Was this year's tour harder than the Giro ?

[Eclipse]

The Giro is a harder route the tour will have been a harder ridden race.

 

[Escarabajo]

Imagine Pogacar on the penultimate day with Agnello, Izoard, Montegenevre and Sestriere instead of Planche de Belles Filles

Well, he was on the ropes in Stage 18. There are so many variables that is so hard to judge.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Tour de France routes are like the party song of the year. You get a little hyped when drunk but when thinking back you're vomiting all over the place.

Kung Fu Fighting.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Imagine Pogacar on the penultimate day with Agnello, Izoard, Montegenevre and Sestriere instead of Planche de Belles Filles

You highlight a negative of recent Giro routes, significant back loading (the hardest mountain stages at the very end of the race). When the Tour does anything like this it tends to backfire, because the riders wait for that to some degree (Loze), but it isn't solely their choice. The strength of the peloton also restricts attacking on weaker stages. If this years Tour startlist had all just started the Giro instead, there's every chance that very little attacking would occur until stage 18. Though that isn't taking into account the ITT's which are a major positive, and may hypothetically force that Tour startlist into attacking more earlier.

 

[Tonton]

Kung Fu Fighting.

Or Kung-Flu. You swear it's nothing until you catch the virus, and you keep watching. Then you give it a 3 .

 

[Tonton]

You highlight a negative of recent Giro routes, significant back loading (the hardest mountain stages at the very end of the race). When the Tour does anything like this it tends to backfire, because the riders wait for that to some degree (Loze), but it isn't solely their choice. The strength of the peloton also restricts attacking on weaker stages. If this years Tour startlist had all just started the Giro instead, there's every chance that very little attacking would occur until stage 18. Though that isn't taking into account the ITT's which are a major positive, and may hypothetically force that Tour startlist into attacking more earlier.

This ^. And reverse the argument, the Giro field at the Tour would have made the race a lot more entertaining.

 

[The GCW]

Was? The Giro is still taking place.
Isn't the Giro is generally more difficult?
Hardship is ahead.
We want it all.
There's always more and the Vuelta is going to offer another difficult race and depending on how the deck is stacked it may be the hardest of them all, due to not only the course but who lines up.
Racers can make it more difficult for other racers.
That's Our wish.
Kidney jabs.
Weeping.
Excuses.
Entertainment.

 

[Cookster15]

The Giro is usually a more difficult parcours. It is not necessarily a harder race physically or mentally.

 

[YavorD]

The Giro has the potential to be a lot harder, but I'm not really sure if this Giro is much harder than the Tour. I love the Giro and Italy is my favorite country but the main reason for better racing overall are the weaker fields/teams.
As stated above, put the Giro field in this years Tour profile and you'll get a lot of action, probably even as early as Turini. Put the Tour field in this Giro profile (hyped by all the forum) and you'll get a snooze fest in most of the stages.
In fact with usual teams strange in TdF you have to go almost full Zomegnan to have possibility for a great racing (GC wise in) many stages.