I'm now a Giro convert...

[aellaguno]

The giro is amazing, beautiful scenery, crazy mountain pitches and way more explosive than the Tour... if you still have doubts, watch todays Zoncolan finale, what a great race!!

[Joxster]

The Giro and Vuelta orgainisers threw the health and safety manual out the window and look for the hardest, nastiest routes possible. When you're watching two top pro's sprinting up a climb for the line at 7mph you know it's tough.

[semdoug]

There was a time back in the 90's when the Outdoor Life Network aired every stage.

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[nate2351]

A user on WW referred to it as the hipster grand tour; the most authentic.

All jokes aside it has something the tour doesn't.

Just wait until next week.

[jlwdm]

Originally Posted by cadence90

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But, as the proper speakers always say, "meglio più tardi che mai"! And so, welcome (finally) to the best stage race in the world.


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I don't see how it can be the best stage race when it does not have the best riders (or best riders peaking for the event) and does not have the strongest teams.

Sure the Giro can be fun to watch, but it is not the "best" stage race under my definition of "best."

Jeff

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[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by jlwdm

I don't see how it can be the best stage race when it does not have the best riders (or best riders peaking for the event) and does not have the strongest teams.

Sure the Giro can be fun to watch, but it is not the "best" stage race under my definition of "best."

Jeff

Huh? It is about the race and the way that it plays out. It is all relative. It is sports entertainment and the Giro is very entertaining in a way that the tour is not. It is therefor better than the tour and thus (assuming that it is better than the Vuelta) is the best. The guys riding it are not second tier has beens. Not everyone peaks for the tour, some riders want to win the Giro and don't consider it a consolation prize to the tour. All things considered, the best race is the race that is the most entertaining and that can potentially be any race. The organizers of the Vuelta and the Giro seem to get this in a way that the tour does not.

[paredown]

Originally Posted by cadence90

I swear to Dio, the first few times I read this thread title I thought, "OK, another person moving over to Giro from Sidis, or Fiziks, or Northwaves, etc.", and just moved on without opening the thread.

It never even crossed my mind that the actual truth could be what I just read above...just shameful!

But, as the proper speakers always say, "meglio più tardi che mai"! And so, welcome (finally) to the best stage race in the world.


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Cheers!

Happy to be on board.

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[fignon's barber]

The Tour is more calculated, the Giro more "almost anything goes". Depends on your preference.

[ultraman6970]

Everything calculated made the race bore as hell... The only way to me to keep the "calculated" part off and keeping it at the same time, just to make the race more entertained is just make smaller teams and add a couple of more teams.

No idea about the vuelta this year but hope it gets as good as been in the last few years.

[rain dogs]

The cycling calendar is diverse and the more people give time to the individual races the better. But does it really need to be: "This is the best this and that is the No.1 on this?"

The races are somewhat distinct and some years better than others but they are all usually pretty good.

Sure, generally, the Giro is quite dramatic, yes, the Tour is the most commercial (which comes with pros and cons), and the Vuelta is sheer entertainment (especially in the last 6-10 years).

I think what is great is that they all have their own uniqueness, but I also think it'd be better if they were celebrated as the "three grand tours"

Lately it seems like with everything there is so much division and need to say: "I'm a Tour person"... or "I'm all about the Giro" or... "The Vuelta is where it's at... I'm kinda glad it's my little secret"

They're all good. Some years one will have a unique greatness, other times that one might be boring as heck.

[nalax]

Lately the Tour has been like watching golf.

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