Best races 2005

tcklyde said:

What were the best races to watch this year?

For me, the best grand tour was easily the Giro. Real suspense all the way through.

As for the others, it is a really tough call. I htink I'll go with LBL because:

1. A good breakaway won
2. The breakaway was with two of my favorite riders
3. Neither could get away from each other until the last kms
4. I really like LBL as a race.

I also enjoyed Flanders. Watching pull Boonen pull away from the group and then just hammer to the line was pretty sweet.

For me, it was Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix. I love the Spring Classics.

🙂

The best GT was the Giro, in terms of excitement and unpredictability. Oh, and also the ending was perfect ... with Savoldelli winning. :p

musette said:

The best GT was the Giro, in terms of excitement and unpredictability. Oh, and also the ending was perfect ... with Savoldelli winning. :p

Yes, I hadn't realised he'd signed for Lotto...

Giro was great but for sheer audacious tactics and a great exploit, stage 15 of the Vuelta was the best single stage in a GT for me

as for the Classics - what a great season for QS

I thought this years racing was very exciting and it is therefore a tough question to answer.

The Giro was very good - it had everything.
The Vuelta too was pretty exciting as well but, for me, the Giro had so much suspense that it had to be best Tour.

The best one day ?
I enjoyed them all but again putting my head on the block I've got to say I really enjoyed P-R.
It's my favourite one day race and TB's win was superb.

Non-grand tour stage race ? I enjoyed Tirreno Adriactico (which Eurosport covered this year).

musette said:

The best GT was the Giro, in terms of excitement and unpredictability. Oh, and also the ending was perfect ... with Savoldelli winning. :p

have to agree... was a great tour... the stage to Sestre was amazing, best I've seen in anyrace this year... also note that DiLuca is concentrating on the Giro next year after he's strong showing...

I loved the mountain stage in the tour when Hincapie beat Priero. Maybe Hincapie could win the Tour. He is such a good all arounder these days.

oneradtec said:

I loved the mountain stage in the tour when Hincapie beat Priero. Maybe Hincapie could win the Tour. He is such a good all arounder these days.

Hincapie has a very good chance of winning the Tour... in fact he's got it won already.

LOL, Hincapie is good no doubt about it, but winning le tour.......no way!! Basso is La's succesor!!!!!!!!

whiteboytrash said:

Hincapie has a very good chance of winning the Tour... in fact he's got it won already.

tcklyde said:

What were the best races to watch this year?

For me, the best grand tour was easily the Giro. Real suspense all the way through.

As for the others, it is a really tough call. I htink I'll go with LBL because:

1. A good breakaway won
2. The breakaway was with two of my favorite riders
3. Neither could get away from each other until the last kms
4. I really like LBL as a race.

I also enjoyed Flanders. Watching pull Boonen pull away from the group and then just hammer to the line was pretty sweet.

For me the best GC was the Giro, the best Proteam one day race was The Tour of Flanders for me (great win of Tom Boonen, great performance of Erik Zabel - 4th place -). The best European Continental one day race was (for me!) the E3 in Belgium with a great breakaway with Tom Boonen and Andreas Klier.

oneradtec said:

Maybe Hincapie could win the Tour.

Have you been taking mind altering substances?

patch70 said:

Have you been taking mind altering substances?

He could be the first rider to win Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders, Tour de France, World Champs in one year.

oneradtec said:

I loved the mountain stage in the tour when Hincapie beat Priero. Maybe Hincapie could win the Tour. He is such a good all arounder these days.

Relax and come back to earth, my friend. Winning the Tour? 🙄 I think that there are a few other riders who are in a slightly better position to aim for that...

I realise that this is an English-centered forum, but this whole Discovery thing is becoming excessive - from the "Tour is over because Lance is not there" syndrome (lol) to Hincapie won a stage and now will take over winning the Tour... sheesh. 😉

Yes Giro was the best GT. The stage to Sestriere (and not sestre 😎 ) gave us something from the past.
I have difficulties to choose any from the Spring classics. All of them had good tactics and good suspence even when the favorits were the ones that prevailed at the end (Petacchi at San Remo, Boonen at Flanders and Roubaix, Vino at LBL, Di Luca at Amstel and Fleche).

As for Hincapie's win... Well, it's interesting that someone who fails systematically to win a race at his speciality, he wins a race that's far away from his range 😕

The bad with the ProTour is that after TDF the majority of the peloton had already blew the gasket...

For me Gent - Wevelgem and Classic of Zurich!