When did you start following the Giro?

[Captain Sensible]

1987 was the first year I followed the race through cycling weekly and Winning magazine ,followed the giro for a few more years till for various reasons stopped cycling , but this will be the first year I will be watching the race from start to finish and not just reading about it.

 

[CatsNK]

which stage was it?
That Giro was really awesome.

Stage 3. What I remember is that every time I got up from the couch to go do something else, there was another crash. I was like, "what is all this crashing?!" I knew absolutely nothing about bike racing at the time. It was an educational 3 weeks!

 

[RedheadDane]

Last year.
What I love about the Giro is partly the fact that it's crazy, partly the fact that it's been to Denmark (huge plus in my book!) And last, but not least, the fact that it's one of the few things which can make a bunch of grown men fight for a pink jersey. Not just pink, mind you, but rather... princessey pink!

 

[TubularBills]

epic.

 

[TubularBills]

steel.

http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/05/andy-hampstens-1988-7-eleven-huffy-giro.html

http://www.usbhof.org/inductee-by-year/79-andy-hampsten

 

[TubularBills]

courage.

 

[TubularBills]

historic team.

 

[pmcg76]

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

Yeah, I didnt get to see my first live Giro until 2002. Prior to that I didnt have Eurosport so couldnt see it live anywhere or indeed most other races for that matter either. Channel 4 always had the highlights of the Tour and in the early 90s, Irish television showed highlights of Paris-Nice and the spring classics but no Giro.

Who rememebrs watching a multi sports show for a glimpse of any possible bike racing, dont remember the name but think it was produced in Australia and was on the in the early 90s also.

In terms of coverage of the Giro I followed it by internet(when it was invented) and print media from 91/92 onwards.

 

[WKA311]

I've been watching the tour since 2003 regularly, then in 2008 i followed for the first time the giro for about 2 or 3 stages, 2009 i followed nearly the whole race, in 2010 i watched almost nothing.
But last year i started following the whole cycling calendar and for the first time i really looked forward to the stages and i have to say i love the Giro

 

[damookman]

2010 Giro

Well it was the 2009 Tour that got me hooked on cycling, so it was the 2010 Giro that was my first. Man, what a first giro that was... I think i sort of vaguely followed the 09 giro before that, but not really.

Much like @royalpig180, I also started watching cycling by following the 2009 TdF. Soon after I was reading and actively waiting for races.

Then came 2010 Giro, and the rain soaked Strade Bianche and I was hooked. Giro now ranks higher for me in the GTs.

 

[MrRoboto]

2008 for me - the first edition on Norwegian TV I believe

That was 2007.

 

[guncha]

I cannot say I am following Giro very closly - unlike TDF I don't take a day off from work to watch crucial stages. At best I watch last two hours of stage, at worst last 30 minutes. Giro 2006 was the first I watched. A stage to Briancon (Agnel + Izoard, Giro 2007) is the best Giro stage I've ever seen. To me TDF is a better race - better field, more balanced route etc. However, it seems I won't take a day off for TDF 2012 - the route is failure.

 

[RedheadDane]

I cannot say I am following Giro very closly - unlike TDF I don't take a day off from work to watch crucial stages. At best I watch last two hours of stage, at worst last 30 minutes. Giro 2006 was the first I watched. A stage to Briancon (Agnel + Izoard, Giro 2007) is the best Giro stage I've ever seen. To me TDF is a better race - better field, more balanced route etc. However, it seems I won't take a day off for TDF 2012 - the route is failure.

Well... I don't take days off for the Giro either. I just grumple whenever a stage clashes with lessons or, more likely, exams...
As for the Tour? Well; we are some lucky people who're on vacation in that time period!

 

[Froome19]

Well... I don't take days off for the Giro either. I just grumple whenever a stage clashes with lessons or, more likely, exams...
As for the Tour? Well; we are some lucky people who're on vacation in that time period!

Same here for the Giro.
In the tour I would also be in the same cicumstance but this year my work experience collides with the tour so I am holding out for a limited hours job...

 

[The Hitch]

Stage 3. What I remember is that every time I got up from the couch to go do something else, there was another crash. I was like, "what is all this crashing?!" I knew absolutely nothing about bike racing at the time. It was an educational 3 weeks!

That has a very religious feel to it.

Christian Vandevelde was sacrificed that you could get into the giro. never forget it.

 

[Frosty]

Who rememebrs watching a multi sports show for a glimpse of any possible bike racing, dont remember the name but think it was produced in Australia and was on the in the early 90s also.

Think you are talking about Trans World Sport. Pretty sure i watched that on Channel 4 in the UK back in the early 90s, mid-Saturday morning if anyone remembers? Cant see an aussie mentioned though so maybe it isnt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_World_Sport

I started following the Giro properly in 2008 - before that i followed the results in the paper but not much more than that.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

It's all about access here too. The Giro is still not shown in NZ at all, hence my username on CN. We have been getting Aussie SBS for the last 2 years, which has more cycling for free than pay TV in NZ. But then those Aussie *******s replaced their satellite transmission to Tasmania with cable, so we can't get SBS in NZ any more.

Cycling torrents it is then, those guys are great.

 

[online-rider]

2001/02 on cyclingnews.com. where else?