the major fan favourite being the eventual winner plays its not so small part too.

 

[Red Rick]

Contador looked really vulnerable in that last week as opposed to Vingegaard this year being in complete control after the TT. Also Contador had to fight basically alone against by far the strongest team in the race instead of having one of those guarding his back. Last but not least having the major fan favourite being the eventual winner plays its not so small part too.

That Giro also started basically a religion.

Spoiler

#FREELANDA

 

[Põhja Konn]

2022
2023
2019
2015
2014
2021
2020
2018
2016
2017

Very unsure about the middle rankings.

Would certainly swap the first two. I really can't understand how it's possible to rate last years edition higher than this years one. First week was far inferior and yellow jersey battle was over after stage 11. Pog threw a kitchen sink at Vingegaard, but never looked likely turn the tide.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

a solid 8, mostly interesting stages. A good GC battle until the 2 deciding stages then it fizzled out a bit

 

[OlavEH]

Would certainly swap the first two. I really can't understand how it's possible to rate last years edition higher than this years one. First week was far inferior and yellow jersey battle was over after stage 11. Pog threw a kitchen sink at Vingegaard, but never looked likely turn the tide.

Well, nothing much happened on the GC stages in week 2 and in week 3 Vingegaard was superior. In last year we probably had the best mountain stage in modern history at Col de Granon and both the stages to Peyragudes and Hautacam had early attacks and created massive gaps. That's my kind of mountain stages.

 

[OlavEH]

Aprica 2015 >>> Loze 2023
Sestriere 2015 >>> Le Markstein 2023
And then there was also good GC action into Cervinia and decent GC action into Verbania which the 2023 Tour has no answer to

This made me long for the time when RCS actually designed mountain stages for long range attacks and not just attacks in the last 5k like the last three versions.

 

[Gigs_98]

Aprica 2015 >>> Loze 2023
Sestriere 2015 >>> Le Markstein 2023
And then there was also good GC action into Cervinia and decent GC action into Verbania which the 2023 Tour has no answer to. Yes, there are parallels in how the GC battle played out, but the 2015 Giro final week had so much more action.

Fair enough but then I'd argue the first week of this years Tour was significantly better.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Fair enough but then I'd argue the first week of this years Tour was significantly better.

True, but IMO not by the same margin.

 

[ashhutch1997]

Would certainly swap the first two. I really can't understand how it's possible to rate last years edition higher than this years one. First week was far inferior and yellow jersey battle was over after stage 11. Pog threw a kitchen sink at Vingegaard, but never looked likely turn the tide.

What made last year so great is that coming into the race Pogacar has a feeling of invincibility. Even after stage 11, a lot of people thought Pogacar would turn it around, given Vingegaard had never won a grand tour before. All of the mountain stages had action from at least 30km+ out (apart from Alpe d'huez).
Don't get me wrong, this years edition was still a fabulous race, but IMO last years was better.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

It was a 7

 

[VeloMaster]

I'd give it an 8: some stunning performances by multiple riders; a neck-and-neck race for yellow that only clarified in the 3rd week; enticing prospect for a deciding rematch in 2024; Pinot's swan song... the list is substantial.

It seems to me it is unfair to mark it down, just because the race was not decided in at the end, as was this year's Giro.

 

[75Driver]

Can’t imagine more than 7. It was too anticlimactic for a higher rating. The last week was mostly a yawn. Good but not great.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

6.5 so i gave it a 6.
If it ended the way it started, i would have given it an 8.

 

[zlev11]

I just realized that this Tour went a lot like the 2015 Giro. Incredible first week with some unusually big battles, a fight with mere seconds between first and second through the 2nd week until a TT where one rider took a lot of time on the other one. Then on the most anticipated mountain stage the rider in 2nd cracks, ensuring the gc win of the current leader but the 2nd placed rider still gets his redemption on the final mountain stage(s).

In 2015 it was Contador and Aru, in 2023 it was Vingegaard and Pogacar.

Considering the 2015 Giro is a forum favorite I really wonder how the people finding the last week of this Tour so horribly dull rated that Giro.

you're forgetting Aru's insane comeback on the last two mountain stages and Landa might've won the whole thing over the Finestre if Astana's tactics were better.

 

[dazaau]

If this tour was only a seven (good not great) I don't really know how you all keep watching year after year

Or how we all survived the giro...

 

[OlavEH]

If this tour was only a seven (good not great) I don't really know how you all keep watching year after year

Why? It was better last year. And I've seen several versions of the Giro that was better. The last 12 days was a bit of a anti climax in the GC. We need some more long range attacks, excitement and big ass gaps in the mountains the last half for it to be more than a 7 (or at best an 8).

 

[Andy262]

Gave it a 7, first half was a 9, second half a 5 so a 7 overall. Started well and fizzled a bit towards the end. Great tour for Cofidis. Poor for most of the smaller teams.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

If this tour was only a seven (good not great) I don't really know how you all keep watching year after year

Or how we all survived the giro...

The scale includes from 5 and below as well, I guess this is new to you?

 

[Netserk]

Why? It was better last year. And I've seen several versions of the Giro that was better. The last 12 days was a bit of a anti climax in the GC. We need some more long range attacks, excitement and big ass gaps in the mountains the last half for it to be more than a 7 (or at best an 8).

Really? You don’t think Loze had “big ass gaps”?

Eventually the GC will be decided at one point or another. I didn’t find the ITT to be anti-climatic, rather the opposite.

Grand Colombier and Le Bettex were duds, but for a stalemate I think Joux Plane was as exciting as it gets.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Really? You don’t think Loze had “big ass gaps”?

Eventually the GC will be decided at one point or another. I didn’t find the ITT to be anti-climatic, rather the opposite.

Grand Colombier and Le Bettex were duds, but for a stalemate I think Joux Plane was as exciting as it gets.

I enjoyed both Gand Colombier, Le Bettex and Jeux Plane pretty much, I must say. But some dudes seems to live their lives one-dimensional.

 

[OlavEH]

Really? You don’t think Loze had “big ass gaps”?

Eventually the GC will be decided at one point or another. I didn’t find the ITT to be anti-climatic, rather the opposite.

Grand Colombier and Le Bettex were duds, but for a stalemate I think Joux Plane was as exciting as it gets.

Yeah, but that was the only stage. And Pog cracked really early on that one.

Disagree on both the ITT and Joux-Plane.