Giro popularity

Unknown · June 2007

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... /jun04news

Quite good TV numbers - And it looks like the scandals haven't hurt it much.

Or is that just Italians for you?

Feedingstationvolunteer · June 2007

give it a couple of years from now and it will bigger than TDF.

vermootencp · June 2007

I suppose doping scandals don't necessarily lead to reduced popularity of cycling. It's not a law of nature. Having said that I am part Italian...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I'll do what I can to help y'all. But the game's out there, and it's play or get played. That simple."

cougie · June 2007

I'm kinda thinking the Giro is a more exciting race to watch than the Tour of late. Must go and check out some of those climbs one year...

ricadus · June 2007

Eurosport no doubt boosted RAI's website viewers as well thanks to their own erratic scheduling.

londonphoenix.co.uk

giant_man · June 2007

Wonderful event and this year was no exception - stage 17 alone was amazing!

SIZE IS EVERYTHING! or at least that's what my LBS tells me.

WooHoo · June 2007

Best GT this century by far.
I agree that the Giro won't be long in becoming bigger than the TDF.

ContrelaMontre · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by WooHoo

Best GT this century by far.
I agree that the Giro won't be long in becoming bigger than the TDF.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I disagree.

O'Cunego's victory in 04 was a better race overall I felt.

And for best stage I'd be tempted to say the 05 one over the Finestre.

Feel free to agree, disagree, or debate with me...

Herd of gnus?
No! What's the news?

Pink Bananarama!!
ContrelaMontre 310
Noodley 237

mangaman · June 2007

The 2003 tour de france was pretty exciting - I agree Cunego's one was more interesting than this year's Giro

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Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ContrelaMontre

I disagree.

O'Cunego's victory in 04 was a better race overall I felt.

And for best stage I'd be tempted to say the 05 one over the Finestre.

Feel free to agree, disagree, or debate with me...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Do you not think that the 05 race, with the cliffhanger finish over the Finistre, was a better race than the 04 one? The overall victory was in the balance until the end of the penultimate stage whereas in 04 once Cunego took the lead he never looked like he would relinquish it.

ContrelaMontre · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by mangaman

The 2003 tour de france was pretty exciting - I agree Cunego's one was more interesting than this year's Giro

|||||
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

TdF '03 was a very good race, but I hated what happened on stage 9.[:(]

Beloki was looking awesome up to the descent into Gap, and that crash just left a huge "what if" for me. It was a horrible way for one of the main rivals for the GC to be eliminated.

I guess that's all part of the drama and excitement in a way though - not in a nice way!

Herd of gnus?
No! What's the news?

Pink Bananarama!!
ContrelaMontre 310
Noodley 237

K Blackwell · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by andyp

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ContrelaMontre

I disagree.
O'Cunego's victory in 04 was a better race overall I felt.
And for best stage I'd be tempted to say the 05 one over the Finestre.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Do you not think that the 05 race, with the cliffhanger finish over the Finistre, was a better race than the 04 one? The overall victory was in the balance until the end of the penultimate stage whereas in 04 once Cunego took the lead he never looked like he would relinquish it.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I can understand the excitement with the 04 race. This was mainly due to the fact that Cunego had to beat the rest of the field plus his own team mate Simoni. There was the stage where Simoni called Cunego an ignorant b@stard. Then there was the last lumpy stage where Simoni got in a break and looked as though he may steal it.

ContrelaMontre · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by andyp

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ContrelaMontre

I disagree.

O'Cunego's victory in 04 was a better race overall I felt.

And for best stage I'd be tempted to say the 05 one over the Finestre.

Feel free to agree, disagree, or debate with me...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Do you not think that the 05 race, with the cliffhanger finish over the Finistre, was a better race than the 04 one? The overall victory was in the balance until the end of the penultimate stage whereas in 04 once Cunego took the lead he never looked like he would relinquish it.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Good points, but I just preferred 04. It's a very subjective thing I guess.

Herd of gnus?
No! What's the news?

Pink Bananarama!!
ContrelaMontre 310
Noodley 237

mousecp · June 2007

I quite agree.
The Giro is one of my fave races after the classics.
The Tour is a little further down the list. Perhaps its all the hype with the Tour that sometimes dissapoints when the racing isnt exciting.
I like all the attacking in the Giro.
[8D][8D]

fuzzy29 · June 2007

Whilst I have been watching the TdF since 1989, I've only been watching the Giro since 2004 (no Sky before then[V]). Despite the dominance of the Italians, it is the better race to watch. Indurain then Armstrong made the Tour a bit boring, and as for last year. With the Giro, there are different winners, amazing stages and proper racing. I also believe that the Giro could well become the biggest race within a few years.

<hr noshade size="1">If I had a baby elephant, I'd ask Banksy to paint it....

sing_for_absolution · June 2007

Italian geography definitely benefits the Giro a lot. Mountain ranges and hilly areas seem to be dotted all over the country and so ensures an interesting stage or two along with the token flat and mountain stages.

tea is good

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by sing_for_absolution

Italian geography definitely benefits the Giro a lot. Mountain ranges and hilly areas seem to be dotted all over the country and so ensures an interesting stage or two along with the token flat and mountain stages.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Indeed - they can pretty much conjure up a mountain stage anywhere in the country.

However, France has more mountain ranges than the Alps and the Pyrenees but Jean Marie Leblanc seemed obsessed with having the same format for the Tour year after year after year, i.e. prologue, a week of flat stages with a team time trial if we were unfortunate, then a long flat time trial, 2 or 3 stages in the first mountain range, a few transition stages, 2 or 3 stages in the second mountain range, another long flat time trial then the Champs Elysee stage. Yawn.

Let's hope that next year's Tour, the first to be organised by Prudhomme alone, is a little more imaginative.

granfondo5terre · June 2007

are where ciclyng tipe Pantani?Amstromg?Indurain? where aren t..... DANILO DI LUCA is a medium ciclyst......

www.granfondo5terre.com

info@granfondo5terre.com

steephill · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by andyp

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by sing_for_absolution

Italian geography definitely benefits the Giro a lot. Mountain ranges and hilly areas seem to be dotted all over the country and so ensures an interesting stage or two along with the token flat and mountain stages.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Indeed - they can pretty much conjure up a mountain stage anywhere in the country.

However, France has more mountain ranges than the Alps and the Pyrenees but Jean Marie Leblanc seemed obsessed with having the same format for the Tour year after year after year, i.e. prologue, a week of flat stages with a team time trial if we were unfortunate, then a long flat time trial, 2 or 3 stages in the first mountain range, a few transition stages, 2 or 3 stages in the second mountain range, another long flat time trial then the Champs Elysee stage. Yawn.

Let's hope that next year's Tour, the first to be organised by Prudhomme alone, is a little more imaginative.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

+1

Some of the none mountain stages could have easily been reclassified. For example, stage 17, won by Iban Mayo, had two categorized climbs and one of them was rated a cat 1 yet it wasn't a mountain stage. Has Iban Mayo ever won a non moutain stage before?

The interesting display of team tactics and the number of successful breaks reflects positively on the good route selection.

www.steephill.tv bike travelogue

Keith Oates · June 2007

I thoroughly enjoyed this years Giro but it's the lastest stage race that we've seen so is still fresh in our minds, maybe after the end of this years TdF we will adjust our thinking on which race is the best!!!!!!!!!!!

Ride Daily, Keep Healthy

Unknown · June 2007

It was a good to Giro to watch. Fingers crossed that the lead up to the TDF is smooth. I think Cunego should reconsider the TDF as he looks to be coming into form. I wsih the TDf would experiment with different formats too though-e.g Giro went to Mount Etna in 1989, around stage 2..something early to gives signs of form, then a lumpy stage, followed by flat stage, maybe only 1 day in the Alps as a concession. Just something to break with the routine of many years

________Our behaviour is a function of our experience.

hevipedal · June 2007

[quote
TdF '03 was a very good race, but I hated what happened on stage 9.[:(]

Beloki was looking awesome up to the descent into Gap, and that crash just left a huge "what if" for me. It was a horrible way for one of the main rivals for the GC to be eliminated.

I guess that's all part of the drama and excitement in a way though - not in a nice way!

Herd of gnus?
No! What's the news?

Pink Bananarama!!
ContrelaMontre 310
Noodley 237
[/quote]

I agree, but it doesn't change it being a great race and although that was a terible crash and did leave a what if? ( and I think even Lance would agree there) that was also one of the most amazing recoveries ever when LA went straight across that field...

 Hevipedal 
Phrase of the week - I've got a bike. You can ride it if you like.
It's got a basket, a bell that rings and
Things to make it look good.
I'd give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it.
 
51yrs old and Proud of it - Made it to 87kg 2 more to go for the target.
Pedal to Paris Sept 2007

mousecp · June 2007

Hevipedal your right with what if. What if there had been a wall or a big ditch and Lance couldnt cut the corner? What if there had been a barrier and a 1000 ft drop on that corner?
You also need luck to win a three week race.

[:D][:D]

Giro popularity

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