2015 Tour starts with 13km TT

[McLovin]

Galibier had Lautaret relatively close (8 km).

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Galibier had Lautaret relatively close (8 km).

Jausiers is relatively close to Bonette (23 km)

It's not a problem at all.

 

[ILovecycling]

guys, has anyone (of you) designed a stage with bonette mtf?
please link

 

[Netserk]

guys, has anyone (of you) designed a stage with bonette mtf?
please link

Judged by the CN article and how Pra Loup would be a backup (together with a Champs from west rumor) I think something like this:

http://www.openrunner.com/index.php?id=4044233

 

[ILovecycling]

Judged by the CN article and how Pra Loup would be a backup (together with a Champs from west rumor) I think something like this:

http://www.openrunner.com/index.php?id=4044233

thanks a lot,it looks very good.its awesome that 12km of bonette are raced at more than 2000m altitude,nairo heaven

backup for what btw,is there snow in july or what ?

 

[Lexman]

Anybody know of any other rumours for next year's Tour.

It looks like Stage 2 is indeed going to be a stage finishing on a man-made island in Zeeland. Then rumours of it going through Belgium (Liége?) on the third day and ...


Has anybody else heard more rumours?

Antwerp will host the start of the third stage...

http://www.velowire.com/article/846/en/the-tour-de-france-via-neeltje-jans-and-antwerp-in-2015-.html

Given the fact it's about 110 km's from Antwerp to Lille they can cross the border via Gent, Kortrijk Lille and cobbles or go south via Brussels, Charleroi and some Ardennes???

 

[hfer07]

When will the Tour Directors get serious about the importance of TT'ing and set TWO (2) LONG ITT-each of about 55k at minimum, instead of those "timid" tryouts?

 

[ILovecycling]

When will the Tour Directors get serious about the importance of TT'ing and set TWO (2) LONG ITT-each of about 55k at minimum, instead of those "timid" tryouts?

why,do you want nairo to attemt giro-vuelta double again ?

 

[DirtyWorks]

Given the fact it's about 110 km's from Antwerp to Lille they can cross the border via Gent, Kortrijk Lille and cobbles or go south via Brussels, Charleroi and some Ardennes???

Narrow roads! bumpy parcourse! Maybe some cobbled hills too! The race should test for all-round bike riding and this could do it. Let's hope it's a challenging course.

 

[Walkman]

When will the Tour Directors get serious about the importance of TT'ing and set TWO (2) LONG ITT-each of about 55k at minimum, instead of those "timid" tryouts?

Indeed, bring back the time trial distances of the 2007 and the 2003 routes!!

#WeWantTimeTrials

 

[DirtyWorks]

When will the Tour Directors get serious about the importance of TT'ing and set TWO (2) LONG ITT-each of about 55k at minimum, instead of those "timid" tryouts?

Except the problem is the time gaps created by long ITT make resorting the GC not likely. I like a long ITT too, but it doesn't make good television day-by-day.

 

[Broth3r]

No sprinters to defile the yellow.

I like it.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Doesn't it force the mountain goats to attack on the climbs and drop "the diesels" ?

A proper balance needed to be sure, but I do think the ITT is now under represented at le Tour (with the exception of 2012...)

 

[Dr. Juice]

Doesn't it force the mountain goats to attack on the climbs and drop "the diesels" ?

A proper balance needed to be sure, but I do think the ITT is now under represented at le Tour (with the exception of 2012...)

50-60 km TT with 2 of them in the race ( overall 100-120 km) like in the LeBlanc era were too much.

Two 35-40 km flat TT's are ok. Likewise one 50 km flat TT and one hilly (not too hilly) 35 km TT.
Or one 55 km flat TT, another short one (15-20 km, as 1st stage) and a mountain or semi-mountain TT.

With two 55 km pan flat TT's a pure climber, even if he does quite well, loses about 6 minutes to an also well climbing TT specialist . In the modern times, impossible to overcome if you are not called Pantani.

A pure climber - if he does decent TT's for his abilities - should lose around 3-4 minutes overall ( If the climber does really bad he gets 6 minutes regardless and loses out on merit )
That's enough for great action. The pure climber has to attack, every stage, but is not hopelessly on the backfoot.

 

[Red Rick]

God, I hope they'll come up with some new climbs, if they'll use Alpe d'Huez again I'm in half a mind to nuke the place

 

[fauniera]

God, I hope they'll come up with some new climbs, if they'll use Alpe d'Huez again I'm in half a mind to nuke the place

Alpe d'Huez will most likely be back 2015. They use it every second year.

 

[Red Rick]

Alpe d'Huez will most likely be back 2015. They use it every second year.

Dumb thing is that all cycling turds who only watch the sport 3 weeks in july truly think Alpe d'Huez is the hardest climb in the sport

 

[Walkman]

Dumb thing is that all cycling turds who only watch the sport 3 weeks in july truly think Alpe d'Huez is the hardest climb in the sport

To quote Ivan Basso (iirc):

"The Giro climb are twice as steep but the Tour climbs are raced twice as fast".

 

[SeriousSam]

Alpe is great. All the hairpins cancel out the omnipresent tailwind that makes it so hard to compare times to Pantani and Armstrong elsewhere. Alpe is the climbing reference we need.

 

[fauniera]

Dumb thing is that all cycling turds who only watch the sport 3 weeks in july truly think Alpe d'Huez is the hardest climb in the sport

So true. Eurosport should show this during the Alpe stage:

 

[Netserk]

Alpe is great. All the hairpins cancel out the omnipresent tailwind that makes it so hard to compare times to Pantani and Armstrong elsewhere. Alpe is the climbing reference we need.

I like the climb as well. Hate all the stupid 'fans' that come with it.

 

[Afrank]

So true. Eurosport should show this during the Alpe stage:

OMG! There's a climb called El Vino!

I demand!..A Tour start in Colombia up that climb!



And I agree, Alpe is overrated. A good climb, just rated too highly.

 

[jens_attacks]

i would agree to alpe d'huez return only if the rumours are true and it be a time trial.

time for pantani's record to fall

 

[TANK91]

Froome will be in Yellow all TDF you heard it here first. Tony wont turn up we all know Froome is the 2nd best ITT rider on form.

 

[Stromeon]

We haven't seen the Galibier for three years now (in the Tour that is)... surely they must be thinking about that again. Not that I'm advocating it or anything though