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Race of the year 2020

mrb123mrb123 Posts: 4,220
in Pro race
There has been some good debate on the rider of the year thread, but not sure there had been anything yet about the best race of 2020.

I'm talking about individual stages or one day races rather than Grand Tours or other stage races as a whole.

I've no idea how to set up a poll and am sure I'd miss out some good contenders if I tried.

Some races that spring to mind for me - the Tour final TT, Giro Sagan stage win and the Stelvio stage, Gent Wevelgem, the World Champs.

Any other contenders?
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  • salsiccia1salsiccia1 Posts: 3,723
    Flanders
    Tour stage 9 - the Hirschi attack over the Pyrenees and subsequent Pogacar win
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • ProssPross Posts: 36,480
    I thought Flanders was a good race but would have been better had JA stayed upright.

    The Tour TT takes some beating for unexpected drama though.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 24,007
    Stelvio stage had it all.

    Strade Bianchi was a good race too.
  • mrb123mrb123 Posts: 4,220
    I had considered Flanders but not sure it was an all time great edition although the final tete a tete was intriguing and exciting.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 24,007
    Which stage was it that kwiatwowski won? That was a good un.
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,232
    In a few years time, the two things I'll remember from this season will be the Tour TT and Dennis & Tao on The Stelvio. The rest was decent enough, some good some less so, but both those stages will last the test of time.
    “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!
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,642 Lives Here
    Flanders or LBL
    _
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 10,632
    That final Tour TT was pretty remarkable to watch. Flanders was good but not really sure it's on a par with Pogacar vs Roglic in that TT.
  • ocdupalaisocdupalais Posts: 4,141
    For sheer balls, chutzpah and panache (yet cunning and calculating), I’m struggling to see beyond Sagan’s stage 10 win at the Giro. It was sublime racing.
    After seeing off the Groupama FDJ chase and then the bunch tracking them to 40 secs with 25km to go, he used up every last man of the breakaway before giving what was probably his last turbo boost on the last climb (dropping Swift and simultaneously keeping Bilbao at bay). He was only 22 secs ahead of the bunch with 11km of descent and flat to the finish and managed to hold them off solo.
    The other performances mentioned were all great in their own way - but essentially displays of youthful power/power-to-weight.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 24,007
    The one ganna won by 34 seconds over a cat 1 climb was pretty impressive too.
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 14,721
    bobmcstuff said:

    That final Tour TT was pretty remarkable to watch. Flanders was good but not really sure it's on a par with Pogacar vs Roglic in that TT.

    Lol
    "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: 14,721
    Hirsch in the tour
    Sagan giro
    Stelvio
    Massif central in the tour Martinez
    Flanders .... Yeah Flanders was excellent too ....

    What a cracking season
    "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
  • mrb123mrb123 Posts: 4,220
    mididoctors said:



    What a cracking season

    Yeah, the racing this year has been a real bonus.

    3 grand tours completed, all decided by less than a minute. Some brilliant individual stages and one day races. Shame to lose Roubaix but you can't have it all!
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,678
    To me it's too easy to call Flanders, as we usually get what it says on the tin.
    Plus this year, the potential outcome was ruined by Alaphillipe's unfortunate accident.
    The two Van's ending up having a sprint out was a bit meh in my book.

    No, to me the best race is the one that nobody has expectations of, yet delivers much more than the sum of it's parts.
    So there is a clear winner in my book: Stage 7 of the Tour, Millau to Lavaur.
    On paper this was definitely supposed to be one for the sprinters: a few gentle ups and downs before a pan flat run in.
    Instead it began with Bora showing how mindset is at least as important as parcour and ended with the weather Gods providing an incendiary crosswind.

    What should have produced a final few kms of sprint windup, actually produced 150kms of flat out action.
    Plus, it culminated with WvA winning, to please the fanboys.

    The only other race that comes close would be Sagan's Giro win as again, the action was protracted, but had favourable parcour.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • rick_chaseyrick_chasey Posts: 67,642 Lives Here
    no love for LBL?
    _
  • TheBigBeanTheBigBean Posts: 18,574
    rick_chasey said:

    no love for LBL?

    rick_chasey said:

    no love for LBL?

    Probably my pick although I feel JA tarnished it by preventing a sprint between Roglic and Hirshi.
  • kingstongrahamkingstongraham Posts: 24,007
    edited November 2020
    I can't believe it's even being considered given that farcical finish. It was funny, I'll grant you that.
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,749
    Gent Wevelgem was very good
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • blazing_saddlesblazing_saddles Posts: 20,678
    edited November 2020
    RichN95. said:

    Gent Wevelgem was very good

    Best of that particular bunch in my book. Also had the added bonus of a fascinating tactical game of cat and mouse.
    Probably not going to be popular pick due to the Van fans getting to watch them mark each other out.

    Not even sure why LBL gets a mention since as usual, very little happened until the final climb.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mididoctorsmididoctors Posts: 14,721
    blazing_saddles said:

    To me it's too easy to call Flanders, as we usually get what it says on the tin.
    Plus this year, the potential outcome was ruined by Alaphillipe's unfortunate accident.
    The two Van's ending up having a sprint out was a bit meh in my book.

    No, to me the best race is the one that nobody has expectations of, yet delivers much more than the sum of it's parts.
    So there is a clear winner in my book: Stage 7 of the Tour, Millau to Lavaur.
    On paper this was definitely supposed to be one for the sprinters: a few gentle ups and downs before a pan flat run in.
    Instead it began with Bora showing how mindset is at least as important as parcour and ended with the weather Gods providing an incendiary crosswind.

    What should have produced a final few kms of sprint windup, actually produced 150kms of flat out action.
    Plus, it culminated with WvA winning, to please the fanboys.

    The only other race that comes close would be Sagan's Giro win as again, the action was protracted, but had favourable parcour.

    That was a good stage
    "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
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 25,592
    Hmmm, struggling to pick an absolute standout...

    Lots of B+ days but no obvious A*
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • alan_aalan_a Posts: 1,513
    The Worlds getting over looked?

    All the main players from the tour in the mix for the final 2 laps and all of them attacking.

    GVA pulling on the front, Rog attack, Pog attack, Hirschi attack, Kwia attacks twice and finally JA attacks for the win with WvA chasing hard to catch him.

    Loved it.
    http://www.3pistescycle.co.uk
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  • jimmythecuckoojimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,678
    The Stelvio stage, definitely.

    Just so grateful to see some racing so enjoyed all of it.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
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    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • ProssPross Posts: 36,480
    ddraver said:

    Hmmm, struggling to pick an absolute standout...

    Lots of B+ days but no obvious A*

    Tough crowd! We had two rides of the century in two days at the Giro (according to Hatch).

    Lots of unpredictable racing in the post lockdown season.
  • No_Ta_DoctorNo_Ta_Doctor Posts: 12,232
    Pross said:

    ddraver said:

    Hmmm, struggling to pick an absolute standout...

    Lots of B+ days but no obvious A*

    Tough crowd! We had two rides of the century in two days at the Giro (according to Hatch).

    Lots of unpredictable racing in the post lockdown season.
    Totally agree. Well, not with the "ride of the century" hype, Sagan's win was good but it was only a Giro stage win. The Stelvio stage was far bigger, completely exploded the GC. The Tour TT will be talked about in 50 years time. It's up there with Lemond/Fignon.
    “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!
  • mrb123mrb123 Posts: 4,220
    Pross said:

    ddraver said:

    Hmmm, struggling to pick an absolute standout...

    Lots of B+ days but no obvious A*

    Tough crowd! We had two rides of the century in two days at the Giro (according to Hatch).

    Lots of unpredictable racing in the post lockdown season.
    Hatch's two rides of the century weren't even the two rides of the Giro!
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,749
    mrb123 said:

    Pross said:

    ddraver said:

    Hmmm, struggling to pick an absolute standout...

    Lots of B+ days but no obvious A*

    Tough crowd! We had two rides of the century in two days at the Giro (according to Hatch).

    Lots of unpredictable racing in the post lockdown season.
    Hatch's two rides of the century weren't even the two rides of the Giro!

    I proclaimed Dennis's Stelvio effort as one of the greatest domestique performances of modern times, and I stand by it. Although he matched it, maybe even surpassed it soon after.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • mrb123mrb123 Posts: 4,220
    RichN95. said:

    mrb123 said:

    Pross said:

    ddraver said:

    Hmmm, struggling to pick an absolute standout...

    Lots of B+ days but no obvious A*

    Tough crowd! We had two rides of the century in two days at the Giro (according to Hatch).

    Lots of unpredictable racing in the post lockdown season.
    Hatch's two rides of the century weren't even the two rides of the Giro!

    I proclaimed Dennis's Stelvio effort as one of the greatest domestique performances of modern times, and I stand by it. Although he matched it, maybe even surpassed it soon after.
    Yeah, the Stelvio stage had been rightly praised here, but the following day was great too... the way Dennis kept coming back like a bad penny...
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 26,749
    mrb123 said:

    RichN95. said:

    mrb123 said:

    Pross said:

    ddraver said:

    Hmmm, struggling to pick an absolute standout...

    Lots of B+ days but no obvious A*

    Tough crowd! We had two rides of the century in two days at the Giro (according to Hatch).

    Lots of unpredictable racing in the post lockdown season.
    Hatch's two rides of the century weren't even the two rides of the Giro!

    I proclaimed Dennis's Stelvio effort as one of the greatest domestique performances of modern times, and I stand by it. Although he matched it, maybe even surpassed it soon after.
    Yeah, the Stelvio stage had been rightly praised here, but the following day was great too... the way Dennis kept coming back like a bad penny...

    The insufferable pedant in me is duty bound to state that there was a flat stage between the two (won by Cezny)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • mrb123mrb123 Posts: 4,220
    RichN95. said:

    mrb123 said:

    RichN95. said:

    mrb123 said:

    Pross said:

    ddraver said:

    Hmmm, struggling to pick an absolute standout...

    Lots of B+ days but no obvious A*

    Tough crowd! We had two rides of the century in two days at the Giro (according to Hatch).

    Lots of unpredictable racing in the post lockdown season.
    Hatch's two rides of the century weren't even the two rides of the Giro!

    I proclaimed Dennis's Stelvio effort as one of the greatest domestique performances of modern times, and I stand by it. Although he matched it, maybe even surpassed it soon after.
    Yeah, the Stelvio stage had been rightly praised here, but the following day was great too... the way Dennis kept coming back like a bad penny...

    The insufferable pedant in me is duty bound to state that there was a flat stage between the two (won by Cezny)
    Ah yes, was that the one they cried off half of it?
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