ONE WEEK STAGE RACERS

THE ONE-WEEK STAGE RACES MAY NOT BE AS PRESTIGIOUS AS THE GRAND TOURS, BUT THEY ARE MORE THAN JUST TRAINING GROUNDS FOR BIGGER, LONGER EVENTS. PROCYCLING ANALYSES THE RESULTS OF THE TOP WEEK-LONG RACES, TO FIND OUT WHO EXCELS AT THEM

Writer Edward Pickering /// Images Getty Images

 

Paris-Nice is one of the few weeklong stage races Roglič has yet to win

There was a vociferous online movement around the time of Strade Bianche this year which promoted the idea that the Italian classic should be designated a monument. Various pros and cons were put forward. The ayes felt that the evidence of the race itself, which is epic, unpredictable and throws up an exciting battle between different kinds of riders, was enough to justify its promotion. The noes pointed out that one of the defining features of a monument is its history. (Some reasonable heads said that it didn’t matter either way, and we should just enjoy the racing, which is a good attitude to take with many of cycling’s ongoing debates.)

We ran a feature last year about cycling’s ‘big nine’ - the biggest and most prestigious events in the sport, which are the three grand tours, the five monuments and the World Championships. Whenever anybody suggests that 10 would be a nice round number, Strade Bianche is often posited as the ‘sixth monument’. Cases are also made for Amstel Gold Race, not least by former winner Philippe Gilbert, who feels that the history and distance of the Dutch classic put it above Strade Bianche. If history and distance are a factor then Paris-Tours, recently fallen on harder times but with a long and prestigious winners’ list, could also be a candidate.