Why no mountain classics?

[rgmerk]

On the calendar, there are flat classics, cobbled classics, hilly classics. Grand Tours and one day races feature flat, hilly, mountainous, and the occasional cobbled or dirt stage.

So why aren't there any mountain one-day races of note? I know we've got San Sebastian and Lombardy, which get close, but a race with a long climb or two would have a chance of dropping the puncheurs like Gilbert if they're not on absolutely top form. Nothing against Gilbert - he's great to watch - but variety is the spice of life.

Obviously, they can't happen in the spring because of the weather, nor in July because of the Tour. But surely there would be room somewhere in the calendar for one, and surely there must be somewhere in Europe where you could conveniently stage such a race (to wit, near a decent-size city with climbs).

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Subida a Urkiola, Basque country Spain, climbs Puerto de Urkiola (6,1km, 9,2%) twice.

 

[Duartista]

There used to be Classique des Alpes, on the Saturday before the Dauphine 1991-2003, and the Clasico a los Puertos near Madrid ran from 1920-2008. Apparently the former stopped because it was not supported by the teams. Not sure about the latter, but a lot of Spanish races have been killed off by a mixture of the Protour and economic problems.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Subida al Naranco, former Asturian one-day precursor to the Vuelta a Asturias. Not exactly super strenuous mountains, but with the final climb being 5,5km @ 6,5%, more than your usual hilly classic fare.

 

[Havetts]

Subida a Urkiola, Basque country Spain, climbs Puerto de Urkiola (6,1km, 9,2&#37]
When is it held Libertine, I assume between May and July? And what kind of status does it have, 2.2? I assume also that there are alot of local (basque) teams riding and not alot of World Tour teams, besides Euskaltel?

 

[Duartista]

Urkiola used to be held the day after San Sebastian, but it was suspended last year for economic reasons.

 

[Anonymous]

because a lot of teams would struggle to put out nine climbers.

Youd effectively be putting out teams of 1 with 8 riders just going along for the ride.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

When is it held Libertine, I assume between May and July? And what kind of status does it have, 2.2? I assume also that there are alot of local (basque) teams riding and not alot of World Tour teams, besides Euskaltel?

Early August, and it was 1.1 rated (2.2 suggests a stage race).

2009: 1 Igor Antón (EUS) 2 Xavier Tondó (ACA) 3 Freddy Montaña (BOY)
2008: 1 David Arroyo (GCE) 2 Juan José Cobo (SDV) 3 Sérgio Pardilla (VMC)
2007: 1 José Ángel Gómez Marchante (SDV) 2 David López García (GCE) 3 Juan José Cobo (SDV)

 

[Havetts]

because a lot of teams would struggle to put out nine climbers.

Youd effectively be putting out teams of 1 with 8 riders just going along for the ride.

That seems fair enough. I can imagine (domestique / non pure climbing) riders not wanting to do alot of work for nothing, unless the mountains classic would be of really high prestige.

 

[Havetts]

Early August, and it was 1.1 rated (2.2 suggests a stage race).

Ah I see, thanks. My bad, I thought 1's were the stage races and 2's were the classics.

2009: 1 Igor Antón (EUS) 2 Xavier Tondó (ACA) 3 Freddy Montaña (BOY)
2008: 1 David Arroyo (GCE) 2 Juan José Cobo (SDV) 3 Sérgio Pardilla (VMC)
2007: 1 José Ángel Gómez Marchante (SDV) 2 David López García (GCE) 3 Juan José Cobo (SDV)

So its mainly teams and riders from the Iberian Peninsula and Southern America? Or am I wrong due to just seeing the top-3 result ?

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Do La Marmotte for pro's!

 

[benpounder]

So why aren't there any mountain one-day races of note?

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.

BTW, 56 year old Ned Overend won it this year, a race he has won 5 times, the first in 1983.

 

[hrotha]

So its mainly teams and riders from the Iberian Peninsula and Southern America? Or am I wrong due to just seeing the top-3 result ?

Before the introduction of the Pro Tour, many foreign teams did both San Sebastián and Urkiola. Take a look at the palmares and you'll see pretty big names from international cycling won it, but after 2005 it became an increasingly local matter.

 

[brianf7]

There are pleanty of mountain races climbers are well catered for but remember the sponsors and orginisers like to seee a big bunch finish its good for the crouds.

Get the bulldozer out ande level out some of the roads.

 

[rgmerk]

Sure, we have a couple of amateur ones...

We have the Baw Baw Classic (finishes with a 6.4 km climb at 12% average!) and the Stratford-Dargo (finishes with 12km at 8%, though that way understates just how brutal the climb is).

But the explanations posted in this thread (particularly about the domestiques) make sense in the context of the pros.

Still reckon there are some one-day parcours types that we don't have in the season which could potentially lead to interesting racing.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Stratford-Dargo (finishes with 12km at 8%, though that way understates just how brutal the climb is).

http://exmachinaracing.com/racing/stratford-dargo-kom-november-7-2010-victory/

 

[rgmerk]

http://exmachinaracing.com/racing/stratford-dargo-kom-november-7-2010-victory/

Yep, I was there. I'm the pudgy guy in the "SKCC" jersey in the last photo. Yes, I finished, even if I had to walk part of the last climb.

That race report does not exaggerate.

 

[Franklin]

On the calendar, there are flat classics, cobbled classics, hilly classics. Grand Tours and one day races feature flat, hilly, mountainous, and the occasional cobbled or dirt stage.

So why aren't there any mountain one-day races of note? I know we've got San Sebastian and Lombardy, which get close, but a race with a long climb or two would have a chance of dropping the puncheurs like Gilbert if they're not on absolutely top form. Nothing against Gilbert - he's great to watch - but variety is the spice of life.

Obviously, they can't happen in the spring because of the weather, nor in July because of the Tour. But surely there would be room somewhere in the calendar for one, and surely there must be somewhere in Europe where you could conveniently stage such a race (to wit, near a decent-size city with climbs).

There used to be the Classique des Alpes. It didn't really take off.

 

[Roninho]

because a lot of teams would struggle to put out nine climbers.

Youd effectively be putting out teams of 1 with 8 riders just going along for the ride.

And how would that be different for let's say LBL or the Gold race? In those races each team has 1 or 2 main riders who they hope can hang on till the final kilometers, and 1 or 2 riders that are used to get into an early attack. All others ride along to get some water, some have to set the pace but most will be finished long before the final.

The early attackers have like a 1% shot at winning and 90% of the domestiques are wasted when the final starts. That leaves 10 to 20 riders who have a shot at being there in the final. Which wouldn't be much different from a mountain classic.

 

[William H]

If you want to see the top climbers battling it out you can watch a stage race - a one day mountain race wouldn't really add all that much.

Whereas putting a hilly course as a one day race adds the intensity necessary to make a course which in a stage race would likely be a fairly tame into an exciting and tactical battle.

 

[Roninho]

There used to be the Classique des Alpes. It didn't really take off.

Which makes sense, there are so many races, simply because it is a mountain event isn't going to make it a commercial succes. The uci should have kept the coupe du monde and added 3 or 4 events including a mountain classic. That would have ensured top riders and a good commercial potential.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I guess the commercial side also is a large part of why there are no really high profile MTF classics. There are few towns, and therefore few revenue-generating possibilities, on mountain-tops. In tours, stages can cross-subsidise each other: by definition, there is no such opportunity in one day races.

 

[laurentiu46]

Although it wasn't a one-day classic,Trofeo dello Scalatore used to be one hell of a mountain stage race.

 

[Angliru]

If you want to see the top climbers battling it out you can watch a stage race - a one day mountain race wouldn't really add all that much.

Whereas putting a hilly course as a one day race adds the intensity necessary to make a course which in a stage race would likely be a fairly tame into an exciting and tactical battle.

How that makes a mountainous one day race different from a hilly one completely escapes me. Tactical battles can't take place in a mountainous one day race?

 

[roundabout]

Although it wasn't a one-day classic,Trofeo dello Scalatore used to be one hell of a mountain stage race.

I think it was decided on points so in a way it was both - a stage race and a bunch of 1-day classics.