Your favourite grand tour

[Charlyghoul]

What’s your favourite grand tour ?
For me it’s the giro, It’s often more exciting than the tour , and has a bigger history and prestige than the Vuelta.

I used to read often about the Coppi- v Bartali rivalry and how it divided Italy.
I still think this is the biggest Rivalry of cycling, and of course was a huge rivalry in the giro , even more than the tour.

When i was racing, not long after I started I remember watching the giro in 2005 that Savoldelli won, the finestre stage still probably the best gt stage I’ve watched.

In recent years Pogacar and Vingegaard have brought some excitement back to the tour, but even that doesn’t equal the excitement of the mountain tt between Roglic and Thomas.
They were both past prime but the close competition makes it so much more fun to watch.

I hope we can have some better editions of the giro soon and recreate those great stages.
What is your favourite tour and what memories stick out for you?

 

[Potomac]

TdF 2003

 

[Hugo Koblet]

The Tour. In cycling, there's really nothing that comes close to the Tour. I started watch during the Indurain era when I was 6-7 years old, and the memories of the battles between Indurain and Rominger, Zülle etc. will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[repre]

Vuelta. The first love and the chilliest race out there. TDF is overhyped, Giro is cool, but smth is missing.

 

[RedheadDane]

Right now, it's the Vuelta, but that's just because it's the next one coming.

 

[Rou]

Vuelta.

 

[CyclistAbi]

All are rather great and i feel that the difference in between them in terms of prestige and beyond are becoming less and less. If your favourite rider is riding it and due to modern cycling taking them all serisussly, one can enjoy and learn to love either of them.

 

[ingsve]

Still have to be the Tour regardless of how the racing shifts over time. Nothing beats following the Tour live during summer vacations rather than catching up on highlights or rewatching during the evening or at best being able to sneak a quick peak on the phone during work hours. It's just not the same as following all the action as it happens.

 

[RedheadDane]

Still have to be the Tour regardless of how the racing shifts over time. Nothing beats following the Tour live during summer vacations rather than catching up on highlights or rewatching during the evening or at best being able to sneak a quick peak on the phone during work hours. It's just not the same as following all the action as it happens.

When do you get off work? You aren't able to catch any of the racing after you get home?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Tour for prestige, Giro for the scenery and (usually) the route, Vuelta for unpredictability (but Vingegaard might undermine that this time)

 

[ingsve]

When do you get off work? You aren't able to catch any of the racing after you get home?

I normally work until sometime between 17-18:00. But getting home to catch the last 5km is not really the experience I'm looking for either.

 

[Sciatic]

This one? https://educated-traveller.com/2017/11/23/history-of-the-grand-tour/

 

[ashhutch1997]

For me the Giro, I remember watching the 2010 Giro as a kid and falling in love the race. In particular the Giro's of 2015, 16, 17 and 18 I look fondly on as at that time Team Sky were boring the life out of the TDF, and each year the Giro would provide us with unpredictable racing.
I also think Italy has the best climbs and scenery that the other GT's can't compete with. And of course, the passion.

 

[RedheadDane]

I normally work until sometime between 17-18:00.

Aww, that sucks.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

For me the Giro, I remember watching the 2010 Giro as a kid

dear but that makes me feel old... 2010 was about a fortnight ago, wasn't it?

 

[tobydawq]

dear but that makes me feel old... 2010 was about a fortnight ago, wasn't it?

A little more than 365 fortnights.

 

[Cookster15]

In the time I have followed cycling I would say the Giro was my favorite followed by the Tour. But in recent years I think the Tour has leapfrogged the Giro. I'd put that down to the Pogacar / Vingegaard rivalry. Last two years I think the Giro has been quite disappointing.

But I am still not all that enamored by heavily back-ended grand tours such as this year's TdF. It usually means the contenders race conservatively for the first two weeks which can encourage negative racing. Both the Vuelta and Giro seem to have a better record of having early MTFs or at least a big mountain in the first week.

One thing that can count against the Giro is unpredictable May weather and the possibility of shortened or canceled mountain stages. e.g. 2013 Giro.

Never get too excited by the Vuelta. Right or wrong I always considered the Vuelta a consolation grand tour for those riders who failed in the Tour.

 

[ashhutch1997]

dear but that makes me feel old... 2010 was about a fortnight ago, wasn't it?

Ok, I was 12, but yes it's mad how that was 15 years ago.

 

[RedheadDane]

dear but that makes me feel old... 2010 was about a fortnight ago, wasn't it?

Based on some of your posts around here, you are indeed old.

PLZDONBANME!