Favourite grand tour

Sorry if this has been asked before. I did check and it looks like not (maybe something similar, but not specifically grand tour).

What is everyones favourite grand tour?

Mine is Giro.

4 Likes

Giro d’Italia. All the fun of a grand tour but with a little extra madness thrown in. The fact that it doesn’t have the biiggest teams’ A teams means that the racing is a bit less controlled.

4 Likes

Agree with you on why the Giro is amazing. My favourite will always be le tour though. Just an amazing spectacle and I feel there’s more desire from pros and teams to win it.

Wonder if anyone will say Vuelta?

3 Likes

Tied for me between Giro and le Tour. Agree with you on wondering if anyone will say la Vuelta…

1 Like

How to answer this?! :joy:

Agree with @JustInTime, hard to pick between Giro and Tour…

2 Likes

Agreed with what everyone is saying here. Both the Giro and le Tour have something special about them. Nothing against la Vuelta, but it just doesn’t have the same ‘stuff’ as the others - imo

2 Likes

100% le tour - always a great race!!

2 Likes

I’d love to be a hipster and say la vuelta ….
but it’s the tour.

There’s so much riding in it, the high of summer and the race that introduces 99% of us to the sport.

3 Likes

Oh man - we are all on the same track here. Toss up for me between Giro and Tour…

3 Likes

ive ridden la vuelta (twice), giro italia (three times), giro sicilia (once)…hands down, giro italia.

never done the tdF…not high on my list…probably because i dont like french food and there is no pasta in france.

Giro, always.

terry

3 Likes

Cool!! Did you race them Terry or do you mean like a tour?

2 Likes

What was your favourite climb of all those Terry?

1 Like

…oh man!!! so many!!! they are all so good!!

i have to confess…im biased towards “anything italian”…where ive had gobs of incredible experiences in other countries climbs, im still partial to the dolomites…they are so incredible…

last may, 10 days chasing the giro around the dolomites (unsupported, ultra light packing with only handlebar bag) with 4 buddies from California…lago d garda > cortina > venice > garda … was one of my better adventures.

starting at garda bike hotel in lake garda we rode, chased the giro (4 stages?) into cortina…based out of cortina for a week…hitting (2?) stages of giro

id have to say my favorite climb (s) … is all the passos on the sella ronda!!! the weather that day was perfect, absolutely perfect … nice cool/cold for climbing, warm sunny in the valleys…i think a week later it shot up into high 20s c.

https://www.strava.com/activities/7232742957

also loved stelvio² back … sept 2021

https://www.strava.com/activities/5899137204

gavia was a sweet, long climb…but so wet and cold…miserable that day.

what was a wondeful suprize i discovered on a recovery climb in bormio is the cancano up to lago san giacomo…that was a beautiful short climb, with amazing coffee and pastry up top…and where i did my very emotional client testimonial to coach pav … i was overwhelmed with gratefulness and love for him…took me a couple of takes to get it where im not sobbing like a little schoolgirl

https://www.strava.com/activities/5907377091

then there is my local climb/loop here in so cal…

julian > borrego (montezuma grade) … it can get hot n windy…

https://www.strava.com/activities/2321638097

or even SAG’d out in a blizzard!! (we got lucky on that day)

https://www.strava.com/activities/2123771769

julian > mt palomar is always a good day out…but it gets hot!!!

https://www.strava.com/activities/2493953411

hey… Just want yall to know… I’m not trying to be a braggart … sitting here in my easy chair fondling my wennie…on this rainy socal day (however, that my occur later!) :crazy_face:

it’s more about being inspired for the Spring cycling season!!!

as I sit here, sipping the morning fresh grind with my wife and cats, another Socal atmospheric river rainy day is upon us…and im paging thru my strava logs remembing these fantastic adventures!!!

hey…when the rain comes down I need all the inspirational help i can get!!!

its all good man!! enjoy!

Was that Julian reference for my benefit?

1 Like

race?!?! HAHA!!!

NO WAY!!! :crazy_face:

im 59yrs old … it was a self sponsored, self supported, no SAG, 2 week ulta light bike packing tour with 3 of my riding buddies!

we put together a basic agenda…and changed it up as needed or to keep it fresh…great way to travel!

1 Like

only if you do the ride!!!

are you up in julian?

… i just checked…your name is julian!!! :+1:t2::+1:t2:

1 Like

It looked fantastic!!

Terry, where is Julian?

julian is one of my favorite places in the socal mtns…its an old mining town in the cuyamaca mtns at about 5500ft…pine trees (have not be burned yet!), mtns, anza borrego desert is 15 miles down banner grade, change of seasons…vinyards…small mtn community…great hiking, camping, cycling exploring…its fantastic!!!

ive been going up there since i was a boy…1hr from my home where i grew up in san diego, 1.5hrs from the beach.

1 Like

If it’s bikes I’m interested. Pushed to choose one - probably the Giro - still remember the day Froome took off and won it - was watching live mouth open just in awe of the audacity let alone the will endurance and performance.

I will say though I love the Vuelta too - they (I think deliberately) go off the beaten track - some amazing scenery

Also - Portugal (this week actually) - amazing views!

Missing GCN tv though. Not sure I want to pay £70 for a year of discovery just to watch cycling with ads

2 Likes