How do we Rate the Giro 2024 thread ?

mididoctors
mididoctors Posts: 18,907

Poll option missing

"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

Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661

    5/10 for obvious reasons.

  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,657

    I don’t think there were enough comments, and some were quite repetitive.

    The introductory facts and mapping were most informative and I was very grateful for that, so 7/10

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,095

    6/10

    Most stages were good fun, some decent weather on the scenery, and an outstanding performance against an otherwise weak gc field. I enjoyed.

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,289

    6/10. Agree with KG. The winner was never in any doubt but there was some interest at least if taking most stages individually.

    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,461

    Lots of good individual stages, the GC battle was pretty much done and dusted after the first weekend. It was disappointing that no-one in the top 10 (other than Pog) put in a meaningful attack to gain places. They all looked like the most they could manage was to hand on to Pog until he decided to attack. I enjoyed watching a the dominance to an extent but everyone else felt less than second rate in comparison. The sprint stages were very disappointing considering the depth of the sprint field on paper. Milan was impressive, Merlier not too far behind but the others really weren’t on form.

    I’ll probably go 6/10 for a series of mainly interesting one day races. First week was probably higher.

  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,813

    6/10.

    Some great stages. Good to see some emerging talent, plus a resurgent JA and Ineos doing some attacking.

    GC never in doubt but an utter masterclass.

  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,544

    I think it's hard to justify anything higher than a 6/10, even if we did witness one of the all time greats of the sport add to his palmares. As Daniel Friebe pointed out none of the top ten GC riders other than Pogacar won a stage, which goes to show how dominate he was and how tightly his team controlled the race.

    The Milan versus Merlier duel livened up the sprint stages, especially in the final week.

    I enjoyed the break out rides from new and up and coming talent, the likes of Pellizzari, Steinhauser, Pelayo Sanchez, Valentin Paret-Peintre and Narvaez rode brilliantly all race. It was a shame Pellizzari didn't get a stage win, but his ride on Stage 20 was very impressive for a 20 year old. The other four not only won stages but were active throughout the race.

    I thought RCS did a great job in creating a route that allowed for attacking racing, but their handling of the Livigno stage start was poorly done. The weather was atrocious and expecting riders to do some kind of parade start only to then be driven for an hour or more to the proper start was disrespectful.

  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 898

    Strange Giro.

    Despite none of the major competitions being in doubt for most of the 3 weeks I was curiously entertained. As mentioned, 9 of the top 10 failed to win a stage and G Zubeldia'd his way to a podium. You could also argue that 2 out of Merlier's 3 wins were down to the actions of Milan too.

    As a series of 1 day races it was a great watch with a good selection of winners. The momentum of a surprisingly good first week carried the race pretty much up to stage 16, which annoyed me not just because of the debacle but because the route they'd chosen was already ripe for a plan a, b and the eventually alighted/staggered on plan c. There has to be some credit for organising a detour through a different country. A stage 16a TT through the Livigno tunnel would have been epic but as a goer belongs in the 70s.

    The Rome finish needs a rethink. The vast majority of the people I met roadside stumbled across the event whilst trying to get to or from the Colosseum or the Forum. There was no event buzz throughout the city although the road closures made getting about on foot a lot easier. I didn't see any advertising or explanation of the event within the city either. If it's going to work as anything other than a frustrating coda to an already long piece then the calendar's going to need some surgery to allow them to visit the northern mountains in week 2 and race down to Rome.

    Overall, was hoping to give it a 7 but, on reflection, it's a 6.

    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,646

    6/10

    It's a 5 really, but gets an extra point for the fact that Pog's dominance was truly generational

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  • wallace_and_gromit
    wallace_and_gromit Posts: 3,591

    Agreed. One can only raise one's hat at that level of superiority. Pog made some very good, if not absolute top tier riders look like Muppets. (Or one's eyebrow at the other end of the cynicism scale!)

  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,473

    6/10 as well. I really enjoyed it. Saw the arrival in Fano in person while I was there to race Nove Colli, but more GC jeopardy is needed to make it a truly great edition. Pogacar was too good even in the stage battles. Greatly enjoyed him, but it was not enough from the others.

    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,461

    Feels like there’s a rare Bike Radar consensus

  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,312

    If Pog hadn't been there then it would have been closer and poss more of a fight but what are you going to do? Thomas knows how to ride his own race but it's mad how it's changed at the front end with Roglic,Pog and JV seemingly able to ride away at will over and over.

  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,289

    Tbh, I'm not sure Roglic is still in that league either.

    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,095

    Roglic didn't quite do the same to Thomas last year.

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,907

    More compelling watch than you would think looking at the GC ...it was on for me in the back ground most of it .


    Some interesting changes in tactical norms

    "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
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,646

    I think I'd like to update my ranking to Nairo/10

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,907

    6/10 I might push out to 7 .

    For a while now tactical management has got more hands on in real time . This oddly has resulted in less control and As such now there are no safe stages in GTs anymore . Twice the sprinters were out played . And several times the very local conditions of narrower roads lead to GC interest even without wind . The benefits of seeing pretty much the whole thing I suppose

    "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
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,691

    I usually say I stop watching if it's sub-5 and...well I did so...

    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,094

    7/10. I enjoyed it at least as much as most grand tours - it'd be hard to give an explanation why as it lacked most of the ingredients that make a good race - but I did.

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • I enjoyed it, Pog's demonstration of superiority was great to watch, and the rest of the racing was good as well.

  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,907
    "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
  • exlaser
    exlaser Posts: 268

    4 out of 10 at best . Boring stages and a boring result . Easily the worst Giro for twenty years.

    Van Nicholas Ventus
    Rose Xeon RS
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,461

    Boring stages?

  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,227

    I enjoyed watching most of the stages, almost all on catch up and skip through FF to get towards last 40km or so. Not going to rate it out of 10, why should I? but I enjoyed seeing Pogi do his thing, the sprints head to head with Milan and Merlier, JA doing a breakaway win, been a while, and kids like Steinhauser and V Paret-Peintre (🤔) getting wins. Nice sceneries as well. So there.

  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,546

    I thought the route was good, particularly early on.

    Interesting racing during the stages.

    One of the best ever riders putting on a show.

    Only disappointments were the lack of action behind Pogi and the Stelvio stage being thwarted by the weather.

    6.5/10