Etape du Tour and Tour 2011 dates and routes rumoured

kingofthemountains

Strong rumours from a reliable source, the newspaper Dauphine Libere, that the Etape du Tour 2011 will be either a stage finishing on Alpe d'Huez (from Modane via the Col du Galibier) or Pinerolo to the Col du Galibier. The rumoured date/s are 16th or 17th July 2011.

The actual Tour stages are said to be 21st July, Pinerolo - Col du Galibier and 22nd July, Modane - Alpe d'Huez. We have heard from another source that the 23rd will be a rest day.

We'll post more here or on our blog (http://kingofthemountains.blogware.com/blog) if and when we learn more.

Dauphine article: http://www.ledauphine.com/hautes-alpes/2010/09/25/les-hautes-alpes-accueilleront-l-etape-du-tour-velo-magazine

3Pears

Sounds like either will be a classic

Also ties in with La Fuga - Mr Holt has had the 17th July 2011 as the Etape date for a while !

Excitement can soon begin for those entering :P

mabarbie

What are the chances of the etape starting in Italy? How many etapes have started abroad, none that I know of, which makes Modane - Alpe d'Huez the favourite!

mabarbie

See here for some rumours, especially post 552.
http://paris.thover.com/article/341/en/tour-de-france-2011--rumours-on-the-race-route-and-the-stages-.html
Modane seems to be a start town with Alpe d'Huez as the finish, going over the Galibier, whether the route goes over anything before/after the Galibier seems to be the big question.

I would find it difficult for the organisers to have everyone start in Modane, it's seems a little too small (although there are lots of little towns along the valley). The other thing about this route is it seems to back track on itself between St Jean de Maurienne and St Michel de Maurienne, not something the Tour does although with appropriate timings of the broom wagon and having to go over the Col de le Croix de Fer, there probably will be enough time between the starters and the people at the end, especially as it is mostly downhill at the beginining.

Only a month or so before the waiting is over!

malcolmfrost

Been having a play with this, how about St Michel de Maurienne, St Jean, Glandon, Croix de fer, Telegraphe, Galibier, Lauteret, Alpe d'Huez?
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=181690
183 km, 5319m climbing.
The difficult bit for participants is the journey from the Alpe back to St Michel, or vice versa.,

An easier option ( logistically) would be Briancon to Alpe via Lauteret, Galibier, Croix de Fer, Bourg d'Oisans, Alpe.
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=181703
165km, 4561m. The drive between Briancon and the Alpe is much easier.

mabarbie

Been having a play with this, how about St Michel de Maurienne, St Jean, Glandon, Croix de fer, Telegraphe, Galibier, Lauteret, Alpe d'Huez?
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=181690
183 km, 5319m climbing.
The difficult bit for participants is the journey from the Alpe back to St Michel, or vice versa.,

That 's the same as the route from Modane, just missing out the bit from Modane to St Michel. I agree, going there/getting back would not be nice, especially as you have to go along the route itself.

The Briancon route is nice, the idea of the Galibier and its 34K climb first sound nice, especially at the beginning when your fresh, still getting back wouldn't be nice.

Le Bourg to the Alpe d'Huez (via Croix, Galibier and then Alpe d'Huez) 180km would be perfect, finish at the top then cycle down, but that would be too sensible.

ketsbaia

mabarbie wrote:

Le Bourg to the Alpe d'Huez (via Croix, Galibier and then Alpe d'Huez) 180km would be perfect, finish at the top then cycle down, but that would be too sensible.

Might as well do the Marmotte.

Hannibalbiker

Rumours from the local press here in Pinerolo are getting hotter about two stages at Pinerolo. Also with 2011 being the 150th anniversary of the Birth of Italy there is a high possibility that we may host the start or finish of l'etape. We will just have to wait and see on the 19th of October.

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ozroberts

Well, I guess we'll find out what all the excitement is about tomorrow!

APIII

I heard a rumour of two 'etapes' next year. One in the alps, one in the Massif central. Sounds a bit far fetched to me, but it came from a good source.

mabarbie

If that were the case, I can see one being much more popular than the other!

Garrigou

One Etape for the French and one for the Rest of the World? Or one as a 'novice' event that you have to ride in Year 1 in order to establish 'qualifying credentials' for the tougher(?) event in Year 2?
Or it's all just a good cover for making more money out of the whole thing without the 'get-off-and-walk' log jams they've had when trying to get 8,000-10,000 riders up the first major climb of the event. Two events of 6,000 riders each is potentially more manageable for the organisers.
Issoire to St Flour in the Massif Central is what I hear for the 'easier' version.

avoidingmyphd

Garrigou wrote:

Issoire to St Flour in the Massif Central is what I hear for the 'easier' version.

If the two options are the Alpe D'Huez stage and the St Flour stage, then the Massif Central one won't be an "easier" option at all. It's 208km long. This has been part and parcel of the rumours all along - the problem with the Alpe d'Huez stage is that it's too EASY to be the kind of challenge that Etape riders want.
We'll see in a bit, anyway...

malcolmfrost

Doesn't look that easy! Logistically it would be good as the start and finish are joined by the E11 autoroute.

TheStone

Are they the confirmed options?

Neither look that great. The d'Huez stage is too short. The Saint Flour stage might be a better
option, but I don't think I'd pay Etape prices to do it.

avoidingmyphd

Nothing will be confirmed until tomorrow. Travel agents websites, and Prudhomme in the presentation today, are all phrased in the singular. But he promised a "nice surprise" tomorrow, and the rumours are that there will be two separate events.

I wouldn't dismiss the St Flour option too quickly. It would be the third etape du tour to finish in St Flour (after 1999 and 2004), so it has successful history.

Casbar

I have also heard rumours of two stages this year

Plateau de Beille and the Galibier as a hommage to laurent Fignion

We will know tomorrow

Sudor

La Fuga are citing Etap Weekend packages for the 8th July which points to the Issoir - Saint Flour stage - what a disapointment compared to the Galibier or Al D'Huez stages.

mabarbie

Pinerolo to Galibier, please!

tanaysmith

Sudor wrote:

La Fuga are citing Etap Weekend packages for the 8th July which points to the Issoir - Saint Flour stage - what a disapointment compared to the Galibier or Al D'Huez stages.

If you like the idea of the Galibier and ADH do the Marmotte. In many ways it is much better as it starts and finishes at almost the same point.

TheStone

mabarbie wrote:

Pinerolo to Galibier, please!

That would be a great Etape. Would they cross the border....

Mccaria

Cycling weekly take on it :

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... of-it.html

If this is correct, neither strikes me as a "must do" route.

After Ventoux and Tourmalet, the obvious one to go for is Alpe d'Huez, but it is a long way to go for a 68 mile stage - albeit mostly uphill. The other route doesn't look to have a centre piece climb to it, more in the nature of a long slog.

wicked

Mccaria wrote:

Cycling weekly take on it :

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... of-it.html

If this is correct, neither strikes me as a "must do" route.

After Ventoux and Tourmalet, the obvious one to go for is Alpe d'Huez, but it is a long way to go for a 68 mile stage - albeit mostly uphill. The other route doesn't look to have a centre piece climb to it, more in the nature of a long slog.

+1
You have neatly summed it up for me there too. I really wanted to do my first etape next year but now I am really confused.
The Alpe route is too short really for the distance travelled and the other one looks very uninspiring!
So do I take the marmotte instead? I am a bit worried about about that one as I have not ridden Col's before , I am concerned that it may be too tough? Was really hoping to build up to that and do Flanders and PR before it.

APIII

I like the idea of an etape in the massif central. A challenging route through the stunning scenery of central France - free of the col bagging glory hunters you normally associate with the etape. I imagine the pricing will still be too high though.

nigelsmith

does anyone know if it is normally possible to cycle up AdH on the morning of the stage?

agnello

TheStone wrote:

mabarbie wrote:

Pinerolo to Galibier, please!

That would be a great Etape. Would they cross the border....

Be hard not to!

I'd like GAP to PINEROLO. I've never done an etape but have an apartment in Sauze D'Oulx nearSestriere so would love to do some of the hills round there in the etape

Pinerolo to Galibier takes in a small lump called the izoard on the way - ouch

If cycling weekly are right the Alpine etape sounds like a crappier, more inconvenient version of the marmotte. pointless. wasted opportunity.

mabarbie

agnello, agreed, hope it's not true, please!!

liversedge

nigelsmith wrote:

does anyone know if it is normally possible to cycle up AdH on the morning of the stage?

If you're talking during the Etape and not the Tour then you can cycle up it all day.

The road is closed to cars at some point during the morning around 10am. I was a support vehicle driver for an Etapiste in 06 and drove up to switchback 1 early morning (from Gap) and stayed there all day in intense heat. Drove back down at 6pm.

Casbar

Mccaria wrote:

Cycling weekly take on it :

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... of-it.html

If this is correct, neither strikes me as a "must do" route.

After Ventoux and Tourmalet, the obvious one to go for is Alpe d'Huez, but it is a long way to go for a 68 mile stage - albeit mostly uphill. The other route doesn't look to have a centre piece climb to it, more in the nature of a long slog.

Im hearing that for the Etape stage they want to include 2 ascends of Alpe d'Huez to make the route longer ...but that would mean nearly 5500 meters of climbing in 150 km

Novel idea, but would be a logistical nightmare i think

We will see tomorrow

whiteboytrash

Two etapes in one year.......

http://www.letapedutour.com/

Mccaria

Thanks for the link

Sadly it looks like Cycling Weekly was right. Anyone for the Marmotte ?