Best climbing battles/tours of previous grand tours?

Joe86

I haven't been a fan of the sport for much time, so I have only seen a few of the recent grand tours, and I'm hoping to buy some DVDs to catch up on the older tours. I have seen the three most recent TDF, but none of the Giro/Vuelta stages. I loved seeing Rasmussen and Contador battle it out in 2007, and I was wondering if there are any grand tours which were known for having great climbing contests and battles, or being comprised of mostly mountain stages? Probably won't be able to find much on tours pre 1997, so I guess I'm mainly looking at any of the three grand tours from the past 12 years or so.

Cheers

takethehighroad

The best GT I've ever seen (been watching since 97) was the Giro in 2005.

Nail biting right until the penultimate stage, a very good route, and four or five climbers at the top of their game.

Joe86

That was actually the one I was planning to get, I had read very good things elsewhere. I will add that one to the top of my list! I guess you can't go wrong when many are saying it is their favourite tour...

afx237vi

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

The best GT I've ever seen (been watching since 97) was the Giro in 2005.

Nail biting right until the penultimate stage, a very good route, and four or five climbers at the top of their game.

Exactly what I was going to say. Really was a classic race.

RichN95.

I remember Millar and Delgado having a good battle to Superbagneres in 1989

Hinault v LeMond on the way to the same finish in 1986 was good too, although they were never really side by side.

The classic one is probably Poulidor v Anquetil up Puy de Dome, but not many of us were even born back then (I certainly wasn't)

markwalker

afx237vi wrote:

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

The best GT I've ever seen (been watching since 97) was the Giro in 2005.

Nail biting right until the penultimate stage, a very good route, and four or five climbers at the top of their game.

Exactly what I was going to say. Really was a classic race.

+1
though one stage that stuck in my mind was the one in the tour where Ulrich sensed armstrong weakening there were a number of attacks Vino was there and poss zubeldia then Ulrich broke free and started time trialling away. Armstrong gained some time back but stil ended up down.

It might have been the stage but was certainley the tdf edition where sastre won in pre cervelo days still csc though.
I cant remember the bikes they had possibly De Rosa.

andyp

The 1989 Tour is a good one too - everyone remembers the final time trial but before that there was a high quality slugging match between Lemond and Fignon, with Delgado wading every now and again trying to regain the time he lost in the opening weekend.

micron

Wasn't the Hinault/Lemond finish where they went across side by side but Hinault was credited with the win (of course) Alpe d'Huez?

You'd have to include Delgado v Roche at la Plagne and Chiapucci v Indurain on the stage to Sestriere

disgruntledgoat

05 giro or 03 tour for me... both just excellent races start to finish

RichN95.

micron wrote:

Wasn't the Hinault/Lemond finish where they went across side by side but Hinault was credited with the win (of course) Alpe d'Huez?

Alpe d'Huez wasn't really a duel - they rode most of it like a couple of tourists

I was thinking of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrbVfsBSqdY

(Complete with terrible 80s electro music)

The Kennington Kaiser

markwalker wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

TakeTheHighRoad wrote:

The best GT I've ever seen (been watching since 97) was the Giro in 2005.

Nail biting right until the penultimate stage, a very good route, and four or five climbers at the top of their game.

Exactly what I was going to say. Really was a classic race.

+1
though one stage that stuck in my mind was the one in the tour where Ulrich sensed armstrong weakening there were a number of attacks Vino was there and poss zubeldia then Ulrich broke free and started time trialling away. Armstrong gained some time back but stil ended up down.

It might have been the stage but was certainley the tdf edition where sastre won in pre cervelo days still csc though.
I cant remember the bikes they had possibly De Rosa.

Mark - that was the 2003 tour stage to Ax 3 Domaines in the Pyrenees. Great stage that was won by Sastre (he did the celebration with his child's dummy) and really had Armstrong on the ropes. I'm pretty sure though that he was riding a cervelo then as CSC had started using the bikes earlier that year. It's a beast of a climb up to the ski station as I recall from being up there a couple of years back.

paulcuthbert

2003 Tour was a good one to watch- lots of attacking climbing on nearly all the mountain stages

moray_gub

Joe86 wrote:

I haven't been a fan of the sport for much time, so I have only seen a few of the recent grand tours, and I'm hoping to buy some DVDs to catch up on the older tours. I have seen the three most recent TDF, but none of the Giro/Vuelta stages. I loved seeing Rasmussen and Contador battle it out in 2007, and I was wondering if there are any grand tours which were known for having great climbing contests and battles, or being comprised of mostly mountain stages? Probably won't be able to find much on tours pre 1997, so I guess I'm mainly looking at any of the three grand tours from the past 12 years or so.

Cheers

Ill fling in a Vuelta stage for you Angliru 2002 in horrendous conditons. Oscar Sevilla was race leader and was attacked on the slopes of the Angliru by his teamate and eventual winner Aitor Gonzalez. Heras won the stage and Sevilla spoke of betrayal all in all it was the best Vuelta stage ive ever seen. The day was famous for Dave Millar being hit by a car as cars were struggling to make it up the climb and flinging his bike down in disgust on the finish line and quitting the race. Here is a link with some dodgy camerawork not surprising given the conditions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Pag4EXfT4

edit found a better one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV_oNG_rjGw

disgruntledgoat

Moray Gub wrote:

Joe86 wrote:

I haven't been a fan of the sport for much time, so I have only seen a few of the recent grand tours, and I'm hoping to buy some DVDs to catch up on the older tours. I have seen the three most recent TDF, but none of the Giro/Vuelta stages. I loved seeing Rasmussen and Contador battle it out in 2007, and I was wondering if there are any grand tours which were known for having great climbing contests and battles, or being comprised of mostly mountain stages? Probably won't be able to find much on tours pre 1997, so I guess I'm mainly looking at any of the three grand tours from the past 12 years or so.

Cheers

Ill fling in a Vuelta stage for you Angliru 2002 in horrendous conditons. Oscar Sevilla was race leader and was attacked on the slopes of the Angliru by his teamate and eventual winner Aitor Gonzalez. Heras won the stage and Sevilla spoke of betrayal all in all it was the best Vuelta stage ive ever seen. The day was famous for Dave Millar being hit by a car as cars were struggling to make it up the climb and flinging his bike down in disgust on the finish line and quitting the race. Here is a link with some dodgy camerawork not surprising given the conditions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Pag4EXfT4

edit found a better one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV_oNG_rjGw

One of the best sporting strops of all time that Millar one... The way he rode all the way up just so he could peel off his numbers and pack on the finish line showed a sublime sense of theatre!

Anonymous

Yeah 2005 Giro was excellent....all burst open on Colle Finestre....with Simoni,'the killer' dueling all the way up that unpaved road....and Salvodelli trying to hold on....but his descending skills helped him alongside help from another rider...and he caught lost time on the run upto Sestriere...

Also 1998 TDF where Pantani attacked on Galibier...and left Ullrich for dead on the way to Deux Alpes....but a better battle was next again day when Ullrich counter attacked on the Madeleine....only Pantani could keep up with him...

Giro 1998....Pantani on the Marmaloda....that was a great attack to rip the pink jersey from Zulle

2003...Alpe De Huez....attack after attack on an out of form LA..good stuff aswell.

moray_gub

RICHYBOYcp wrote:

Yeah 2005 Giro was excellent....all burst open on Colle Finestre....with Simoni,'the killer' dueling all the way up that unpaved road....and Salvodelli trying to hold on....but his descending skills helped him alongside help from another rider...and he caught lost time on the run upto Sestriere...
l.

The other riders were Mauricio Ardila and Wim Van Huffel both of Lotto, never been fully explained why they worked like trojans That stage is also famous for Sean Yates saying Di Luca rode like a dickhead on the Finestre.

blazing_saddles

Definitely go with the 2005Giro, 2003 Tour.
Others, for me were the 1998 Giro, where Pantani finally got the better of Tonkov, inside the final 2kms of climbing. Yeah, the Marmorlada, with Guerini.
I'd go with the 2000 Vuelta, as it contains all the classic climbs, including L'Angrilu, La Covadonga and I think Rosciolli (spelling?) on the wall of Xorret di Cati.
2003 Vuelta for it's Heras v Nozal battle and how about the 2004 Vuelta for it's uber doped climbing on the hardest course in years?

markwalker

The Kennington Kaiser wrote:

[

Mark - that was the 2003 tour stage to Ax 3 Domaines in the Pyrenees. Great stage that was won by Sastre (he did the celebration with his child's dummy) and really had Armstrong on the ropes. I'm pretty sure though that he was riding a cervelo then as CSC had started using the bikes earlier that year. It's a beast of a climb up to the ski station as I recall from being up there a couple of years back.

Thanks, youre right! i remember the dummy thing

frenchfighter

Contador in Paris Nice this year was very exciting.

Contador on the Arrate stage for Pais Vasco this year is also worth a watch. Horner and Evans put in good performances.

Virenque on the Ventoux is worth a watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jc70TeXr3s

"The Look" at 20s makes me laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7THIhZEP4QM

disgruntledgoat

Jalaberts day long escapades for his two KotM titles were great to watch live.

Oh and Chiapucci's "masterpiece" to Sestrieres in 1992 is one of the all time classic Tour stages.

frenchfighter

RICH you are TOTALLY mistaken. TOTALLY.

Don't you ever talk about me in those terms. That is pure vile. I'm disgusted. You are now being reported.

That link is there because I think it is great. The look then amazing acceleration which leaves Ullrich and co for dead. Just because I dislike a rider doesn't mean that I cannot appreciate certain performances.

Anonymous

frenchfighter wrote:

RICH you are TOTALLY mistaken. TOTALLY.

Don't you ever talk about me in those terms. That is pure vile. I'm disgusted. You are now being reported.

That link is there because I think it is great. The look then amazing acceleration which leaves Ullrich and co for dead. Just because I dislike a rider doesn't mean that I cannot appreciate certain performances.

Well thats a first...you having a decent word to say.

Report me if you want.....

I think the forum would be better without you....full stop.

frenchfighter

A real person would apologise, yet you try to fob off your comment. Despicable behaviour.

markwalker

RICHYBOYcp wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

RICH you are TOTALLY mistaken. TOTALLY.

Don't you ever talk about me in those terms. That is pure vile. I'm disgusted. You are now being reported.

That link is there because I think it is great. The look then amazing acceleration which leaves Ullrich and co for dead. Just because I dislike a rider doesn't mean that I cannot appreciate certain performances.

Well thats a first...you having a decent word to say.

Report me if you want.....

I think the forum would be better without you....full stop.

wtf did i miss something?

frenchfighter

I have to say that the moderators do a fantastic job on this forum.

markwalker

frenchfighter wrote:

I have to say that the moderators do a fantastic job on this forum.

hmmmm a double edged sword I think.

blazing_saddles

Why not take this dispute onto the fix forum thread, instead of spoiling another good one?

Another good one, for me, was the 2000 Giro and the Casagrande v Garzelli battle, co-starring Gibo and the little bald one.....

takethehighroad

A good climbing battle from a Grand Tour (tainted though it is) is Vino vs Valv up to Calar Alto in the Vuelta 2006, where they were eyeballing each other so much that Igor Anton snuck through to take the win at the age of about 12!

Echo et les Boniments

There's also that incredible battle between Johan Van Der Velde and a snowstorm on the Gavia (Giro d'Italia 1988).

(spoiler: the snowstorm won.)

moray_gub

frenchfighter wrote:

RICH you are TOTALLY mistaken. TOTALLY.

Don't you ever talk about me in those terms. That is pure vile. I'm disgusted. You are now being reported.

That link is there because I think it is great. The look then amazing acceleration which leaves Ullrich and co for dead. Just because I dislike a rider doesn't mean that I cannot appreciate certain performances.

There is something fundamentally sad about reporting someone. Wouldnt like to see you at work or in the pub having a debate if thats your response to a comment you dont like.