2009 Tour de France route unveiled

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Comments

  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,718
    GroupOfOne MkII wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    My favourite little surprise detail: the Barcelona stage has its finale on Montjuich! Will be spectacular.

    Was just going to post that, already looking forward to it! Especially as it's the day before the Pyrenees.

    Plus I'm sure watching the presentation they mentioned a "pass" on the route of the TT round Annecy.

    Also the day before Ventoux could be a bit lumpy towards the end, plus the stage into Colmar should make for an exciting last few kilos.

    Noticed a couple of the mountain stages have looong descents off the final climb, particularly the last two Pyrennean stages.
    ... and I am planning to be there!
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    jimmerslimmer wrote:
    I've reached a new low in my TdF obsession not only have I created a diary event in my calendar for the 3 weeks detailing each stage and highlighting weekend stages in Red but I've also added my wife to the meeting invite to ensure that she doesn't commit us to anything for the 3 weeks. I have to admit this is quite sad...
    It's fine to block book July so you can enjoy following the race but I have to ask, do you schedule also breakfast meetings with your wife in the kitchen?
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    looks good to me except not enough summit finishes. when the mountains are in the first half of the stage makes it a bit pointess (for the viewer)
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    le patron wrote:
    jimmerslimmer wrote:
    I've reached a new low in my TdF obsession not only have I created a diary event in my calendar for the 3 weeks detailing each stage and highlighting weekend stages in Red but I've also added my wife to the meeting invite to ensure that she doesn't commit us to anything for the 3 weeks. I have to admit this is quite sad...

    It's not sad....it just makes sense to ensure those three magic weeks in July are protected from real world gumpf like weddings, christenings and funerals etc. Now you've done the hard work, can you forward it to me ? (you can leave your wife off :wink: ).
    Beats me how you're going to protect against funerals for three weeks.....Do you have a direct line to the big man upstairs? :shock:
    so many cols,so little time!
  • phelim1
    phelim1 Posts: 53
    looking forward to annecy can stay with bro-in-law in geneva and cycle up. it'll be my first time seeing the tour, since dublin.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    I received an email from ASO over the weekend asking me to comment in a questionnaire on what I thought of the 2009 route, how much I follow the TdF and some other events, and also on the credibility of the continued participation of the main sponsors.

    I was hoping that if I completed the questionnaire, I'd be entered in a draw for an all-expenses-paid couple of days in Paris the weekend the Tour finishes, but when I got to the end, there was sadly no thank-you statement like that!
  • The Shiny
    The Shiny Posts: 30
    FJS wrote:
    My favourite little surprise detail: the Barcelona stage has its finale on Montjuich! Will be spectacular.

    Anyone know where I can get details of the route into and out of Barcelona that they will take? If the finish is on Montjuic I'm guessing it will be somewhere by the Olympic stadium if only due to the space required. Pity, I was hoping to have a big sprint with Cav winning...

    It's the stage I'm most likely to make so it would be nice not to stay too far away, Barca is busy at the best of times, god only knows how difficult it will be to move around with the tour in town.

    Any idea where to look for the stage finish/start details?
    Is it raining yet?
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    Details are gradually added to the TdF website, but I don't know if it will be early enough for your planning. Certainly in 2007 you could also buy a guide that had the exact route in it, road by road and turn by turn.

    The Roadbook also has this, but is only available to the media/friends of ASO.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    The Shiny wrote:
    Any idea where to look for the stage finish/start details?
    I think the Tour organisation only announces the precise route details shortly before the start of the Tour, more weeks than months. Your best bet would be closely following local media and local authority websites, in this case the geenralitat and ajuntament.

    If, as suggested here and there, the stage not just passes but really finishes on top of Montjuich I assume it will be on the wider northern approach, not the narrower but steeper ones on the south and east sides of the hill. I guess getting a hotel around Placa de Espana or maybe El Raval wouldnt be bad bets.
    The rough, sketchy map of the Tour route suggests that stage to Barcelona will follow the coast, cross the coastal range around Mataro, and enter the city from the north east Granollers direction. But they might still change that.

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