What is your favourite one day race?

[Netserk]

You must really like Liege if it still can be among your favourites after last year

 

[Der Effe]

Paris-Roubaix
Ronde van Vlaanderen






Grand Prix of Sochi

Ascension Day



Scheldeprijs

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Can (and if so, when) Strade Bianche ever become the sixth monument?

I'm not sure it's even considered a classic yet. The monuments aren't official designations, they have just gained that status through prestige and longivety.

I know, I'm just asking, do people think there will one day be a sixth monument (in the full popular opinion of the cycling world as the other five became), and if so when/how could that be possible. Strade Bianche seems to me to be the one-day race that people are most enthusiastic about without it being the WC or a monument, and it also has unique characteristics. It's probably too short at the moment but that could easily be remedied, and for a race that only started in 2007, it has a prestigious list of past winners: Cancellara (x2), Gilbert, Stybar, and Kwiatkowski. In fact of the nine editions of Strade Bianche, seven have been won by Monument winners, Olympic medalists or World Champions (alright, a cyclocross one (Stybar this year)).

That's the great thing about it imo, that riders who specialise in one specific type of monument (cobbled or hilly) both have a chance of winning SB, so you get to see them go head-to-head.

I'm not sure it would be a good idea to make it longer; it could just turn into another race where the favourites all wait for the last 25km or, even worse, the last climb before attacking.

 

[DBotero]

My favorites are Ronde van Vlaanderen,Paris-Roubaix,La Fleche Wallone,Clásica de San Sebastián and Giro di Lombardia.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Re:

You must really like Liege if it still can be among your favourites after last year

Ye last years wasnt so great , but in general I like the race.

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

Can (and if so, when) Strade Bianche ever become the sixth monument?

I'm not sure it's even considered a classic yet. The monuments aren't official designations, they have just gained that status through prestige and longivety.

I know, I'm just asking, do people think there will one day be a sixth monument (in the full popular opinion of the cycling world as the other five became), and if so when/how could that be possible. Strade Bianche seems to me to be the one-day race that people are most enthusiastic about without it being the WC or a monument, and it also has unique characteristics. It's probably too short at the moment but that could easily be remedied, and for a race that only started in 2007, it has a prestigious list of past winners: Cancellara (x2), Gilbert, Stybar, and Kwiatkowski. In fact of the nine editions of Strade Bianche, seven have been won by Monument winners, Olympic medalists or World Champions (alright, a cyclocross one (Stybar this year)).

It's a brilliant race, but in terms of the Monuments you're talking about races that have survived over 100 years, two world wars (with some of the biggest battles fought on and around the roads used for these races) and loads of attempts to derail them. They have seen the greatest names in cycling contest and win them and they are so ingrained in history that many people covet them over the grand tours. To win a monument is to have your name along side the likes of Girardengo, Coppi, Merckx, Hinault, Bartali, De Vlaeminck, Pelissier, Lapize, Van Steenbergen, Van Looy, Bobet and so on and so on.

SB is fantastic, I love watching it, but in terms of a win there being coveted as much as a Monument then you're talking a very long time if ever.

 

[Põhja Konn]

SB, P-R and Ronde

WCRR and Lombardia

Strade Bianche has still a very long way to go before being recognised as a monument, but it certainly has made an encouraging start.

 

[Mr.White]

Liege, Lombardia and Strade Bianche

 

[Dazed and Confused]

P-R

 

[Wind in hair]

What a pity that this year there was not the Roma Maxima, in last year the route was great there was a difficult climb in the town of narrow street and technical downhill, cobbled section on the via Appia Antica and finish line next to Coloseum. Valverde and Pozzovivo were breakaway

 

[The Hitch]

Ronde has the most fans and most passion, so that for me.

Used to be worlds but its been SOOOO boring recently.
2011- sprint all day long.
2012 - 1km out sprint all day long
2013 - Nothing until final lap.
2014 - Nothing until final lap.

Olympics is the best but is too infrequent.

 

[PunchingRouleur]

Omloop - season opening, great combination of bergs and flat cobbles, always deliver
Strade Bianche - unique cobbled vs hilly riders clash
.
P-R
Ronde

 

[Flamin]

1 Ronde/Roubaix
2 Worlds (if it's a proper course like Firenze or Ponferrada)
3 Omloop
4 Milano-Sanremo
5 E3

 

[Arredondo]

1. Roubaix (no explanation needed)
2. Lombardia (most heroic and religious character)
3. Strade (unique in multiple ways)
4. Milano-San Remo (the tension before the riders get to the Poggio is just lovely)
5. Flanders (great race, beautiful atmosphere, but after 2011 on a horrible course)

 

[May0maniac]

What a pity that this year there was not the Roma Maxima, in last year the route was great there was a difficult climb in the town of narrow street and technical downhill, cobbled section on the via Appia Antica and finish line next to Coloseum. Valverde and Pozzovivo were breakaway

Roma Maxima is a great race and the Strade Bianche-Roma Maxima combination is something really special.
For me it's Roubaix, Strade Bianche and Omloop, but the Olympic RR is always something special.
Lombardia is a little bit like WC RR, you can have a great one or a boring one.

 

[rghysens]

1) Paris - Roubaix: epic
2) RVV: anticipation towards Koppenberg and Muur/Bosberg (now last climb of Oude Kwaremont/Paterberg)
3) Omloop het Volk: first big televised race
4) Strade Bianche: epic
5) Brabantse Pijl: often a very entertaining race, shame it is a midweek race nowadays, but its new place on the calender is more suited.
6) Classica San Sebastian: finally exciting racing again after the Tour (quite often boring) and Hamburg.
7) LBL: used to be much higher on the list, but the inclusion of the Roche aux Faucons and Saint-Nicolas basically killed far-out racing.

Then there are a mixture of not too interesting classics and races we often don't get to see (semi-classics in Italy or France like Paris-Camembert, Giro nell'Emilia, Roma maxima/ Giro del Lazio, Coppa Placci, Coppa Sabatini,...)

They are followed by the Fleche Wallone, the race that makes worst use of the terrain it's been designed in, tied with Grote Scheldeprijs and at last there are a few races I don't really care about, for no particular reason.

 

[DFA123]

1) Paris - Roubaix: epic
2) RVV: anticipation towards Koppenberg and Muur/Bosberg (now last climb of Oude Kwaremont/Paterberg)
3) Omloop het Volk: first big televised race
4) Strade Bianche: epic
5) Brabantse Pijl: often a very entertaining race, shame it is a midweek race nowadays, but its new place on the calender is more suited.
6) Classica San Sebastian: finally exciting racing again after the Tour (quite often boring) and Hamburg.
7) LBL: used to be much higher on the list, but the inclusion of the Roche aux Faucons and Saint-Nicolas basically killed far-out racing.

Then there are a mixture of not too interesting classics and races we often don't get to see (semi-classics in Italy or France like Paris-Camembert, Giro nell'Emilia, Roma maxima/ Giro del Lazio, Coppa Placci, Coppa Sabatini,...)

They are followed by the Fleche Wallone, the race that makes worst use of the terrain it's been designed in, tied with Grote Scheldeprijs and at last there are a few races I don't really care about, for no particular reason.

I think Fleche Wallone has suffered because of over-exposure to uphill sprints. If Mur de Huy was one of the only times each year we saw uphill sprints, it would still be something special. Nowadays they are common in Grand Tours (I'm looking at you Vuelta!) and stage races.

Also it's position in the calendar doesn't help it. They can't make a really hard and selective course, because lots of big names wouldn't enter it 3/4 days before LBL.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

1. De Ronde - Apart from 2012 (mediocre edition), 2013 (too little happened, Fabian too superior) and this year's edition, De Ronde has been my personal highlights of the season.
2. Giro di Lombardia - beautiful race, and always entertaining with a lot of tired riders participating
3. Liege Bastogne Liege - last year was terrible but otherwise an interesting race that is actually open to long range attacks. Unexpected winners (Martin, Iglinsky) is a plus aswell.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Roubaix my favourite, followed by Strade Bianche then RVV and E3.

 

[Akuryo]

Roubaix, closely followed by Strade Bianche. But mostly I like cobbled races more than anything. Strade Bianche was always awesome the last few years I have been watching the race. Very entertaining and it should get a higher status in my opinion. Certainly more of a WT-race than Vattenfall for instance.

 

[Gigs_98]

it was liege bastogne liege...was, because the race became extremely boring in the last years
At the moment paris roubaix and the ronde are my favorite ones because the riders have to attack wide away from the finish if they don't want to sprint. The monument I really don't like is mailand san remo because it always ended in a bunch sprint in the last few years.

 

[RedheadDane]

Why is it so bad if a race ends in a bunch sprint?
Also it Milan-San Remo.

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

Why is it so bad if a race ends in a bunch sprint?
Also it Milan-San Remo.

Milano

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I interpret "favourite race" as the one I look forward to the most each season. In that case:

1. Paris-Roubaix
2. Worlds
3. Tour of Flanders
4. Liege-Bastogne-Liege
5. Strade Bianche

 

[LugHugger]

Paris Roubaix.

Honourable mention for Strade Bianche which IMO is already a Classic (but clearly not a Monument). Also Tro Bro Leon (when I can find any coverage).