2020 Tour de France route rumors

[tobydawq]

You sometimes like to defend route designers decisions against Red Rick, who likes to criticise every single one of them. If Gouvenou was a member of this forum, I could imagine, he would behace similarly. The part with the disappointment was more of joke I guess

Ah, that makes sense. I will neither confirm nor deny your assumption.

 

[sensations]

This strongly rumoured PdBF time-trial is the absolute pits. Honestly, the first two weeks don't sound too bad based on what we've got confirmed but I'm seriously worried about the impending creative bankruptcy for the last week.

 

[Kyllingen86]

If you are going to overuse PDBF then I actually think it will be refreshing using it as an MTT. The same way I felt about that double loop of Mur Bretagne they did a couple of years ago. Hardly innovative but at least with some variation when you do use it. My main problem with that MTT is only concerning whether it is the only ITT or not.

The idea of mixing the first week of the Tour up with "real" mountains (still only in a TDF world) is also nice. Using Peyresorde again is of no concern to me. However as an MTF it is simply annoying. Getting tired of Mur Peguere/Peyresorde as an MTF.

What happened to Plateau de Beilles? Loved that as an MTF. That was a real mountain with proper lenght and tough gradients (still only in the world of TDF). Perhaps ASO feel like the mountain itself is too stained by Lance Armstrongs victories there. We have to remember that guy never existed.

My main concern about the route is actually related to the unknown. I fear ASO will make a fool of the Alps simply to favor Alaphillippe. Maybe we will be lucky to see two proper mountain stages because of Pinot. It depends whether ASO really believe in him - or would rather go for the Ala-route. At the moment everything points towards the latter.

 

[tobydawq]

Same, except I was hoping for a much longer ITT with several climbs.

In what world was that hope justified? 21 km seems more than enough if it finishes on a mountaintop.

 

[Red Rick]

La Planche MTF replaced by La Planche MTT? Sure. I'd like that. Especially if it's around the halfway point int he race.

La Planche MTT replacing a flat/hilly ITT in a race that's already paralysed by lack of ITT mileage? *** no.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

In what world was that hope justified? 21 km seems more than enough if it finishes on a mountaintop.

It's a short climb. 21 km would be plenty if it were a Mt Ventoux ITT. La Planche is around 7 all the way to the top

We could get a 16km ITT with 9 km of valley, worst case scenario, if the rumors are credible.

Still entertaining, but not good enough, IMO.

 

[OlavEH]

Early Mercantour mountain stage is great!
Pas de Peyrol stage finish is good
Mont Aigoual with Lusette would be great. Without Lusette is pretty mediocre.
Loudenvielle via Mente, Bales and Peyresourde is good.

Based on the rumours so far, the overall impression of the route could vary from mediocre to best route design in many years, depending on what they do in the Alps, and if they add Lusette to the Aigoual stage or not. With Lusette and a couple of really good Alps stages, this would be one of the best routes in the soon to be 20 years I've followed the Tour. Without Lusette, with the same Tignes stage as this year and with an another uninspirational Alps stage, it would be a pretty mediocre route.

 

[Red Rick]

Is it Peyresourde descent finish or is it Peyragudes finish again?

 

[OlavEH]

Is it Peyresourde descent finish or is it Peyragudes finish again?

Descent finish to Loudenvielle I think.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Loudenvielle via Mente, Bales and Peyresourde is good.

Not a fan. And Menté won't be in it, according to the rumors.

They'll go via Col des Ares (3rd category masquerading as 2nd) instead.

Portet d'Aspet (2)
Col des Ares (2)
Balès (HC)
Peyresourde (1)

 

[OlavEH]

Not a fan. And Menté won't be in it, according to the rumors.

They'll go via Col des Ares (3rd category masquerading as 2nd) instead.

Portet d'Aspet (2)
Col des Ares (2)
Balès (HC)
Peyresourde (1)

Haha, so typical of ASO.

In 2003 they did this stage to Loudenvielle:

In 2007 they did this:

An now they are even omitting Mente. What a freakin joke ASO have become! (presuming the rumour is correct)

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah just Port de Bales-Peyresourde isn't enough.

 

[tobydawq]

You can't just compare single stages like that....

Then I could also say that the Giro has gone soft because they had a stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo without much climbing.

 

[KZD]

I was hoping that this would be the year they bring back a proper long time trial to the Tour but it seems that this will be another climbers route in which Ineos ends up winning.

 

[Red Rick]

You can't just compare single stages like that....

Then I could also say that the Giro has gone soft because they had a stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo without much climbing.

Spoiler: So we meet again

Not 1 on 1, but in a larger context I think you can make a comparison.

There's less options in the Pyrenees than the Alps, and it's been getting worse in the last few years.

 

[OlavEH]

You can't just compare single stages like that....

Then I could also say that the Giro has gone soft because they had a stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo without much climbing.

Well, based on recent history, I'wouldn't place a bet on ASO creating a couple of really tough mountain stages in addition...

 

[tobydawq]

No, but back in the glory days you apparently seem to be referring to (early noughties), there used to be around ten flat days, five mountain stages, three ITTs, one TTT and maybe a day or two in the Massif Central.

At least there is infinitely more variation now, and I don't really buy the thesis that the short mountain stages make the race so much easier.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Everyone loved a prologue followed by crashes and 6 flat stages!

 

[Valv.Piti]

Those Pyrenees from the 2003 Tour de France were legendary. Both the racing and stages. Just sad Ulle couldnt close to the deal.

 

[Red Rick]

Those Pyrenees from the 2003 Tour de France were legendary. Both the racing and stages. Just sad Ulle couldnt close to the deal.

I want me some 2003 back too.

 

[movingtarget]

Everyone loved a prologue followed by crashes and 6 flat stages!

As opposed to a TTT wiping out the chances of some of the GC riders in the first five days of the race either by time loss or accidents. It gives GC riders on weaker teams no chance.

 

[Red Rick]

Everyone loved a prologue followed by crashes and 6 flat stages!

~Nobody

People fear having 8 really poor mountain stages and an MTT.

 

[OlavEH]

No, but back in the glory days you apparently seem to be referring to (early noughties), there used to be around ten flat days, five mountain stages, three ITTs, one TTT and maybe a day or two in the Massif Central.

At least there is infinitely more variation now, and I don't really buy the thesis that the short mountain stages make the race so much easier.

Variation is exactly what I want from ASO. The last few years there are almost no longer ITTs, no tough medium mountain stages with at least 6-7 categorized climbs, typically cat 2 or 3, and very rarely tough high mountain stages of close to or over 200 kms and 4000+ height meters of categorized climbs.

 

[tobydawq]

As opposed to a TTT wiping out the chances of some of the GC riders in the first five days of the race either by time loss or accidents. It gives GC riders on weaker teams no chance.

Well, there always was a TTT as well, but nice try.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Those Pyrenees from the 2003 Tour de France were legendary. Both the racing and stages. Just sad Ulle couldnt close to the deal.

The Ulle hype in the German speaking world after the first long ITT was some next level stuff, unreal.
Give us a balanced route with proper TTs and hard mountain stages, not very little kms of ITT and short, pretty unimpressive mountain stages.
At least this year they got the pacing of the stages right in one of the 2 big mountain ranges, that's already a big improvement.