"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - What are the most prestigious races?

I felt like doing some trolling today. Here's a list of what I think are the most prestigious races in order of importance

Tour de France
Giro d'Italia
World Road Championship
Paris-Roubaix
Vuelta
Milan-San Remo
Tour of Flanders
Liege-Bastonge-Liege
Tour of Lombardy
Tour of Switzerland

Flame away!:p

Tour of Euroa

Did you win it? :D

TOC :rolleyes:

Is this a rhetorical question?

No. Maybe I should have had the Vuelta number one?

Jamestown Classic

I felt like doing some trolling today. Here's a list of what I think are the most prestigious races in order of importance

Tour de France
Giro d'Italia
World Road Championship
Paris-Roubaix
Vuelta
Milan-San Remo
Tour of Flanders
Liege-Bastonge-Liege
Tour of Lombardy
Tour of Switzerland

Flame away!:p

I think I'd rate th PB and MSR above the Giro and definitely above the WC's.

You are missing the most important African Stage Race

The Tour De Faso! :rolleyes:

http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TFA/2005/600/live_06_sup2.jpg

You are missing the most important African Stage Race

The Tour De Faso! :rolleyes:

oxymoron.

right alongside:

important North American Stage Race
important South American Stage Race
important Asian Stage Race
Important Australian Stage Race

I think I'd rate th PB and MSR above the Giro and definitely above the WC's.

The Italians don't rate MSR above the Giro, so why would you?

oxymoron.

right alongside:

important North American Stage Race
important South American Stage Race
important Asian Stage Race
Important Australian Stage Race
and
Important Dutch Stage Race
Important Belgian Stage Race
Important British Stage Race

and
Important Dutch Stage Race
Important Belgian Stage Race
Important British Stage Race

true, but that's continent specific.

The Italians don't rate MSR above the Giro, so why would you?

Well that's debatable, there are probably a pretty even number of Italian pros who would look at MSR as the biggest prize in Italian cycling as those who prize the Giro. Your question was about cycling overall not just how a certain countries view their own races.

For me personally the one day classics are more dramatic than most stage races, especially the northern European races. Seeing the guys all covered in dirt, fighting the wind and rain and cobbles is just amazing.

and
Important Dutch Stage Race
Important Belgian Stage Race
Important British Stage Race

Right....Africa is the hub of the cycling world unlike Belgium.

These guys have a well thought-out system for ranking riders through history:
http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/gen_info.asp

Not exactly the same as ranking by prestige, because of course De Ronde is the biggest jewel.

and
Important Dutch Stage Race
Important Belgian Stage Race
Important British Stage Race

:) :) :) Although if you're sponsoring a lower div team isn't any national stage race important to you?

Tuesday Night World Championships

just to weigh in ...

race around france
giro d'italia
worlds
mp murad - d20 road race champs
flanders
p-r
vuelta
tour de 'toona
m-sr
lombardia
reston grand prix
l-b-l
daffy
giro di coppi
td swiss
t of germany
tradezone
fleche wallone

I might have added a couple the protour teams overlook

The Worlds are an event, not really a "race", much like another event that was left off the list, the Olympics, which has to rate somewhere in the top ten.

If it's not held in the same general area on the same (more or less) route/course, I'd call it an event.

The Worlds are an event, not really a "race", much like another event that was left off the list, the Olympics, which has to rate somewhere in the top ten.

If it's not held in the same general area on the same (more or less) route/course, I'd call it an event.

Good point, these two are events and the Olympics should be included.

Eureka drag strip sprint races.

Tour de France
Giro d'Italia
Tour of Flanders
Paris-Roubaix
Vuelta
Milan-San Remo
Liege-Bastonge-Liege
World Road Championship
Tour of Lombardy
Tour of Switzerland
Amstel Gold
Het Volk

Well that's debatable, there are probably a pretty even number of Italian pros who would look at MSR as the biggest prize in Italian cycling as those who prize the Giro.
Doubt it. The only reason more guys would 'dream' about MSR is because they have more chance of winning that than winning the Giro.


Your question was about cycling overall not just how a certain countries view their own races. No it wasn't. Where you are from has a very big influence on judging what is prestigious and what isn't. Belgians would rate Flanders above MSR for example.:)

Doubt it. The only reason more guys would 'dream' about MSR is because they have more chance of winning that than winning the Giro.



Good for you.

Patties Tour of Gippsland.....with the sprinters jersey sponsored by Australian Abalone Exporters.

Every young kid from Traralgon to Cann River dreams of adding his name to the honour roll.

I guess if you're talking in terms of mystique I'd say the Tour de France followed by Paris-Roubaix.

There are many reasons that I'd place Roubaix so high. For one, there are a few generations of bike racers now who still idolize the Cannibal. Who saw A Sunday in Hell, and for whom the cobbles of the spring classics represent the struggle of man against man and man against the road more than any other race except the Tour de France.

Or at least thats how I look at it.

http://laflammerouge.com/archives/images/cycling-paris-roubaix-tr-54-thumb.jpg

The Tour of Wales.

Patties Tour of Gippsland.....with the sprinters jersey sponsored by Australian Abalone Exporters.

Every young kid from Traralgon to Cann River dreams of adding his name to the honour roll.

Every young kid dreamed of winning the night stage with Miss Pattie.

Did you ever ride it ed? I rode it the year when Danny Clark won. He was shaking Scott Stewards hand with 30km to go on the last stage, then went up the road 10 minutes later to gain back time and win the overall. :D Another memory I have of it is Neil Stephens riding along in his Caja Rural gear, it was 26C and he had legwarmers on.

Or at least thats how I look at it.

http://laflammerouge.com/archives/images/cycling-paris-roubaix-tr-54-thumb.jpg

If you're looking at it from this angle, your name could be Hincapie.

Well put. If I could only win on one single day I'd be hard pressed to choose between Ventoux, Alpe d' Huez, or PR.

I'd probably pick Ventoux in a duel with Bahamontes, Pantani, and Gaul where I launch one final attack that cracks all three of them.

Hey, I can dream.

jeez, I was expecting more flaming than this :)

Where's my favourite one to pronounce: Ghent-Wevelgem? :p

I thought if Mario bothered to roll up, then it must've been good :)

http://vmartin.bigpondhosting.com/photos/mario_wins.jpg

oxymoron.

right alongside:

important North American Stage Race
important South American Stage Race
important Asian Stage Race
Important Australian Stage Race

i have come to realize that i was incorrect.

the Vuelta Ciclista Por Un Chile Lider is well worth watching.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/mar07/lider07/lider072b/stage2barcosextra-01.jpg

Where's my favourite one to pronounce: Ghent-Wevelgem? :p

I thought if Mario bothered to roll up, then it must've been good :)

http://vmartin.bigpondhosting.com/photos/mario_wins.jpg

is that gent, or the scheldeprijs? i saw him win the scheldeprijs, back in april '93.

i did the amateur race on the closing circuit, before the pros came in.

That's Gent. '93 to be exact. I recognize Abdu, Moncassin and Vanderaerden.