Which stage race's are most important? (not GT's)

[happytramp]

I know most people agree (roughly) with the hierarchy of the grand tour's and the classics but I was wondering how people feel about the shorter stage races? Are some more important than others historically? I suppose I've always seen Paris Nice as the biggest but I'm probably wrong. Where do Switzerland, the Dauphine, T-A, Catalunya, Romandie, Basque country etc rank?

 

[Netserk]

According to CQranking, P-N, T-A, VaPV, DL and TdS rank above the other non-GT-stage races.

I think it is very equal between those 5 races.

 

[cineteq]

I know most people agree (roughly) with the hierarchy of the grand tour's and the classics but I was wondering how people feel about the shorter stage races? Are some more important than others historically? I suppose I've always seen Paris Nice as the biggest but I'm probably wrong. Where do Switzerland, the Dauphine, T-A, Catalunya, Romandie, Basque country etc rank?

Right now, IMHO T-A and Basque Country are the best one-week stage races. The others are either preparation races, or have unbalanced parcours or don't attract good riders

 

[Parrulo]

Right now, IMHO T-A and Basque Country are the best one-week stage races. The others are either preparation races, or have unbalanced parcours or don't attract good riders

i agree with this, both races have a strong identity with different parcours from the other races and good crowds.

 

[Roderick]

Historically TdS is the 4th biggest stage race

 

[Pentacycle]

Catalunya did have more big names this year, and better racing, than PN. If they don't go bankrupt they should be added to the top tier.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice, Dauphiné, País Vasco and Tirreno-Adriatico, but it does shift around. At the moment the Dauphiné is decreasing a bit in prestige as it's being treated as more of a training session with UCI points than a race in its own right since ASO took over, although this year's parcours is a positive step against that. Tirreno is increasing in prestige, however, as a few years ago it was nothing more than a preparation race that could be won by a sprinter or was just won in the time trial, and has developed into a race with characteristics all its own now.

Dauphiné and Suisse are big races because they have the characteristics of Grand Tours in shorter races (big mountain passes, long time trials, transitional stages); Paris-Nice is the opening curtain for the stage racing calendar and has increased status due to that, a bit like Omloop for Classics season; Tirreno-Adriatico and País Vasco are very difficult and comparatively unique stage races with strong support which makes them into a big deal as well.

 

[Parrulo]

catalunya has been struggling for years now, historically they are on the top but all those organizational problems have packed a punch on it's current reputation, unfortunately ofc

I agree with CQ that those 5+ catalunya are on a similar importance level but to me is just feels like tirreno with it's mix of mountains and hills and short and super long stages , and pais vasco with no flat meter for a full week and insane orange crowds givens them a special feeling the other races don't have as they are pretty much semi- grand tours

 

[happytramp]

Thought I'd do a bit of research into how old/young some of these were.

Volta Catalunya - 1911
Basque country - 1924
Tour of Poland - 1928
Paris-Nice - 1933
Tour de Suisse - 1933
Criterium du Dauphine - 1947
Tour de Romandie - 1947
Tirreno-Adriatico - 1966

Have to say I'm at bit surprised that Catalunya is so much older than the Vuelta.

 

[Echoes]

Historically speaking Paris-Nice is the 3rd major stage race after Bore and Giro.

Go palmares, kids.

 

[Swarley]

Best one-week stage race in the World Tour

Ok, I know that some of these races are 8 or 9 days long, but you get the idea. Also, do not start asking why the Tour of Beijing isn't on the list

 

[Netserk]

There's been a similar thread only few weeks ago.

 

[Swarley]

There's been a similar thread only few weeks ago.

Sorry, I'm new and I didn't knew that. Feel free to delete it if you want.

 

[Netserk]

Here's the link to the other thread (created less than two weeks ago):
http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=20336

EDIT: I merged the two threads, so that the original thread has the new thread's poll.

 

[Swarley]

Here's the link to the other thread (created less than two weeks ago):
http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=20336

As I see it, there are some diferences: here there is a poll, the questions refers to the World Tour races, and it's a thread where people can be subjective. In the other one, there was a more historical approach (and also based on statistics).

EDIT: ok, thanks!

 

[wwabbit]

How is this for an objective measure: The sum of the CQ/WT/PCS score of the top 10 GC riders

 

[Pippo_San]

Tour De Suisse is definitely my favourite, always good parcours, great scenery, very nice.

On the same note, Tirreno-Adriatico, which really is getting better every passing year. 2013 edition edition was pure awesomeness.

Also Pais Vasco is quite brilliant, even if it's very inconsistent.

The others are way less interesting for me, even if here and there you can find some brilliant racing, even at the Tour of Poland.

I've never ever bothered about Down Under, Catalunya and Eneco. Couldn't care less about those 3.

 

[Jancouver]

This

Tour de Suisse
Paris-Nice
Tirreno-Adriatico
Criterium du Dauphine
Volta a Catalunya
Tour de Romandie
Vuelta al Pais Vasco
Tour de Pologne
Tour Down Under
Eneco Tour

 

[42x16ss]

As said earlier, Paris-Nice is historically the most prestigious and is usually a good indicator of how the big names focused on the Tour are riding. Suisse, Romandie and the Dauphine would come after that.

Tirreno is really only gaining prestige in the last few years, lets not forget that Oscar Freire won GC there a few years ago.

Lol @ TDU

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Right now, IMHO T-A and Basque Country are the best one-week stage races. The others are either preparation races, or have unbalanced parcours or don't attract good riders

Hard to disagree with this. Often the best racing of the season happens in these two races IMO.

 

[Netserk]

Right now, IMHO T-A and Basque Country are the best one-week stage races. The others are either preparation races, or have unbalanced parcours or don't attract good riders

T-A and VaPV are also preparation races. All stage races except GTs are preparation races. Many riders use Pais Vasco as preparation for the Ardennes. T-A is great for classic riders to prepare for MSR and other upcoming classics.

 

[ingsve]

Also, do not start asking why the Tour of Beijing isn't on the list

Of couse Tour of Beijing isn't on the list since the question was about which was the biggest other than the GTs. Same reason why Tour of California isn't on the list.

 

[Netserk]

Of couse Tour of Beijing isn't on the list since the question was about which was the biggest other than the GTs. Same reason why Tour of California isn't on the list.

But Pologne is

 

[Cimber]

I voted TA (considered PN). Regarding TDS and Dauphine I dont consider them quite as big, simply because they are mainly preperation races for the Tour. TA and PN arent really prep races (though some cobble riders use them as prep for classics) and hence I give them higher value.

 

[wwabbit]

I had some time on hand so I compiled a list of all the top 5 GC riders (from WT teams) for each 2012 World Tour stage race, and added up the 2012 World Tour points total scored by each of these riders for each of the stage race. The idea is to test the hypothesis that important stage races are attended by better riders, and better riders score more WT points.

So here are the results:

Criterium du Dauphine = 1590
Vuelta al Pais Vasco = 1573
Tour de Romandie = 1342
Paris - Nice = 1338
Volta a Catalunya = 1147
Tour down Under = 1116
Tirreno - Adriatico = 922
Tour of Beijing = 837
Eneco Tour = 767
Tour de Suisse = 716
Tour de Pologne = 638