Tour route 2018
Comments
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awavey wrote:can I just note La Course is following stage 10 for 2018, but 118km Duignt - Le Grand Bornand instead. and that appears to be it
really? Every year it gets a bit easier.BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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Things I like about it.
Cobbles.
Two short mountain stages, included a bonkers 65km one with a ridiculously hard mountain in it.
Things I don't like.
No 250+ hilly/mountainous stages.
TTT
only one short TT with loads of hills in it. At MINIMUM, have one over 50km. If not two.0 -
Some ITTs were longer than 65kms in the 80s. A stage of that length has no place in a GT as either a TT or otherwise.
And I really don't understand the point of a TTT. Stong teams have enough of an advantage already. I get that sponsors like it, but they may as well have a half stage TTT on the first stage, and then get on with the proper race.0 -
burnthesheep wrote:BigMat wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Yes, stage 17 looks bananas. 65km including mountains.
ITT on stage 20 (so not a normal TT) has a steep hill in it (21%).
Oh great, will we get a red carpet again? :roll:
You can have a red carpet, but you have to also abide by a minimum bike weight. :roll:
I just really hope it isn't another Sky superteam pull of Froome for a few weeks. Not to diminish his effort, but they need to figure out how to break the riders down somehow when it comes to all the "powermeter data strategy" stuff.
I'm some lowly nobody who rides for fun. Since I've bought a meter though, during a non-training ride you can use that thing like a weapon with some of the knowledge that and the computer gives you.
I'm sure you could devise some routes (or rules or time bonuses) to try to break that trend.
One thing I really really really don't get is the "same time for the group" thing. I get that a peloton crossing a line at 35mph together only takes a blink of an eye..............but is your ace GC contender REALLY only 3 seconds behind the winning sprinter? I'd think if you timed it to the timing chip that's not the case.
I understand it's a practical issue, probably. Or maybe a safety issue. But c'mon. How, mathematically, is it possible that the GC leader doesn't gain or lose a single second over 5 straight stages.
As someone new to watching cycling, I really don't understand that.
Just give me a route that will make me want to watch it more.
Safety issue. If everyone in a bunch of close to 200 riders is trying to cross the line first, there'll be absolute carnage. Its bad enough with just the sprinters.0 -
Montée du Plateau des Glières looks bonkers! (if I've got the correct road...)
https://goo.gl/maps/M2M3WRaUpKP2
Wonder if we'll see a spectator ban, like on the Mur de Péguère at this year's race.0 -
greasedscotsman wrote:Montée du Plateau des Glières looks bonkers! (if I've got the correct road...)
https://goo.gl/maps/M2M3WRaUpKP2
Wonder if we'll see a spectator ban, like on the Mur de Péguère at this year's race.
Sweet Jesus and the baby orphans :shock:
One for the nerds: whats the shortest ever road stage in the Tour?0 -
The shortest I can remember was a stage the year Delgado won in 1988, 38 kms from Luz-Ardiden to Pau. Won by Adri Van Der Poel.0
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andyp wrote:The shortest I can remember was a stage the year Delgado won in 1988, 38 kms from Luz-Ardiden to Pau. Won by Adri Van Der Poel.
Just looked that up - first stage on a split stage day. Followed by a 210km flat stage to Bordeaux later that day.
They don't make 'em like that any more
Edit: great knowledge, by the way, andyp. Hat.It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.0 -
A split stage with a 10km TTT and short sprint stage would be a good opener.0
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They used to do that regularly (but with a longer TTT). In 1990 (140km stage & 45km TTT) it changed the whole complexion of the Tour as four strong riders (Chiappucci, Bauer, Pensec and Maassen) gained 10 minutes as no-one wanted to chase, saving themselves for the afternoon.TheBigBean wrote:A split stage with a 10km TTT and short sprint stage would be a good opener.Twitter: @RichN950 -
Banned in World Tour races, and correctly IMO.It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.0
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And yet, 65km stages are allowed.
Yes, I remember 1990. It was quite entertaining giving some riders a 10 min head start.0 -
Worth noting that the 1990 tour also had a 61.5km TT, a 33.5km mountain TT and a 45.5km TT. This is in addition to the prologue.0
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Not that different to the 80s.TheBigBean wrote:Some ITTs were longer than 65kms in the 80s. A stage of that length has no place in a GT as either a TT or otherwise.
Roche won a 53km stage up the Aubisque in 1985. He rocked up to the start in a skinsuit and got sniggered at by the peloton. Right up to the point where he left them in his dust.
And yes there was 75km time trial (223km total time trial) in the same race. But hey they wanted Hinault to win.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
Timoid. wrote:
Roche won a 53km stage up the Aubisque in 1985. He rocked up to the start in a skinsuit and got sniggered at by the peloton. Right up to the point where he left them in his dust.
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They'd probably not have noticed had he not mentioned it to every single person he saw in the 48 hours before and after.0 -
Timoid. wrote:
Not that different to the 80s.TheBigBean wrote:Some ITTs were longer than 65kms in the 80s. A stage of that length has no place in a GT as either a TT or otherwise.
Roche won a 53km stage up the Aubisque in 1985. He rocked up to the start in a skinsuit and got sniggered at by the peloton. Right up to the point where he left them in his dust.
And yes there was 75km time trial (223km total time trial) in the same race. But hey they wanted Hinault to win.
There were two stages that day.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:Timoid. wrote:
Roche won a 53km stage up the Aubisque in 1985. He rocked up to the start in a skinsuit and got sniggered at by the peloton. Right up to the point where he left them in his dust.
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They'd probably not have noticed had he not mentioned it to every single person he saw in the 48 hours before and after.
From memory of reading his book many many years ago, I think this was because before he had struggled to climb, but had time trialled really well, so his DS just told him to pretend it was a time trial (so skin suit) and ride at his pace. If only he had had a power meter.
I could, of course, have completely made this up.0 -
davidof wrote:awavey wrote:can I just note La Course is following stage 10 for 2018, but 118km Duignt - Le Grand Bornand instead. and that appears to be it
really? Every year it gets a bit easier.
Do you mean l'etape or La Course. I don't think you can argue that La Course has got easier...more half assed perhaps...We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
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.ddraver wrote:davidof wrote:awavey wrote:can I just note La Course is following stage 10 for 2018, but 118km Duignt - Le Grand Bornand instead. and that appears to be it
really? Every year it gets a bit easier.
Do you mean l'etape or La Course. I don't think you can argue that La Course has got easier...more half assed perhaps...
yeah that's a better way of putting it. Last year's race up the Izoard followed by a handicap race was certainly high on ass hatteryBASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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Rick Chasey wrote:Timoid. wrote:
Roche won a 53km stage up the Aubisque in 1985. He rocked up to the start in a skinsuit and got sniggered at by the peloton. Right up to the point where he left them in his dust.
.
They'd probably not have noticed had he not mentioned it to every single person he saw in the 48 hours before and after. It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.0 -
davidof wrote:
.ddraver wrote:davidof wrote:awavey wrote:can I just note La Course is following stage 10 for 2018, but 118km Duignt - Le Grand Bornand instead. and that appears to be it
really? Every year it gets a bit easier.
Do you mean l'etape or La Course. I don't think you can argue that La Course has got easier...more half assed perhaps...
yeah that's a better way of putting it. Last year's race up the Izoard followed by a handicap race was certainly high on ass hattery
It was crap. It would only have been marginally worse if they'd included a slow bicycle race stage. If anything, the whole thing made women's cycling seem even more of a novelty for the casual sports fan.
It's surely not beyond the wit of ASO to put at least a 5 or 6 stage race for the women to run alongside the men's race? Whether it initially works commercially is neither here nor there, but it's just the right thing to do. The commercials will come along later if it's done right.It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.0 -
Salsiccia1 wrote:
It's surely not beyond the wit of ASO to put at least a 5 or 6 stage race for the women to run alongside the men's race? Whether it initially works commercially is neither here nor there, but it's just the right thing to do. The commercials will come along later if it's done right.
Whereas the reality is things have gone backwards in France with the Route de France cancelled last year due to issues with the UCI. The route de France was the embers of the women's Tour de France. La Course is just a sideshow.BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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ASO just dont give a sh1t and we should stop pretending that they do.
Unfortunately now their man is in the top job it may be that the UCI may stop giving a sh1t too...
As Stef Wyman was saying on Twitter today we should stop trying to create a woman's tour of France race (sic) but allow other racers to develop into something equivalent to La Tour de France (TM)We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
ddraver wrote:ASO just dont give a sh1t and we should stop pretending that they do.
Unfortunately now their man is in the top job it may be that the UCI may stop giving a sh1t too...
As Stef Wyman was saying on Twitter today we should stop trying to create a woman's tour of France race (sic) but allow other racers to develop into something equivalent to La Tour de France (TM)
I think this is already happening. This year saw three British races bidding to be the most lucrative women's race. The Women's Tour is pretty serious in intent, Yorkshire (ASO, FWIW) is throwing up a proper parcours and London clearly saw an opportunity to get a load of publicity by offering a large prize. All of them got people out roadside, too - and that's probably even more important. I honestly believe that there is an opportunity for a UK race to become the top female race, if someone can seize it.
I do worry about the TdY having the women's race on Thursday and Friday though. Feels like a step backwards in terms of increasing crowds, and more of a step back than La Course becoming a single, short day.0 -
From Cycling News;
Back in 1972, the peloton peloton lined up for a 28-kilometre stage (21 kilometres of total climbing) from Aix-les-Bains to Le Revard, where Cyrille Guimard out-sprinted Eddy Merckx to take stage honours.0 -
ddraver wrote:ASO just dont give a sh1t and we should stop pretending that they do.
Unfortunately now their man is in the top job it may be that the UCI may stop giving a sh1t too...
As Stef Wyman was saying on Twitter today we should stop trying to create a woman's tour of France race (sic) but allow other racers to develop into something equivalent to La Tour de France (TM)
Hey Lappartient made it part of his mandate to push for a Women's 10-day Tour race
I'm sure we all look forward to him fulfilling this mandate
*tumbleweed*0 -
You have strong powers of premonition I see. This will almost certainly happenNo tA Doctor wrote:October: Cobbles! Yeah!
After stage 9: *surveys list of destroyed GC ambitions * So unless Froome loses a leg it's 5 Tours. Worst route ever.0 -
kleinstroker wrote:
You have strong powers of premonition I see. This will almost certainly happenNo tA Doctor wrote:October: Cobbles! Yeah!
After stage 9: *surveys list of destroyed GC ambitions * So unless Froome loses a leg it's 5 Tours. Worst route ever.
Nah, he forgot the bit where the 'experts' go on about how cobbles have no place in a GT as they are dangerous for GC riders (see 2014).0
