Giro d'Italia Worst Giro d'Italia edition in the 21st century?

[Krzysztof_O]

Had Primoz lost due to a mechanical this would've been the worst. Fortunately, something else happened.

 

[Gigs_98]

It's really funny that the 3 most recent horrible editions of the Giro all had an incredibly dramatic stage 20. I guess that's why the organizers are making the routes they make, and I suppose it's not a complete coincidence as small gaps make these kind of finishes more likely. Still kinda funny.

 

[Netserk]

Still worse than last year and all other editions of the century.

 

[Skalman]

2022 was worse than this year but only just. This year at least had the emergence of Gee and Healy , but overall the GC battle was almost non existent and the Giro as a whole the last 2 years has been absolutely dreadful and is by far the worst of the tours

 

[Forever The Best]

Didn't watch but looks like it was an awful edition.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

this was definitely the worst giro by far

literally 0.0 GC action before the final kilometers of any climb in the entire Giro. The MTT was dramatic as only plus point. And only thank a pothole for that otherwise Roglic would've probably been clear 10 minutes earlier in the broadcast

 

[Monte Serra]

All's well that ends well.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

Interesting end to horrible race. Didn't see today's stage. Found out about results just now. Don't watch TT's and never will.
At least the 2022 had one stage worth watching for more than 3km. I challenge RCS to make an even horribler route next year. I think they can do it.

 

[Pippo_San]

Giro 1999
Can't be beaten.

RIP Marco ❤️

(21st century it's 2012 Giro for sure)

 

[Cookster15]

The results of these polls are largely determined on the day the routes are revealed. I don’t blame the riders or teams.

Surely this proves that heavily backended routes discourage attacking by GC contenders?

Having said this, I am at peace with todays result. The final podium perfectly reflects who were the strongest riders this Giro.

 

[Izzyeviel]

I've been watching grand tours for 30 years. This is by far the worst one i've watched.

No battle for GC, or the KOM. Or the points. We've got several guys who weren't going for GC in the top ten, more in the top 20, weather blighted stages (& not in a good way), and the time trials have been the most interesting thing. Someone should get sacked.

But the teams have my ire the most. Its like they decided with Remco being here they're just gonna race for second... which is fine, but when he departed the race they all kept that same mindset. It's only Ineos (of all people) who gave us any entertainment.

 

[Red Rick]

It's really funny that the 3 most recent horrible editions of the Giro all had an incredibly dramatic stage 20. I guess that's why the organizers are making the routes they make, and I suppose it's not a complete coincidence as small gaps make these kind of finishes more likely. Still kinda funny.

Are we consdiering 2020 horrible here?

 

[Izzyeviel]

& we had to put up with three time trials with this sort of putrid mess (the helmets. not Ben)

 

[Escarabajo]

Making the poll while the 2023 Giro is happening is wrong. Of course the majority will pick the 2023 because they are upset now.

Having said that the Giro will have to evolve. At least a little. Start by not backloading the mountain stages. There are other potential changes of course, but they need to evolve with the current racing.

 

[Netserk]

Are we consdiering 2020 horrible here?

2023, 2022, 2012.

 

[staubsauger]

Are we consdiering 2020 horrible here?

I don't get where that comes from.

It's nonsense just like it's nonsense when Bernie Eisel calls the 2022 Giro d'Italia exciting!

 

[Izzyeviel]

I think 2022 was better than we originally thought.

We had the narrative wrong. The narrative we told ourselves was that Carapaz was biding his time until the final mountain stage & that Hindley & Landa were struggling to keep it close. Had the narrative been Carapaz was struggling & that the three were all equal to each other, we'd have enjoyed it more.

 

[Elos Anjos]

Stupid thread is stupid and making it before stage 20 speaks volumes about (some) forum's users sense of entitlement.

Congratulations, you're king of your cave.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Gee is acutally the stand out guy of the Giro and he didn't even win anything. Thomas almost won it and he attacked once. Roglich will win it and would it not be for the TT drama, in utterly, utterly, utterly unspectacular fashion. Even though I cannot claim to have exact memories of all the Giros I've watched, or Grand Tours, I don't think I've seen one that I enjoyed less than this years edition.

This still holds true with all the drama today, it has, as an overall experience, just been a *** Giro.

 

[Netserk]

Stupid thread is stupid and making it before stage 20 speaks volumes about (some) forum's users sense of entitlement.

Congratulations, you're king of your cave.

It's still right after this stage, and will be so too after tomorrow. What then, big boy?

 

[Elos Anjos]

It's still right after this stage, and will be so too after tomorrow. What then, big boy?

No one cares and that's the point. Today's stage delivered and that suffices for the average fan that is not polishing his ego about how he watched all the Giros since 1910.

 

[Andy262]

Well I picked Roglič at the start but didn’t expect the circumstances of his win to be quite the steaming pile of poo that has been served up to us over the last three weeks.

Gee and Pinot the only rays of light in a mass of gloom.

 

[OlavEH]

No one cares and that's the point. Today's stage delivered and that suffices for the average fan that is not polishing his ego about how he watched all the Giros since 1910.

If you are an average fan that has watched Giro for many years, and don't have the memory of a person with dementia, you really should consider this year as one of the worst versions in modern times.

 

[Elos Anjos]

The "entertainment" potential of any GT is unpredictable. That is why designing a great route on paper sometimes does not deliver because along the way riders get hill, crash, or whatever is left is too close.

All the thread hinges on the fallac of 1) determinism (who is to blame for this year's Giro poor entertainment quality) and last but not least 2) the vanity of the couch rider that "knows better" (in hindsight of course).

 

[OlavEH]

I'm not sure it will happen, but really hope that RCS changes the mentality for next year. The last versions have been from mediocre to outright shite, and while especially this version has been a perfect storm of events causing the lack of offensive riding, RCS really shares an important part of the responsibility by crappy route design. The really big climbs are now only MTFs or come early on the stage and not the focal point by being the pentultimate climb or followed by a descent finish. Next year the following aspects should really be considered for the design.

First week should really have a MTF of a certain difficulty (Passo Lanciano/Blockhaus, one of the big Marche climbs, Terminillio, Prati di Tivo etc). Montevergine and Gran Sasso doesn't suffice. The first week should also have a big medium mountain stage with incentive to attack from further out than 3 or 5 kms.

The second week should contain a big mountain stage with either a really big MTF (like the steeper side of Monte Grappa or the whole way to Colle Nivolet), or a profile creating incentive to attack from further out.

And the last week should hardly have any big MTFs at all. Only stages where big climbs like Mortirolo, Finestre, Stelvio, Gavia, Fedaia are the focal point of the stage, but not as a MTF. Big medium mountain stages could also be really good with a proper route design.

And the last ITT should really come at latest on stage 15 or 16, not any later.