Which would you rather do?

donrhummy

Which? (see poll above)

afx237vi

I presume Denis Menchov gets paid a lot more than people like Arvesen or Dumoulin... so the Vuelta for me.

RichN95.

As the saying goes "Stages for show, GTs for dough... and the Olympics for the British public who don't understand cycling".

Or something like that.

takethehighroad

But it's the prestige of having competed for your country, and being able to live on the fact that you're Olympic champion for the next four years.

Jez mon

If it's the gold medal at the Road Race. I'll take that...i've always fancied some gold shoes/helmet

knedlicky

I voted with some hesitation for the TdF victory, because it would be registered more in the annals, especially if a mountain stage - today's would have done suited me fine, in all respects, both profile and the better riders having other concerns.

But part of me wanted to vote for "Two Giro stage wins" - the celebrations there are more lively, and every day the stage winner and each jersey gets the chance to spray a large bottle of Prosecco around, the podium girls appearing to gladly be at the receiving end. Often the spectators go home wth a treasured stain on their clothing too.

By contrast, this last Sunday, after his GP victory, racing car driver Lewis Hamilton could only spray some fat man (his manager?), there being no podium girls and the spectators too far away for security reasons.

Tom Butcher

Overall at Vuelta by some distance over,
Olympic RR by some distance over,
2 Stages Giro/Tdf about level

donrhummy

I would much rather win two at the giro than any of the other choices. The TDF is incredible but I LOVE the mountains, and nothing has 'em like the Giro. Plus the fans are amazing there on mountain-top finishes -- it would be incredible. But the TDF stage win would be second and then the Vuelta. The Olympics are close to useless for cycling. A gold in swimming or another sport which pretty much only exists in the olympics would be huge but for cycling, it's an after-thought.

I think 20 years ago, the Vuelta would have meant more and been more exciting. Today, the race organizers have done just about everything they can to make it boring and damn near uninspiring. But with ASO's help, maybe it'll become a better GT soon.

Cyrenne

can I just win Tour Of Flanders instead?

donrhummy

Sanchez made his vote:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... aug29news2

Spaniard Samuel Sánchez ranks his Olympic gold medal above any other win – including a theoretical Tour de France win. "Being Olympic champion in a speciality like cycling, with enormous social and worldwide recognition, is bigger than a win of the Giro or the Tour," said the 30 year-old, according to Diario Vasco.

Regardless of personal preferences, I think we can safely say that monetarily, a win in the Giro or TDF is worth much more than a victory in the Olympic RR.

timoid.

Vuelta win = set up for career
Olympic RR = decent contract/transfer
Others = pay rise

ms_tree

Totally hypothetical of course but it would have to be the Giro - my favourite race - and one would have to be over the Mortirola and the other into Cesenatico because I am, and always will be, a Pantani fan.