The most interesting Tour de France's.

[Indurain]

I was wondering whether doping in cycling actually adds to the viewers pleasure or not. At first I thought yeah for sure, but then I thought which were my favourite tours (i've seen all from 85 onwards).

My favourite ones were 87, 89, 86, 2003, 2006

Most boring were 1993, 2005, 2007, 2008 (not so much because some of these were dominated, but more because there wasn't much attacking going on by the leaders. It was more who was last to get dropped.

I'm assuming 86 to 89 there was less effective doping practices, 2007 - 2008 appeared to have less doping by the leaders who finished in top 5 based on power measurements, average speeds. The I'm assuming were heavily doped.

So my score for favourite is 3 non doped, 2 doped.

 

[franciep10]

I was wondering whether doping in cycling actually adds to the viewers pleasure or not. At first I thought yeah for sure, but then I thought which were my favourite tours (i've seen all from 85 onwards).

My favourite ones were 87, 89, 86, 2003, 2006

Most boring were 1993, 2005, 2007, 2008 (not so much because some of these were dominated, but more because there wasn't much attacking going on by the leaders. It was more who was last to get dropped.

I'm assuming 86 to 89 there was less effective doping practices, 2007 - 2008 appeared to have less doping by the leaders who finished in top 5 based on power measurements, average speeds. The I'm assuming were heavily doped.

So my score for favourite is 3 non doped, 2 doped.

Ill go with 86, 89,2006, 2007.


2006 Landis comeback was amazing I still consider him the winner, plus it was good to see a tour without armstrong, and 2007 was bad because of doping but it was really good racing unlike last year, which was like watching your clothes dry. Sadly both were scandalous but it was exciting.

 

[Cobblestones]

I found this on the universal sports website: Probably the weirdest TdF.

Link

From the article:

NANTES, France (Reuters) -- Close to 200 prisoners will cycle around France next month, watched by scores of guards on bicycles, in the first penal version of the Tour de France, authorities said on Monday.

The 196 prisoners will cycle in a pack and breakaway sprints will not be allowed.

(emphasis mine). Probably not too exciting to watch that one.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Ill go with 86, 89,2006, 2007.


2006 Landis comeback was amazing I still consider him the winner, plus it was good to see a tour without armstrong, and 2007 was bad because of doping but it was really good racing unlike last year, which was like watching your clothes dry. Sadly both were scandalous but it was exciting.

I'll give '06 a nod, too. I love that no team seemed capable of controlling the race, so it was chaotic as hell. 30 minutes to Perreiro on one stage? Landis's huge move? So great. That's the kind of cycling I like. I remember Alpe d'Huez being awesome that year, too, and I also liked that the favorites had good days and bad days and almost no one was a perfect automaton throughout the entire Tour.

 

[Zoncolan]

1989 and 1998.
Those that watched it will know why.

 

[Ibanez]

Only been watching live since 2006 sadly, but all three have been fairly decent races.

06 was epic for the Landis comeback after his complete implosion the day before. Gonchar somehow destroying both TTs. Mcewen vs Freire. Hushovd bookending the tour. Boonen not being able to buy a stage. Disco failing miserably.

07 I was a big rasmussen fan for his ballsy solo wins, and seeing him and Contador duel was great. London prologue was great for an anglo like myself. Mcewen's win was amazing on the first stage. Soler was impressive as well, love the way he looks so awful on a bike. Vino crash on the 5th stage made for reat drama as well.

08 didn't open up at all, so many people were in contention coming into the Alpe because nobody had the stones or legs to blow the race apart beforehand. And then Sastre, who I admire, making the race his was great to see. Also Ricco was rather incredible to watch. Wanted Menchov to win, he pretty much lost the tour by missing a split on a flat stage, crashing on Prato Nevoso, and losing his nerve on a descent. Sure he probably wasn't strong enough anyway, but looked easily as good as Evans.

Notice Ive ignored all the doping scandals, before they blew up the racing was pretty fine to see. Sad.

 

[Biciclette Bianchi]

1989 and 1998.

Certainly agree with these picks. I will also say that 2008 bored me to tears. Only one attack during the whole three weeks from any of the contenders. At least it was Sastre (i.e., the man who launched the only attack) who won.

BTW, to the original poster, the correct plural is Tours de France (though I'm not trying be an a'hole in pointing this out).



Dave

 

[BigBoat]

2007 was one of my favs... I wish Vino raced 5 years later, so he'd be primed right now. Big fan... Ferrari worked with him, one of the few remaining Dr. Ferrari cleints.

 

[elapid]

1989, 1998, 2003, 2006, 2007
I did not rate 2008, but CSC's control of the Alpe d'Huez stage was enjoyable to watch.

 

[jopatt]

1999 I loved.
Lance riding a miraculous race and leaving the others behind in the mountains like they were amateurs.

 

[RdBiker]

The duel on two stages between Rasmussen and Contador in 2007 is the best GT racing I've seen for a while so I have to say 2007.

 

[Sheltowee]

2007 with the duel between Rasmussen and Discovery Channel and Cadel Evans in the mountains. Great entertainment! 2006 also was great with Floyd! 2000 with Pantani & Armstrong a favorite also.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'm going to go with 86, 87, 89, 98, 99, 03 and 06.

Though I'm no Lance fan and now feel let down, his 1999 win at the time was great to see. Outside of 03, his other wins were boring. 04 and 05 were over within a few days and really dull.

Mig's wins were pretty dull, except I actually like 1993 as that was the one year someone really pushed him in Tony Rominger. The rest were him winning really long TT's and never attacking in the mountains.

84 was dull, but 83 interesting. Didn't see before that.

I too agree that 2006 was awesome to watch. I felt a bit let down by Floyd, but still think he didn't win primarily because he was doped. I think most all the riders were doped, and Floyd won because he employed a great strategy and showed a lot of heart on Stage 17. But I think Periero rode an honorable race and I do credit him as a Tour winner too.

07 was okay, but way too much doping busts. 08 was close, but dull.

 

[53x11 in DC]

In order:

'89
'71 (for its tragic element)
'86
'03
'85 (hinault was LUCKY)
'06

Glad to see so many okay with '06. Whatever fueled Floyd that day, it was an inspired ride. I dragged my **** 56 miles around the hills outside DC, in Maryland, after the stage ended, in 98 degree, humid weather. Hadn't planned to, but I was pretty moved.

 

[indurain666]

89
91, for obvious reasons
96, although back in the day it was a painful one for me
97
98, I would have love to see those Festina walking pharmacies racing Mercatone Uno in the mountains..damn you Willy Voet!!!
06, in my heart, Landis i still the winner

 

[Indurain]

As I read through the post, I realised that the moments in cycling that people found most fascinating were in most cases by riders who most probably doped. I guess it kind of shows that doping makes the sport more interesting to watch??

If no one doped, would there still be plenty of attacking. Prior to 87, it seemed that only a handful of riders could attack. The rest were just hanging on for survival.

 

[elapid]

As I read through the post, I realised that the moments in cycling that people found most fascinating were in most cases by riders who most probably doped. I guess it kind of shows that doping makes the sport more interesting to watch??

If no one doped, would there still be plenty of attacking. Prior to 87, it seemed that only a handful of riders could attack. The rest were just hanging on for survival.

Difficult question. I don't like Floyd's stage 17 of the 2006 TdF because he doped, but it was a fantastic stage because of its circumstances and Floyd's performance. I never had the pleasure of watching Eddie Merckx, but by all reports his feats were Merckx-like and that made me reminisce of how exciting racing must have been in the 60s and 70s and wish I had seen them. Pereiro's breakway and the inactivity of the other teams in trying to win the TdF added to the drama, none of which has anything to do with doping. The 2003 TdF was just plain exciting because Lance looked vunerable and Beloki and others were throwing everything at him, again nothing to do with doping. The 2007 TdF was thrilling to watch because of the battle between Contador, Rasmussen, Evans and Leipheimer. The final time trial was nail biting. Again, nothing to do with doping other than the Rasmussen drama. So, while these favourite TdFs have been tainted by doping, the events that make them special are not directly related to doping (other than Floyd's stage 17). Most of us are probably relatively new to cycling (ie, post-1990) and hence most of these favourite TdFs were won by PED-fueled cyclists anyway.

 

[gatete]

The final time trial was nail biting. Again, nothing to do with doping other than the Rasmussen drama. So, while these favourite TdFs have been tainted by doping, the events that make them special are not directly related to doping (other than Floyd's stage 17). Most of us are probably relatively new to cycling (ie, post-1990) and hence most of these favourite TdFs were won by PED-fueled cyclists anyway.

I guess we're just driven by the addrenalin when we watch those Riders climb like motorbikes, my most memorable scenes of TDF are just that:
Pantani/armstrong 2000 mount ventoux, Ulrich giving everything in 03 and Contador/rasmussen in all the mountain attacks in 07 although I was mesmerized to see Rasmussen suffering in the Giro of that same year at the cime di lavadero where Ricco won and then displaying an amazing climbing ability at the tour was far too fishy for me, but at the end in the back of our heads that even our heroes may be doping, and somehow I find my self to be more merciful with some rides just because I like their style (ie Basso, Ulrich, Pantani) and coursing the ones I find just over the top ie Armstrong, Vino, Diluca.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Indurain666 - Don't you think 1993 was one of Mig's best Tours? He repeatedly had Rominger attack him and had to crawl back to hang in there. It was a great effort by both riders that year.

So, while these favourite TdFs have been tainted by doping, the events that make them special are not directly related to doping (other than Floyd's stage 17)..

Actually, I seriously don't think Floyd was that more doped than anyone else to be completely honest. The previous Giro, Suisse, and Vuelta winners were all doped. As was the guy that got third and the KOM in that Tour, plus many more riders. Floyd's entire Phonak team was probably doped. According to BigBoat's keen, if jaded, analysis, the entire peloton was probably doped. The carbon isotope analysis re-testing of all of Floyd's samples showed he was microdosing testosterone, and he was barely over the limit. So it's not like they were all tired, and all of a sudden Floyd took a huge dose of T and zoomed away. Yes, he doped, he cheated, but in full context, he rode a helluva race that we hadn't seen since the likes of Hinault, or Merckx, and that as much as anything else is why he won.

[Of note - I will make no excuses for his legal team and manager's reprehensible behavior, or even that of Floyd himself, during his hearings. Inexcusable.]

I find my self to be more merciful with some rides just because I like their style (ie Basso, Ulrich, Pantani) and coursing the ones I find just over the top ie Armstrong, Vino, Diluca.

You bring up a good point, and that ties into my comments on Floyd (versus Lance). I'm as guilty as anyone I suppose of this. To me, both riders doped. And while one could say both performances were "over the top" as you say, I come down harder on Lance not just because he's never officially be caught, but because Floyd laid it all out there in 2006 and rode the ride everyone hopes to see heroes ride. But I admit, I've been pretty let down by both guys.

We could write pages on all this, but I'll stop there.

This is a good discussion, and we should try it with the Giro, if someone wants to start another thread.