Which was the hardest stage ever in a GT?

[Eshnar]

I mean, on paper. I don't care if it was exciting or boring, or how the stage was actually raced. I just want to know, in your opinion, which was the hardest to complete for a rider. I have memory only for last 20 years, and I'm sure there were tougher stages many years before.
It would be interesting to create a top 10, or maybe a top 3 for each GT.

As far as I remember, one of the candidates for the last 20 years could be Merano-Aprica 1994, with Stelvio, Mortirolo, St.Cristina and Aprica.

What do you think?

 

[ingsve]

I mean, on paper. I don't care if it was exciting or boring, or how the stage was actually raced. I just want to know, in your opinion, which was the hardest to complete for a rider. I have memory only for last 20 years, and I'm sure there were tougher stages many years before.
It would be interesting to create a top 10, or maybe a top 3 for each GT.

As far as I remember, one of the candidates for the last 20 years could be Merano-Aprica 1994, with Stelvio, Mortirolo, St.Cristina and Aprica.

What do you think?

Probably some 400km stage from 80-100 years ago with some mountains.

 

[Eshnar]

Probably some 400km stage from 80-100 years ago with some mountains.

definitely... do you have any profiles of those times?

However, maybe it's better to put some conditions. Let's say... the hardest stage in the last 30 years

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

pfff, too many to list. there have been 300k mountian stages until late 90s every tour de france so.

 

[Fus087]

A 1949 Giro stage comes to mind: Cuneo - Pinerolo, where Coppi sealed his overall win.
254 km including the following climbs: Colle della Maddalena, Colle del Vars, Col Izoard, Col du Montgenèvre, Sestriere.

I know, that's more than 30 years ago, but it's still awesome.

 

[Eshnar]

pfff, too many to list. there have been 300k mountian stages until late 90s every tour de france so.

and the hardest N stages were...?
I didn't ask if in the past stages were harder, I already know that

 

[Eshnar]

A 1949 Giro stage comes to mind: Cuneo - Pinerolo, where Coppi sealed his overall win.
254 km including the following climbs: Colle della Maddalena, Colle del Vars, Col Izoard, Col du Montgenèvre, Sestriere.

I know, that's more than 30 years ago, but it's still awesome.

I knew that stage (pretty famous), but 254 km aren't SO many, and the climbs were not that difficult, I'm sure there have been far harder stages.

 

[Ferminal]

Stages 14 and 15 from this year's Giro are probably the hardest "on paper" in a decade or so.

 

[icefire]

TDF 1992 stage 13th: St Gervais - Sestriere, 254 km climbing Saisies, Roselend, Iseran, Mont-Cenis and Sestriere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orMnutFbptQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqoH6R-99N0

 

[rghysens]

The classic Bayonne-Luchon stage from the 1910's and 1920's? 326km on gravel roads with the Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde.

 

[xmoonx]

The Toumalet Challenge

This was supposedly an epic ride. Not sure if it's what you wanted but its a cool video.
http://www.rapha.cc/1910-challenge-movie

 

[ultimobici]

Hardest on paper or in reality?

If we are looking at the actual race then the 1988 stage of the Giro that went over the Gavia has to be at the head of the list.

Roberto Visentini, who in 86 had won the Giro despite a fractured wrist, was reduced to tears at the summit. Johan Van De Velde who led over the Gavia lost 45 minutes in 8km because his hands were too cold to brake forcing him to walk. Bob Roll named the chapter about it in his book "The Day The Big Men Cried".

 

[Eshnar]

Hardest on paper or in reality?

If we are looking at the actual race then the 1988 stage of the Giro that went over the Gavia has to be at the head of the list.

Roberto Visentini, who in 86 had won the Giro despite a fractured wrist, was reduced to tears at the summit. Johan Van De Velde who led over the Gavia lost 45 minutes in 8km because his hands were too cold to brake forcing him to walk. Bob Roll named the chapter about it in his book "The Day The Big Men Cried".

on paper
in terms of "real difficulty", I would suggest the stage to the top of Monte Bondone 1956, won by Charlie Gaul. Weather condition very similar to Gavia '88

 

[The Hitch]

As far as I remember, one of the candidates for the last 20 years could be Merano-Aprica 1994, with Stelvio, Mortirolo, St.Cristina and Aprica.

That sounds absolutely epic.

 

[Eshnar]

That sounds absolutely epic.

Indeed. And an epic race as well.
That was the very stage in which Pantani became a legend.

 

[The Hitch]

Indeed. And an epic race as well.
That was the very stage in which Pantani became a legend.

I mean, to expand on this, people have fantasized about a stage that includes Alpe and Ventoux. But here we have Stelvio and Mortirolo which are harder than both those climbs. Then theres the descents of these climbs as well (they dont descend ventoux or Alpe in the Tour)

Out of this world.

And sounds like an out of this world stage and result as well.

Well when you put together a stage like that, what do you expect.

 

[Eshnar]

I mean, to expand on this, people have fantasized about a stage that includes Alpe and Ventoux. But here we have Stelvio and Mortirolo which are harder than both those climbs. Then theres the descents of these climbs as well (they dont descend ventoux or Alpe in the Tour)

Out of this world.

And sounds like an out of this world stage and result as well.

Well when you put together a stage like that, what do you expect.

another awesome stage I didn't remember (found it now) is Cavalese - Aprica 1996, over Mendola, Tonale, Gavia, Mortirolo and finally Aprica. 250 Kms

Stage 15 of this year Giro looks like a rest day, compared to those stages

 

[ultimobici]

I mean, to expand on this, people have fantasized about a stage that includes Alpe and Ventoux. But here we have Stelvio and Mortirolo which are harder than both those climbs. Then theres the descents of these climbs as well (they dont descend ventoux or Alpe in the Tour)

Out of this world.

And sounds like an out of this world stage and result as well.

Well when you put together a stage like that, what do you expect.

Italy will always trump France for epic stages due to the concentration of the climbsin the Dolomites. You don't find many valley roads between the major climbs so it's up and down all day long much more than the Tour can manage. When that is combined with the weather that comes with the earlier date in the season you end up with epic conditions.

The Tour may have set the bar early on but the Giro has for years trumped them on the course & conditions.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Stages 14 and 15 from this year's Giro are probably the hardest "on paper" in a decade or so.

14: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-his/stage-14

15: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-his/stage-15

 

[Ferminal]

15: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-ditalia-his/stage-15

Last time we had Giau and Fedaia was another brutal stage. Stage 15 2008, Sella the winner of course.

1. [ITA] SELLA Emanuele CSF 4h53'24" 70
2. [ITA] POZZOVIVO Domenico CSF 02'05" 40
3. [ITA] RICCO Riccardo SDV 02'11" 25
4. [ITA] DI LUCA Danilo LPR 02'20" 15
5. [ITA] SIMONI Gilberto SDA 02'27" 10
6. [ESP] CONTADOR VELASCO Alberto AST 02'27" 7
7. [RUS] MENCHOV Denis RAB 02'34" 5
8. [BEL] VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen SIL 03'18" 3
9. [ITA] BRUSEGHIN Marzio LAM 03'22" 2
10. [SLO] VALJAVEC Tadej ALM 03'27" 1
11. [ITA] PELLIZOTTI Franco LIQ 03'27" 0
12. [ITA] BALIANI Fortunato CSF 03'49" 0
13. [ESP] RODRIGUEZ OLIVER Joaquin GCE 05'07" 0
14. [ITA] NIBALI Vincenzo LIQ 05'10" 0
15. [KAZ] IGLINSKIY Maxim AST 05'55" 0
16. [BEL] DE GREEF Francis SIL 06'13" 0
17. [COL] CARDENAS RAVALO Felix Rafael BAR 06'52" 0
18. [GER] VOIGT Jens CSC 07'26" 0
19. [POL] SZMYD Sylwester LAM 07'27" 0
20. [GER] KLÖDEN Andreas AST 07'47" 0

Longer + more climbing this year.

 

[beer_thirty]

TDF 1992 stage 13th: St Gervais - Sestriere, 254 km climbing Saisies, Roselend, Iseran, Mont-Cenis and Sestriere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orMnutFbptQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqoH6R-99N0

My favorite ever stage of all time. I have it taped on an old fashioned VCR tape and have just about worn it out from watching it so many times. The shots of Claudio winding his way through the insane tifosi are just epic; 7 hours of racing and at the end everyone was wasted. And then the very next day Andy Hampsten wins Alpe d'Huez. Also the Tour Fignon won his last ever stage, Indurain vs Luc LeBlanc on an epic battle to Huatacam, Delgado vs Roche vs Rolf Jaerman on awesome stage 12, Pascal Lino in yellow for 10 days; one of the best ever Tours.

 

[rghysens]

My favorite ever stage of all time. I have it taped on an old fashioned VCR tape and have just about worn it out from watching it so many times. The shots of Claudio winding his way through the insane tifosi are just epic; 7 hours of racing and at the end everyone was wasted. And then the very next day Andy Hampsten wins Alpe d'Huez. Also the Tour Fignon won his last ever stage, Indurain vs Luc LeBlanc on an epic battle to Huatacam, Delgado vs Roche vs Rolf Jaerman on awesome stage 12, Pascal Lino in yellow for 10 days; one of the best ever Tours.

7 hours? Wussies!!

"Just one stage was sufficient for Buysse to win the race. At midnight in Bayonne seventy-six riders set out to conquer the "circle of death": Osquich, Aubisque, Soulor, Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde. At nearly quarter past five the following afternoon, Lucien Buysse struggled into Luchon, wet and bedraggled after a horrendous ride through snow, rain and fog. The minutes ticked by. More than seventeen hours in the saddle! By way of contrast, Philippe Thys won the same stage in 1913 in less than fourteen. Back to 1926: at nearly twenty to six, Bartolomeo Aymo arrived. Four more minutes passed, then Léon Devos struggled in. The minutes ticked on by. An hour after Buysse had finished, only ten riders had appeared. Did the organisers begin to panic? To do so was not in Desgrange's character, but cars were sent out to look for the survivors. By midnight, just 54 riders had made it to Luchon. Twenty-two others sat scattered over two hundred miles of Pyreneen road, shivering in houses and bars. They were gathered up and bought back to Luchon, safe, but out of the race. The race, meanwhile, was dead."

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/veloarchive/races/tour/1926.htm

 

[Skip Madness]

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[Eshnar]

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Thanks!
I knew that site, but I never found that page

 

[gregrowlerson]

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Pure pornography indeed.