2015 Tour de France Route

[BeagRigh]

May be a prank from organisers who were not happy by people trying to figure the route out.

I'm hoping so!

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Well, I'm holding out on the mountain and other stages until I see them, but the time trial thing is nuts. I suppose if you want to experiment to see what that will do to the excitement of a GT, do it one year, but then the other part of me thinks that it's just totally ridiculous for teams, specialists, etc. Everyone should have a chance to shine at their discipline at the TdF; what's this going to do to the plans of Tony Martin, Tom Dumoulin, Taylor Phinney, etc? Not to mention the impact it has on GC. For me, it would make sense to have 6 mtf in a race where there is a long TT and the climbers need opportunities to pull back time; this is just mega-imbalanced.

And for the TTT, it's kind of a cool throw of the dice to have it so late on in the first week, but logistically it's a bit of a concern to have it anytime after stage 4 or 5... like, what if a team has 3 riders crash out by stage 9? I guess that's maybe ASO's way of making that TT 'count' more? What if there's a massive crash (or the classic 'food poisoning') and one team only has 4 riders left by stage 9? Are the rest just out?

From older rumors it appears that ASO did want to have a TTT on day 4 or 5, that they did want to have a long ITT (Ardèche), as well as an MTT (La Toussuire), but that all of those plans fell through. The first and the last ones because those towns wanted to host a road stage instead. For that kind of money, I can't say I blame them, if TTs do indeed draw smaller audiences.

The main problem, IMO, is that ASO will do just about anything to accommodate the host cities, just as long as they get their $$

 

[barmaher]

I still refuse to believe they will go with it.

Honestly, after a great route this year, 2015 looks completely gash. It's like having a golf course with no Par 3s.

 

[MikeTichondrius]

That's what I was hoping for! One mountain stage of about 250km with 5000m+ of climbing.

Heh, check my post in the race design thread for the Pau - Cauterets stage with Bales-Peyresourde-Azet-Ancizan-Tourmalet-Cauterets. I actually drew up Lannemezan - PDB with Balés at one stage...Just...Too much!

 

[veji11]

May be a prank from organisers who were not happy by people trying to figure the route out.

that' my hope too, some clever media intoxication to creat a fake buzz bubble they can than burst tomorrow morning. That would be clever. But I fear it won't be the case.

 

[May0maniac]

Well, I'm holding out on the mountain and other stages until I see them, but the time trial thing is nuts. I suppose if you want to experiment to see what that will do to the excitement of a GT, do it one year, but then the other part of me thinks that it's just totally ridiculous for teams, specialists, etc. Everyone should have a chance to shine at their discipline at the TdF; what's this going to do to the plans of Tony Martin, Tom Dumoulin, Taylor Phinney, etc? Not to mention the impact it has on GC. For me, it would make sense to have 6 mtf in a race where there is a long TT and the climbers need opportunities to pull back time; this is just mega-imbalanced.

And for the TTT, it's kind of a cool throw of the dice to have it so late on in the first week, but logistically it's a bit of a concern to have it anytime after stage 4 or 5... like, what if a team has 3 riders crash out by stage 9? I guess that's maybe ASO's way of making that TT 'count' more? What if there's a massive crash (or the classic 'food poisoning') and one team only has 4 riders left by stage 9? Are the rest just out?

All the ITT specialists would ride the Giro and only ride the fist tdf week to support their team leader in the TTT. If this is the real route, oh boy...

 

[MikeTichondrius]

that' my hope too, some clever media intoxication to creat a fake buzz bubble they can than burst tomorrow morning. That would be clever. But I fear it won't be the case.

Dont get your hopes too high guys. That document looks as official as can be and quite definitive. We have towns and stage lengths which all correspond to what we already knew, I highly doubt we'll see anything different here given how detailed the info is...

I actually like the route. Shame about repeating stages like Modane-Huez but you can't complain about lack of hardness...No real TT is an experience I guess. Can't see it being repeated much.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema upon hearing there is only 14km of ITT

 

[BigMac]

Mollema upon hearing there is only 14km of ITT

King Bauke for the win. Greater than the conquests of old.

 

[May0maniac]

Mollema upon hearing there is only 14km of ITT

Breaking news, Andy Schleck announces his comeback

 

[Dr. Juice]

13 km ITT can't be true. I hope they do an ITT on stage 9. They could strech it to 40-45 km if they don't take the straight route.

Is it confirmed they will do Col d' Allos instead of Cayolle?
Col d' Allos is mostly around 6 % while Cayolle is close to 8 % most of the time. Bad choice if confirmed.

Next question: Pierre St. Martin from Tardets (or St. Engrace where the real climb starts )

Or from La Mouline?

 

[dabar85]

if the map is correct we won't see manse on stage to gap and toussuire finish looks strange. also sjdm finish after glandon is waste. there are lot of dh finishes which are better

 

[Race Radio]

Or from La Mouline?

Pretty sure it will be from La Mouline

 

[Dr. Juice]

Pretty sure it will be from La Mouline

I hope so. The other side has a long false flat leading into the climb. From La Mouline the hardest part is the first half which means that the action will start early ( must, because the last 5 km are soft - moderate).

 

[veji11]

Dont get your hopes too high guys. That document looks as official as can be and quite definitive. We have towns and stage lengths which all correspond to what we already knew, I highly doubt we'll see anything different here given how detailed the info is...

I actually like the route. Shame about repeating stages like Modane-Huez but you can't complain about lack of hardness...No real TT is an experience I guess. Can't see it being repeated much.

I don't get my hopes up, I know it isn't the case, But just for the sake of it, if it was, it would be darn well done and quite credible...

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I think it's far too short. Even if it's raced really hard from the start (which it won't be) it'll just come down to a last 5km battle.

It depends on how the shortened Madeleine and, more importantly, the Croix de Fer will be raced. If the pace is insane there, gaps could be big.

Gaps were relatively big in the ~ 70km shortened Blockhaus stage in the Giro, already (flat + one 1st category climb). This one could have three 1st, one 2nd and a HC climb. No need for 230 km stages to create gaps.


We "only" need one team to go mutant, be it Sky or Tinkoff.

Otherwise, yeah, it will be boring.

 

[MikeTichondrius]

I do have a lingering doubt here...The Le Quotidien article that was posted a few hours back apparently mentioned (I can read *some* french but it's not perfect) that the Col des Champs would be impossible to do due to a dangerous descent and that they're doing Allos....

Now, a direct Digne-Pra Loup stage via Allos is around 100km. The stage length posted however is around 160. Are they going to go the other way around and doing Champs east and on to Allos instead of Champs west into Cayollle then?

 

[Lupetto]

if the map is correct we won't see manse on stage to gap and toussuire finish looks strange. also sjdm finish after glandon is waste. there are lot of dh finishes which are better

I believe they do Gap - Col Bayard - Col de Parquetout - Col d'Ornon - Bourg d'Oisan - Lautaret - Galibier - SJDM. That's exactly 185k like in their programm of today.

 

[veji11]

I believe they do Gap - Col Bayard - Col de Parquetout - Col d'Ornon - Bourg d'Oisan - Lautaret - Galibier - SJDM. That's exactly 185k like in their programm of today.

God no please... Galibier via Lautaret... gee...the first half of the stage is great, but the end...

 

[roundabout]

I believe they do Gap - Col Bayard - Col de Parquetout - Col d'Ornon - Bourg d'Oisan - Lautaret - Galibier - SJDM. That's exactly 185k like in their programm of today.

I'll laugh if that happens

 

[MatParker117]

It depends on how the shortened Madeleine and, more importantly, the Croix de Fer will be raced. If the pace is insane there, gaps could be big.

Gaps were relatively big in the ~ 70km shortened Blockhaus stage in the Giro, already (flat + one 1st category climb). This one could have three 1st, one 2nd and a HC climb. No need for 230 km stages to create gaps.


We "only" need one team to go mutant, be it Sky or Tinkoff.

Otherwise, yeah, it will be boring.

For that to happen there needs to be no cobbles stage otherwise Sky, Tinkoff, Movistar, etc will have to sacrifice the firepower they would need to do that in order to get there guy through that stage.

 

[perico]

Would it be too much to ask for a return to Luz Ardiden more than once or twice a 10 year span? A MTF that has given us many epic memories over the years has been relegated to an afterthought under Prudhomme's watch.

 

[Dr. Juice]

IMO it's time again for the very hard Joux Plane with the tricky descent into Morzine. Considering the difficulty of the climb and the great racing it produces - absolutely not overused in the TdF.

Romme - Colombière was great in 2009. Also descent finish into Le Grand Bornand. Plus Roseland right from the start. They should try that combination again.

 

[jens_attacks]

I believe they do Gap - Col Bayard - Col de Parquetout - Col d'Ornon - Bourg d'Oisan - Lautaret - Galibier - SJDM. That's exactly 185k like in their programm of today.

nightmares. thank you

 

[Poursuivant]

13.7km of ITT! Farcical! They will try and justify it with a longer TTT, which is pathetic. They have messed this up big time, which is amazing considering how long they have been planning it.