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| The Top Classic? |
| Roubaix |
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57% |
[ 66 ] |
| Flanders |
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28% |
[ 33 ] |
| Liege Bastogne Liege |
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7% |
[ 8 ] |
| Milan San Remo |
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4% |
[ 5 ] |
| Tour of Lombardy |
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1% |
[ 2 ] |
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| Total Votes : 114 |
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Billy Boy
T de F Winner
Joined: 11 Aug 2003
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Location: Not Aylesbury
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 Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:44 am Post subject: The Top Classic? |
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Following on from a comment Royston made, which Classic is the most Classic Classic?
Which one is the big daddy of them all?
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legro
Moderator
Joined: 28 Feb 2002
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Location: Colchester
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:45 am Post subject: |
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pointless
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Des
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:48 am Post subject: |
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They each have their own attributes and character, requiring different tactics and efforts by the riders. However I would have to go with La Doyenne or Paris - Rouxbaix
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Billy Boy
T de F Winner
Joined: 11 Aug 2003
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Location: Not Aylesbury
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:04 am Post subject: |
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Forgot to add the Melton Skegness Classic.
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Off The Back
Cat 2 Groupie
Joined: 21 Aug 2008
Posts: 43
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:08 am Post subject: |
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| 4 are equal to me, with San Remo just below, but its a great classic season starter. |
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Roy Gardiner
T de F Winner
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 21249
Location: London and Essex
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:18 am Post subject: Re: The Top Classic? |
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| Billy Boy wrote: |
| Following on from a comment Royston made... |
Harmon started it on Sunday banging on about his favourite being Flanders.
Roubaix
Flanders
Liege
San Remo
by Autumn I've kinda lost interest 
Lombardy
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Last edited by Roy Gardiner on Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:54 am; edited 1 time in total |
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one man army
Div 2 Pro
Joined: 11 Nov 2003
Posts: 5898
Location: Brighton & Hove
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:23 am Post subject: |
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I wonder if in 30-40 years there'll be another one-day race that would make a poll like this? Or is that it now, that these monuments have become so engrained that nothing will be able to compete with them?
Maybe L'Eroica could develop into one? Didn't (or maybe still does)Denmark have a one-day race over cobbles?
What was the race just after the tour? was it the GP Zurich? That was alright with good parcours but it went bust.
Certainly the Rochester GP was never going to capture the imagination!
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Megman
Div 2 Pro
Joined: 11 Jul 2003
Posts: 5786
Location: Not in Lich any more
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:32 am Post subject: |
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| one man army wrote: |
I wonder if in 30-40 years there'll be another one-day race that would make a poll like this? Or is that it now, that these monuments have become so engrained that nothing will be able to compete with them?
Maybe L'Eroica could develop into one? Didn't (or maybe still does)Denmark have a one-day race over cobbles?
What was the race just after the tour? was it the GP Zurich? That was alright with good parcours but it went bust.
Certainly the Rochester GP was never going to capture the imagination! |
Zurich was a good race, San Sebastian is also usually good. We rarely get to see Lombardy here, I have only seen it once on ES. As quite a few people here have either seen or ridden (sportif) Flanders or Roubaix we do appear to have a greater fondness for them.
Roubaix for me, there is never a dull race. Other seems to have good and bad editions. Roubaix is always fascinating. |
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Rob of the Og
E, Gold
Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 2256
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:40 am Post subject: |
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It's the close proximity (time and distance) between Flanders, Roubaix and la Doyenne that really give you the feeling of it being 'classic season'. The Italian races just seem a bit distinct from the northern three, especially now MSR is usually a sprint-fest.
Maybe Züri-Metzgete will return, apparently it ran as an amateur race last year. Sponsors for bike racing are particularly hard to find in the German-speaking world at the moment.
I love the Clasica de San Sebastian, but it's not even 30 years old yet so it's got to find a lot more history before it can be a monument! |
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coops
E, Silver
Joined: 10 Jun 2006
Posts: 855
Location: Wolverhampton
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:04 am Post subject: |
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| I find the end of MSR is the most exciting finish to any race. |
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Hans Datdodishes
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Joined: 28 Feb 2002
Posts: 28370
Location: On the Superior Forum with the cool kids
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:35 am Post subject: |
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Not a 'proper classic', but Het Volk (Nieuwsblad) is one I look forward to cos its like the signal that Winter is over.
Of BBs list, Paris Roubaix every time |
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dimasobike
E, Silver
Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 1030
Location: Rolling a cheese, wearing a bear suit, sat in a wicker sofa.
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:11 am Post subject: |
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Melton skegness classic as it also tests the stomach, ring, and liver.
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Scalatore
E, Gold
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 2484
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:46 am Post subject: |
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| one man army wrote: |
I wonder if in 30-40 years there'll be another one-day race that would make a poll like this? Or is that it now, that these monuments have become so engrained that nothing will be able to compete with them?
Maybe L'Eroica could develop into one? Didn't (or maybe still does)Denmark have a one-day race over cobbles?
What was the race just after the tour? was it the GP Zurich? That was alright with good parcours but it went bust.
Certainly the Rochester GP was never going to capture the imagination! |
Tro Bro Leon in Brittany?
I think these five are untouchable. Anything else will always be the newcomer and, hence, a step down in the pantheon. Amstel Gold's been going since the late sixties and even with a forty year history it's still not quite up there. Great race though even if the course is a little contrived as it weaves back and forth around Limburg - it doesn't have the out and back simplicity of Liege alas. |
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one man army
Div 2 Pro
Joined: 11 Nov 2003
Posts: 5898
Location: Brighton & Hove
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:37 am Post subject: |
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| Scalatore wrote: |
| Amstel Gold's a Great race though even if the course is a little contrived as it weaves back and forth around Limburg - it doesn't have the out and back simplicity of Liege alas. |
Point-to-point is the best followed by an 0ut- and-back
A circuit race will struggle to ever become a 'classic'. I can however see why organisers like the simplicity of a smaller loop covered several times.
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Stotti
E, Bronze
Joined: 29 Aug 2008
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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Flanders is the one i would guess would have the most beneficial effect on a career. Roubaix a great race but more luck involved.
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tis
E, Silver
Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 1603
Location: Up to my eyes in shit
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Hard to pick a favourite, all are great but Flanders just gets the nod from me. |
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Joursans
Div 2 Pro
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 4840
Location: The Whole Year Inn
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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Flanders - any race where you see even modern day pro's having to get off and walk bits some years is fairly unique (although to be fair this often knackers the race as a contest if half of them get left behind  ).
Is Paris Roubaix as "epic" on a sunny day?
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tis
E, Silver
Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 1603
Location: Up to my eyes in shit
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Joursans wrote: |
| Flanders - any race where you see even modern day pro's having to get off and walk bits some years is fairly unique (although to be fair this often knackers the race as a contest if half of them get left behind ) |
It's great watching them wrestling for position before they turn right onto the Koppenberg, and inevitably the good riders make it to the front. |
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AlbertHerring
E, Silver
Joined: 02 Apr 2008
Posts: 1342
Location: Cistridentine Nottingham
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm all for variety (bring back Bordeaux-Paris!) but Paris-Roubaix is a bit too sui generis for me to put it at the top, so it would be between Liege and Flanders, with the latter getting the nod for not being owned by ASO. |
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Billy Boy
T de F Winner
Joined: 11 Aug 2003
Posts: 30726
Location: Not Aylesbury
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| Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Stotti wrote: |
| Flanders is the one i would guess would have the most beneficial effect on a career. Roubaix a great race but more luck involved. |
How many Roubaix winners have been lucky? Was De Vlaeminck lucky to win it so many times?
Winning Roubaix demands so much of a rider, and one of those things is the ability to ride cobbles, which some riders can do much better than others. This is a skill alongside being able to climb or sprint in my book
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