EDWARD PICKERING
ProCycling EDITOR - December 2016
There’s a debate often had in cycling about which of the Grand Tours is the best. It flares up around this time of year, when the routes of the three races - the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España - are being announced, and again during the races themselves. I can really see all three sides of the argument. The Giro’s scenery is stunning and the impression I get is that there’s a depth of understanding of the race among the local fans that is only equalled by the Flemish fans at the northern Classics.
The Tour's not shabby in terms of its aesthetics either, and it attracts the best field of the year. The best climbers and the best sprinters are there, in their best form. This might make the racing less open, but the tightness of the margins gives it a unique sense of pressure and stress.
The Vuelta also attracts a great field, only with half the pressure and the added interest of it being the best of the three races for young riders to make their first GC assault. I also think it's important that the three races maintain their separate identities and rhythms. While I’m interested in comparing them, I wouldn’t want the Tour to become more like the Vuelta, with a greater number of summit finishes, or the Giro to lose its connection with its fans.
Which was the best of the three this year? For me it was the Giro. The Tour was its usual huge self and I enjoyed it, but the GC was a nonstory. The Vuelta was entertaining, and had the most tactical and exciting racing. But I thought the Giro narrative around Nibali’s slowburning form and his dramatic lastditch GC assault was fascinating. Perhaps it was because the story of a beaten champion coming back to win his home race was a compelling one, and his emotional connection with the fans made it more visceral.
With the Giro and Tour routes for 2017 already announced, and the Vuelta coming soon, right now I’m looking forward to all three.
ProCycling EDITOR - December 2016
There’s a debate often had in cycling about which of the Grand Tours is the best. It flares up around this time of year, when the routes of the three races - the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España - are being announced, and again during the races themselves. I can really see all three sides of the argument. The Giro’s scenery is stunning and the impression I get is that there’s a depth of understanding of the race among the local fans that is only equalled by the Flemish fans at the northern Classics.
The Tour's not shabby in terms of its aesthetics either, and it attracts the best field of the year. The best climbers and the best sprinters are there, in their best form. This might make the racing less open, but the tightness of the margins gives it a unique sense of pressure and stress.
The Vuelta also attracts a great field, only with half the pressure and the added interest of it being the best of the three races for young riders to make their first GC assault. I also think it's important that the three races maintain their separate identities and rhythms. While I’m interested in comparing them, I wouldn’t want the Tour to become more like the Vuelta, with a greater number of summit finishes, or the Giro to lose its connection with its fans.
Which was the best of the three this year? For me it was the Giro. The Tour was its usual huge self and I enjoyed it, but the GC was a nonstory. The Vuelta was entertaining, and had the most tactical and exciting racing. But I thought the Giro narrative around Nibali’s slowburning form and his dramatic lastditch GC assault was fascinating. Perhaps it was because the story of a beaten champion coming back to win his home race was a compelling one, and his emotional connection with the fans made it more visceral.
With the Giro and Tour routes for 2017 already announced, and the Vuelta coming soon, right now I’m looking forward to all three.
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