Giro d'Italia 2014

I kind of agree about the really steep climbs taking the 'racing' element out of stages, as it just comes down to survival and power / weight. I think 'smaller' tours put them on for commercial and spectator interest more than anything else.

Good blog on the subject here (where I stole all my opinions from): http://inrng.com/2014/05/giro-zoncolan-gradient-power-weight-contest/

I get the theory but it doesn't wash. The Vuelta climbs last year were surprisingly awesome and yesterday the entire top 16 was made of a mix of climbers and rouleurs who broke away and rode tactically.

...survival and power / weight.
Add timetrialing (and luck) and that is GC racing in grand tours.