2015 Tour de France Route

[McLovin]

Next Wednesday.

 

[Race Radio]

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

That La Pierre-Saint-Martin would be in the race was well known but this is a new twist

Riders have on site a day off before heading back to the second mountain stage from Pau to Cauterets

This sounds like they will hit La Pierre-Saint-Martin on Sunday, have the rest day on Monday, then hit Cauterets on Tuesday (Bastille day)

 

[barmaher]

I noticed that too, but thought that was an error.

I can't imagine them having a flight from Vannes to Biarritz or wherever, and then the cyclists tackling a HC finish the next day.

 

[Race Radio]

I noticed that too, but thought that was an error.

I can't imagine them having a flight from Vannes to Biarritz or wherever, and then the cyclists tackling a HC finish the next day.

It would be tough. They would likely fly into Pau/Tarbes which is only 10 minutes or so from the start

 

[barmaher]

OK, don't know why I thought it was starting out west. Maybe wishful thinking!

Still, my money would be on a mistake on behalf of the reporter. But you can never tell.

 

[classicomano]

I want Super Besse!

 

[McLovin]

A picture of Aspin was posted on TDF Facebook page. Either Aspin Tourmalet Cauteretes drom Pau or the classic to Bagneres de Luchon and from there the next day to Beille featuring Aspet (20 years Casartelli).

 

[Ricco']

Is a remake of Casartelli stage unlikely?

Portet d'Aspet-Menté-Peyresourde-Aspin-Tourmalet-Cauterets

 

[Netserk]

I think it's more likely to be:

Tarbes -> Soulor -> Aubisque -> Marie-Blanque -> Pierre Saint-Martin
Pau -> Aspin -> Tourmalet -> Cauterets
Lannemezan -> Menté/Ares -> Aspet -> Core -> Latrape -> Agnès -> Lers -> Plateau de Beille

 

[Red Rick]

I think it's more likely to be:

Tarbes -> Soulor -> Aubisque -> Marie-Blanque -> Pierre Saint-Martin
Pau -> Aspin -> Tourmalet -> Cauterets
Lannemezan -> Menté/Ares -> Aspet -> Core -> Latrape -> Agnès -> Lers -> Plateau de Beille

You're thinking they're gonna do a Vuelta amount of MTF's and hilltop finishes and a Giro quality of mountain stages

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You're thinking they're gonna do a Vuelta amount of MTF's and hilltop finishes and a Giro quality of mountain stages

I thought ASO would Prudhomme Guillén, it seems instead Unipublic have Guilléned Prudhomme!

Edit: hang on, these are multi-climb stages. Scratch that.

 

[barmaher]

I think those stages look likely, but I would think that the Plateau de Beille stage might be softened somewhat.

 

[Netserk]

I think those stages look likely, but I would think that the Plateau de Beille stage might be softened somewhat.

So Port instead of Latrape/Agnès/Lers?

 

[McLovin]

If all this is true than we will have 3 or 4 110km stages in the Alps.

 

[barmaher]

So Port instead of Latrape/Agnès/Lers?

That is my thinking; as we know it is ASO, and they know how to avoid mountains. Apart from Tourmalet.

I should stress, that I am just guessing here. No rumours or readings or contacts.

 

[Dr. Juice]

A good GT should have 5-6 stages with 4000 - 5000 m altitude difference. Plus 80-100 km ITT. It just goes all in the wrong direction. At least the Giro has made a good route for next year ( in this age and time).

 

[woodburn]

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".

Pau-Cauterets - won by Indurain - was also a stage in the 1989 Tour. It climbed Marie-Blanque, Aubisque, Les Borderes and Le Cambasque.

 

[Netserk]

If they are climbing Aspin it has to be in the Pau -> Cauterets stage, so if the climb and start and finish cities are right, then it's 99% certain they'll do Aspin-Tourmalet-Cauterets.

 

[OlavEH]

A good GT should have 5-6 stages with 4000 - 5000 m altitude difference. Plus 80-100 km ITT. It just goes all in the wrong direction. At least the Giro has made a good route for next year ( in this age and time).

I don't think there is more than one stage in next years Giro which has so many altitude meters. And I'm pretty sure that there won't more than perhaps one or two in Tour de France.

5 stages with 4000+ altitude meters would be overkill. That would be too tough and pretty much ruin all initiative and will to attack until the last 1-2 mountain stages.

But there should at least one stage in the Pyrenees and one stage in the Alps which were all-day mountain stages with MTF. And longer than 130-140 km. I don't like that all mountain stages seem to be maximum 2-3 climbs in the last half of the stage.

 

[Dr. Juice]

I don't think there is more than one stage in next years Giro which has so many altitude meters. And I'm pretty sure that there won't more than perhaps one or two in Tour de France.

5 stages with 4000+ altitude meters would be overkill. That would be too tough and pretty much ruin all initiative and will to attack until the last 1-2 mountain stages.

But there should at least one stage in the Pyrenees and one stage in the Alps which were all-day mountain stages with MTF. And longer than 130-140 km. I don't like that all mountain stages seem to be maximum 2-3 climbs in the last half of the stage.

Let's say 4 stages. One 50 km TT right before the mountains and we'll see if the riders save themselves.
I absolutely don't like those 130-140 km stages. 200-230 km and 4-5 big mountains ...that's a real endurance test how it should be IMO.

Val Louron 1991..Sestrière 1992...Aprica 1994...stages for the eternity

 

[roundabout]

Almost sounds like the Tour as it was when Leblanc ran it

 

[Dr. Juice]

Almost sounds like the Tour as it was when Leblanc ran it

Nah, the TT's yes. But 7 sprints in week one and only 3 decent mountain stages ( maybe 1 of them above 4000 m ) is not what I have in mind.

For me a GT should have a lot of ITT but even more mountain stages. Really tough ones. And sprinters stages only 5-6 ( pure sprinters) evenly distributed. Good intermediate stages.

Leblanc was horrible in those aspects.

 

[roundabout]

I suppose it depends on exactly what you have in mind, but Leblanc was known for putting big mountain stages to the expense of intermediate stages.

And there were usually at least 2 mountain stages with over 4000 meters of climbing per edition when he was in charge

Even the horror edition of 1999 had 4 mountain stages with over 4000 meters of climbing (at a glance)

 

[McLovin]

IS there a site where I can find older stage profiles? I think 98 is the most recent Tour with online profiles available, or at least that is what I found.

 

[Netserk]

IS there a site where I can find older stage profiles? I think 98 is the most recent Tour with online profiles available, or at least that is what I found.

1996 as well.