2014 TdF

FJS

supersonic wrote:

Has any in depth road route been released yet? So far all I have is a few towns and a poor quality map.

The maps published are as detailed ad you will get them from ASO. Several peope have already tracked it on google earth if you want more detail. Try http://www.velowire.com/article/675/en/ ... -maps.html

bianchimoon

supersonic wrote:

Has any in depth road route been released yet? So far all I have is a few towns and a poor quality map.

this appears to be pretty accurate for day 1
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2072944

supersonic

Excellent, much better!

supersonic

Well it passes within a few hundred yards of my house! Last 20km looks very technical, lots of twisty roads and very sharp climbs/descents.

Pross

So where would all you flat cap and whippet types recommend watching then? I'm assuming this Butter Tub place is the best climb but don't know Yorkshire at all. It will be interesting to see what categories the climbs get. Might spoil a few egos when they see their favourite monster climbs rated as a 4th cat

PeteinSQ

They're a different sort of hill really to the ones in the alps. They're often MUCH steeper than what you typically find in the alps but obviously only about 10% as long.

I did a week of riding in the alps years ago and climbed the Colombiere which is a cat 1 climb amongst others. The following week I did the Richmond 5 dale 100 on the same bike and physically couldn't ride up Park Rash, and yet Park Rash probably wouldn't get categorised as it's not all that long; just really, really steep.

alanp23

Pross wrote:

So where would all you flat cap and whippet types recommend watching then? I'm assuming this Butter Tub place is the best climb but don't know Yorkshire at all. It will be interesting to see what categories the climbs get. Might spoil a few egos when they see their favourite monster climbs rated as a 4th cat

I am thinking Buttertubs. It is a brutal hill and I think there are some cattle grids as well. (Dont suspect they are a factor though)

Day 2 is going to cause real trouble. I had decided originally that Holme Moss was the place to be, but the route indicates that it is going past a friends house in Grenoside so that sounds perfect for a party. I am not sure where the finish is in Sheffield, but I suspect somewhere between the Arena and Don Valley, which is where my office is, so hanging out the window watching the sprint finish sounds good too.

Plenty of time to decide though.

FJS

Pross wrote:

So where would all you flat cap and whippet types recommend watching then? I'm assuming this Butter Tub place is the best climb but don't know Yorkshire at all. It will be interesting to see what categories the climbs get. Might spoil a few egos when they see their favourite monster climbs rated as a 4th cat

For stage 2 Holme Moss is the obvious big climb to watch, and at 55 km from the finish it could be where the finale starts. But plenty of the climbs they do nearer to Sheffield should be good - Jenkins Road, the last hill 5 km before the finish will be very busy; Jawbone Hill from Oughtibridge up to Grenoside is almost 2 km at 10% and less than 20 km before the finish; Kirk Edge Rd out of High Bradfield and Mortimer Road through Midhopestones are long and steep enough to stretch the peloton and slow them down, but further from the finish and might be less crowded.

I'd be extremely surprised if Holme Moss would be given cat.4 . A hill of 5km at 7% av. would normally be a cat. 2 or perhaps 3 in the TdF, depending on how far from the finish. They might just give it a cat.3 because it's so early on and they don't want the polka dots decided for a week or so in one break-away. But cat. 4? no. Jawbone Hill might be cat.3 . The rest for stage 2 probably cat.4, yes.

wallace_and_gromit

Pross wrote:

Might spoil a few egos when they see their favourite monster climbs rated as a 4th cat

Particularly when the sprinters chat their way up in the big ring!

chriswbooth83

Having gone up Buttertubs just before Christmas (albeit in the car) there will be some excellent viewing spots particularly towards the bottom once you turn out of Hawes as there are some fairly steep ramps early in the climb. Also I would have thought from partcular vantage points near Thwaite you would get a good view of the peloton descending off the climb towards the village as its a fairly steep straight descent.

Pross

FJS wrote:

Pross wrote:

I'd be extremely surprised if Holme Moss would be given cat.4 . A hill of 5km at 7% av. would normally be a cat. 2 or perhaps 3 in the TdF, depending on how far from the finish. They might just give it a cat.3 because it's so early on and they don't want the polka dots decided for a week or so in one break-away. But cat. 4? no. Jawbone Hill might be cat.3 . The rest for stage 2 probably cat.4, yes.

Thanks for the advice. The cat 4 bit was tongue in cheek, I've seen Holme Moss on the ToB in the past and from memory it was similar to the Tumble. My guess would be cat 3 but I don't think it would ever be a Cat 2, at that sort of length and gradient cat 2 climbs at the Tour tend to be at much higher altitude. The only British climbs I can conceivably think of making Cat 2 would be Bwlch y Groes and Bealach na Ba (possibly some other lesser known climbs in Scotland and Hardnott too). Does sound quite a tough stage for the second day of the Tour though. I had assumed the first stage would be a prologue in Sheffield. How often in recent years hasn't the Tour started with a short TT?

supersonic

As it is so close I will be watching on Oughtibridge Lane (Jawbone Hill). Only a short hill, but reaches 1 in 4 to 1 in 3 in places, so bloody steep!

thegibdog

I'd have thought Holme Moss would be a Cat 2, similar length & gradient to the Cat 2s on Stage 8 of last years Tour. It's at a lower altitude but is there much difference between 520m and 800m above sea level? Buttertubs will probably be a Cat 3, not sure if any of the other climbs will make it past a Cat 4 though.

I reckon if they ever finished a stage on top of Great Dun Fell that'd be a Cat 1 - definitely tougher than the Peyresourde!

RichN95.

Pross wrote:

FJS wrote:

Pross wrote:

I'd be extremely surprised if Holme Moss would be given cat.4 . A hill of 5km at 7% av. would normally be a cat. 2 or perhaps 3 in the TdF, depending on how far from the finish. They might just give it a cat.3 because it's so early on and they don't want the polka dots decided for a week or so in one break-away. But cat. 4? no. Jawbone Hill might be cat.3 . The rest for stage 2 probably cat.4, yes.

Thanks for the advice. The cat 4 bit was tongue in cheek, I've seen Holme Moss on the ToB in the past and from memory it was similar to the Tumble. My guess would be cat 3 but I don't think it would ever be a Cat 2, at that sort of length and gradient cat 2 climbs at the Tour tend to be at much higher altitude. The only British climbs I can conceivably think of making Cat 2 would be Bwlch y Groes and Bealach na Ba (possibly some other lesser known climbs in Scotland and Hardnott too). Does sound quite a tough stage for the second day of the Tour though. I had assumed the first stage would be a prologue in Sheffield. How often in recent years hasn't the Tour started with a short TT?

When I did the Dragon Ride I compared the length and height of the Rhigos and Bwlch to the climbs in that year's Tour and they were on the Cat 2/Cat 3 borderline

(For people outside Wales, the Bwlch I mention is different from the one Pross mentions)

thegibdog

According to Christian Prudhomme it there is going to be 2 classified climbs on stage 1 and it sounds like there might be 8 on stage 2. Apparently Holme Moss is the "most famous climb in Britain".

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/prudhom ... p;ns_fee=0

Pross

RichN95 wrote:

Pross wrote:

FJS wrote:

Pross wrote:

I'd be extremely surprised if Holme Moss would be given cat.4 . A hill of 5km at 7% av. would normally be a cat. 2 or perhaps 3 in the TdF, depending on how far from the finish. They might just give it a cat.3 because it's so early on and they don't want the polka dots decided for a week or so in one break-away. But cat. 4? no. Jawbone Hill might be cat.3 . The rest for stage 2 probably cat.4, yes.

Thanks for the advice. The cat 4 bit was tongue in cheek, I've seen Holme Moss on the ToB in the past and from memory it was similar to the Tumble. My guess would be cat 3 but I don't think it would ever be a Cat 2, at that sort of length and gradient cat 2 climbs at the Tour tend to be at much higher altitude. The only British climbs I can conceivably think of making Cat 2 would be Bwlch y Groes and Bealach na Ba (possibly some other lesser known climbs in Scotland and Hardnott too). Does sound quite a tough stage for the second day of the Tour though. I had assumed the first stage would be a prologue in Sheffield. How often in recent years hasn't the Tour started with a short TT?

When I did the Dragon Ride I compared the length and height of the Rhigos and Bwlch to the climbs in that year's Tour and they were on the Cat 2/Cat 3 borderline

(For people outside Wales, the Bwlch I mention is different from the one Pross mentions)

That really surprises me, I raced both those ( dropped at top of Bwlch, back on then dropped half way up Rhigos) in the 5 Valleys Road Race so I can claim to have raced the equivalent of a Tour medium mountain stage!

Cumulonimbus

FJS wrote:

I'd be extremely surprised if Holme Moss would be given cat.4 . A hill of 5km at 7% av. would normally be a cat. 2 or perhaps 3 in the TdF, depending on how far from the finish. They might just give it a cat.3 because it's so early on and they don't want the polka dots decided for a week or so in one break-away. But cat. 4? no. Jawbone Hill might be cat.3 . The rest for stage 2 probably cat.4, yes.

Looking back at a stage of last year's tour

http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2012/us/stage-10.html

(click on mountain passes)

Cat 2: 6.4km at 5.5%
Cat 3: 7km at 5%

Holme Moss

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Co ... ainID=7389

7km at 5.6%

Looks like you are right, could be either cat 2 or cat 3 depending on the formula they use to rate climbs next year

Richmond Racer

a bit of fun:

a Yorkshire paper's done a 10m video of part of the route for Stage 2

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/lifesty ... -1-5333528

AlunP

Stage three

Cambridge - Epping Forest - the Olympic Park - the Mall


Unlike in France...I bet the Mall is locked off to all except the prawn cocktail brigade.

ocdupalais

Well we've got 18 months to organise a revolution, then!

Right, I'll get cracking on the catering - stock-piling salty snacks and pop. Alun; you look like a big lad who likes his food - any special requests?

Come on, it'll be the ultimate compliment to the French and the Tour: us becoming a Republic...

Ben6899

Accommodation organised for Stage 1. Sorted.

RideOnTime

bianchimoon wrote:

supersonic wrote:

Has any in depth road route been released yet? So far all I have is a few towns and a poor quality map.

this appears to be pretty accurate for day 1
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2072944

This is just the dogs nuts.

Pross

My sister has just confirmed her place on a course at Leeds College of Music and her accommodation runs out in mid July 2014 so that's me sorted!

thefog

The_Special_One wrote:

Doesn't the Tour caravan usually pass through a good 3hrs in front of the race, so that should give a good indication that all roads will be closed at least 4hrs before any racing action takes place.

The logistics for access to a lot of the areas means closures will be in place VERY early for cars/ motor vehicles, particularly on the more remote areas. The route also poses some major headaches for traffic management on both days.

The message will be to get there day before or very early on the day.

cogidubnus

New promo video for le grand depart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... a599p0lvH4

takethehighroad

Man oh man I'm looking forward to this

gsk82

ladies and gentlemen of the south, this is what the north looks like!

FJS

Pross wrote:

So where would all you flat cap and whippet types recommend watching then? I'm assuming this Butter Tub place is the best climb but don't know Yorkshire at all. It will be interesting to see what categories the climbs get. Might spoil a few egos when they see their favourite monster climbs rated as a 4th cat

According to velowire Holme Moss will be 2nd cat

FJS

The route timings for stage 1 and 2, plus climb categories and sprint points
http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/t ... Stage1.pdf
http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/t ... Stage2.pdf
Stage 2 has 3 4th cat climbs, 5 3rd cat, and Holme Moss 2nd cat. Not bad.

No_Ta_Doctor

FJS wrote:

The route timings for stage 1 and 2, plus climb categories and sprint points
http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/t ... Stage1.pdf
http://letour.yorkshire.com/documents/t ... Stage2.pdf
Stage 2 has 3 4th cat climbs, 5 3rd cat, and Holme Moss 2nd cat. Not bad.

Côte de Ripponden That's just beautiful.