LordOpie

So even those who don't follow the sport much (like me) will turn on the TV in July to catch some of the TdF, but what are the other big races to watch? When do they happen? Will they be on TV?

feltdude

I'm sure OLN will have lots of coverage of Lance riding in the Spring Classics. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

Chucklehead

giro and vuelta are the two other grand tours, but we'd be extremely lucky if OLN were to cover them anymore. they'd rather show lance working out with a medicine ball than show some nobody like roberto heras trying to win the vuelta or any other race that lance isn't part of.
the best way to find racing on tv would be to contact OLN and ask them about their cycling schedule. that's if they haven't already posted it in their website. hopefully they will have learned from the mistake of becoming "lance tv" last year.

Laggard

Don't expect much on OLN this year.

You have three big tours every year: Giro di Italia, TDF and the Vuelta a Espana. There are lesser, but still great tours like Paris Nice, Tour of Switzerland and Torrino Adriatico.

Then you have all the wonderful one day races: Het Volk, Tour of Flanders, Liege Bastogne Liege, Fleche Wallone, Gent-Wevelgem, Amstel Gold, Milan San Remo, Hew Classics, Paris Tours, Tour of Lombardi, etc.

LordOpie

with TdF, does that make up a so-called Triple Crown (thinking horse racing)?

Has anyone ever won all three in one year?

When do those happen? If not Lance, who'll lead Disco for those races? Who are the other top USA racers? I'm a USA-homer, so I'll root for any American or American team.

Laggard

The triple crown of cycling is the Giro, TDF and the World Championship. That's been done twice (Merckx and Roche).

No one has won all three tours in one year.

timmhaan

who has won two in one year? i know pantani won the giro and tdf in 1998. and miguel indurain in '92 and '93. who else?

Laggard

TOUR / GIRO WINS IN ONE YEAR

1949 Fausto Coppi, ITA
1952 Fausto Coppi, ITA
1964 Jacques Anquetil, FRA
1970 Eddy Merckx, BEL
1972 Eddy Merckx, BEL
1974 Eddy Merckx, BEL
1982 Bernard Hinault, FRA
1985 Bernard Hinault, FRA
1987 Stephen Roche, IRE
1992 Miguel Indurain, ESP
1993 Miguel Indurain, ESP
1998 Marco Pantani, ITA

LordOpie

Is Eddy Merckx (arguably) the best ever?


(don't get me wrong, I <3 Lance)

Laggard

Merckx:

525 victories

TDF -5
Giros -5
Vuelta -1
Liege Bastogne Liege - 5
Milan San Remo -7
World Champion -2
Paris Roubaix - 3
Tour of Flanders - 2
Tour of Lombardy -2
Amstel Gold -2
Gent Wevelgem -3
Fleche Wallone - 3
Het Volk - 2

He is the only rider to win all of the classifications (overall, mountains and points jerseys) in a single year at the Tour de France (1969) and the Giro d’Italia (1968).

He also had the hour record for years and won several 6 day track events.

The statistics are incredible.

jfmckenna

LOL
To race 525 times in one life alone is amazing to me

KleinRider

The part that impresses me about the hour record is that he also set the 10km and 20km records on the same ride! (I just read about it.) He was pushing himself all through the ride, not necessarily "conserving" some energy to really push the end if he happened to be falling behind or something.

Merckx was definitely a force to be reckoned with in his day! I bet he was bugger to ride for!

LordOpie

no kiding! And that's just his wins. I wonder how many races he actually entered.

timmhaan

1800 according to one website.

KleinRider

*passes out*

Laggard

Yes. Between '69 and '75, he won 35% of the races he entered. He was also badly injured in a track accident in '69. It's been argued that the lingering effects of this injury may have limited his output throughout his career.

feltdude

Typically OLN also covers the Tour de Georgia (another Lance race) and several other ones throughout the year. I want to say there were probably 15 events covered last year.

Surferbruce

cyclesportamerica has a great issue out right now devoted to the legend that is merckx. lots of pics, stories, interviews. check it out.

leeward

April 4th - look for coverage of the Tour of Flanders on OLN. That's according to their website. Now, what to do between now and April 4th . . .

rich007

That means Lance will be racing there, for sure... They won't show much of cycling unless Lance is in it...

Brett 12

Why doesn't Lance race in these?

Laggard

Are you refering to this?

Tour of Flanders
Same-day Delayed Coverage - Sun, 4/4, 4-5pm ET; Thur, 4/8, 9:30-10:30pm ET/PT


That was last year. They haven't updated their site yet.

jcthomasjr

Buy a bike video or two and check out a couple of the classics. The 2002 Paris-Roubaix is a good race - I think that is the right year - when Johan Muuseuw won ahead of Wesseman and Boonen. Other good races - Tour of Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, World Championships, Tour of Lombardy. I like them all.

Bontrager

Someone forgot to hit the 'logout' button

brent_dube

Personally I consider the biggest single day races to be the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Milan-San Remo. The Giro d'Italia is a grand tour and has historically been a huge race... close to the Tour de France in prestige.

"I could never climb the same"
Damn. Wish I was that bad of a climber.

Usually a grand tour rider (one that attempts to win the GC classification of a grand tour) needs to dedicate for one select tour.
Though they may often race in lesser races and do well. Armstrong doesn't race often probably because he doesnt have to (one of the few cyclists with money), and he has other things to do (cancer foundation, family, etc).