Toughest mountain stage ever

[Dancing On The Pedals]

Whilst not necessarily 'the toughest stage ever', what always seems to work well in terms of creating sizeable gaps on GC is a really hard mountain followed by a descent, and then a comparatively easy climb to the finish, eg Mortirolo followed by Aprica (and Arroyo's descent in pursuit of Basso in 2010 was pretty epic as well), or Finestre followed by Sestriere

 

[The Hitch]

Whilst not necessarily 'the toughest stage ever', what always seems to work well in terms of creating sizeable gaps on GC is a really hard mountain followed by a descent, and then a comparatively easy climb to the finish, eg Mortirolo followed by Aprica (and Arroyo's descent in pursuit of Basso in 2010 was pretty epic as well), or Finestre followed by Sestriere

Yep those are the best ones no doubt. the 2 best Giro stages in the last decade.

After Mortirolo or Finnestre people will go nuts on even something like Aprica.

Mind you Crostis Zoncolan was kind of like that. Just replace "comparetively easy climb" with "hardest climb in world cycling"

 

[roundabout]

I actually found both Finestre stages a bit boring. Ok, the first one was fun until Savoldelli caught the Lottos but it wasn't epic.

 

[Lupetto]

When was that stage? 1983?

Yes, 1983. 247 km. What a beast.

http://www.tour-giro-vuelta.net/data.php?q=14&e=1&ed=70&s=309

And the day Claudio Chiappucci became a legend.

http://www.tour-giro-vuelta.net/data.php?q=14&e=1&ed=79&s=90

 

[Anonymous]

This thread is all about the Giro which warms the heart

 

[Bumeington]

Inspired by the Bola del Mundo stage doing both sides of the same climb, I think they should go Zoncolán (por Sutrio) - Crostis loop - Zoncolán (por Ovaro).

Definitely can't have a race descend down to Ovaro from Zoncolan. I've descended down to Sutrio though and it's not ridiculous so maybe the other way round

 

[Stelvio]

Although I didn't see it, I think the Gavia in '88 deserves mention..

 

[Mellow Velo]

Yes, 1983. 247 km. What a beast.

http://www.tour-giro-vuelta.net/data.php?q=14&e=1&ed=70&s=309

And the day Claudio Chiappucci became a legend.

http://www.tour-giro-vuelta.net/data.php?q=14&e=1&ed=79&s=90

Now, if you took out the finish at Sestrieres and substituted Finestre, we would really have ourselves the winner!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I actually found both Finestre stages a bit boring. Ok, the first one was fun until Savoldelli caught the Lottos but it wasn't epic.

??????????

 

[roundabout]

??????????

2011 was meh, even if you liked it for obvious reasons

2005 I didn't care about any of the 4 main protagonists and the stage was overhyped compared to an average Mortirolo stage. Once Savoldelli found some suckers riding for 11th all the intrigue was over.

But that's enough OT.

 

[killswitch]

yes. no hc. Different system. Not due to a lack of difficulty

It truly was an epic stage.

Zomegnan probably kept that for Scanuppia.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

2011 was meh, even if you liked it for obvious reasons

2005 I didn't care about any of the 4 main protagonists and the stage was overhyped compared to an average Mortirolo stage. Once Savoldelli found some suckers riding for 11th all the intrigue was over.

But that's enough OT.

2011 saw little GC action but a sentimental winner that means it will be remembered. 2005 was a GT on the line, every bit as good as Mortirolo 2010, only you had the lead group of three needing time on each other as well as Savoldelli, and splintering and dividing on the final climb. There were stories within the stories there. That was an epic stage. 2010 was all about the Mortirolo and the descent; Aprica was just a slow agonising death of Arroyo's hope. In 2005 the descent was all about Savoldelli, and the stories continued on the secondary climb too.

Both stages (Finestre 2005 and Mortirolo 2010) were probably the best GT deciders we've had in years. Val di Fassa 2011 probably beats them for exciting action, but they were more meaningful.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Although I didn't see it, I think the Gavia in '88 deserves mention..

Was this the one when snow was falling? It´s sooo long ago, i think i saw it snowing (in my memories). If you mean that one... right, that´s the hardest, at least which i witnessed (havn´t eye witnessed any western europe races before 1986).

Let me look for the results....

 

[jsem94]

Zomegnan probably kept that for Scanuppia.

Lol, that climb couldn't handle TV cameras on the motorcycles - especially that 45% ramp even though it's only a few metres long.

That climb would be the best thing ever televised... wishful thinking.

 

[Stelvio]

Was this the one when snow was falling?

Yes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnJvU0ofskc

 

[Libertine Seguros]

There probably ought to be some mention of Anglirú 2002 here too.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Yes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnJvU0ofskc

Now... that was hard. Look from 6.40 minutes on... Nowadays they cancel stages when the clouds only cough. Andy Schleck would retire for good after such a stage. Ahh no, he wouldn´t even have started.

Thanks for the link.

1 Erik Breukink
2 Andrew Hampsten 7''
3 Stefano Tomasini 4'39''
4 Flavio Giupponi 4'55''
5 Marco Giovannetti 4'58''
6 Urs Zimmermann 5'02''
7 Franco Chioccioli 5'04''
8 Peter Winnen 5'14''
9 Sergio Finazzi 7'04''
10 Pedro Delgado 7'08''

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Giro d'Italia 1956, stage 20.

 

[The Hitch]

We have a new contender. Something i already can not wait for.

Surely harder then Mortirolo St Christina 1994 no?

But which profile is more difficult.

I stick by my loyalty to Crostis Zoncolan, for now. because Zoncolan is the king, because of the gravel, because Crostis was new and because there was almost no flat in between.

But Mortirolo Stelvio are two totaly different climbs. One super steep and long, the other super long and steep. It goes up up to almost 3000m altitude which provides a totaly different challenge, and the Mortirolo descent will probably be more eventful than the Crostis one would have been. Also tonale is more difficult than what the Zoncolan stage had.

Very very close.

 

[Escarabajo]

We have a new contender. Something i already can not wait for.

...

I stick by my loyalty to Crostis Zoncolan, for now. because Zoncolan is the king, because of the gravel, because Crostis was new and because there was almost no flat in between.

But Mortirolo Stelvio are two totaly different climbs. One super steep and long, the other super long and steep. It goes up up to almost 3000m altitude which provides a totaly different challenge, and the Mortirolo descent will probably be more eventful than the Crostis one would have been. Also tonale is more difficult than what the Zoncolan stage had.

Very very close.

I wish they could stick the Fedaia in there if it was closer in distance.

 

[Tank Engine]

Now... that was hard. Look from 6.40 minutes on... Nowadays they cancel stages when the clouds only cough. Andy Schleck would retire for good after such a stage. Ahh no, he wouldn´t even have started.

Thanks for the link.

1 Erik Breukink
2 Andrew Hampsten 7''
3 Stefano Tomasini 4'39''
4 Flavio Giupponi 4'55''
5 Marco Giovannetti 4'58''
6 Urs Zimmermann 5'02''
7 Franco Chioccioli 5'04''
8 Peter Winnen 5'14''
9 Sergio Finazzi 7'04''
10 Pedro Delgado 7'08''

That was definitely the hardest day in my memory (I started following cycling in '87).

From the second most important GT, the 1992 stage to Sestriere was pretty epic.
Chiapucci won after a long break. It was the only day in the Indurain era where he cracked. He got to within about 45 secs of Claudio with around 3k to go, but then lost a minute and second place on the stage to Vona.
From http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/tdf/tdf1992.html

254.5 kilometers from St. Gervais to Sestriere in Italy. The climbing was substantial. The riders faced the Saisies (category 2), the Cormet de Roseland (category 1), the Iseran (hors category), Mont-Cenis (category 1) and the first category climb to the finish at Sestriere.

1. Claudio Chiappucci: 7hr 44min 51sec
2. Franco Vona @ 1min 34sec
3. Miguel Indurain @ 1min 45sec
4. Gianni Bugno @ 2min 53sec
5. Andy Hampsten @ 3min 27sec
6. Laurent Fignon @ 5min 51sec
7. Gert-Jan Theunisse @ 7min 36sec
8. Pedro Delgado @ 7min 51sec
9. Steven Rooks s.t.
10. Francisco Mauleon @ 7min 53sec

Edit: I see Lupetto picked this one.

 

[auscyclefan94]

This may be kinda off topic but right now there is a Mountain Team Time Trial up Mount Wellington in the Tour of Tasmania. Here's the profile of the climb.

That is a hard mountain stage and I am certain Libertine Seguros would like this.

EDIT: Best team has completed the 18km course in 48mins 29 secs. Ave speed is around 22.3km/h

Final result: Finish Jayco 48:29 Genesys 48:49 Team Russia 49:00 Fly V 49:13 - would like to see the other results. Many of the smaller teams would of lost massive time!

 

[Ferminal]

EDIT: Best team has completed the 18km course in 48mins 29 secs. Ave speed is around 22.3km/h

Is that faster than Porte/Evans?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Is that faster than Porte/Evans?

I unfortunately don't know but because it was a TTT I'd imagine it would of been faster than the record those guys had.

 

[The Hitch]

I unfortunately don't know but because it was a TTT I'd imagine it would of been faster than the record those guys had.

But going up a mountain, team support helps a lot less, if at all. More so if the riders are continental rather than WT.

They can get a few seconds maybe in the first 8km but then Evans Porte are very good tters so wont be far behind if at all, and once the mountain starts, Evans Porte should blow these teams away. Hell Id expect Evans Porte to beat Quikstep on this tt, forget Jayco, or Team Russia.