2015 Tour de France Route

[Netserk]

The only things to balance the abundance of MTFs are the prologue, the echelon finish on stage 2, the cobbles on stage 4 and a mid-length hilly TTT.

 

[guncha]

Yep. I know it seems way off, but all rumors point to there only being one ITT. The glorified 13.7 km "prologue" and nothing else.

There are rock solid rumors of a TTT on day 9 - even acknowledged by Velowire now, which seems to be the only opportunity to have one, considering all the stage starts and finishes are pretty much known.

It still would be a very atypical TDF on that front if that one was an ITT, as there has "always" been an ITT in the third week, never mind if you also include the second week.

Plans for an MTT on La Toussuire and a long ITT in the Ardèche apparently fell through. The former because Maurienne apparently wanted a road stage entirely within Maurienne instead. In the Tour - more so than the Giro - it's all about the money in the end.

Alpe d'Huez, the perfect opportunity to host an MTT - is also a road stage. I heard some talk years ago that they also weren't particularly interested in hosting an MTT. I think it will continue to be a problem to host one in the foreseeable future, unless ASO is willing to accept less money

To me the final week would make sense if it had been:
Digne - Pra-Loup
Gap - La Toussuire
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (flat ITT)
Modane - L'Alpe d'Huez

But it looks it won't be so...

 

[Red Rick]

I get the feeling it's gonna look too similar to a Vuelta at the wrong place at the time

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

The only things to balance the abundance of MTFs are the prologue, the echelon finish on stage 2, the cobbles on stage 4 and a mid-length hilly TTT.

There are more chances of echelons in the first week, I think.

In all fairness, though, not much balance is needed if Froome is back in top shape next year. I don't know how many flat ITT kms he would need against a Contador with a Giro in his legs. Not that many I'm guessing...

 

[OlavEH]

Right now there seems to be rumoured something like 6 MTFs and 3 hilly finishes.

Arette-Pierre St.Martin, Cauterets and Plateau de Beille in the Pyrenees.
Pra Loup, La Toussuire and Alpe d'Huez in the Alps.
Muur de Huy, Mur de Bretagne and Mendee as hilly finishes.

My guess would be that next years TDF will at most have 4 or 5 MTF and 2 hilly finishes. The final route is never as tough as rumoured. I really hope they do something else in the Alps than two super short MTFs to Alpe and La Toussuiere. Better drop both those stages and have a really long last mountain stage of 200++ km.

 

[Eshnar]

The only things to balance the abundance of MTFs are the prologue, the echelon finish on stage 2, the cobbles on stage 4 and a mid-length hilly TTT.

There are more chances of echelons in the first week, I think.

In all fairness, though, not much balance is needed if Froome is back in top shape next year. I don't know how many flat ITT kms he would need against a Contador with a Giro in his legs. Not that many I'm guessing...

In this age many of the top climbers are also top TTers... There's no reason to talk about balance... I want ITTs because they're the most reliable way to create gaps before the mountains.

By this logic I also despise having an ITT on the penultimate day.

 

[guncha]

My guess would be that next years TDF will at most have 4 or 5 MTF and 2 hilly finishes. The final route is never as tough as rumoured. I really hope they do something else in the Alps than two super short MTFs to Alpe and La Toussuiere. Better drop both those stages and have a really long last mountain stage of 200++ km.

Velowire has been 100% correct for a number of years. MTFs un uphill finishes will be as posted on velowire.

 

[OlavEH]

Velowire has been 100% correct for a number of years. MTFs un uphill finishes will be as posted on velowire.

Ok, we'll see. I like an increased number of uphill finishes, but are unsure about the rumoured MTFs. Don't like the tendency of shorter mountain stages with fewer climbs on each stage. This seems to be the consequence if they are going have an increased number of MTFs.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Ok, we'll see. I like an increased number of uphill finishes, but are unsure about the rumoured MTFs. Don't like the tendency of shorter mountain stages with fewer climbs on each stage. This seems to be the consequence if they are going have an increased number of MTFs.

Most MTFs are really dull these day. Defensive "racing" with lots of wheelsucking and a bit of sprinting in the end. See Vuelta this year. We don't need more of these at all.

If ASO insists on more mountain related stages, add some descent type finish and a tough MTT. Those will add variance to the course and test different skills.

Lets not turn the tour into just another uphill circus please.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

In this age many of the top climbers are also top TTers... There's no reason to talk about balance... I want ITTs because they're the most reliable way to create gaps before the mountains.

By this logic I also despise having an ITT on the penultimate day.

I don't subscribe to that logic, as I think Froome is the only very good TTer (long, flat courses, I mean) of the top climbers.

If Contador would solely focus on the Tour, I'd rather have a long ITT to give Froome an advantage before the mountain stages, but as it stands, I think it could actually be beneficial if Contador took some time on Froome in the first week in order to have a real battle. I don't want to be bored out of my mind, just because there "has to be" a long-*** ITT before the mountains, no matter the likely circumstances and the qualities of the likely contenders.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I get the feeling it's gonna look too similar to a Vuelta at the wrong place at the time

Why on earth would you think that? The rumored route is at least twice as hard as this year's Vuelta with its ridiculous one climb "mountain" stages.

It may be one of the hardest Tour routes in a bit. The Vuelta is kid's play by comparison.

 

[Eshnar]

I don't subscribe to that logic, as I think Froome is the only very good TTer (long, flat courses, I mean) of the top climbers.

If Contador would solely focus on the Tour, I'd rather have a long ITT to give Froome an advantage before the mountain stages, but as it stands, I think it could actually be beneficial if Contador took some time on Froome in the first week in order to have a real battle. I don't want to be bored out of my mind, just because there "has to be" a long-*** ITT before the mountains, no matter the likely circumstances and the qualities of the likely contenders.

So do you think having Froome and AC with s.t. heading into the Pyrenees would increase the spectacle?
How exactly is AC supposed to gain time on Froome, if the first week is the one rumoured?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

So do you think having Froome and AC with s.t. heading into the Pyrenees would increase the spectacle? How exactly is AC supposed to gain time on Froome, if the first week is the one rumoured?

Better bike handling skills. More equipped to handle the not unlikely echelon stages. Froome messed up in one of those stages before. I'm also not convinced that Sky will outperform Tinkoff in the TTT.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Right now there seems to be rumoured something like 6 MTFs and 3 hilly finishes.

Arette-Pierre St.Martin, Cauterets and Plateau de Beille in the Pyrenees.
Pra Loup, La Toussuire and Alpe d'Huez in the Alps.
Muur de Huy, Mur de Bretagne and Mendee as hilly finishes.

My guess would be that next years TDF will at most have 4 or 5 MTF and 2 hilly finishes. The final route is never as tough as rumoured. I really hope they do something else in the Alps than two super short MTFs to Alpe and La Toussuiere. Better drop both those stages and have a really long last mountain stage of 200++ km.

Cauterets won't be classified as an MTF. They'll finish in the town itself this time which means the final 3-4 kms are false flat (~ 3 percent), with only a couple 5-7 percent stretches before that.

So we'll have 5 MTFs like last year + Mende. Nothing outrageous.



Gap is likely to be the usual Manse descent finish, I hope, so we'll probably have:

first week hilly stages:

- two uphill finishes

GC-relevant medium mountain stages:

- one hard 2nd cat. followed by some false flat
- one descent finish (2nd cat.)

high mountain stages

- five MTFs, 3 HC, 2 1st cat.
- one descent finish (short-ish HC or hard 1st cat.)
- one not selective slightly uphill valley finish (preceded by Tourmalet) - pure breakaway stage

 

[Eshnar]

Better bike handling skills. More equipped to handle the not unlikely echelon stages. Froome messed up in one of those stages before. I'm also not convinced that Sky will outperform Tinkoff in the TTT.

if the TTT is medium lenght gaps will be meaningless anyway. The only chance I see is the echelon stage, which is always kinda unlikely, and if it happens has to be big, and AC has to catch the right move and Froome has to lose it... overall I think there's way more chance one of them crashes in a sprinters stage and we get gaps for that.

 

[Netserk]

Medium length and hilly TTT. Tinkoff will go full *** with Contador, Rogers, Majka, Sagan, Kreuziger, Bennati and then three others (perhaps Valgren, Tosatto and Hernandez). Imagine that team in a harder and longer TTT

 

[LaFlorecita]

Stage 9 TTT *facepalm*

But Berto skipping the presentation, luv it

 

[OlavEH]

Cauterets won't be classified as an MTF. They'll finish in the town itself this time which means the final 3-4 kms are false flat (~ 3 percent), with only a couple 5-7 percent stretches before that.

So we'll have 5 MTFs like last year + Mende. Nothing outrageous.

Ok. I thought Cauterets would be a MTF like in the Vuelta 2003.

5 MTF + Mende doesn't sound too bad. I like that they add more MTF and hilly finishes. In some years the last decade there have been only 3 MTF and that is definitely too few.

Only hope that at least one of the last two mountain stages will be somewhat longer than 100-120 km.

 

[Dr. Juice]

Ok. I thought Cauterets would be a MTF like in the Vuelta 2003.

5 MTF + Mende doesn't sound too bad. I like that they add more MTF and hilly finishes. In some years the last decade there have been only 3 MTF and that is definitely too few.

Only hope that at least one of the last two mountain stages will be somewhat longer than 100-120 km.

Why do you want so many MTF ? 3...4...5... are all good if there are 6 difficult mountain stages with good combinations. From those 6 mountain stages at least 2 should finish in the valley or have an easy finish. Action guaranteed, no attacks at - 3 km.

 

[Eshnar]

http://www.lequotidien.lu/les-sports/61531.html
this looks worse and worse.

 

[Netserk]

http://www.lequotidien.lu/les-sports/61531.html
this looks worse and worse.

What's new in it? (Haven't read it since it's not English)

 

[the sceptic]

13 km of ITT would be a disgrace of the highest order.

but at least its funny that ASO arent designing favourable routes for sky anymore.

 

[Eshnar]

What's new in it? (Haven't read it since it's not English)

Dunno how reliable it is, but...
- Allos before Pra Loup (edit: this is just hinted actually)
- Lacets de Montvernier before St.Jean de Maurienne
- "On a fait attention à ne pas être excessif, on a des étapes de montagne d'une difficulté modérée mais on a pas mal d'arrivées au sommet..."

 

[OlavEH]

Why do you want so many MTF ? 3...4...5... are all good if there are 6 difficult mountain stages with good combinations. From those 6 mountain stages at least 2 should finish in the valley or have an easy finish. Action guaranteed, no attacks at - 3 km.

Action guaranteed? To be guaranteed action without a MTF, you need a very specific stage profile. That means a short downhill from the last climb and preferably a fairly tough last mountain. The Romme/Colombiere combo is well suited. A downhill finish from Galibier is not.

 

[WillyWoet]

6 mtf?

This must be some kind of record?