Rate the Race - Giro 2013

Paul 8v

Calpol wrote:

4. BMC's riding for Evans. I really feel that they are so not a team. Evans always seems to be on his own and left with nothing in the tank to attack at a critical moment.

I did feel bad for Cuddles, Nibali was always surrounded by guys in blue pyjamas and the same with Wiggins until his retirement. BMC's riders were seldom seen, Evans might as well have entered as a privateer.

Really enjoyed this giro, first I have managed to see on the TV. It was pretty epic in places, especially yesterdays stage, not too many flat stages to fast forward through and a gutsy performance from Nibali.

rozzer32

I gave it a 4. Got bored with it halfway through.

OK the organisers can't help the weather but changing stages and cancelling them certainly made it less entertaining.

Not a strong field and super boring commentary.

philbar72

7 for the bits I saw. Good bits... Cavs class, nibbles class. Bad bits no real TC opposition (uran was let down by sky's backing of wiggins, and when that fell apart, couldn't recover / wasn't quite good enough), bmc's team selection/support for cadel, and cadel not being quite good enough. Other really nasty points.

1 di Luca.... Lifetime ban surely, what a scumbag.
2 the weather, hypothermia inducing and terrifying....
3 Declan quigley - equivalent of overdose of mogadon....

butcher of bakersfield

6.

Not enough competition in the GC to make it a real classic. And during the first couple of weeks, Nibali looked like he wasn't even trying, which I'm sure is great for him, but not so great for me watching him.

Good points though:

Cadel Evans is the Rocky Balboa of the cycling world. He never gives up, and it's a pleasure to watch him put so much into it.
Cavendish making people believe that he actually can't be beaten on a flat stage.
Uran, the surprise GC contender.
Interesting weather...
Nibali finally coming out of the safety of the peloton, like a little baby chic flying the nest, and properly hammering the point down peoples throats.

rick_chasey

iainf72 wrote:

Utter bumwash

Somewhere between a 2 and a 3

Result.

Missed the final week.

mididoctors

weather and illness conspired to wash the race down the plug hole.

no ones fault really just one of those things... in a way I feel a bit sorry for fin boy as his win will be tainted despite still being a horrible race to actually ride.

It was good he came out and rode for the win stage 20.

3/10

basically uran was the only attack on the jersey and no one responded!

mididoctors

DQ was perfectly adequate as a commentator.

made some mistakes even a few clangers but in general ok. like the current ES thing of rotating the commentators. Harmon is great but if you stick these guys on a 21 day stage race 3 times a year year in year out they drift off topic and start going all duffers...its happening to Harmon. He ends up talking about anything other than the race.

ddraver

3 or 4 from me, No real competition for the GC or Sprint stages. Stage wins commonly got by someone who was let go rather than who made any particular attack. First few days were good, but after that, meh...

DeadCalm

I gave it a 3. Not anyone's fault in particular but illness and the weather ruined the race. Betancur in general and Cavendish's efforts on those slightly hillier finishes lifted it above a one.

mididoctors wrote:

DQ was perfectly adequate as a commentator.

Totally disagree. He was completely and utterly useless.

secretsqirrel

I gave it an 8.

It had a bit of a story, the weather, the pre-race favourite losing his bottle etc.
It was more interesting than last year's TdF.
The race leader attacked, took some mighty risks, showed some grit and commitment.

And I am an Astana 'fanboi' anyway, so I would say that

milton50

Gave it a 6. I thought the first week was good; classics style stages made for good racing and the time gaps between the GC riders actually set the race up for some really exciting mountain stages. But the GC battle never got going at all and together with the weather made the final two weeks a disappointment.

RoadPainter

I had 3 trips out to watch and enjoyed all of them, plus the bits in between at home.

I've gone for 6, was going to be an 8 but 2 taken off for the way Vino was so front&central in the podium celebrations - not a good thing to say and surprised it's been so glossed over.

ddraver

Vino is the John Terry of Cycling

And God, DQ wasnt THAT BAD, people are making it sound like he was that Newsround bloke at the athletics bad. He got more out of Sean Kelly than DH or CK have ever done. I think the problem was exacerbated by having 2 mumbling irishmen, both of few words. DQ and SK are not a good pairing but I think he'd be better with Maggie Backstead who is a bit keener to talk.

secretsqirrel

Don't know much about John Terry, but Team Astana is Vino's 'baby'. He is like a proud father. Just flaunting his 'fertility' :twisted:

Not sure what people expect, Father Vaughters would have done the same? :roll:

ddraver

I'd say that in terms of delusions of self-importance they re very similar....

DeadCalm

ddraver wrote:

And God, DQ wasnt THAT BAD, people are making it sound like he was that Newsround bloke at the athletics bad. He got more out of Sean Kelly than DH or CK have ever done. I think the problem was exacerbated by having 2 mumbling irishmen, both of few words. DQ and SK are not a good pairing but I think he'd be better with Maggie Backstead who is a bit keener to talk.

I guess it depends on what you expect from a commentator. Personally, my expectations are for someone who seems to have a vague clue as to what is going on in the race. I had the pleasure of watching most of the last two weeks of the Giro with my 68 year old mum who got into cycling just last year. She was calling what was going on way earlier and more accurately than Quigley. One example. The stage when Wiggins finally capitulated.

Mum: That peloton looks pretty small.
Me: You're right.
DQ: So Sean, how's your book coming along?

Mum: Wiggins was at the back. Do you think he was behind the split?
Me: It's looking that way.
DQ: So Sean, tell us about the time you wore the Yellow jersey.

[BMC go to the front and start drilling it]
Me: Yep, Wiggins is behind a split. No other reason why BMC are doing this.
Mum: Makes sense.
DQ: BMC are on the front. They must fancy Adam Blythe's chances in the sprint.

[The Wiggins group is shown on screen and identified as 'the Wiggins Group']
Mum: I wonder what the gap is.
DQ: There's Bradley safely surrounded by his Sky team.
[Mum sadly shakes her head]

[10 minutes later]
DQ: We're just hearing over race radio that Wiggins may be behind a split in the peloton.
Me and Mum (in unison): Aaargh!!!

That was just one example of many where it appeared that Quigley had no clue as to what was going on which considering that he has access to Race Radio is pretty dismal. As mum said, it was almost as though he was more interested in chatting with Kelly than in watching the race. On the final stage we inadvertently tuned into a feed with Carlton Kirby and Dan Lloyd and the contrast was marked.

RichN95.

Say what you like about Quigley, but at least he doesn't still live with his mum.

DeadCalm

RichN95 wrote:

Say what you like about Quigley, but at least he doesn't still live with his mum.

Nor do I by the way. Live with my mum that is. And just to be clear, I don't live with Quigley's mum either.

RoadPainter

SecretSqirrel wrote:

Don't know much about John Terry, but Team Astana is Vino's 'baby'. He is like a proud father. Just flaunting his 'fertility' :twisted:

Not sure what people expect, Father Vaughters would have done the same? :roll:

I can't find pics of LY's podium, was he the same?

PS Test tube baby? :evil:

dsoutar

RoadPainter wrote:

I had 3 trips out to watch and enjoyed all of them, plus the bits in between at home.

I've gone for 6, was going to be an 8 but 2 taken off for the way Vino was so front&central in the podium celebrations - not a good thing to say and surprised it's been so glossed over.

Having Vino there didn't do Nibs any favours at all. Astan'a got enough of a chequered history as it is without reminding people that one of the main offenders is actually running the show.

6 from me too. A bit of a curate's egg - good in parts. Enjoyed seeing Cav get the jersey which given the Giro parcours is no mean feat although I'm sure he was glad of the weather affecting some of the mountain stages in that respect. A pity that the GC was a total non-event. As someone else has commented, there were a couple of good classics style stages. Not sure if DQ improved as the race went on or whether I just became more immune to his commentary.

ms_tree

mididoctors wrote:

DQ was perfectly adequate as a commentator.

made some mistakes even a few clangers but in general ok. like the current ES thing of rotating the commentators. Harmon is great but if you stick these guys on a 21 day stage race 3 times a year year in year out they drift off topic and start going all duffers...its happening to Harmon. He ends up talking about anything other than the race.

Mostly about himself. Ha! ha!

ms_tree

ddraver wrote:

And God, DQ wasnt THAT BAD, people are making it sound like he was that Newsround bloke at the athletics bad. He got more out of Sean Kelly than DH or CK have ever done. I think the problem was exacerbated by having 2 mumbling irishmen, both of few words. DQ and SK are not a good pairing but I think he'd be better with Maggie Backstead who is a bit keener to talk.

I liked the commentary. I thought DQ improved as he got into it and It was his first big race wasn't it. I enjoyed hearing Sean's comments - some of them quite jokey! Anyway they weren't actually in Italy - you could tell that - so probably working off the same pictures we were.

trek_dan

My favourite part was when the spectator fell of the wall in one of the early stages, it was so interesting they did a slow motion replay during the live coverage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk_FXcwWw1A

above_the_cows

trek_dan wrote:

My favourite part was when the spectator fell of the wall in one of the early stages, it was so interesting they did a slow motion replay during the live coverage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk_FXcwWw1A

That's this years equivalent of Farnese Vini - the highlighter pen team - driving off leaving a random spectator in a pair of pants holding the bike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7T_8do5Ask

wombly_knees

Wrong thread :oops:

Paul 8v

trek_dan wrote:

My favourite part was when the spectator fell of the wall in one of the early stages, it was so interesting they did a slow motion replay during the live coverage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk_FXcwWw1A

i actually nearly pissed myself when I saw that, couldn't believe how Quigley just had a quick mumble then carried on!