Le Tour 2016 - pre race chat

kleinstroker

Bored of the Tour de Suisse? Fed up of looking for something interesting to talk about? Tired of clicking on the forum to find nothing has changed in then last 24 hours?

Well have no fear the 2016 Tour de France is almost upon us, and we will have endless opportunities to voice our own very important opinions on everything from cheese and wine, to crazy roadside fans, TV adverts, Kirby, horses and even geology, yes we are that broad in our love of the upcoming three weeks of complete and utter bike racing aceness!

I am more excited than a man of my age should be about such things, but here are a few fun facts to get us going

Running from Saturday July 2nd to Sunday July 24th 2016, the 103th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,519 kilometres.

9 flat stages
1 hilly stage
9 mountain stages including 4 summit finishes (Andorre Arcalis, Mont Ventoux, Finhaut-Emosson et Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc)
2 individual time trial stages
2 rest day

Only 3519 kms!! Things are not what they used to be I hear you say



But the race is certainly faster than it has ever been barring the early noughties, wonder what that was about?



The Stages

1 Flat Saturday, July 2nd Mont-Saint-Michel / Utah Beach Sainte-Marie-du-Mont 188 km
2 Flat Sunday, July 3rd Saint-Lô / Cherbourg-en-Cotentin 183 km
3 Flat Monday, July 4th Granville / Angers 223.5 km
4 Flat Tuesday, July 5th Saumur / Limoges 237.5 km
5 Mountain Wednesday, July 6th Limoges / Le Lioran 216 km
6 Flat Thursday, July 7th Arpajon-sur-Cère / Montauban 190.5 km
7 Mountain Friday, July 8th L'Isle-Jourdain / Lac de Payolle 162.5 km
8 Mountain Saturday, July 9th Pau / Bagnères-de-Luchon 184 km
9 Mountain Sunday, July 10th Vielha Val d'Aran / Andorre Arcalis 184.5 km
- Rest day Monday, July 11th Andorre / Andorre
10 Hilly Tuesday, July 12th Escaldes-Engordany / Revel 197 km
11 Flat Wednesday, July 13th Carcassonne / Montpellier 162.5 km
12 Mountain Thursday, July 14th Montpellier / Mont Ventoux 184 km
13 Individual time trial Friday, July 15th Bourg-Saint-Andéol / La Caverne du Pont-d'Arc 37.5 km
14 Flat Saturday, July 16th Montélimar / Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux 208.5 km
15 Mountain Sunday, July 17th Bourg-en-Bresse / Culoz 159 km
16 Flat Monday, July 18th Moirans-en-Montagne / Berne 209 km
- Rest day Tuesday, July 19th Berne / Berne
17 Mountain Wednesday, July 20th Berne / Finhaut-Emosson 184.5 km
18 Individual time trial Thursday, July 21st Sallanches / Megève 17 km
19 Mountain Friday, July 22nd Albertville / Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc 146 km
20 Mountain Saturday, July 23rd Megève / Morzine-Avoriaz 146.5 km
21 Flat Sunday, July 24th Chantilly / Paris Champs-Élysées 113 km

It's going to be epic!!

The_Boy

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I was reading through the results from the dolphin and the other half was having second thoughts. So labour might be a bit more of an anxious time than usual...

The_Boy

Also: we've not had a good drugs scandal on the eve of the race for a while. While that's no bad thing, it does feel like a break from tradition.

meesterbond

The_Boy wrote:

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I tried to get the missus to agree to that, but as a first name in 2014 when our second was born but she wouldn't take the chance on having a baby Vincenzo.

Completely coincidentally we actually settled on Alexander, who actually won the preceding stage.

Not particularly interesting I know, but I'm sure we all look forward to seeing pictures of baby Marcel.

RichN95.

The_Boy wrote:

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I hope Tsgabu Grmay wins that day

kleinstroker

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I hope Tsgabu Grmay wins that day

^^

dodgy

The repairs on the Joux Plane still aren't complete.

bobmcstuff

Also looking forward to the legions of trolls and morons who come out of the forum woodwork in July...

rick_chasey

bobmcstuff wrote:

Also looking forward to the legions of trolls and morons who come out of the forum woodwork in July...

The_Boy

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I hope Tsgabu Grmay wins that day

The very name that caused her second thoughts. I'd be totally chuffed for that yo happen though.

Crozza

kleinstroker wrote:

But the race is certainly faster than it has ever been barring the early noughties, wonder what that was about?

quite clearly it was to do with the precipitous drop in overall race distance that occurred at the same time

or something

Dorset_Boy

They've 3 weeks to fix the Joux Plane before the Etape is due, or 15,000 riders will be re-routed.

Kittel to dominate the first few days?

bobmcstuff

Is that the landslide at the top that happened last year? They've had ages to fix that.

I just walked round the hole but you couldn't have 15,000 riders doing that...

RichN95.

The_Boy wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I hope Tsgabu Grmay wins that day

The very name that caused her second thoughts. I'd be totally chuffed for that yo happen though.

"Daddy, how do I say my middle name?"

"Well son, Carlton Kirby used to say Tits-Gabo, so it's definitely not that"

milton50

So how come they haven't fixed the Joux Plane?

dodgy

Milton50 wrote:

So how come they haven't fixed the Joux Plane?

Snow only cleared about 6 weeks ago or so. But yes, it's taking a long time, I was there last July and it was closed to motorised traffic even then.

The Joux Plane has long been in need of some TLC, it was getting like one long gravel patchwork quilt, hopefully the work will include resurfacing of the complete route between Samoens and Morzine, if it's done to the high standard you often see in the area, it should be very nice.

imatfaal

The_Boy wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I hope Tsgabu Grmay wins that day

The very name that caused her second thoughts. I'd be totally chuffed for that yo happen though.

Personally I will be cheering Winner Anacona - frankly apart from Tejay and a few that might look a little odd there isn't one that I would be too embarrassed to have owned up to at school.

kleinstroker

Milton50 wrote:

So how come they haven't fixed the Joux Plane?

http://blog.alpine-property.com/2016/05/19/col-de-joux-plane-open-closed/

Mad_Malx

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

The_Boy wrote:

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I hope Tsgabu Grmay wins that day

The very name that caused her second thoughts. I'd be totally chuffed for that yo happen though.

"Daddy, how do I say my middle name?"

"Well son, Carlton Kirby used to say Tits-Gabo, so it's definitely not that"

Mad_Malx

The_Boy wrote:

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I met a Colombian guy with the first name of Kelly who had been named using a similar method. He didn't share his dad's enthusiasm for cycling though.

yourpaceormine

Be interesting to see how Sky are treated this year. Hopefully no cups of wee, nobody deserves that.

In light of the footie, will the gendarmerie get a preemptive strike in, firing CS gas at any possible Engerlish hooligans standing at the roadside? Will the Russian ultras be spurred on by Oleg?

kleinstroker

Quintana's yellow dream

“I have prepared and I want to win and I want to give that joy to Colombians. So I invite you to join my yellow dream and give me a lot of strength,”

“Froome’s attacks [last year in the Tour] were very powerful and no one could follow. This year, he has said he has delayed his preparation a little to be at my level in the last week.

A savvy move by Froome if true as he does seem to peak early on and fade in the last week

john1967

bobmcstuff wrote:

Also looking forward to the legions of trolls and morons who come out of the forum woodwork in July...

Yeah how dare people have an opinion or view on the TDF if they haven't been posting in the elite pro race forum for the last 11 months.

kleinstroker

What is the average french workmans work rate?

bobmcstuff

john1967 wrote:

bobmcstuff wrote:

Also looking forward to the legions of trolls and morons who come out of the forum woodwork in July...

Yeah how dare people have an opinion or view on the TDF if they haven't been posting in the elite pro race forum for the last 11 months.

Maybe that excuses the morons but it doesn't excuse the obvious trolls.

ddraver

john1967 wrote:

bobmcstuff wrote:

Also looking forward to the legions of trolls and morons who come out of the forum woodwork in July...

Yeah how dare people have an opinion or view on the TDF if they haven't been posting in the elite pro race forum for the last 11 months.

YOU DON'T KNOW MAN! YOU WERE'NT THERE!!

jimmythecuckoo

bobmcstuff wrote:

Also looking forward to the legions of trolls and morons who come out of the forum woodwork in July...

josame

Well seeing as FF has left us..

It's got a Bertie win written all over it!

(I hope)

It even has an exciting TT in it (St18) - judging by the Dauphine's St1

imatfaal

According to Inrng
Tour de France Stages 1, 9, 15, 19, 20 and 21 will be shown live on TV from start to finish. Gotta work out which ones those are - presumably the fun ones and not a flat drag towards 200m of sprint


1 Flat Saturday, July 2nd Mont-Saint-Michel / Utah Beach Sainte-Marie-du-Mont 188 km
9 Mountain Sunday, July 10th Vielha Val d'Aran / Andorre Arcalis 184.5 km
15 Mountain Sunday, July 17th Bourg-en-Bresse / Culoz 159 km
19 Mountain Friday, July 22nd Albertville / Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc 146 km
20 Mountain Saturday, July 23rd Megève / Morzine-Avoriaz 146.5 km
21 Flat Sunday, July 24th Chantilly / Paris Champs-Élysées 113 km

josame

imatfaal wrote:

According to Inrng
Tour de France Stages 1, 9, 15, 19, 20 and 21 will be shown live on TV from start to finish. Gotta work out which ones those are - presumably the fun ones and not a flat drag towards 200m of sprint


1 Flat Saturday, July 2nd Mont-Saint-Michel / Utah Beach Sainte-Marie-du-Mont 188 km
9 Mountain Sunday, July 10th Vielha Val d'Aran / Andorre Arcalis 184.5 km
15 Mountain Sunday, July 17th Bourg-en-Bresse / Culoz 159 km
19 Mountain Friday, July 22nd Albertville / Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc 146 km
20 Mountain Saturday, July 23rd Megève / Morzine-Avoriaz 146.5 km
21 Flat Sunday, July 24th Chantilly / Paris Champs-Élysées 113 km

All good 1st to get us in the mood rest, apart from the finish, are gonna be good

joelsim

The_Boy wrote:

Stages during the first week are particularly important as our baby is due around then and we've agreed that he will be given the name of the stage winner on his birth day as a middle name.

I was reading through the results from the dolphin and the other half was having second thoughts. So labour might be a bit more of an anxious time than usual...

Ilnur or Gorka anyone?