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Tour route 2019

specialgueststarspecialgueststar Posts: 3,371
edited November 2018 in Pro race
Seems to be less website s bothering to speculate

Calmejane tweeted Toulouse to Albi ( his town).

Any rumours / definite stages?

Ventoux has seen certain for a long time as the whole department is involved ?
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Posts

  • ddraverddraver Posts: 24,089
    'bout time for another lap of Ventoux...

    Where is it starting?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • ducknumber1ducknumber1 Posts: 1,041
    ddraver wrote:
    'bout time for another lap of Ventoux...

    Where is it starting?

    Sprouting up in Bruxelles
  • venstervenster Posts: 356
    What date is the official presentation?


    EDIT-
    Just seen it, looks like 25th October.
  • Vino'sGhostVino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    not long to wait then, ill be first in with a comment that the first week looks like a snooze fest and the ardennes region is used but it wont be raced like a monument etc :)

    CANT WAIT :)
  • jimmythecuckoojimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,598
    There was a rumoured route out a week or so back...

    Can't find it now though...
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • Dorset_BoyDorset_Boy Posts: 5,004
    La Flamme Rouge's guess at the route:
    https://www.facebook.com/laflammerouge1 ... =3&theater
  • poweredbyidrispoweredbyidris Posts: 574
    Velowire's latest update (Etape: Albertville to Val Thorens):

    Carte_TdF_2019.small.png?v=5

    https://www.velowire.com/article/1046/en/tour-de-france-2019--the-rumours-about-the-race-route-and-the-stage-cities-.html
  • Dorset_BoyDorset_Boy Posts: 5,004
    Difficulty with Val Thorens as the Etape finish is that there is only one road in and out. How they would manage getting people back down the valley would be interesting.

    Route could be Albertville then over the Madeleine and then the looonnnnngggggggg drag up from Moutiers to VT.
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 7,801
    I know this goes against the spirit of what the etape is but it'd be easier if they made it "inspired by" a stage of the Tour so they could take in a key part of a stage but have more leeway for creating a more practical route for the sportive. In fact I'd rather they just designed a great sportive route each year irrespective of the Tour but I guess part of the deal for getting the Tour might be a willingness to allow the sportive.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • ridgeriderridgerider Posts: 2,843
    Doesn't look like it's coming past my chateau this year...Rubbish route!
    Half man, Half bike
  • Dorset_BoyDorset_Boy Posts: 5,004
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    I know this goes against the spirit of what the etape is but it'd be easier if they made it "inspired by" a stage of the Tour so they could take in a key part of a stage but have more leeway for creating a more practical route for the sportive. In fact I'd rather they just designed a great sportive route each year irrespective of the Tour but I guess part of the deal for getting the Tour might be a willingness to allow the sportive.

    I think they're done pretty well on that front the last few years.

    2015: start & finish were bottom and top of a climb (St Jean de Maurienne to La Toussuire)
    2016: Megeve & Morzine weren't too far apart, and decent amounts of parking at both ends.
    2017: Briancon to Col d'Izoard - similar logistics to 2015
    2018: Annecy to Le Grand Bornard - about 45 mins apart
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 10,378
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    I know this goes against the spirit of what the etape is but it'd be easier if they made it "inspired by" a stage of the Tour so they could take in a key part of a stage but have more leeway for creating a more practical route for the sportive. In fact I'd rather they just designed a great sportive route each year irrespective of the Tour but I guess part of the deal for getting the Tour might be a willingness to allow the sportive.

    For me a huge part of doing the Etape would be the fact it is an actual stage of the Tour. I think it would be diminished if they did something different.

    At least VT is a proper ski resort with a good access road.
  • Vino'sGhostVino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    I know this goes against the spirit of what the etape is but it'd be easier if they made it "inspired by" a stage of the Tour so they could take in a key part of a stage but have more leeway for creating a more practical route for the sportive. In fact I'd rather they just designed a great sportive route each year irrespective of the Tour but I guess part of the deal for getting the Tour might be a willingness to allow the sportive.

    For me a huge part of doing the Etape would be the fact it is an actual stage of the Tour. I think it would be diminished if they did something different.

    At least VT is a proper ski resort with a good access road.

    Yes i think the point is exactly that its a taste of the real thing, complete with tour sponsors and organisation. Otherwise it would be called the Marmotte.
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 7,801
    Vino'sGhost wrote:
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    I know this goes against the spirit of what the etape is but it'd be easier if they made it "inspired by" a stage of the Tour so they could take in a key part of a stage but have more leeway for creating a more practical route for the sportive. In fact I'd rather they just designed a great sportive route each year irrespective of the Tour but I guess part of the deal for getting the Tour might be a willingness to allow the sportive.

    For me a huge part of doing the Etape would be the fact it is an actual stage of the Tour. I think it would be diminished if they did something different.

    At least VT is a proper ski resort with a good access road.

    Yes i think the point is exactly that its a taste of the real thing, complete with tour sponsors and organisation. Otherwise it would be called the Marmotte.

    Yes for me it'd be more about getting the chance to ride a mass participation sportive on the best roads and maybe some iconic climbs rather than tracing an actual stage but I realise that I may be in a minority on that.

    I think I'd need a special reason to do the Marmotte again - unfortunately I can't talk my brothers or kids into entering (or indeed taking up road cycling) and my wife says there is no way she's riding a bike even when I suggested a tandem.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • bobmcstuffbobmcstuff Posts: 10,378
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    Vino'sGhost wrote:
    bobmcstuff wrote:
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    I know this goes against the spirit of what the etape is but it'd be easier if they made it "inspired by" a stage of the Tour so they could take in a key part of a stage but have more leeway for creating a more practical route for the sportive. In fact I'd rather they just designed a great sportive route each year irrespective of the Tour but I guess part of the deal for getting the Tour might be a willingness to allow the sportive.

    For me a huge part of doing the Etape would be the fact it is an actual stage of the Tour. I think it would be diminished if they did something different.

    At least VT is a proper ski resort with a good access road.

    Yes i think the point is exactly that its a taste of the real thing, complete with tour sponsors and organisation. Otherwise it would be called the Marmotte.

    Yes for me it'd be more about getting the chance to ride a mass participation sportive on the best roads and maybe some iconic climbs rather than tracing an actual stage but I realise that I may be in a minority on that.

    I think I'd need a special reason to do the Marmotte again - unfortunately I can't talk my brothers or kids into entering (or indeed taking up road cycling) and my wife says there is no way she's riding a bike even when I suggested a tandem.

    That's the point though - if that's what you want to do there's already events for that (Maratona as well as the Marmotte). Etape is something else.
  • davidofdavidof Posts: 2,720
    bobmcstuff wrote:

    At least VT is a proper ski resort with a good access road.

    I can't think of much I'd rather less do than riding to VT though. It will be a hard day finishing at 2300 meters.
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 7,801
    bobmcstuff wrote:

    That's the point though - if that's what you want to do there's already events for that (Maratona as well as the Marmotte). Etape is something else.


    Yes I realise some people are attracted by the idea of riding a Tour stage - just voicing an opinion that perhaps the requirements of a professional race and a sportive aren't the same and you could have a better sportive if the relationship between the two was looser. For me that wouldn't be an issue but each to their own.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • durhamwaspdurhamwasp Posts: 1,242
    As if La Planche des Belles Filles wasn't already hard enough!... :O
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 7,801
    durhamwasp wrote:
    As if La Planche des Belles Filles wasn't already hard enough!... :O


    Without being too Victor Meldrew what's the betting the reality will fail to live up to the anticipation? Still if this is the precursor to longer unpaved roads and maybe descents all to the good - maybe help sell some gravel bikes!
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Vino'sGhostVino'sGhost Posts: 4,129
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    durhamwasp wrote:
    As if La Planche des Belles Filles wasn't already hard enough!... :O


    Without being too Victor Meldrew what's the betting the reality will fail to live up to the anticipation? Still if this is the precursor to longer unpaved roads and maybe descents all to the good - maybe help sell some gravel bikes!


    I think adding in these different road surfaces like cobbles is good, it adds uncertainty to the GC riders and creates opportunity for aggresive riding rather than more stages where everything is Business as usual.

    The cross wind sections never seem to materialise in the way that viewers hope but the cobbles are the cobbles, gravel is gravel and short explosive sections add real spice. Im all for it
  • specialgueststarspecialgueststar Posts: 3,371
    Route presentation tomorrow.
  • jimmythecuckoojimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,598
    HALF HOUR TO GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • greasedscotsmangreasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de ... -revealed/

    dqvgnb1woaaogbr_670.jpg
  • ddraverddraver Posts: 24,089
    Ventoux next year then...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • meursaultmeursault Posts: 1,433
    ddraver wrote:
    Ventoux next year then...

    Hmmmm, disappointed.
    Superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them.

    Voltaire
  • Willow 15Willow 15 Posts: 19
    edited October 2018
    The animation in the presentation for the Pont Du Gard - Gap had a gap in the footage. The official TDF site does not have a route map for this stage. Guess which big windy mountain is in between Pont Du Gard and Gap. Maybe Ventoux is getting announced later, or is it wishful thinking on my behalf?
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 7,801
    Ffs, just google mapped Pont du Gard to Gap to check that theory out and it gave me a route from the South of France to a clothes shop on my local high street.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Lanterne_RogueLanterne_Rogue Posts: 3,359
    “This is the highest Tour in history,” said the Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme,

    Insert obligatory Pot Belge joke here...
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Willow 15Willow 15 Posts: 19
    DeVlaeminck wrote:
    Ffs, just google mapped Pont du Gard to Gap to check that theory out and it gave me a route from the South of France to a clothes shop on my local high street.
    Ha ha, did it go over Ventoux though?
  • RichN95.RichN95. Posts: 25,887
    Willow 15 wrote:
    The animation in the presentation for the Pont Du Gard - Gap had a gap in the footage. The official TDF site does not have a route map for this stage. Guess which big windy mountain is in between Pont Du Gard and Gap. Maybe Ventoux is getting announced later, or is it wishful thinking on my behalf?
    Wishful thinking I'd think. They've never kept surprises for later before.
    Twitter: @RichN95
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