2016 Tour de France, Info & Discussion

[Praying Mantis]

A place to discuss the upcoming Tour de France and an overview of the route profiles.

2016 Tour de France
July 2nd - July 24th

Downloads:
Race regulations (PDF, 1.6 MiB, French/English)
Roadbook (PDF, 159 MiB, French) (Mirror: www116.zippyshare.com/v/6RFSjTkD/file.html)

Website:
http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2016/us/

Confirmed startlist:
http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_de_France_2016_Startlist

Invited PCT teams:
BORA - ARGON 18
COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS
DIRECT ENERGIE
FORTUNEO - VITAL CONCEPT

Route:

Stage 1: Mont-Saint-Michel → Utah Beach Sainte-Marie-du-Mont (188 km, Flat)

Stage 2: Saint-Lô → Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (182 km, Flat)

Stage 3: Granville → Angers (222 km, Flat)

Stage 4: Saumur → Limoges (232 km, Flat)

Stage 5: Limoges → Le Lioran (216 km, Mountain)

Stage 6: Arpajon-sur-Cère → Montauban (187 km, Flat)

Stage 7: L'Isle-Jourdain → Lac de Payolle (162 km, Mountain)

Stage 8: Pau → Bagnères-de-Luchon (183 km, Mountain)

Stage 9: Vielha Val d'Aran → Andorre Arcalis (184 km, Mountain)

Rest day 1: Andorra

Stage 10: Escaldes-Engordany → Revel (198 km, Hilly)

Stage 11: Carcassonne → Montpellier (164 km, Flat)

Stage 12: Montpellier → Mont Ventoux (185 km, Mountain)

Stage 13: Bourg-Saint-Andéol → La Caverne du Pont-d'Arc (37 km, ITT)

Stage 14: Montélimar → Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux (208 km, Flat)

Stage 15: Bourg-en-Bresse → Culoz (159 km, Mountain)

Stage 16: Moirans-en-Montagne → Berne (206 km, Flat)

Rest day 2: Bern

Stage 17: Berne → Finhaut-Emosson (185 km, Mountain)

Stage 18: Sallanches → Megève (17 km, ITT)

Stage 19: Albertville → Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc (146 km, Mountain)

Stage 20: Megève → Morzine-Avoriaz (146 km, Mountain)

Stage 21: Chantilly → Paris Champs-Élysées (116 km, Flat)

Stage 1: Mont-Saint-Michel → Utah Beach Sainte-Marie-du-Mont (188 km, Flat)

Stage 2: Saint-Lô → Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (182 km, Flat)

Stage 3: Granville → Angers (222 km, Flat)

Stage 4: Saumur → Limoges (232 km, Flat)

Stage 5: Limoges → Le Lioran (216 km, Mountain)

Stage 6: Arpajon-sur-Cère → Montauban (187 km, Flat)

Stage 7: L'Isle-Jourdain → Lac de Payolle (162 km, Mountain)

Stage 8: Pau → Bagnères-de-Luchon (183 km, Mountain)

Stage 9: Vielha Val d'Aran → Andorre Arcalis (184 km, Mountain)

Rest day 1: Andorra

Stage 10: Escaldes-Engordany → Revel (198 km, Hilly)

Stage 11: Carcassonne → Montpellier (164 km, Flat)

Stage 12: Montpellier → Mont Ventoux (Chalet Reynard) (178 km, Mountain) (Bastille day

)

This stage was shortened by 6 km and instead finished at Chalet Reynard.

Stage 13: Bourg-Saint-Andéol → La Caverne du Pont-d'Arc (37 km, ITT)

Stage 14: Montélimar → Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux (208 km, Flat)

Stage 15: Bourg-en-Bresse → Culoz (159 km, Mountain)

Stage 16: Moirans-en-Montagne → Berne (206 km, Flat)

Rest day 2: Bern

Stage 17: Berne → Finhaut-Emosson (185 km, Mountain)

Stage 18: Sallanches → Megève (17 km, ITT)

Stage 19: Albertville → Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc (146 km, Mountain)

Stage 20: Megève → Morzine-Avoriaz (146 km, Mountain)

Stage 21: Chantilly → Paris Champs-Élysées (116 km, Flat)

Vive le tour.

 

[Jan the Man]

If the Pont Arc TT was about 55km rather than 37km it would be one of the more balanced GC routes -for the Tour.

Personally in addition to the above change I am a fan of more intermediate stages for attacking classic type riders in GT's but the Tour shies away from those types of stages

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

onbly missing is a proper ttt and a very long itt. but other than that AMAZING route imo

 

[Brullnux]

Needs a longer ITT, and some better hilly stages and some mountain stages where the hardest climb is not the last one. I guess Stage 15 and 19 do that, but on Stage 15 everyone will wait for the Lacets Grand Colombier and on 19 everyone will wait for the MTF as there is too much false flat (uphill at some points) after Bisanne unfortunately, so unless the situation warrants it (like this year's Giro) it won't be that fun. Lac de Payolle is fine as an introduction to the mountains but Arcalis? Really?

 

[CheckMyPecs]

ASO is shying away from long ITTs to make Froome less dominant.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

ASO is shying away from long ITTs to make Froome less dominant.

Thus making the race closer, and so meaning there is less chance of long range attacks. Nice idea ASO!

 

[PremierAndrew]

Have to say this looks like a great route. Both ITTs are after HC Summit finishes, but you're guaranteed to have at least some action on a HC Summit finish.

Stage 1 gives a sprinter a chance for the yellow jersey, while a puncher will take yellow the next day.

Stage 5 provides a great opportunity for a breakaway to take yellow.

Stage 7 is beautifully designed and would only be improved with another tough climb before the Col d'Aspin.

Stage 8 looks ideal for a breakaway, and comes a bit early for my liking. A stage like that in the final week could have led to carnage, whereas everyone will probably play it safe. One of my few problems with the route.

My only other problem with the route is with stage 20. Are the 15km of flat before the first climb really necessary? And why not have a HC before the final climb? That would give us complete and utter carnage if someone strong enough was far enough behind going into it.

But overall, great route.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Re:

My only other problem with the route is with stage 20. Are the 15km of flat before the first climb really necessary? And why not have a HC before the final climb? That would give us complete and utter carnage if someone strong enough was far enough behind going into it.

Uhhh, Ramaz is the hardest pass in the area (apart from Joux Plane). The last time it was included in the Tour it did quite a bit of damage.

 

[SeriousSam]

Many boring flat stages as usual. It's a shame we have this short hilly TT and a mountainous one, essentially no test of aerobic power in the flat. ASO desperate for Quintana to win.

Stage to Mont Ventoux looks great, love those __/ profiles that come down to sheer power with an evenly paced effort. Arcalis looks good too

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Re: Re:

My only other problem with the route is with stage 20. Are the 15km of flat before the first climb really necessary? And why not have a HC before the final climb? That would give us complete and utter carnage if someone strong enough was far enough behind going into it.

Uhhh, Ramaz is the hardest pass in the area (apart from Joux Plane). The last time it was included in the Tour it did quite a bit of damage.

If the Grand Columbier is a HC climb with 12.8kms and 6.8% then surely Ramaz with 13.9km at 7.1% should be as well. Also the Col de la Forclaz on stage 17 with 13kms at 7.9%.

 

[MatParker117]

Re:

Many boring flat stages as usual. It's a shame we have this short hilly TT and a mountainous one, essentially no test of aerobic power in the flat. ASO desperate for Quintana to win.

Stage to Mont Ventoux looks great, love those __/ profiles that come down to sheer power with an evenly paced effort. Arcalis looks good too

Thank stage is shaping up to be a demonstration of Mikel Landa's MTT abilities.

 

[Jan the Man]

Re:

onbly missing is a proper ttt and a very long itt. but other than that AMAZING route imo

Not sure about the TTT but agreed with the long TT. As I said it could have been rectified if they added an extra 20km to the TT to Pont d'Arc

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Re:

ASO is shying away from long ITTs to make Froome less dominant.

yes his long itt's have been amazing last few years....

 

[SafeBet]

It's a good route for Tour standard, but it acks a long, flat ITT and some hilly stages as previously stated.
Order of the stages looks a bit random.

 

[RattaKuningas]

Stages like stage 10 are even worse than flat ones.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Re:

Stages like stage 10 are even worse than flat ones.

no

 

[Robert5091]

Not a bad course but 10 is a bit weird or a waste.
Going from the profiles - Bertie to try on stage 8, Froome to ride the sky train on stage 9 to yellow and then try to sit on Quintana's wheel on stage 12.
There, saved you all a whole load of time in front of the TV
(Oh, yeah and LRP to lose 8 minutes after the first week of course)

 

[Valv.Piti]

I don't really have a problem with stage 10. You can't have 4 mountain stages in the first mountain range and you need to gtfo of the Pyrenees one way or another - I'd much rather have Envalira there to give the break a chance, at least.

I don't really wanna go over the route, what needed to be noted have been. Shaping up to be a good Quintana/Froome-duel.

 

[laughingcavalier]

Thanks Praying Mantis. I'm going to miss the TTT and a few more medium mountain/breakaway stages but looks like there is a lot of climbing and interesting opportunities for some jersey changes in the first week. Will Kittel win every sprint or will it be an open contest among the fastmen?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Thanks Praying Mantis. I'm going to miss the TTT and a few more medium mountain/breakaway stages but looks like there is a lot of climbing and interesting opportunities for some jersey changes in the first week. Will Kittel win every sprint or will it be an open contest among the fastmen?

Kittel seriously has the change to win 7-8 sprints this year, its kinda nauseating, but if he is in the peloton, I can't see anyone beat him mano a mano on the line. I say 5 victories, 3 in the first week.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

My only other problem with the route is with stage 20. Are the 15km of flat before the first climb really necessary? And why not have a HC before the final climb? That would give us complete and utter carnage if someone strong enough was far enough behind going into it.

Uhhh, Ramaz is the hardest pass in the area (apart from Joux Plane). The last time it was included in the Tour it did quite a bit of damage.

If the Grand Columbier is a HC climb with 12.8kms and 6.8% then surely Ramaz with 13.9km at 7.1% should be as well. Also the Col de la Forclaz on stage 17 with 13kms at 7.9%.

The averages of Colombier don't do it justice, it's a really irregular climb and deserves it HC status. Ramaz is too far out and not hard enough to overcome the initial problem of being too far out to deserve HC in ASO's eyes, and I see why they'd think that. Forclaz is very regular and the reason it's not HC is because you can't really have two back-to-back HC climbs when they are essentially the same one, i.e they only have a small descent separating them.

 

[Billopoulos]

Are there really no other climbs near Mont Ventoux?
I think it's always a really flat approach to the climb everytime the Tour visits Ventoux...

 

[Breh]

Montagne de Lure. climb Ventoux twice. Start from Sault, descent to Bedoin from Chalet Reynard and then climb it from Malaucène again.

These three options have been put forward in another thread.

 

[sir fly]

Brutally demanding after the second rest day.
But the uphill time trial should be the third rest day for many riders.
Would love to watch all stages in entirety, but I guess it's too early for that kind of tv production.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

7-8 potential sprint stages + stage 2 which is also essentially a sprint. Really? Other than that the route looks great, although it lacks another 50 km's of flat time trialing.