One day races vs. stage races

[MattTuck]

Rather than hijack the Vino thread, I figured I'd start this as a fresh topic.


I started off (probably like a lot of Americans my age) hearing about and then watching Lance at le tour. And I really liked the strategy involved in winning the general classification, the team tactics, the epicness of the climbs, etc.

Lately (the last 2-3 years) I've found myself more interested in one day races, especially Flanders and Roubaix.

Both types of races have their appeal, and I'll probably continue paying attention to the tours and longer races, but there is something special about having just one shot at getting it right on a single day.

Curious how others feel, or if others have changed their interests over time.

[William]

One day races for me are more interesting. Don't get me wrong, I like watching major stage races. The main reason stems from my racing days. Due to my size, in one to three day races I was strong and could duke it out with the top guys. Beyond that my energy levels and ability to rebound quickly would start to wane. So I concentrated on my strengths and raced crits, road races and short stage races.

I also think that one day races force riders to be more decisive in their tactics and take more risks to get it done as opposed to chipping away over many days of a race.




William

[johnnymossville]

I think the spring racing season in Europe is as good as it gets in bike racing as there are races of importance for all types of riders.

Many of those races are hard enough to split up the field into small groups, and in Cancellara's case, long solo breaks that stick. I love this kind of racing, compared to a bunch sprint day after day.

Looking at the finish the other day at LBL you could just see how completely spent those riders were as they came across the line. That race is brutally wonderful.

We need more races like that in the USA. Battenkill is a pretty good start.

[jlwdm]

I have watched the tour for over 25 years and enjoy it every year.

On the other hand you can't beat the spring classics. Every week the best cyclists in the world are battling it out on flat courses with cobblestones, flat courses with nasty cobblestone climbs or seemingly flat courses with some nasty climbs at the end which really show who is strong and who is not.

In the tour you see some good field sprints but most of the stage wins do not mean a lot. The winner gets a lot of prestige, but often the rider was in a break that no one cared about or the rider is not feared in the overall standings. The constant battles in the spring of the best riders in the world are amazing.

Jeff

[dimsy]

this year has been a doozy for the spring classics, cancellara winning milan-san remo, roubaix and flanders was just an amazing sight to see. not only did he win, but he dominated. looking forward to see how he'll hold up in the tours. my bet is that he's got a few more seasons before he can dominate on that level. (though he's proven that he can hang with the best of em, crushing them in a multi stage event seems a bit more difficult).

[BdaGhisallo]

Oscar Freire won MSRemo. Cancellara did win the GP E3 Harelbeke in addition to his Flanders and Roubaix wins. A phenomenal spring for him it has certainly been. Many other riders with this run of success would rest on their laurels for the rest of the year, and they'd be okay to do it. But you just know that Cancellara will be rarin' to go at the Tour.

[1centaur]

I love stage racing and one-day classics for different reasons. I also dislike them for different reasons. Stage racing has to cater to specialties, so we get days of boring sprints in the last 60 seconds of days of boring breakaways. You have to cut through a lot chaff to get the wheat of a meaningful breakaway that works.

In one-days, the race is often won in the course of a few seconds, a la Cancellara making a move. So you wait a year, you hope you're paying attention when those few seconds occur, you hope there's some excitement left, and there isn't (often). Or you get three people coming to the finish and only one is a good sprinter. It's nice in it's own way, but it's as predictable as Lance in a way as well.

Something I'd like to see that does not exist because the one-day classics are built around Belgium: A one-day "classic" that features a hors categorie finish. If the domestiques were not thinking about recovery for the next day the way they are in a stage race HC finish, how would they deliver their man up the mountain. Would Cancellara or Voight go beyond expectations to pull Sastre up? Would climbers need to get good at the last 2k rather than the last 8k and thus different climbers would be the favorites? Make it a different HC each year to keep it surprising.

[MattTuck]

In one-days, the race is often won in the course of a few seconds, a la Cancellara making a move.

Something I'd like to see that does not exist because the one-day classics are built around Belgium: A one-day "classic" that features a hors categorie finish.


First, I'm not sure that Cancellara would agree that he won "in the course of a few seconds." Time trialling for 50K off the front is no cake walk.

Second, I totally agree. I'd love to see a one day race through Vermont and New Hampshire up and over some of the decent climbs, ending with the stretch from Lincoln to Conway over the Kancamagus Pass, and then North up to Mt. Washington.

[1centaur]

First, I'm not sure that Cancellara would agree that he won "in the course of a few seconds." Time trialling for 50K off the front is no cake walk.

Nothing those guys do is easy, but, for the viewer, the surprise and anticipation were over very quickly. Just watching him do that twice it was easy to imagine watching him do it 20 times, with Phil and Paul left speculating whether he could push it to 4 minutes, no it's down to nearly 2, oh it's out to 2:26, etc. etc. for an hour.

[thwart]

I really love the Spring Classics.

A one day event, usually a mixed hilly and flat course, the promise of Spring in the fields and trees... knowledgeable and adoring crowds, the uncertainty of the weather... cobblestones... what's not to like?

A downside: the best part of the bike racing year just ended.

[r_mutt]

In one-days, the race is often won in the course of a few seconds, a la Cancellara making a move. So you wait a year, you hope you're paying attention when those few seconds occur, you hope there's some excitement left, and there isn't (often). Or you get three people coming to the finish and only one is a good sprinter. It's nice in it's own way, but it's as predictable as Lance in a way as well.


i don't believe that the one day classics are predictable at all. did you know that vino was going to win LBL? freire at milan san remo? how about evans in the 09 WC or at flèche wallonne. did you know that he was going to pass contador in the last 100 meters? i don't think these outcomes were given.

it's like saying that basketball games are all about the last 2 minutes.

[JohnHemlock]

I like attending grand tours better. There's a rhythm that comes with following the race around. Espresso, ride bike, eat lunch, ride bike some more, find good spot to watch, watch race pass by, ride into town, eat and drink. Repeat as often as possible.

On TV I prefer the one day classics.

[dekindy]

I like the tours as team competition and the stage races as individual competition. To that end I wish that they would disallow team tactics on stage races and may the best man win. Too many stage races come down to field sprints.

[johnnymossville]

I like attending grand tours better. There's a rhythm that comes with following the race around. Espresso, ride bike, eat lunch, ride bike some more, find good spot to watch, watch race pass by, ride into town, eat and drink. Repeat as often as possible.

On TV I prefer the one day classics.

sounds good to me! :beer:

[1centaur]

i don't believe that the one day classics are predictable at all. did you know that vino was going to win LBL? freire at milan san remo? how about evans in the 09 WC or at flèche wallonne. did you know that he was going to pass contador in the last 100 meters? i don't think these outcomes were given.

The word "often" was key to my sentiment. Flanders and P-R particularly. L-B-L and F-W very rarely. WC is not a classic. MSR is a sprint and a different category most of the time. The Tour can be a cliff hanger too.