2015 Tour de France Route

[Bavarianrider]

Some local newspapers talked about a TTT between Vannes and Plumelec after Mûr de Bretagne on July 12. However that's strictly impossible due to the UCI rules. So it might be turned into an ITT.

Also, a tweet by Stéphane Boury (stage finish manager for the Tour) says that a new route in Paris for the final stage was validated by the police authorities.
Tweet 1

Tweet 2


So it might either be the inclusion of the Butte Montmartre (maybe some people at ASO thought this april fools' joke was a good idea after all) or... It could be an ITT for the final stage in Paris. Because it's rumoured that there won't be any ITT between stage 9 and stage 20... Remember that the last ITT in Paris (which was also the first) was in 1989, with the ill-fated "8 seconds".

Why does it violate UCI rules to have a TTT after Mur de Bretagne

 

[Netserk]

Why does it violate UCI rules to have a TTT after Mur de Bretagne

Because stage 9 isn't in the first third of the race.

 

[oddspam]

ITT to Alpe d'Huez?

What's the views on the second to last stage?

I've seen rumors that it will end at Alpe d'Huez. Velowire speculates in a start at Modane.

Two years ago, the last "real" stage was a MTF at Semnoz, then back to the TT last year. Is there any chance they are thinking of a climbing TT from Bourg d' Oisans to Alpe d'Huez this year?

To me, that will make sense because:
They are rotating how the Tour potentially is decided the "last" day
It's just two years since the double Alpe d'Huez. A single climb as the final of Le Tour 2015 will be kind of an anti-climax.

 

[barmaher]

I assume the TTT must be at the start of the race to prevent teams being weakened by riders crashing out. It sounds sensible to me.

 

[McLovin]

So what's before Beille? Peguere? Lers? Port? Or some combination? IIRC there was always some flat before PdB, no matter the direction they came from.

 

[Linkinito]

So what's before Beille? Peguere? Lers? Port? Or some combination? IIRC there was always some flat before PdB, no matter the direction they came from.

It is the case, but you can precede it with the 2nd category ascent Pas de Soulombrie (9.5 km @ 4.8 % with a 3.9 km @ 7.4 % section in the middle of the ascent and 800 m @ 11 %). But the descent is quite narrow.

Also when newbie tracers want to include the Plateau de Beille, they usually precede it with the 1st category ascent Col de Larnat (7 km @ 8.7 %) but the section between Norrat and Larnat is not paved, and the descent is also ridiculously narrow with a dangerous section when traversing Larnat (there's no sidewalks, you can end up straight into a house wall).

 

[OlavEH]

Let's hope they try something else than only "the usual suspects". Beille and Alpe d'Huez, espcially the latter, is used frequently enough in the Tour.

I do like the rumour about Pra Loup via Champs and Cayolle, but this wouldn't be the most spectacular stage.

Superbagneres via Port de Bales would be interesting.

Mont le Chat is though the climb I would most like to see. Pretty amazing that ASO haven't used this in the TDF since 1974.

 

[Matt92]

The mayor of Arette has been invited to the Tour route presentation, on October 22nd. I think we can be almost sure that the first Pyrenean stage will finish in Arette-Pierre-Saint-Martin (if we weren't already).

 

[luckyboy]

I wish they would use the farm roads in Brittany instead of a muur

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I wish they would use the farm roads in Brittany instead of a muur

Or a finish in Dinan with this:

(Or put the finish line in Dinard 10km further down the road).

 

[rghysens]

Or a finish in Dinan with this:

(Or put the finish line in Dinard 10km further down the road).

Aah... The French Koppenberg. Been there on a holiday this summer and it really can compare itself with the iconic Flemish climb.
Although it would be spectacular, it doesn't seem very likely to feature in a Tour.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Aah... The French Koppenberg. Been there on a holiday this summer and it really can compare itself with the iconic Flemish climb.
Although it would be spectacular, it doesn't seem very likely to feature in a Tour.

Agreed it's highly unlikely, but luckyboy was talking about the inclusion of ribin, which doesn't seem much less far-fetched.

 

[barmaher]

It seems like Seraing is confirmed, but from earlier rumours, it will be a stage start rather than a stage finish.

 

[Eshnar]

so, can anybody give me a quick recap of the rumours so far? How the route should look like...? I haven't followed much

 

[barmaher]

I have borrowed this from a few websites, but the main source is Thomas' excellent velowire blog.

We know a good bit about the first few stages, as Valve Pithy mentions in Post 41 in this topic:

1. Utrecht (ITT)
2. Utrecht - Zeeland (flat, exposed finish)
3. (Antwerp?) - Antwerp (flat)
4. Antwerp - Mur de Huy (flat + hilly finale / uphill finish)
5. Seraing - (France)

Stage 3 as outlined above by Valve Pithy may be dropped. It seems that the first week will have that ITT, Mur de Huy and possibly a TTT as the main difficulties in the first 6 days.

Then the first Saturday (stage 8) seems certain to have the Mur de Bretagne.

The newspapers keep talking about a TTT on the first Sunday, but this is against UCI regulations. Nevertheless, the stage seems to be from Vannes to Plumelec.

All in all a very uninspiring first week, I think. But the rest of the rumoured route looks very good.

Remember the day after the rest day is Bastille Day. And it seems almost certain that this will be celebrated with a stage finish in Arrete La Pierre Saint Martin.

The second Pyreneen stage is likely to be something like Pau to Cauterets.

The third Pyrneen stage goes east, with a finish in Plateau de Beille.

Friday (stage 13) sees a transition flat stage from Castres to Rodez.
Saturday (stage 14) sees a finish in Mende
Sunday (stage 15) is unclear, there had been rumours of a hilly stage in the Ardeche, but nothing concrete.
Monday (stage 16) sees another transition towards the Alps.

Rest on the Tuesday.

Then Wednesday (stage 17) sees a potentially epic Pra Loup finish, taking in Col des Champs and Col de la Cayolle.

The last few days are up in the air. It seems certain there will be a finish in La Toussuire and one in L'Alpe d'Huez. And probably another one in Saint Jean de Maurienne. But other than that it is not clear what the plans are. There may be a time trial somewhere, but the rumours of the Alps are unclear.

So it looks like:
* 3 Pyrneen stages. At least 2 MTF, with the middle stage either Cauterets or a descent.
* 3-4 Alpine stages. At least 2 MTF, with a descent finish likely.
* Short ITT in the first stage, possible TTT in the first week, surely an ITT in the last week, but unclear where it will be. Maybe the Ardeche stage can be an ITT?
* Uphill finish in Huy, Uphill finish in Mur de Bretagne, Uphill finish in Mende.

All those stages look very good, but the key is what they do with the other 9-10 stages. We need some difficulty like cobbles or something in the first week in particular.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Cauterets was mentioned again in the most recent newspaper article that "confirmed" Arette Pierre St.-Martin

No idea why that Velowire guy still lists "Lourdes??????" for that day.

 

[Arredondo]

I found Huy, Bretagne and Mende quite a lot of punchy finishes. Perhaps one too much?

 

[Chrisp]

Yes a lot of hilly finishes. Normally i will say to myself "ASO doing some efforts to change their boring first week, greats !" But with those hilly finishes we can add a lot of MTF, maybe too much : La Pierre Saint Martin, Beille, Pra Loup, ADH, and one or two more, maybe Cauterets and Toussuire.

Especially the Alps seems really hard with 4 mountain stage in a row.

For La Pierre St Martin, i think they will use Aubisque and Marie Blanque and climb by Arette. The mayor of Arette has been invited to the Tour route presentation like Matt92 said and he's the one who makes a lot of efforts to see the station in the Tour. He seems normal to take the Arette side. He saids too "We will make sure it goes well and that the arrival to the station becomes recurrent."

I hope for Burdincurutcheta and another steep Basques climb in a near future !

 

[barmaher]

I really wonder where the second ITT will be. Is there a chance that the middle stage in the Pyrenees or one of the Alpine stages could be an ITT?

For instance, Lourdes to Cauterets is around 28km, flat for 18km and around 10km at 5% or so (from memory, I may be wrong).

Or they could do a similar route around Saint Jean de Maurienne for 20km followed by a climb up La Toussuire?

Or it could be the Ardeche, as I mentioned above.

As always, there are rumours about the final stage, but I will believe that when I see it.

 

[McLovin]

Judging from the rumours, this might be the most mountainous Tour since I first watched one, in 97. Possible 3 MTF in Pyrenees, Mende, then maybe 5 stages in the Alps, including Gap + Huy + Mur de Bretagne. I have a felling something is not right here.

 

[Netserk]

Stage 9 is a possibility. However I'm almost certain that there will be an ITT of some sort in the last two weeks, so if stage 9 is an ITT there will be another one as well imho.

 

[sir fly]

Naturally, the time trial should occur between the high mountains.
The rumors about the route through Paris are leaving space for speculations.
Anyway, it's going to be a climbers' edition.

 

[McLovin]

I really wonder where the second ITT will be. Is there a chance that the middle stage in the Pyrenees or one of the Alpine stages could be an ITT?

For instance, Lourdes to Cauterets is around 28km, flat for 18km and around 10km at 5% or so (from memory, I may be wrong).

Or they could do a similar route around Saint Jean de Maurienne for 20km followed by a climb up La Toussuire?

Or it could be the Ardeche, as I mentioned above.

As always, there are rumours about the final stage, but I will believe that when I see it.

They must have a second route for cars and motorcycles in a MTT. Toussuire is a possibility, same AdH. In the Pyrenees, around Lourdes, nothing as far as I know, except Luz Ardiden.

 

[McLovin]

http://france3-regions.francetvinfo...5-s-arrete-la-pierre-saint-martin-571298.html

 

[lemon cheese cake]

When is the race presentation?