A cycling mate of mine – award-winning journalist Daniel Friebe – annually ranks the sport’s three Grand Tours using emojis denoting magnums of champagne as his grading system.
One bottle indicates downright poor; two bang average; three pretty decent; four rather good and finally a rarely awarded five, which notes a race of historic and lasting quality and significance.
Further nuance can be added by the addition of half bottles if a race falls between the five basic grades.
It’s a ranking system that transfers itself pretty well elsewhere so, with a hat tip to Daniel, where does 2025 sit …
