Rate The Race: Tour de France 2023

No_Ta_Doctor
No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
in Pro race
Rate the race on a scale of 1-10, like we do every year
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Comments

  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    Solid 8. 2022 was better and I gave that a 9, I think
    This year would have been slightly better if there was still some jeopardy for yellow on that last mountain stage, though Pog's collapse itself was spectacular
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  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,787
    8.
    I spent the second rest day trying to decide if it was going to be 9 or 10 - up to that point the best Tour of all time despite Cav's unfortunate exit.
    Sadly the GC didn't quite go to the wire as it was promising - the TT pretty much ended that hope. Still, the last Friday and Saturday stages were hugely entertaining in themselves.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,325
    Tailed off a fraction towards the end, but pretty good until that point. Lower fraction of really quiet stages then usual, some fantastically bonkers starts, and some great stage winners
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,154
    Same as above really. Fewer boring stages than most years with the sprint teams messing up two of the last three chances. It was just unfortunate that the GC battle, that had looked like being so close, disappeared with a few stages remaining. We have probably been spoiled a bit by recent GTs, this would have been a 9 and one of the best I'd seen a few years ago.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,646
    Every other stage was a humdinger.
    _
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    For the record, Freibos gave this 4 glasses of wine out of 5
    Also for the record, @iainf72 thinks Freibos is consistently grading a glass too high, so I'm guessing that's a 3 glasses from him, which could be a 6 but maybe 7
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,646
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    For the record, Freibos gave this 4 glasses of wine out of 5
    Also for the record, @iainf72 thinks Freibos is consistently grading a glass too high, so I'm guessing that's a 3 glasses from him, which could be a 6 but maybe 7

    Yeah, I think the first week was one of the best I can remember.

    Second week was good, really because the first week was so good it left it really poised.

    Third week was a done deal.

    But I enjoyed the first week so much, I can't really give it any less than 8.
    _
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 27,760
    As good as last year - possibly fewer unremarkable stages.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,790
    edited July 2023
    "I'm dead
    I'm gone "


    Up their with "assassins"



    Course design was excellent. The use of Clermont ferrand as a second grand depart mid tour is a good idea logistically .

    The racing was truly fascinating

    The peloton behaviour was very professional.

    The first week was sensational we were bounced from the amazing opening stages to pog getting dropped on the Marie blanc leaving us all dejected that it's a done deal to that amazing reversal at cauterets...pog taking the bow .....seemed to last forever

    Second week around Clermont ferrand was great racing culminating on the joux plan where everything came to a head ....all in by everyone. Jonas saw off the challenge as UAE and JV battled epically for dominance

    Third week annihilation of pog was historic as well as disappointing from a fairytale pov . But this is reality . The rest of the racing was of exceptional caliber by the peloton in all the stages including Paris .

    There wasn't a duff stage in the final week dispute GC getting done and dusted .

    Did it miss the MvdP and WvA super 2022 entertainment. Perhaps .


    It was a very unpredictable race apart from philpsen and he was denied in the final week twice by upsets

    Yates Borg collective attack!

    The memories of this tour will last long .



    "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
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,790
    Below 8 is tough to justify....but 6 you got some explaining to do .
    "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
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,325
    The Clermont Ferrand basing might well have helped the racing, given it reduced the number and distance of transfers for a few days. They'd do well to copy that in future, I think.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,154
    In a way the incredible first week may have made the final week feel a bit below par. I'd say the opening week was definitely the best I can remember.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,703
    I am with the majority and probably for the same reason. Started, rather than ended with a crescendo.
    Also the sprints and as a consequence, the green jersey, lacked a bit of competition.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 27,760
    edited July 2023
    The last week had the incredible TT, the day of "I'm dead", the break just hanging on, Mohoric winning and doing that interview, Pog's partial resurrection (and Tibopino day) and then Paris. That's pretty good.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,660
    Solid 8

    Very good, very entertaining but lacked a romance stage (e.g Cav, Pinot)

    GC battle too often quashed a swashbuckling break effort which gives less to watch.

    (I'm going to have to revisit last year. I was very surprised to remember it got 5 wines and 9s. That feels a bit Eurosport to me...)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    ddraver said:

    Solid 8

    Very good, very entertaining but lacked a romance stage (e.g Cav, Pinot)

    GC battle too often quashed a swashbuckling break effort which gives less to watch.

    (I'm going to have to revisit last year. I was very surprised to remember it got 5 wines and 9s. That feels a bit Eurosport to me...)

    Granon last year surpassed anything we saw this year. The most incredible stage I've ever seen.
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,646
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    ddraver said:

    Solid 8

    Very good, very entertaining but lacked a romance stage (e.g Cav, Pinot)

    GC battle too often quashed a swashbuckling break effort which gives less to watch.

    (I'm going to have to revisit last year. I was very surprised to remember it got 5 wines and 9s. That feels a bit Eurosport to me...)

    Granon last year surpassed anything we saw this year. The most incredible stage I've ever seen.
    Partly because it had an A* set up the previous day!
    _
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 7,918
    A good solid 1, it could have been close to an eight if the TDF hadn't broken Cav's collarbone.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 27,760
    focuszing723 said:

    A good solid 1, it could have been close to an eight if the TDF hadn't broken Cav's collarbone.

    Last year's got a 1 from you as well - does it not deserve more for at least containing a few Cav-involved stages?
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 7,918
    Personally, I think the TDF should be renamed to X, but that's another matter.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 7,918
    kingstongraham said:

    focuszing723 said:

    A good solid 1, it could have been close to an eight if the TDF hadn't broken Cav's collarbone.

    Last year's got a 1 from you as well - does it not deserve more for at least containing a few Cav-involved stages?
    No, that bloody fishing kit robbed him of one stage so I was being generous if anything.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,790
    Lanterne_Rogue said:

    The Clermont Ferrand basing might well have helped the racing, given it reduced the number and distance of transfers for a few days. They'd do well to copy that in future, I think.

    Yeah stage end .rest day ...a TT next day and then a start following day .

    3 nights same hotel ...

    "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
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,398
    Went with an 8 even though I didn't watch as much of it live as last year since it now clashes with the Ashes (which used to be scheduled later and followed the Tour, in 2019 it was nicely in between the Tour and the Vuelta).

    I did spend a few days WFH double-screening though.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,448
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    For the record, Freibos gave this 4 glasses of wine out of 5
    Also for the record, @iainf72 thinks Freibos is consistently grading a glass too high, so I'm guessing that's a 3 glasses from him, which could be a 6 but maybe 7

    He's a miserabilist (Iain, not Friebos).
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,660
    edited July 2023
    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    ddraver said:

    Solid 8

    Very good, very entertaining but lacked a romance stage (e.g Cav, Pinot)

    GC battle too often quashed a swashbuckling break effort which gives less to watch.

    (I'm going to have to revisit last year. I was very surprised to remember it got 5 wines and 9s. That feels a bit Eurosport to me...)

    Granon last year surpassed anything we saw this year. The most incredible stage I've ever seen.
    True, but We can't judge* a whole tour on one stage

    *on this entirely subjective and arbitary, just for fun scale... 🫣
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    andyp said:

    No_Ta_Doctor said:

    For the record, Freibos gave this 4 glasses of wine out of 5
    Also for the record, @iainf72 thinks Freibos is consistently grading a glass too high, so I'm guessing that's a 3 glasses from him, which could be a 6 but maybe 7

    He's a miserabilist (Iain, not Friebos).
    He's Scottish, it happens. Probably the rain
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  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,031
    A rather harsh 7. I was vascillating between 7 and 8 and went with 7 simply because it had attracted fewer votes. 70% would be a first in any UK university so 7/10 is still a good score.

    A very good start to the GC battle which gradually petered out. Cav promised but circumstances robbed us of the chance to see whether he could deliver. Some excellent individual stages but for me the main course is the GC battle and ultimately that was good but not great.

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • hypster
    hypster Posts: 1,229
    10 out of 10 for the first two weeks of GC racing. Minus 1 for Cav's record breaking sprint mechanical. Minus 1 for Cav crashing out next day. Minus four for Philipsen's cheating wins.
    That leave a score of 4/10. Must do better next year.
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 825
    Last Monday I would have given it a 9 or 10.
    Since then every race has been a true 'stage for the ages' (I don't count Sunday) yet the collective lack of tension in all the jersey competitions, save for the white which looked like it might burst back into life, means it's down to an 8.
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • richys
    richys Posts: 28
    Some good stages. Puy de Dome was a bit all mouth and no trousers. But, no race for green — especially after Jakobson’s crash, then Cav ending his Tour career in the most banal way. Which was massively disappointing.

    More importantly, this is the first tour since I started watching (in 92) that I didn’t finish. I just didn’t find Vingegaard’s performance in the TT credible. Jumbo have clearly found something. I don’t know what, and whatever it is isn’t necessarily (yet) against the rules. But I have trouble believing. This isn’t just a marginal gain. And for that reason (to paraphrase Dragon’s Den), I’m out.

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