The 6th Monument

[Jamsque]

I just got schooled.

 

[ThomoUK]

Gotta say that I do not think it needs a 100 years of history to make it a monument. But at the same time, 20-30 years is also too short. The Eroica is not even a youth yet, so it can not even be on the poll.
In terms of the respect from many of the riders it has to be the F-W, Amstel Gold or Paris Tours. From those I have to go with the Dutch race if I had to chose an addition.

Paul

 

[Moondance]

Keep it at five... Monuments are all about prestige, and none of the race listed above comes close to existing five.

Also, I am very surprised by the amount of votes for the Strade Bianchi. Its a meaningless race which approximately 42 people in the world have heard of, attracts less than half of the top teams in the peloton, is FAAAR to short, has ) history, and is virtually invisible and isn't even HC! That 15% of voters think this should be on par with la Primavera, de Ronde, l'enfer du Nord, la Doyenne and la classica delle foglie morte, is, quite frankly, insulting to those five great races.

 

[jens_attacks]

3 grand tours
5 monuments

that's perfect.i don't want more.

 

[Mich78BEL]

For years Paris - Tours was considered to be one of the 6 most important one-day-races (excluding the WC) in cycling, it has lost some of its prestige nowadays but if you're gonna add a 6e its Paris - Tours.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The Giro dell Emilia. It has the long history, it has an epic finish climb that's done 6 times (beats FW's 3 times). And Gesink won it the last 2 times, enough to make it a monument

 

[mr. tibbs]

I gave serious consideration to Fleche based on the strength of its finish. But no. Couldn't do it. The rest of the race just doesn't produce.

Five for me, please.

 

[Descender]

For goodness sake... there are FIVE monuments, there have always been five monuments and there will always be five monuments.

 

[Anonymous]

For goodness sake... there are FIVE monuments, there have always been five monuments and there will always be five monuments.

well that maybe, but it will be bloody dull here over the last couple of months of the off season if we dont talk about something.

 

[Echoes]

For goodness sake... there are FIVE monuments, there have always been five monuments and there will always be five monuments.

With all respect, Har-Tru/Descender, you're wrong.

My dad once told me that, in Merckx's time, there was no such thing as 5 monuments. There were classics, a dozen of them and Paris-Roubaix was the Queen of them. For purists there might only be one monument, Roubaix.

The Arrow was definitely equal to Liège in those days. Then it would change its route several times in the 80's with some easy ones and in the 90's, the UCI refused to give it World Cup status. Moreover, the UCI imposed a reduced distance to about 200km for races such as the Arrow, Wevelgem, Het Volk, Giro di Lazio, etc. Paris-Brussels was only reduced to 220km due to the distance that separates both cities but it used to be 280km. The UCI is one of the undertakers of cycling !

 

[armstrong4ever]

None of them will be ever have a chance becoming a monument. Montepaschi Strade Bianchi? It's not even televised live in Italy.

A better question would be:

What race will be the 5th Grand Tour?

 

[buckwheat]

And the Tour Championship in Ponte Vedra Fl, is the Fifth Major!


uh, NO.....

 

[auscyclefan94]

Belgium have enough monuments id say.

Why is it about how many monuements a country can have? Who cares?

My only argument against FW is that there is already an ardennes monument. In my mind each of the monuments should offer something uniquely different.

There already are two cobbled monuements.

 

[hrotha]

There already are two cobbled monuements.

Even worse, there are three non-cobbled, plain road monuments!

edit: in other words RVV and PR are very different races.

 

[Barrus]

IF there should be another monument, I wonder how anyone can look past Paris Tours, pobably one of the oldest races and most deserving of being a monument.

 

[CCB/VW]

Bravo...

Paris Tours. First race in 1896 and 104 editions in total

Paris-Tours is the only one with the long history (1896) to be even considered. However the 5 are so huge it's hard to equal.

Stay at 5 is my vote.

 

[hfer07]

I don't find any bold reason/argument to have a 6th monument TBO-nor I see any candidate reaching that kind prestige to be nominated either

 

[Anonymous]

None of them will be ever have a chance becoming a monument. Montepaschi Strade Bianchi? It's not even televised live in Italy.

You might want to check that, i recorded the last 50 minutes in 2010 from live television (rai). Check youtube if you dont believe me. Its in five parts.

There already are two cobbled monuements.

But my point was that monuments should differ in style, race type etc. The only thing flanders and roubaix have in common is cobbles. Apart from that they very very different.

 

[Anonymous]

There already are two cobbled monuements.

But my point was that monuments should differ in style, race type etc. The only thing flanders and roubaix have in common is cobbles. Apart from that they very very different.

 

[Mellow Velo]

A better question would be:

What race will be the 5th Grand Tour?

And the answer still won't be The Tour of California.

How about the Ronde van Arc de Triomphe or Giro del Trafalgar Square?
They sound like possible monuments to me.

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't care about a race's history. Only the epicness of the route of the race it self.

So definitely Monte Paschi Strade Bianchi. But they should make it even tougher and longer while they're at it.

 

[The Hitch]

A better question would be:

What race will be the 5th Grand Tour?

You might want to correct that. The Vuelta a Colombia isnt a grand tour yet. Theres still only 3.

Why is it about how many monuements a country can have? Who cares?

Would you be saying that if the UCI was trying to decide between Australia and Belgium for the location of a 6th monument?

Im all for all for moving the sport out a bit. Not neccesarily China or Canada, races with no history, but to a race like SB with at least some history there.

Define popularity and prestige... I can only speak about the Dutch public, but here the knowledge of this race, let alone its appreciation, is mostly restricted to cycling connaisseurs. From the races on this list it's probably the farthest removed from Monument status.

Is it a coincidence that among the Dutch public its both the farthest removed from monument status and the farthest removed from the Dutch public?

 

[The Hitch]

Why is it about how many monuements a country can have? Who cares?

Would you be saying that if the UCI was trying to decide between Australia and Belgium for the location of a 6th monument?

Im all for all for moving the sport out a bit. Not neccesarily China or Canada, races with no history, but to a race like SB with at least some history there.

 

[royalpig180]

San Seb > MSB

By MSB, i take it you mean Milan San Blah?

 

[Winterfold]

Good poll dim

But I went with status quo...