Professional Cycling For the Fans - was 2012 TDF the most boring ever ?

I was very disappointed. It was boring.

Yeah, it was not that great. Especially when the most talented climber of his generation (Contador) was not there.

you are right. i dont like contador but he was exciting to watch and was probably the best rider in the tour.

correct me if i am wrong, but it looked like wiggins teamate could have beaten him but slowed down instead.

you are right. i dont like contador but he was exciting to watch and was probably the best rider in the tour.

correct me if i am wrong, but it looked like wiggins teamate could have beaten him but slowed down instead.

Yeah, Froome could have put some time on Wiggins. How much time, and whether he could have won the whole GC shebang is another kettle of fish altogether, as Wiggins is a much better time-trialist than Froome. The truth though, is that Froome was hired as Wiggo's domestique, and he stuck to his job description.

And you're basing this on how many years of TdF history? 2 or 3? :D

Plenty of TdF's have been won with a strong team and conservative tactics, notably Anquetil's 5 wins. It happens because in many cases, a strong team conservative tactics are a good way to win. Kinda hard to argue with success.

Plus, the great thing about the Tour is that it involves much more than just the GC. E.g. this year you had France taking 5 stages, lots of new talent (Sagan, TVG, Pinot), a fairly intense Polka Dot competition....

Except for Voeckler's facial expressions, Gilbert scaring the $hit out of a little girl, and TeeJay winning the white jersey, yes a very boring TdF.

Snoozeville...(yet I miss it).

plus, the great thing about the tour is that it involves much more than just the gc. E.g. This year you had france taking 5 stages, lots of new talent (sagan, tvg, pinot), a fairly intense polka dot competition....

^^^this^^^

I was very disappointed. It was boring.

Then you are a boring person.

When you have more than two tdfs under your belt you will learn to enjoy and appreciate all aspects of racing, not just the GC.

Watch it again and look out for Cancellara, Cavendish, Fedrigo, Froome, Goss, Greipel, Kessiakoff, Millar, Morkov, Pinot, Rolland, Sagan, Sanchez, Sorensen, van Garderen, Voeckler, etc. etc.

There's plenty to watch beyond the GC leader board.

If you call it 'most boring', then why did you watch it?

Of the ones I've watched, yes. Really, it's hard to compare to 2011, one of the best I've seen, but overall, I'm already starting to forget what happened from day to day. Apart from Voeckler a few days, and Froome's hilarity on Stage 17(?) when he kept looking back and motioning for Mr. Wiggo, there wasn't much to take away from this years edition. Oh yeah, I remember Greipel kicking Crashy Farrar in the head and then winning a stage, that was pretty awesome.

Watch it again and look out for Cancellara, Cavendish, Fedrigo, Froome, Goss, Greipel, Kessiakoff, Millar, Morkov, Pinot, Rolland, Sagan, Sanchez, Sorensen, van Garderen, Voeckler, etc. etc.

There's plenty to watch beyond the GC leader board.

+1

Ya, there are other things besides the GC to spice up a tour, absolutely. I think people are making the mistake of not indicating that they are talking about the GC comp exclusively, instead saying it was a boring tour, and as people are correctly pointing out, it just wasn't. I found Voeckler's and Sagan's stories this year very exciting. I don't see any reason why the question of this year's GC being something of a Bore de France is particularly illegitimate though. It's okay to say it. I've been enjoying this event and others longer than many here have been alive, and yes, I was less than enthusiastic about the 2012 GC comp as it unfolded.

That said, to answer the OP, sure - there are other tours in history that compete with it and even supersede this year's GC in the snooze department. To some extent any GC comp where the first place finisher thrashes the field from beginning to end is in its way boring or at least not so suspense-filled, and there have been plenty of those, including probably the most celebrated tour ever with Merckx in '69. The difference in that case is that Merckx was such an exciting rider and went all out and blasted the field on more than just the TTs (and of course won everything there was to win). It's just exciting to watch a superman do his thing. People look forward to interesting mountain stages and GC contender stage wins that aren't TTs. That's just the way it is. The desire to root for the underdog is an old one too, so people want to see a visible struggle between worthy adversaries, preferably with some seesaw component in the standings or even made-up time on a stage over the leader, even if the underdog loses in the end. Added to this, just about any tour where some current top class rider(s) are absent can be disappointing for some before it even begins, or tours where a big name drops out mid-ride, etc (Ocana!). Lots of variables, and this year's tour had a few of the negative ones in the same hat. Funny enough, I found it exciting in those moments this year where Evans bonked in the mountains.

Would disagree to a slight extent with Bacciagalupe about all 5 of Anquetil's wins, though his characterization of Anquetil is pretty true. He was primarily a conservative rider whose godlike TT skills did most of the trick, not unlike Wiggo. But it's not just the winner and his team tactics that makes it boring or not. It takes two (sometimes more) to tango, and it feels like people are disappointed with Wiggins'/SKY's competition more than anything. Conservative GC riders and TT specialists who are workmanlike in the climbs still have to deal with not-so-conservative competitors, particularly in the mountains, and those competitors can make for a wildly exciting GC comp no matter how boring the winner's tactics are - or even better - the comp can make that conservative rider drop his conservatism (and his support). The 1964 tour was especially dramatic with regard to what people want out of a good GC, and the duel between Anquetil and Poulidor on the Puy de Dome absolutely dwarfed anything in this year's GC comp suspense-wise. To be fair, it dwarfed most GC stories and was a very close race, with Anquetil not taking the maillot jaune until very late and only beating Poulidor by 55 seconds overall. I have a photo of those two practically leaning on each other on the Puy with looks on their faces that are pretty similar to death - that's exciting. The 1961 tour (Anquetil) on the other hand was even more of a total whitewash than this one.

I remember at least 3 stages where the "favorite" sprinters jumped and then quit after about 2 seconds. It really seemed to be that they didnt care and didnt want to put in the effort.

There didnt seem to be any competition in the mountains.

I was very disappointed.

Nobody cares. Nobody.

Nobody cares. Nobody.

says the person who took the time to respond.

I don't know if I would say boring, but it was lacking something this year IMO.
Lacking a truly dangerous attacker from the GC--i.e Contador. Yes, there were attacks, but not much got away. Yes, Sky was dominant, too dominant for a very interesting tour? To me it seemed I was watching a lot of tour, waiting for the action to come that really didn't materialize. I always like to see attacks, especially in the mountains. Did this year seem less mountainous? Maybe some changes in years to come? No radios and smaller teams maybe. 9 guys a team seems like a lot. Maybe limit the number in the field/team members on certain days--maybe this will change the look of the tour and limit some of the crashes. I dunno, maybe all the tv coverage has me wanting to see action all the time. Maybe I have forgotten how tough each stage is and it can't be all action. Also seems there are limited tactics i:rolleyes:n this kind of a race and everybody knows them so breaks don't get away often enough?

The 2012 TDF was not boring. However, this thread is.

Which do you prefer? A relatively clean peloton or each rider bringing 4 bags of blood to the start? Maybe 2006 with Floyd falling apart & losing huge amounts of time one day. A transfusion for recovery that evening & the next day riding away from the peloton all day.

says the person who took the time to respond.

Irrelevant.

I would agree that the GC aspect of the tour wasn't particularly suspenseful, but nobody cares about how "disappointed" you are. The tour isn't about you, contrary to what you'd like to believe. :cry:

So then what was the most boring TdF? Because even if none were truly boring, one of them was still 'the most boring'.

Maybe not ever, because most of us weren't alive for the early ones, but say of the last 30 years.

but nobody cares about how "disappointed" you are. The tour isn't about you, contrary to what you'd like to believe. :cry:

I tend to disagree. I am the fan, the consumer, the reason the tour is put on. I pay for the tour. If fans are disappointed they watch less and then races go away and people like you cry because they cant ooogle their favorite men in spandex. Think of Georgia and Colorado and many others.

Now dont tell me no one cares about me and what I think because I AM IMPORTANT.

I tend to disagree. I am the fan, the consumer, the reason the tour is put on. I pay for the tour. If fans are disappointed they watch less and then races go away and people like you cry because they cant ooogle their favorite men in spandex. Think of Georgia and Colorado and many others.

Now dont tell me no one cares about me and what I think because I AM IMPORTANT.

Midnight Biker? Is that you?

Midnight Biker? Is that you?


I usually go to bed around 9:30

So then what was the most boring TdF? Because even if none were truly boring, one of them was still 'the most boring'.



I think it was one of the Indurain years... I can't remember which because they all seemed the same. Also, Indurain was the most boring winner.

Ya, there are other things besides the GC to spice up a tour, absolutely. I think people are making the mistake of not indicating that they are talking about the GC comp exclusively, instead saying it was a boring tour, and as people are correctly pointing out, it just wasn't. I found Voeckler's and Sagan's stories this year very exciting. I don't see any reason why the question of this year's GC being something of a Bore de France is particularly illegitimate though. It's okay to say it. I've been enjoying this event and others longer than many here have been alive, and yes, I was less than enthusiastic about the 2012 GC comp as it unfolded.

That said, to answer the OP, sure - there are other tours in history that compete with it and even supersede this year's GC in the snooze department. To some extent any GC comp where the first place finisher thrashes the field from beginning to end is in its way boring or at least not so suspense-filled, and there have been plenty of those, including probably the most celebrated tour ever with Merckx in '69. The difference in that case is that Merckx was such an exciting rider and went all out and blasted the field on more than just the TTs (and of course won everything there was to win). It's just exciting to watch a superman do his thing. People look forward to interesting mountain stages and GC contender stage wins that aren't TTs. That's just the way it is. The desire to root for the underdog is an old one too, so people want to see a visible struggle between worthy adversaries, preferably with some seesaw component in the standings or even made-up time on a stage over the leader, even if the underdog loses in the end. Added to this, just about any tour where some current top class rider(s) are absent can be disappointing for some before it even begins, or tours where a big name drops out mid-ride, etc (Ocana!). Lots of variables, and this year's tour had a few of the negative ones in the same hat. Funny enough, I found it exciting in those moments this year where Evans bonked in the mountains.

Would disagree to a slight extent with Bacciagalupe about all 5 of Anquetil's wins, though his characterization of Anquetil is pretty true. He was primarily a conservative rider whose godlike TT skills did most of the trick, not unlike Wiggo. But it's not just the winner and his team tactics that makes it boring or not. It takes two (sometimes more) to tango, and it feels like people are disappointed with Wiggins'/SKY's competition more than anything. Conservative GC riders and TT specialists who are workmanlike in the climbs still have to deal with not-so-conservative competitors, particularly in the mountains, and those competitors can make for a wildly exciting GC comp no matter how boring the winner's tactics are - or even better - the comp can make that conservative rider drop his conservatism (and his support). The 1964 tour was especially dramatic with regard to what people want out of a good GC, and the duel between Anquetil and Poulidor on the Puy de Dome absolutely dwarfed anything in this year's GC comp suspense-wise. To be fair, it dwarfed most GC stories and was a very close race, with Anquetil not taking the maillot jaune until very late and only beating Poulidor by 55 seconds overall. I have a photo of those two practically leaning on each other on the Puy with looks on their faces that are pretty similar to death - that's exciting. The 1961 tour (Anquetil) on the other hand was even more of a total whitewash than this one.

Bolding mine.

I agree. Just want ot emphasise that if one was looking only at teh GC race 69 was over pretty early. But Merckx was the unAnquetil. He was not satisfied to defend, he attacked. I'm pretty sure that by midway through stage 17 everything was settled (save mathematically or Eddy crashing out) but it was the end of the stage that became the thing of legends.

There was plenty in this years tour. Plenty to go with on how Green would play out until fairly late. With a not a pure sprinter in the mix there wa a lot of interesting tactical decistion made. (and one could anticipate just where the possibilities were). But these went unnoticed until after the fact.

I think it was one of the Indurain years... I can't remember which because they all seemed the same. Also, Indurain was the most boring winner.

I'd go with any of the Armstrong peak years. You knew he was going to win which makes the GC chase boring.

Ban radios and it might be much more interesting.
Bob

I was very disappointed. It was boring.

No, 2002 was, but a close 2nd place.

No they are all boring. If you want excitement watch the Spring Classiccs, the Monuments, Giro and Vuelta. The Tour de France is usaully out done by one or the other every year.

The biggest thing this year's tour lacked was Didi Senft. I'm hoping he'll be back next year.

The biggest thing this year's tour lacked was Didi Senft. I'm hoping he'll be back next year.

Yeah, come to think of it, Didi was nowhere to be found. I hope all is well with him.

According to Cycling News (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/injury-update-wynants-and-terpstra-improving), he just had surgery of some kind but is recovering.

No they are all boring. If you want excitement watch the Spring Classiccs, the Monuments, Giro and Vuelta. The Tour de France is usaully out done by one or the other every year.

68 was pretty exciting. No one even reasobably sure of a podium spot going into the last day.

No they are all boring. If you want excitement watch the Spring Classiccs, the Monuments, Giro and Vuelta. The Tour de France is usaully out done by one or the other every year.

Irrelevant. There was still a TdF that was the most boring ever.

And out of what, 10 events?, of course one of them is usually going to be more exciting.

I had a bunch of stages i hadn't watched on my DVR.
Total snoozefest.
Oh look, that Liggett guy is talking. ok. Uh huh, oh wow, didn't know that. Look, there they are, pedaling.
Wow, they're riding their bikes. Yup, there's Wiggums keeping pace, not too hard, not too fast.
Maybe they need to shorten the races. Make it open course, have traffic slashing. Have everyone smoke meth before the race starts.
Classics are more interesting.
That said, looking forward to Vuelta de Espana. Those mountains... Those mountains....

The riders make the race, not the course. Some of this year's contenders didn't have the legs and some didn't have the tactical acumen to ruffle Sky's feathers.

Sorry if that upsets some of you pleasure seekers...........

Sky is riding some super-duper ugly bikes. Hard to get excited about a team riding melted crabon frames.

The Giro was definitely more interesting this year.
I think the Vuelta is going to be gangbusters.

The Giro was definitely more interesting this year.
I think the Vuelta is going to be gangbusters.

the giro usually is and the course for the vuelta looks great!

Want drama? Stage 20 time trial.

Still, it also helps to watch with friends who care about things "other" than the yellow jersey.

And you're basing this on how many years of TdF history? 2 or 3? :D

Plenty of TdF's have been won with a strong team and conservative tactics, notably Anquetil's 5 wins. It happens because in many cases, a strong team conservative tactics are a good way to win. Kinda hard to argue with success.

Plus, the great thing about the Tour is that it involves much more than just the GC. E.g. this year you had France taking 5 stages, lots of new talent (Sagan, TVG, Pinot), a fairly intense Polka Dot competition....

exactly, and some exiting stage finishes.

If all your watching the TDF is for is an suspensful battle for Yellow that comes down to the end, you're going to be dissappointed more often than not.

Learn to appreciate the multiple facets of the race, and there is always something interesting.

I was very disappointed. It was boring.

Don't think that it goes so far as to have been boring. But less dramatic then we would have liked, yes. It would have been far more fun to have seen Contador attacking Froome and Wiggins. But I think they could make any race more exciting to watch if they would put helmet cams on the riders. Even lowly domestiques roaring down big hills would make it seem more fun.

Also, in spite of the fact that the peloton looks cleaner than it has been in years. If they want exciting racing they need to take away the race radios, period. I know the riders will hate it because riders have to rely more on instincts and limited information. They also cannot so easily met out their efforts without worry that some threat is out in front. Or give the riders one way radios that allow them to contact their crews in case they have trouble. This would preserve some form of safety but require riders to use more of their own tactics and instincts.

was 2012 pro cycling TDF threads the most boring ever?

lets talk about lance armstrong, or claim anyone who rides fast must be on drugs. :crash: