Grand Tour question from a casual fan

I'm not an expert, but I'd answer a little bit yes and a little bit no.
From a gringo perspective, sure, it's all about Lance and the tour and
everything else takes a back seat. On the other hand,

--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
"Krusty" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've never paid attention to any cycling events but the three "Grand
Tours", so please excuse me if I'm completely off base here...but that
said:

It seems to me that since Lance won the Tour in '99, the Giro and
Vuelta have become less and less significant. This seems to be
evidenced by the fact that no serious TDF contender has won either
race since that year's Vuelta. Am I mistaken here, or has LA's
exclusive focus on winning the TDF dealt a detrimental blow to these
two tours?

For some reason, the reply I was composing mysteriously launched itself
prior to completion. Premature emailulation.

Anyway, as I was saying, on the other hand, if you're Spanish or Italian,
the Vuelta and Giro are still mighty important races. There are some very
good riders from those countries who will focus on their respective national
tours above the Tour de France.

In the end, though, I'm sure the organizers of the Vuelta and Giro would
have given their right arms or left nuts or whatever to have Lance show up
.... just once.

--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm not an expert, but I'd answer a little bit yes and a little bit no.
From a gringo perspective, sure, it's all about Lance and the tour and
everything else takes a back seat. On the other hand,

--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
"Krusty" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've never paid attention to any cycling events but the three "Grand
Tours", so please excuse me if I'm completely off base here...but that
said:

It seems to me that since Lance won the Tour in '99, the Giro and
Vuelta have become less and less significant. This seems to be
evidenced by the fact that no serious TDF contender has won either
race since that year's Vuelta. Am I mistaken here, or has LA's
exclusive focus on winning the TDF dealt a detrimental blow to these
two tours?

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I've never paid attention to any cycling events but the three "Grand
Tours", so please excuse me if I'm completely off base here...but that
said:

It seems to me that since Lance won the Tour in '99, the Giro and
Vuelta have become less and less significant. This seems to be
evidenced by the fact that no serious TDF contender has won either
race since that year's Vuelta. Am I mistaken here, or has LA's
exclusive focus on winning the TDF dealt a detrimental blow to these
two tours?

You have obviously been influenced from watching OLN. They are the only idiots
who think the other two tours don't deserve decent TV coverage. We really
don't need to have each TDF stage repeated 20 times a day. At the very least
they did not try the iditotic fan show they had last year. They should cut
some of the daily TDF repeats and give us better Giro and Vuelta coverage.
---------------
Alex

Krusty a écrit :

Quoted message said:

It seems to me that since Lance won the Tour in '99, the Giro and
Vuelta have become less and less significant. This seems to be
evidenced by the fact that no serious TDF contender has won either
race since that year's Vuelta. Am I mistaken here, or has LA's
exclusive focus on winning the TDF dealt a detrimental blow to these
two tours?

"The Giro is different from the Tour. Giro climbs are harder, but the
pace in the Tour is much harder, the level of the riders is much
higher in the Tour." This is essentially what Salvoldelli said today
after winning the stage.

-ilan

I think outlets such as Cycling Tv on the net need to "come alive" and
start offering the Vuelta and such through pay per view. I subscribed
to the OLN Tour of Italy stages as I'm sure many of you did which I
thought was a good deal for less then 10 dollars no commentating but
who cares we can SEE what's going on..would love to see them do this
for the Vuelta.

Krusty said:

I've never paid attention to any cycling events but the three "Grand
Tours", so please excuse me if I'm completely off base here...but that
said:

It seems to me that since Lance won the Tour in '99, the Giro and
Vuelta have become less and less significant. This seems to be
evidenced by the fact that no serious TDF contender has won either
race since that year's Vuelta. Am I mistaken here, or has LA's
exclusive focus on winning the TDF dealt a detrimental blow to these
two tours?

It certainly has been detrimental to the regard in which LA is held.

He know how to win the TdF. Over and over.

The great riders could win the other races as well.

Ron

RonSonic a écrit :

Quoted message said:

The great riders could win the other races as well.

Right, Anquetil won Bordeaux-Paris, which Armstrong never even
competed in.

-ilan

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:56:18 GMT, RonSonic <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

It certainly has been detrimental to the regard in which LA is held.

He know how to win the TdF. Over and over.

The great riders could win the other races as well.

Ron

Just curious, but ....did Indurain, Hinault, or Le Mond win any of
those other races to which you refer?

Robert

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:56:18 GMT, RonSonic <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Krusty said:

I've never paid attention to any cycling events but the three "Grand
Tours", so please excuse me if I'm completely off base here...but that
said:

It seems to me that since Lance won the Tour in '99, the Giro and
Vuelta have become less and less significant. This seems to be
evidenced by the fact that no serious TDF contender has won either
race since that year's Vuelta. Am I mistaken here, or has LA's
exclusive focus on winning the TDF dealt a detrimental blow to these
two tours?

It certainly has been detrimental to the regard in which LA is held.

Ah, bullshirt. Even his detractors are, I suspect, privately amazed at what
good form he's showing at the advanced age of almost 34 in this year's
Tour.

Quoted message said:

He know how to win the TdF. Over and over.

Uh, no, Tonto, it's 'Him know how to win TdF.' ;-D

Quoted message said:

The great riders could win the other races as well.

He could have won other races, but he's been busy training and carrying
guitars and fulfilling obligations to his Foundation and his sponsors, and
making all those funny commercials with Paulie and Orange Co Choppers, ya
know.

jj

Quoted message said:

Ron

Alex Rodriguez <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

You have obviously been influenced from watching OLN. They are the
only idiots who think the other two tours don't deserve decent TV
coverage. We really don't need to have each TDF stage repeated 20
times a day. At the very least they did not try the iditotic fan show
they had last year. They should cut some of the daily TDF repeats and
give us better Giro and Vuelta coverage. ---------------

These are REALLY stupid ideas. If you were an executive at OLN you would
do exactly the same thing or else you'd get FIRED! They're in business to
make money, not to cater to the viewing interests of some sliver of the
population. All the [censored] about the other grand tours from folks like
you is matched by folks who are [censored] about missing their fix of bull
riding in July. Boo hoo.

Where the hell were you when OLN did carry the Vuelta and Giro Live?
Obviously they would have continued doing it if there were enough viewers
so they could sell it to advertisers. Same with live coverage of Paris-
Roubaix.

But it is what it is, and it is still lightyears ahead of where it was
only a few years ago when we got 1/2 hour nightly coverage of the Tour on
ESPN. Only a complete idiot would complain about it now.

Thanks you very much, dumbass.

NS

Krusty said:

I've never paid attention to any cycling events but the three "Grand
Tours", so please excuse me if I'm completely off base here...but that
said:

It seems to me that since Lance won the Tour in '99, the Giro and
Vuelta have become less and less significant. This seems to be
evidenced by the fact that no serious TDF contender has won either
race since that year's Vuelta. Am I mistaken here, or has LA's
exclusive focus on winning the TDF dealt a detrimental blow to these
two tours?

Armstrong's dominance and method, trying to peak for the Tour, has
caused others to do the same. Less ephasis on winning the other to
GTs. That reduces the quality of riding which reduces the quality of
the races.

David Ferguson said:

Krusty said:

I've never paid attention to any cycling events but the three "Grand
Tours", so please excuse me if I'm completely off base here...but that
said:

It seems to me that since Lance won the Tour in '99, the Giro and
Vuelta have become less and less significant. This seems to be
evidenced by the fact that no serious TDF contender has won either
race since that year's Vuelta. Am I mistaken here, or has LA's
exclusive focus on winning the TDF dealt a detrimental blow to these
two tours?

Armstrong's dominance and method, trying to peak for the Tour, has
caused others to do the same. Less ephasis on winning the other to
GTs. That reduces the quality of riding which reduces the quality of
the races.

Yet this year's Tour is being ridden at speeds that are unprecedented. I
suspect this year's Giro was also ridden at higher speeds than years past.

It may be that because some riders sit out (or drop out of) races to
concentrate on the big three (or one) that the race quality is slightly
less, but it's still pretty high, imo.

jj

Alex Rodriguez said:

You have obviously been influenced from watching OLN. They are the only idiots
who think the other two tours don't deserve decent TV coverage.

<snip>

Dumbass -

You've got your head up your ass.

Remember David Tosi, the Italian ultranationalist who used to post
here?

The ultranationalist himself thought that the Giro was in danger of
sliding into insignificance because the only teams that cared about
that race were Italian.

The ProTour has actually changed that for the better. Still, the Giro
and the Vuelta are not the Tour.

Finally, Eddy Merckx himself said, "There is only one, you know".

thanks,

K. Gringioni.

Jet said:

David Ferguson said:

Krusty said:

I've never paid attention to any cycling events but the three "Grand
Tours", so please excuse me if I'm completely off base here...but that
said:

It seems to me that since Lance won the Tour in '99, the Giro and
Vuelta have become less and less significant. This seems to be
evidenced by the fact that no serious TDF contender has won either
race since that year's Vuelta. Am I mistaken here, or has LA's
exclusive focus on winning the TDF dealt a detrimental blow to these
two tours?

Armstrong's dominance and method, trying to peak for the Tour, has
caused others to do the same. Less ephasis on winning the other to
GTs. That reduces the quality of riding which reduces the quality of
the races.

Yet this year's Tour is being ridden at speeds that are unprecedented. I
suspect this year's Giro was also ridden at higher speeds than years past.

It may be that because some riders sit out (or drop out of) races to
concentrate on the big three (or one) that the race quality is slightly
less, but it's still pretty high, imo.

jj

They are still great events. I have a special fondness for the Giro,
as much as the Tour. The Vuelta..... just not quite as much.

If someone said 'you can be on any team and win any event' I would be
on CSC winning the Giro.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Robert Crim said:

On Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:56:18 GMT, RonSonic <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

It certainly has been detrimental to the regard in which LA is held.

He know how to win the TdF. Over and over.

The great riders could win the other races as well.

Ron

Just curious, but ....did Indurain, Hinault, or Le Mond win any of
those other races to which you refer?

Robert

You decide.

http://www.trap-friis.dk/cykling/hof/spanien.Indurain.htm

http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/palmares/hinault_bernard.php

http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/palmares/lemond_greg.php

--
tanx,
Howard

Butter is love.

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

Alex Rodriguez said:

You have obviously been influenced from watching OLN. They are the only idiots
who think the other two tours don't deserve decent TV coverage. We really
don't need to have each TDF stage repeated 20 times a day. At the very least
they did not try the iditotic fan show they had last year. They should cut
some of the daily TDF repeats and give us better Giro and Vuelta coverage.
---------------
Alex

The ratings just aren't there. I chatted with Frankie Andreu before he
made an appearance at the Tour of Utah (almost as big as the French
one), and Frankie said that while the TdF is "a gold mine" for OLN, the
Vuelta and Giro are of interest only to us bike racing geeks.

He's a pleasant guy. I need to catch up with the ToU organizer to
inquire about FA's ride in the citizen's class race. They rode up
Traverse Ridge in Draper, which is 4 miles @ average 10%. God that
sucked when I rode it on my own. I wonder if Frankie chatted with the
leaders as he rode along.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall

Conservative dictionary:
Judicial Activist: n. A judge who tends to rule against your wishes.

"Alex Rodriguez" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

You have obviously been influenced from watching OLN. They are the only
idiots
who think the other two tours don't deserve decent TV coverage. We really
don't need to have each TDF stage repeated 20 times a day. At the very
least
they did not try the iditotic fan show they had last year. They should
cut
some of the daily TDF repeats and give us better Giro and Vuelta coverage.
---------------

How would cutting daily repeats of TDF allow OLN to give us better Giro &
Vuelta coverage? I can't see the link between them. The daily repeats are
low hanging fruit for OLN. They have no production costs can generate ad
revenue. OLN tried daily coverage of the Giro & Vuelta and they did not get
the ratings to support showing them.

Jet said:

Yet this year's Tour is being ridden at speeds that are unprecedented.

Everyone says that, and it may even be true, but Erik Dekker said: this
Tour is exactly like the other 10 I rode, fast and tiring.

--
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David Ferguson said:

If someone said 'you can be on any team and win any event' I would be
on CSC winning the Giro.

Worlds, for Monaco. Or Paris-Roubaix for Bik Sloopwerken ("Grit
Demolitionworks"😉.

--
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