When did you start following the Giro?

[Eshnar]

I know the major part of you all started with the Tdf. So I wonder when did you start following the Giro. Mind you, I mean following and not just casually watching it. Be interested in it, waiting fo it and so on. It doesn't have to be your favourite race obviously. Was there a particular reason that made you start or you just watched it once and fell in love with?

 

[Mellow Velo]

In a word: accessibility.
When it was there, I was there.
Instant, not fatal, attraction!

 

[spalco]

Only in 2009 I have to admit to my shame. I wish I had "discovered" it earlier, but I pretty much only watched the Tour for the decade prior to that.

 

[Eric8-A]

I got into cycling in 2009 when the Tour of California was still held in February, but I missed out on the Giro since after the ATOC, I only followed races on the U.S domestic calendar, although I did see the Tour and the Vuelta. But it wasn't til 2010 that I started getting familiar with the European calendar which led me to watching the Giro.

 

[Eshnar]

In a word: accessibility.

Yes that' a big issue
Where do you live?

 

[hrotha]

The first year I clearly remember following the Giro was 1993, but I might have vague memories of the 1991 Giro, I think (I remember something about Chioccioli winning, but in retrospect I might be remembering the commentators talking about it in another race Chioccioli was in, maybe the 1992 Tour). And I must have followed the 1992 Giro, but I don't think I remember anything about it.

 

[TeoSheva]

I'm italian, and so Il Giro is THE RACE.
I remember something from the Giro won by Bugno (90), Chioccioli (91) and the first of Indurain (92), but I started to follow it better in 93 (Epic battle Indurain vs Ugrumov at Oropa!).
Than in 94.... PANTANI... and the history of Cycling changed....

 

[kjetilraknerud]

2008 for me - the first edition on Norwegian TV I believe - not counting Eurosport Nordic which I didn't have at the time.

Remember it well - especially Sella going crazy in the mountains. Great show, but unfortunately a topic for another forum.

 

[Eshnar]

I'm italian, and so Il Giro is THE RACE.

Amen bro'
I was too young in the early 90's though I started in '98

 

[nobilis]

I have to say accessibility too. I started watching cycling in the mid 90s when I first had the cable, hence eurosport, because local channels don't broadcast cycling races. So it wasn't necessarily after i watched the tour that i started watching the Giro. i just fell in love with cycling and started following most of the races during the season.

 

[airstream]

2005. The brightest impressions are almost total absence of fans on mountain stages compared to the Tour and crazed Basso's climbing edge over all other contenders. The field seemed to me very weak.

 

[FrankvdV]

Started watching in 2009 before that I only followed the TDF which has more media coverage in the Netherlands.

To bad the camera's in Italy aren't that fantastic and they have lot's of interference. They should pay a visit to Belgium because the Belgians had fantastic images in the classics.

Time for the Italians to upgrade the camera equipment for better live images.

 

[Eshnar]

Started watching in 2009 before that I only followed the TDF which has more media coverage in the Netherlands.

To bad the camera's in Italy aren't that fantastic and they have lot's of interference. They should pay a visit to Belgium because the Belgians had fantastic images in the classics.

Time for the Italians to upgrade the camera equipment for better live images.

You couldn't imagine how many afternoons I spent swearing at RAI in these years There's to say that weather conditions are often far worse than those in France by july.

 

[Climeon]

This year will be the first year I watch the giro, watched tour 2008-2011 and assumed it was all ther was in cycling. It was only last year when ITV (a free english channel) first showed vuelta that I started to watch cycling year-round

 

[hrotha]

You couldn't imagine how many afternoons I spent swearing at RAI in these years There's to say that weather conditions are often far worse than those in France by july.

I think we got a much better signal in the early and mid 90s, when everything was analogical, but I reckon it must be a lot cheaper now, and that's why we have to suffer barely seeing anything in bad weather.

 

[Stingray34]

Chioccioli in 91, thanks to Winning magazine. Lelli was the revelation. UofFerrara was the real star as it turns out.

 

[hrotha]

Chioccioli in 91, thanks to Winning magazine. Lelli was the revelation. UofFerrara was the real star as it turns out.

Now that you mention it, I remember singing that hit "Elegibo" with my brother, changing the lyrics to "Lelli, Lelli, Lelli-gibooooo". That might have happened in 1991

 

[roundabout]

1998 was the first time I made a genuine effort to follow every stage. Although I remember following the news in 94 and being as confused as eveyone else as to why Berzin is still leading when some guy named Indurain was repeatedly named as favorite.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Yes that' a big issue
Where do you live?

Eurosport first put it out around Europe, (for me, at least) but they had a contractual agreement problem with Rai, around 2000/1.
They broadcast that they were unlikely to be able to cover the next edition, so I had another sat dish installed to get RAITRE. (back then)
It opened up a whole raft of new races from all over Europe, so I hardly missed anything. (with the ability to record over net streams etc)

Remember when Rai went pay to view major cycling races for a bit and Cipo led a protest, I think at Tirreno-Adriatico?
That was a pain for a while.

Now, I couldn't live without Rai Sport 2.......Right now, I'm off to watch the lads in Toscana, from yesterday, before Trentino.

 

[Fus087]

First year actually following was 2007 for me. Before that it was more like "oh, so that and that guy won the race".

 

[Eshnar]

Eurosport first put it out around Europe, (for me, at least) but they had a contractual agreement problem with Rai, around 2000/1.
They broadcast that they were unlikely to be able to cover the next edition, so I had another sat dish installed to get RAITRE. (back then)
It opened up a whole raft of new races from all over Europe, so I hardly missed anything. (with the ability to record over net streams etc)

Remember when Rai went pay to view major cycling races for a bit and Cipo led a protest, I think at Tirreno-Adriatico?
That was a pain for a while.

Now, I couldn't live without Rai Sport 2.......Right now, I'm off to watch the lads in Toscana, from yesterday, before Trentino.

ok ok so you live in Europe I hoped for a more precise answer

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

1999 - Quaranta as cycling's new (and fast fading) sprinting god, Virenque's return to life at Rapallo, Pantani's mass destruction at Monte Sirino, Gran Sasso etc. - and then that fateful day at Madonna di Campiglio. A great Giro.

 

[Eshnar]

and then that fateful day at Madonna di Campiglio.

Yeah, the day which almost killed cycling in Italy Hard to forget that one.

 

[hrotha]

1999 - Quaranta as cycling's new (and fast fading) sprinting god, Virenque's return to life at Rapallo, Pantani's mass destruction at Monte Sirino, Gran Sasso etc. - and then that fateful day at Madonna di Campiglio. A great Giro.

Camenzind crashing in the descent of the Mortirolo and losing a spot in the top 10 of the GC

(Ok, now I know that kind of thing was meaningless, but back then I focused too much on GTs)

 

[Duartista]

The first year I was able to watch it was 2004 (not the best start) as it was the first time I had access to Eurosport. I had followed it online in 2002-2003, and had previously been aware of the results due to Pantani in '98-99.

2005 was the first year I really got into it, and enjoyed it more than the other 2 GTs.