ToB - tell us your ultimate parcours

alan_a
alan_a Posts: 1,546
edited January 2014 in Pro race
Following on from the Rate The Race thread, what stages would people really, really like to see added to future editions of the ToB?

The top 5 on my wish list are:

1. Isle of Man TT loop x 3 or 4

I think this is a very likely thing to happen in the next few years. Mike Bennett loves Cavendish and the support he has given the race, hence I think this will happen soon as a thank you.

2. MTF on Great Dunn Fell.

It's our biggest climb, it's a shame not to use it. You'd be guaranteed people travelling from all over to see it.

3. Finish on Edinburgh Castle esplanade.

We don't have proper pave or strade bianchi type roads, however the cobbles of Edinburgh are the brutal - and picturesque! Likelyhood of it happening = nil because unlike glasgow who are willing to spend money on these types of events, Edinburgh City Council would want a fortune to close their roads.

4. Pitlochry, Glenshee, Lecht, Cairngorm.

Probably the highest and toughest route they could do in UK. Features 3 of the top 5 highest roads in UK.
Unlikely to happen because relatively no-one lives on the route and Sweetspot appear to think anywhere north of Glasgow "be dragons".

5. TTT round Silverstone.

It would be epic. Never gonna happen, but epic.
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Comments

  • One day they'll come to the North East and play on the roads between Weardale and Teesdale, start in Darlington, end in Durham. A real Ardenne style stage, Chapel Fell which I think is the highest public road in England would make a nice feature!
  • Slightly off topic, but I like the Isle of Man TT idea. Good setting for World Champs?
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,876
    Could put a couple of interesting routes in Dorset. Could include a few short sharp climbs, or go for a sprinters stage.
  • Just because I'd like to see the pros ride my old roads and to see what they look like on the tellybox I would like to see the following stage:

    Romsey - Salisbury - Amesbury - Upavon - Pewsey - Burbage - Chute Causeway - Coombe Gibbet - Hungerford - Highclere (for all those Downtown fans) - Hurstbourne Tarrant - Andover - Stockbridge - Winchester.

    Approximately 178 kms.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,646
    Two modified freds. One starting in Barrow ends in Ambelside. The other starts in penrith ends as MTF at the Kirkstone inn

    Option 1 starts out on the wide A590 allowing for the break to form safely on wide roads.

    A5092/A5084 west of lake via Torver to Coniston where it joins the fred route. after wrynose turn towards ambleside on the A593 rather than coniston

    Possible mods if thats a bit much.

    mod 1a no newlands/whinlatter after Honister instead straight ahead at buttermere

    or

    mod 1b after joining the A66 straight ahead to whinlatter cutting out Honister and newlands

    about 190km with short cut

    9922447526_c3d1e231eb.jpg


    Other option


    option 2

    starts in Penrith on A66 on wide roads to allow breaks to start safely. straight onto Keswick. Then joins fred route again, less need to shorten route than option 1

    155k but brutal

    9922355186_409d239c15.jpg
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • S1 - Derry Prologue
    S2 - Derry Donegal Loop
    S3 - Derry to Belfast via Portrush and the Antrim Coast Road....then you can get the Ferry over to either IOM or Scotland.



    Or a Big Start in France :wink:
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,546
    Slightly off topic, but I like the Isle of Man TT idea. Good setting for World Champs?

    If Pat gets re elected probably not - not enough 5 star hotel rooms.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    Slightly off topic, but I like the Isle of Man TT idea. Good setting for World Champs?

    Used to get used regularly for the Manx International (and National Champs at least once in the 90s won by Brian Smith if my memory is working). Cracking race on fully closed roads over 3 laps, grandstand for the finish, no complaining locals as they understand the importance of tourism and the money events like that bring in unlike Surrey!

    As Blazing Saddles has said elsewhere a South Wales stage taking in Llangynidr Mountain and a MTF at the top of the Blorenge would be great and workable. You could probably build in climbs such as the Bwlch and Rhigos with a Cardiff start.

    Another great stage would be one taking in the Devil's Staircase and Bwlch y Groes but the narrow roads would make it impractical with the crowds it would attract.

    It would be nice to get a coastal stage around Cornwall and to balance the climbing maybe a stage up the Suffolk and Norfolk coast and hope the wind blows.

    I don't know northern England and Scotland well enough but no doubt there would be plenty of options there such as a proper Lake District route along similar lines to the Whitton or a hill climb on Hardknott :twisted:
  • Last year's stage in Devon (the one won by Samu Sanchez) again and again
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    I'd like to see a nod to the burgeoning sportive scene in the UK - they've done it by including a "10" - as above, I'd like to see

    1) a Fred Whitton based route and also
    2) a Chiltern 100 based route which in itself tips a nod to the Archer Grand Prix. You could make a real bitch of a route through
    3) the North Yorks Moors with a climb up Rosedale Chimney which would be "nice".
    4) North Wales with Horseshoe pass and all the climbs round Llangollen would be good. A race with a finish in
    5) Lincoln up Michaelgate would make great viewing.
    6) London - Brighton and back via Brighton sea front going up Ditchling and the backside of Steyning on the way back would be nice.

    My own personal favourite would be a Devon/Cornish Coastal stage. Start in Minehead (or similar) and hug the coast - Dunkery Beacon, Porlock, Callacombe, hope the wind blows to cause more havoc and end at the top of Boscastle having made them ride Milook, Crackington Haven and all the horrible lumpy stuff round there. You could do a cracking route of about 120 miles that would really hurt.
  • I can finally spill the beans that I've been holding these past 2 weeks.
    Official announcement today that Abergavenny to host next year's UK championships.
    Tumble time.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • trek_dan
    trek_dan Posts: 1,366
    Alan A wrote:

    2. MTF on Great Dunn Fell.

    It's our biggest climb, it's a shame not to use it. You'd be guaranteed people travelling from all over to see it.

    This. Love to see the pro's tackle it. Still find it mad that our highest climb takes a decent amateur ~40 minutes.

    Night time last stage finish in Blackpool during the illuminations? Then compulsory rider and fan night out in the Syndicate nightclub, followed by the only appropriate end to any night out in Blackpool, a salmonella Kebab and a massive punch up.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    I can finally spill the beans that I've been holding these past 2 weeks.
    Official announcement today that Abergavenny to host next year's UK championships.
    Tumble time.
    I don't suppose we'll get the same two breakaway riders working together again

    brit09-wiggins.jpg

    (Note how Froome was looking at stems at Barloworld - it's not a Sky thing)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • ^Arf!
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Alan A wrote:
    Following on from the Rate The Race thread, what stages would people really, really like to see added to future editions of the ToB?
    1. Isle of Man TT loop x 3 or 4
    2. MTF on Great Dunn Fell.
    3. Finish on Edinburgh Castle esplanade.

    Great ideas.
    I'd also love to see them tackle some of West Yorkshire's cobbled climbs (say Thwaites Brow and Hainworth Lane out of Keighley, Gibb Lane North of Halifax, and finish after Woodhouse Lane in Halifax (Trooper Lane would be cool, but let's take it one step at a time :lol: )).

    A proper Peak District stage including Holme Moss and Winnats Pass and finish in Sheffield after Fiddler's Elbow.

    A hilly coastal Cornish stage. Why stop at Devon?

    You can't cram a one week race too full with hilly stages, but this thread has enough for exciting tours for the next decade or so
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    It's a shame GB hasn't got any big mountains. Any places which show GB off to be a good tourists attraction. Around by St Ives, Cornwall.
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    You don't need big mountains to have big climbs. Great Dunn Fell has a similar amount of ascent to climbs that are rated category 1 in the Tour de France, such as the Aspin or the Peyresourde. The only difference being that Great Dunn Fell has sections above 20%!

    It'd be a great addition to the Tour of Britain, providing they could get permission to use it and work out the logistics.
  • mr_goo
    mr_goo Posts: 3,770
    Dorset Boy wrote:
    Could put a couple of interesting routes in Dorset. Could include a few short sharp climbs, or go for a sprinters stage.

    Great idea Dorset Boy. I thought of a stage start at Shaftesbury, leading out to zig zag hill then across to Bulbarrow hill, down to the Purbecks and across to a summit finish at Portland.
    Always be yourself, unless you can be Aaron Rodgers....Then always be Aaron Rodgers.
  • OP - 3 & 4 would be amazing stages, but the ToB is a very southern affair these days so it'll prob never happen. Gone are the days when Sean and co would TT up The Law in Dundee :-(
  • nweststeyn
    nweststeyn Posts: 1,574
    Not enough people in the area and the major tourist 'arteries' would need to be closed but... A route that winds up Glencoe, heads north up to Glengarry, and then a mountain top finish on the Bealach Na Ba. Would go past things like Eilean Donan so the helicopters would have something to do.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    Parcours? Next we'll be calling it the Tour de Britain.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    I can finally spill the beans that I've been holding these past 2 weeks.
    Official announcement today that Abergavenny to host next year's UK championships.
    Tumble time.

    Yep, been biting my tongue for a while too. I'm hoping they build the Tumble in later than it was in the Grand Prix of Wales though as it would be good to make it decisive. Maybe Bill can be tempted to have that MTF :lol: I'm not a big fan of the finish circuit but I guess it keeps people in the town.
  • thegibdog
    thegibdog Posts: 2,106
    dodgy wrote:
    Parcours? Next we'll be calling it the Tour de Britain.
    Le Tour de Britain, surely?

    What next - peloton? Domestique? Musette?
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    'Parcours' is just so pretentious. I can live with the rest.
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,546
    Alan A wrote:
    Following on from the Rate The Race thread, what stages would people really, really like to see added to future editions of the ToB?

    The top 5 on my wish list are:

    1. Isle of Man TT loop x 3 or 4

    I think this is a very likely thing to happen in the next few years. Mike Bennett loves Cavendish and the support he has given the race, hence I think this will happen soon as a thank you.

    2. MTF on Great Dunn Fell.

    It's our biggest climb, it's a shame not to use it. You'd be guaranteed people travelling from all over to see it.

    3. Finish on Edinburgh Castle esplanade.

    We don't have proper pave or strade bianchi type roads, however the cobbles of Edinburgh are the brutal - and picturesque! Likelyhood of it happening = nil because unlike glasgow who are willing to spend money on these types of events, Edinburgh City Council would want a fortune to close their roads.

    4. Pitlochry, Glenshee, Lecht, Cairngorm.

    Probably the highest and toughest route they could do in UK. Features 3 of the top 5 highest roads in UK.
    Unlikely to happen because relatively no-one lives on the route and Sweetspot appear to think anywhere north of Glasgow "be dragons".


    5. TTT round Silverstone.

    It would be epic. Never gonna happen, but epic.

    I've briefly brought this back to life because I have decided to organise a sportive over this route for Sunday 1st June 2014. Hopefully the powers that be will see how fantastic it is and incorporate it into a future ToB

    more details at http://www.3pistescycle.co.uk

    3pistesroute.png

    3pistesprofile.gif

    discussed further at http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40007&t=12948068
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    Looks a cracking route. I'm slightly surprised how 'little' climbing there is considering. I guess it is due to the whole route being fairly high up. By comparison I just looked at my data from the Tour of the Black Mountains last year, Strava didn't start recording until I reached the top of Gospel Pass (highest road in Wales) but the final 75 miles had a very similar amount of climbing to your route with 2 or 3 decent climbs. The rest was just made up of constant undulations and climbs of a mile or so.

    I like the idea of a linear route, it's a bit different.
  • alan_a
    alan_a Posts: 1,546
    Pross wrote:
    I like the idea of a linear route, it's a bit different.

    Cheers. Our coaches will make what is normally a logistical nightmare of a route for solo riders into one that can tackled at ease.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    Watch out for someone trying to claim their bike got damaged during transit though - you know what some people are like!
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Through Tooting Bec Common, up Balham Hill and back down Balham Hill to my house. Stopping for an Ice Cream on the way.
  • I think the Manx road club have a TT on their moto TT course and Kennaugh did it in about 1.27? or was that roacheys time? they could have that as a TT stage, must be some good road for big races over there and I'm sure it would be welcomed with there being several Manx riders that would be in the race. How about one the the stages being the cicle classic route? be good to see top top guys riding that