Forum home› Road cycling forum› Pro race

Rate the Race: Giro d'Italia 2020

No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,974
in Pro race
So what marks out of ten do you give it?
“Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

@DrHeadgear

The Vikings are coming!

Rate the Race: Giro d'Italia 2020 54 votes

1
0%
2
0%
3
1%
m.r.m. 1 vote
4
0%
5
7%
takethehighroadrick_chaseytwotoebennyjoe2019 4 votes
6
3%
ducknumber1jimmyjams 2 votes
7
24%
r0bhjimmocratesandypblazing_saddlesandyracgsk82salsiccia1gregster04carbonclempoptart242bm5Matti66Percy_TomTom 13 votes
8
35%
bobmcstuffjimmythecuckoophreakkingstongrahamDorset_Boytailwindhomesuper_davoProssNo_Ta_DoctorMad_MalxrichysmikemorinithejimmymethoddabeastosLanterne_Roguemrb123amrushtonlettingthedaysgobyjoe_totale-2 19 votes
9
20%
davidofcq20jam1eDeadCalmgweedsexlasersbbefcmrfpbkfm2773shirley_bassoJimD666 11 votes
10
7%
mididoctorsshererjohngtilincolndave 4 votes
«13

Posts

  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,974
    8
    Now we've had a couple of days for it to sink in, how do you rate the Giro 2020?

    For me, the GC didn't light up until Tao's late charge. We lost a lot of potential contenders to accident/covid and the old guard faded out with more of a whimper than a bang. There didn't seem to be much of a story in the fight for lesser jerseys. The rain shortening was a low point as well, whichever view you take of the decision.

    On the positive side, Tao, the continued emergence of youth this season, some decent breakaway wins and it actually got to Milan.

    8 for me, Tao and getting to the finish being worth a point each.
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • ProssPross Posts: 38,876
    8
    8 for me, lots of very good stages with few predictable wins plus the late changes in GC. Marked down a bit due to several favourites disappearing early but ultimately that probably made for the better race. I was tempted to drop it to a 7 for the shortened stage and re-routed Sestriere finish but in the end that didn't seem to negatively affect the racing. The organisers did a pretty good job in getting through some major challenges (still some typical Giro issues there though).
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 8,643
    Pross said:

    8 for me, lots of very good stages with few predictable wins plus the late changes in GC. Marked down a bit due to several favourites disappearing early but ultimately that probably made for the better race. I was tempted to drop it to a 7 for the shortened stage and re-routed Sestriere finish but in the end that didn't seem to negatively affect the racing. The organisers did a pretty good job in getting through some major challenges (still some typical Giro issues there though).

    Same here

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • andypandyp Posts: 9,864
    7
    A solid 7 for me, even with TGH winning (who I've known of since he was a youth rider at Herne Hill velodrome).

    Some great individual performances, from the likes of Ganna, Demare, Hindley, Dennis, Almeida and the aforementioned TGH, and solid team work from the likes of Decuenick, FDJ, Ineos and Sunweb.
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 11,116
    8
    Need to think about it... Gut says 7 but heart says 8 for Tao's win. Plus the fact it actually finished seems pretty remarkable.

    A few other good things about it: Almeida's ride was very gutsy - kept attacking right to the very end, Dowsett's breakaway win made me happy at least, Ganna's domination of the TTs was very impressive if not necessarily exciting (and his road stage win was a good watch too, with the bickering between De Gendt and Rubio). Probably some other stuff I forgot about.

    Overall it was a very watchable edition.
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,974
    8
    Pross said:

    8 for me, lots of very good stages with few predictable wins plus the late changes in GC. Marked down a bit due to several favourites disappearing early but ultimately that probably made for the better race. I was tempted to drop it to a 7 for the shortened stage and re-routed Sestriere finish but in the end that didn't seem to negatively affect the racing. The organisers did a pretty good job in getting through some major challenges (still some typical Giro issues there though).

    The few predictable wins is disputable - 4 sprint stages and 3 TTs that always looked like foregone conclusions.
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 11,116
    8
    Pross said:

    8 for me, lots of very good stages with few predictable wins plus the late changes in GC. Marked down a bit due to several favourites disappearing early but ultimately that probably made for the better race. I was tempted to drop it to a 7 for the shortened stage and re-routed Sestriere finish but in the end that didn't seem to negatively affect the racing. The organisers did a pretty good job in getting through some major challenges (still some typical Giro issues there though).

    For me the shortened stage actually added a lot of extra interest on what would have probably been a fairly dull day anyway - 253 pan flat km with a sprint finish would have been a bit of a non-event (I appreciate it may have affected the subsequent racing, but that's all hypothetical). Whereas the rider protest and so on generated a lot more in the way of drama and talking points...
  • TheBigBeanTheBigBean Posts: 19,458
    I think the average GT rating is 8. It always seems the most popular choice.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 25,550
    8
    No massive Ineos fan, but all of their wins were really impressive and good to watch. Plus Sagan's was a great stage, Demare just dominant, the Stelvio stage was beautiful and brutal, and a GC contest until the last ten minutes. It was a good parcours, and raced (mostly) the way you'd want to see.

    Point off for losing the two big pre-race GC contenders and the curtailed stage 19.
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 11,116
    8
    TheBigBean said:

    I think the average GT rating is 8. It always seems the most popular choice.

    People on bike race forum like watching bike races... Shock.
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 16,395
    edited October 2020
    10
    Good race moments a plenty. Sagan's win , Rogan Dennis etc ...Base 6 .. +1 for cheering us up during Covid .... +1 for controversial stage 19 and covid controversy ...yes plus 1 ... It added to this tour meaning the drama is actually good this time round .. that's right you hear it straight .

    Then plus 1 cos Tao is from my club .. and I have clung onto dowsetts wheel a fair few times ...feels personnel

    Plus 1 for the never ending debate about hindley Vs wilco and what this giro means

    So 10 ... Maybe 8/9 in reality without local bias glasses
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 16,395
    10
    bobmcstuff said:

    Pross said:

    8 for me, lots of very good stages with few predictable wins plus the late changes in GC. Marked down a bit due to several favourites disappearing early but ultimately that probably made for the better race. I was tempted to drop it to a 7 for the shortened stage and re-routed Sestriere finish but in the end that didn't seem to negatively affect the racing. The organisers did a pretty good job in getting through some major challenges (still some typical Giro issues there though).

    For me the shortened stage actually added a lot of extra interest on what would have probably been a fairly dull day anyway - 253 pan flat km with a sprint finish would have been a bit of a non-event (I appreciate it may have affected the subsequent racing, but that's all hypothetical). Whereas the rider protest and so on generated a lot more in the way of drama and talking points...
    Exactly this drama added to the debate
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • TheBigBeanTheBigBean Posts: 19,458
    bobmcstuff said:

    TheBigBean said:

    I think the average GT rating is 8. It always seems the most popular choice.

    People on bike race forum like watching bike races... Shock.
    Yes, but their enjoyment could vary depending on the quality of the GT.
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,974
    8
    TheBigBean said:

    bobmcstuff said:

    TheBigBean said:

    I think the average GT rating is 8. It always seems the most popular choice.

    People on bike race forum like watching bike races... Shock.
    Yes, but their enjoyment could vary depending on the quality of the GT.
    While it may be the usual most popular choice (I've not checked) that doesn't mean the same people are voting the same way (though I think I gave the TdF a 8 too)
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • fliteflite Posts: 216
    9
    I am nowhere near as knowledgeable as you lot, but I thought the race was really absorbing. Never knew from one day to the next what would happen. Rushed to switch on to watch every day - s4c - I don't speak Welsh, but I could understand the commentators more than the few occassions I have tried to listen to Kelly!
    So happy for Dowsett!
  • mrb123mrb123 Posts: 4,398
    8
    8 from me.

    A thrilling GC battle throughout after the disappointment of the early exits for G and Yates. Loved the final two mountain stages

    A mark off for the lack of real competition for Demare in the sprints - the Tour sprint stages were definitely more closely fought this year.

    Ganna an absolute joy to behold in the TTs and a wonderful stage win too.

    The Sagan stage was great although possibly not the race of the century Rob.
  • mrfpbmrfpb Posts: 4,569
    9
    I've only watched since 2018, so have to compare across GTs as a whole. This was a great GT, far less predictable than most.

    I did ask on the stage 21 thread (but no one replied) if there is a record for different riders wearing the jersey in the last week. Four riders in 5 days must be unusual. And the winner donning it for the first time after the finish must be rare too.

    Bad - The riders strike on stage 19 - I think they were in the right, and the organisers should have had a good faith negotiation rather than bad mouthing the peleton on the TV. No one looked dignified by the time racing started.

    Coronavirus taking out two key teams.

    The early sunset putting the starts so early that it was all over before my work day finished.

    One hour of poor quality highlights on Quest (30ish minutes of actual race coverage) vs. 2 hours of highlights with Welsh commentary on S4C (Freeview - iPlayer). S4C won out for the third week.


    Good - the aforementioned last week game of pass the Pink.

    Almeida's fightback after losing Pink was inspiring - I wish he'd got on the podium instead of Kelderman

    Ganna - it's easy to say three TT wins was predictable, but his ability to pull it off was remarkable. Adding in a road stage was just showing off!

    Even more young riders challenging for GC.

    The top two riders on the same time after stager 20. The end result wasn't close but it added excitement to the start of the final day.



  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 21,534
    7
    I see that the Cyclingnews forum poll had the vast majority voting for 7 or 8.
    Here it's 8 or 9.
    I was interested to see how having a UK winner would boost things here.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 11,116
    8
    blazing_saddles said:

    I see that the Cyclingnews forum poll had the vast majority voting for 7 or 8.
    Here it's 8 or 9.
    I was interested to see how having a UK winner would boost things here.

    I think 7 or 8 is fair... I'll probably go for 8. 9 seems a bit OTT but that's just my opinion.

    Isn't CN largely UK?
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,974
    8
    Eagerly awaiting @iainf72's input, we need the definitive answer.
    “Road racing was over and the UCI had banned my riding positions on the track, so it was like ‘Jings, crivvens, help ma Boab, what do I do now? I know, I’ll go away and be depressed for 10 years’.”

    @DrHeadgear

    The Vikings are coming!
  • phreakphreak Posts: 2,883
    8
    The uncertainty was a definite plus point, with the race open right to the very end. While the calendar plus crashes/covid weakened the field, it nonetheless meant the race was contested by largely new faces at this level, which was refreshing.

    In all honesty though, the race was made by the Stelvio. It's an incredibly beautiful mountain and provided the epicness that the Tour route lacked. That the race was blown open on its lower slopes with a long way to go made it a truly memorable stage.
  • Lanterne_RogueLanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,083
    8
    A proper GT should have some interesting stuff happening at the front end, a bit of whinging about pointless sprint stages, then a slow turning of the screw as the race and narrative cranks into gear. Felt like this one delivered on that and the pay off at the end was totally worth it. Give it a couple of years and the only thing people will remember is stages 18. 20 and 21 and it'll be thought of as a classic.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • m.r.m.m.r.m. Posts: 3,233
    3
    I really didn't like it. Most true contenders crashed out (crash or Covid), Almeida wore the jersey for 2 weeks with not much of a challenge. The eventual podium pretty much just followed wheels, with minor attacks at the very end.

    To me it didn't feel like Tao announced himself on the grand stage in a massive way like Bernal or Pogacar or even Roglic in the past. He was more like the best of the remaining rest.
    PTP Champion 2019 & 2022
  • exlaserexlaser Posts: 259
    9
    After the first week I would have given it a 6 . I thought it going to be was a tour fought over by old stagers and nearly men But the sheer unpredictablity of the of the the last couple of weeks and never knowing if jai or TGH could go the whole distance I have given it a 9
    Van Nicholas Ventus
    Rose Xeon RS
  • andypandyp Posts: 9,864
    7
    m.r.m. said:

    I really didn't like it. Most true contenders crashed out (crash or Covid), Almeida wore the jersey for 2 weeks with not much of a challenge. The eventual podium pretty much just followed wheels, with minor attacks at the very end.

    To me it didn't feel like Tao announced himself on the grand stage in a massive way like Bernal or Pogacar or even Roglic in the past. He was more like the best of the remaining rest.

    Who pi$$ed on your chips?
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 25,550
    8
    Stages 5, 10 and 18 on their own justify more than a 3, even if the GC didn't excite you.
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 11,116
    edited October 2020
    8
    blazing_saddles said:

    I see that the Cyclingnews forum poll had the vast majority voting for 7 or 8.
    Here it's 8 or 9.
    I was interested to see how having a UK winner would boost things here.

    Here it is solidly 8 with an even split between 7 and 9, actually...
  • m.r.m.m.r.m. Posts: 3,233
    3
    andyp said:

    m.r.m. said:

    I really didn't like it. Most true contenders crashed out (crash or Covid), Almeida wore the jersey for 2 weeks with not much of a challenge. The eventual podium pretty much just followed wheels, with minor attacks at the very end.

    To me it didn't feel like Tao announced himself on the grand stage in a massive way like Bernal or Pogacar or even Roglic in the past. He was more like the best of the remaining rest.

    Who pi$$ed on your chips?
    Nobody. I think I have given out comparatively high marks on the last few GT's. Just didn't think this one was as good. To me it seems like plenty are influenced by who won instead of how it happened.
    PTP Champion 2019 & 2022
  • Lanterne_RogueLanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,083
    8
    Sounded fair to me, even if I disagree with you.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • jam1ejam1e Posts: 1,065
    edited October 2020
    9
    1 bonus point for TGH winning.
    1 bonus point for RD turning out to be the new Kiriyenka but even better/worse depending on your point of view.
    1 bonus point for the fact that Majka, Fuglsang etc didn't inherit a win.
Sign In or Register to comment.