2015 Tour de France Route

[McLovin]

Yes, forgot about that one. 2012 is pure gold compared to some of Leblanc routes.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I don't think there is more than one stage in next years Giro which has so many altitude meters.

The Morirolo stage maybe if you count it the Italian way - if you count every road bump. Just the climbs and it's less than 4000m, I think. Maybe 3700-3800?

The Cervinia stage was also "oversold" on this forum. If you analyze the actual climbs in that stage you'll find that they pale in comparison to the ones in the 2012 TDF La Toussuire stage.

And yet it's a 5-star stage in the Giro. That about says it all.

And I'm pretty sure that there won't more than perhaps one or two in Tour de France.

Agreed. I don't expect a return of the Leblanc years at all. In terms of brutal mountain stages, at least.

The relative lack of intermediate stages is probably because of the start in the northwest. The most interesting (hilly) roads in that area aren't the safest for a Tour peloton, so my expectactions are quite low for the first week.

 

[OlavEH]

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.

Don't know of any specific pages, but if you google "Giro/Tour" + year of stage + place of finish, you can usually find something.

Example: Giro + 1995 + Aprica, I found this profile

Quite a stage, 250 km and over 4500 altitude meters.

 

[Eshnar]

Example: Giro + 1995 + Aprica, I found this profile

that was 1996 btw.

 

[OlavEH]

that was 1996 btw.

Yep, you're right! My bad.

In the 96 Giro I see that they had two 7-hour stages back to back in the last week.

First a 220 km stage to Passo Pordoi: Win time; 7 hours 12 min.
Then a 250 km stage to Aprica: Win time: 7 hours 55 min.

I guess the riders were pretty tired after those two stages.

 

[McLovin]

I guess the riders were pretty tired after those two stages.

They were eating the ground in front of them in 96. From helicopter cam you couldn't say for sure if that was a rider or a moto.

 

[OlavEH]

They were eating the ground in front of them in 96. From helicopter cam you couldn't say for sure if that was a rider or a moto.

Hehe, I didn't follow cycling until 2002-03, but I've seen some videos on Youtube from 1995, 96 and 97 in TDF. It's pretty freakin incredible how freqently the attacked in the mountains and how long they were able to sustain there attacks. They definitely were stuffed with EPO at that time!

 

[pastronef]

@christian_palka
Si vous pensez que le prochain TDF fera étape à Cambrai avec quelques pavés pour pimenter la fin de parcours, je pense que vous pensez bien


a hint about a stage finish in Cambrai with some cobbles around the end of the stage

 

[barmaher]

That would be nice.

Rumours persist about a TTT on the second Sunday (stage 9). Although this would be against existing UCI regulations, could they get away with the time being taken for each rider as they cross the line, rather than the 5th in a team?

Like in the 2004 Tour of the Mediteranean?

Or would they just seek an exception from the UCI?

http://bikeraceinfo.com/stageraces/Mediterranean/2004-tour-of-the-mediterranean.html

 

[sir fly]

A ttt so deep in the race wouldn't be problematic just because of the UCI regulations, by the ninth stage the abandonment could affect teams' size.
An individual time trial is more probable than the team.

 

[BeagRigh]

A ttt so deep in the race wouldn't be problematic just because of the UCI regulations, by the ninth stage the abandonment could affect teams' size.
An individual time trial is more probable than the team.

I assume the UCI reg. are driven by the abandonment issue.

I'm hoping for an ITT. Last year was light on TT mileage as is this year's Giro so I think they might have a relatively TT heavy tour...

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

A ttt so deep in the race wouldn't be problematic just because of the UCI regulations, by the ninth stage the abandonment could affect teams' size.
An individual time trial is more probable than the team.

They could split every team up in an A and a B team and have the A-teams start with 4 or 5 riders depending on how many riders crashed out already.

There is no ITT rumored on that day, but locals keep yapping about a TTT.

 

[sir fly]

I assume the UCI reg. are driven by the abandonment issue.

I'm hoping for an ITT. Last year was light on TT mileage as is this year's Giro so I think they might have a relatively TT heavy tour...

Since the rumors are that the Tour will be more mountainous than usually, the tt leveling should be expected.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

They could split every team up in an A and a B team and have the A-teams start with 4 or 5 riders depending on how many riders crashed out already.

There is no ITT rumored on that day, but locals keep yapping about a TTT.

It's the Tour de France, not the Friedensfahrt. I can't imagine that kind of experimentation without it being trialled in one of ASO's smaller stage races first.

 

[sir fly]

They could split every team up in an A and a B team and have the A-teams start with 4 or 5 riders depending on how many riders crashed out already.

There is no ITT rumored on that day, but locals keep yapping about a TTT.

I'm familiar with the rumors. Just trying to give them some sense.
I don't think the team splitting is an option. If there's going to be a ttt, it's going to be according to the UCI regulations. So, the rumored one on stage 4 (5?) could be true, but then a time trial on the stage 9 is unlikely... to many time trials in short time.
IMO, either it's going to be: a prologue - ttt - itt (before the Alps), or: a prologue - itt (stage 9) - itt (mountainous, 2013 alike).
At the moment, the both options look equally possible to me.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I'm familiar with the rumors. Just trying to give them some sense.
I don't think the team splitting is an option. If there's going to be a ttt, it's going to be according to the UCI regulations. So, the rumored one on stage 4 (5?) could be true, but then a time trial on the stage 9 is unlikely... to many time trials in short time.
IMO, either it's going to be: a prologue - ttt - itt (before the Alps), or: a prologue - itt (stage 9) - itt (mountainous, 2013 alike).
At the moment, the both options look equally possible to me.

There is no TTT rumored for day 4 or 5. That's baseless speculation from that Velowire guy. Both will be road stages. I don't think there will be a third TT in the first week, either.

The mayor of Vannes confirmed the Vannes to Plumelec TTT last month. Prudhomme confirmed it to him. Exemptions to UCI regulations can be made. Not a huge deal.

They can go with full teams and cap the time gaps, like they have done in the past, or give the middle finger to the teams that already lost quite a few riders.

 

[sir fly]

There is no TTT rumored for day 4 or 5. That's baseless speculation from that Velowire guy. Both will be road stages. I don't think there will be a third TT in the first week, either.

The mayor of Vannes confirmed the Vannes to Plumelec TTT last month. Prudhomme confirmed it to him. Exemptions to UCI regulations can be made. Not a huge deal.

They can go with full teams and cap the time gaps, like they have done in the past, or give the middle finger to the teams that already lost quite a few riders.

I find Velowire speculations pretty reliable.
Vannes - Plumelac ttt I give very slim chance. Opposite to the itt.

The ttt I'd place on the battlefields of The Great War during these centenary years. That would be a sensible symbolic gesture, and in accordance to the UCI rules for the 2015 edition.

 

[barmaher]

I find it amazing how we seem pretty certain not just of the start/finish cities in the Pyrenees, but also of the likely climbs. Yet for the rest of the main difficulties (time trials and Alps) we seem to be clueless.

Time will tell, I guess.

 

[sir fly]

I find it amazing how we seem pretty certain not just of the start/finish cities in the Pyrenees, but also of the likely climbs. Yet for the rest of the main difficulties (time trials and Alps) we seem to be clueless.

Time will tell, I guess.

To me, the distribution of tt kilometers is the biggest mystery. The high mountains are mostly confirmed and defined. With 4 certain uphill finishes in the Pyrenees and Alps, and one in the Massif Central, a MTF more or less or some transitional climb here and there doesn't change overall picture and composition of the race in the mountains.
But it's not the same race with one or two individual time trials besides the prologue.

 

[Linkinito]

The route director is not happy with people trying to find the route before its reveal.

Discovering the #tdf route is like opening a surprise gift under the Christmas tree. So why trying to know everything before the date?

'Cause nobody likes bad surprises.

 

[Netserk]

The route director is not happy with people trying to find the route before its reveal.



'Cause nobody likes bad surprises.

Then why do they give hints about the route?...

 

[Tonton]

Then why do they give hints about the route?...

Good point. Also, since they want first dip and make hotel reservations before revealing the route, anyone willing to spend time and efforts can find the dots and connect them.

 

[sir fly]

Instead of a ttt, there's going to be a regular stage 5 according to the latest Velowire update.
Still wide open possibilities regarding the time trial(s).

 

[the sceptic]

when was the last time the tour had a MTT? thats the only way I want to see alpe d huez again

 

[roundabout]

2004 ...........