2020 Tour de France route rumors

[sensations]

Le Dauphine strongly hinting at Col De La Loze MTF. Could end up being very similar to the Dauphine stage to Meribel 2016 (Madeleine - Monte Des Frasses - Meribel (Loze))

https://www.ledauphine.com/sport/20...ur-avec-une-arrivee-inedite-au-col-de-la-loze

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Le Dauphine strongly hinting at Col De La Loze MTF. Could end up being very similar to the Dauphine stage to Meribel 2016 (Madeleine - Monte Des Frasses - Meribel (Loze))

https://www.ledauphine.com/sport/20...ur-avec-une-arrivee-inedite-au-col-de-la-loze

Looks like the 2020 Tour could be a MTF fest (well, kind of). Two days later a Grand Colombier finish is rumored, according to Le Progrès:



UPDATE le 7 octobre à 19h50 : si l'on doit en croire Le Progrès, l'arrivée de cette étape devrait avoir lieu au sommet du Grand Colombier à 1.501 mètres d'altitude. Même si le Tour de France est déjà passé sur ce col, jamais encore la Grande Boucle y a connu une arrivée d'étape et ce serait donc une première en 2020 si cette information se confirme !

Lire la suite / Read more: https://www.velowire.com/article/10...e-route-and-the-start-and-finish-cities-.html

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

But, as someone on Velowire mentioned, this could mean that there won't be a second stage in the Pyrenees. ASO almost never go beyond a certain number of 2nd, 1st, and HC climbs. This would probably be pushing it.

 

[Red Rick]

Grand Colombier MTF is not the way I'd use it but it's pretty much all you need to favor Pinot over Alaphilippe

 

[houtdffan]

But, as someone on Velowire mentioned, this could mean that there won't be a second stage in the Pyrenees. ASO almost never go beyond a certain number of 2nd, 1st, and HC climbs. This would probably be pushing it.

Only 1 stage in the Pyrenees should be OK given that there are 2 trips to the Alps next year

 

[OlavEH]

Looks more and more as the same "recipe" Unipublic uses......

 

[Red Rick]

Looks more and more as the same "recipe" Unipublic uses......

Unipublic keeps plugging in the 35km rolling ITTs.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Only 1 stage in the Pyrenees should be OK given that there are 2 trips to the Alps next year

They better not waste the second Sunday on a sprint, though. An ITT is fine, or a GC relevant hilly stage in the foothills, but please no flat stage.

 

[houtdffan]

They better not waste the second Sunday on a sprint, though. An ITT is fine, or a GC relevant hilly stage in the foothills, but please no flat stage.

If there is as much climbing as rumored, they they really need a flat 50-60 km TT to balance things out. That Sunday would be a good day for that

 

[gregrowlerson]

As someone on here mentioned, I agree also that ASO shouldn't be going out of their way to pave roads for new climbs. There are plenty of good roads to use as it is.

The problem with the recent routes, is that in total, there is probably more climbing now than there was in the 'good old days', but a lack of a genuine queen stage/s. If you put a route together that has 12 stages where GC action could happen, then the GC riders will choose not to race on half of those stages anyway.

A big improvement in recent routes seems to be the greater inclusion of the medium mountain ranges of France; the Jura, Vosges and Massif Central. I don't hardly ever remember these stages in the Armstrong era, or at least they were not as predominant as now. To me, having a number of these stages (and making them raceable) makes the Pyrenees less relevant, or at least potentially less important, when it comes to designing a good route. My geography is not great, but if the Pyrenean area is so much smaller than the Alps, then why race over it for multiple days?

I think that 5 high mountain stages is enough. 3 in the Alps and 2 in the Pyrenees, then 4 in the Alps and 1 in the Pyrenees (in which case you can make the latter a 220 km, six climb stage). Then you also go to two of the three medium mountain ranges for two days each, and that's 9 climbing stages, which is plenty. What I would want to see is at least 3 of these stages being properly hard and decisive. Then of course in a proper route, you also have a couple of time trials (or maybe a prologue, what happened to these?).

That doesn't mean that you have 10 flat stages. Most of these should be designed so that the winner is largely unpredictable. A 4km climb 30 kms out, or a 1km hill 8kms from the finish, etc. Possible crosswinds. Sprinters should have to work for their victories, but should be able to win multiple times if they are good enough.

 

[Velolover2]

Unipublic keeps plugging in the 35km rolling ITTs.

I'm starting to get a little tired of those. The typical Roglic/Dumoulin kind of ITT in a rural setting. Vuelta had one this year as well.

Let's have a pancake flat one at the coast on wide roads for a change. Don't care if the pure climbers lose a bit more time.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Looks like the Planche des Belles Filles ITT could be longer than previously expected.

Lure seems to be in pole position for the start. According to this article, Pinot's hometown Mélisey is likely in, as well...

which would put the ITT well over 30kms, I think

via Pierre LACOUE at Velowire

Cyclisme. Et si le Tour de France 2020 passait par Melisey ?

Si personne ne la confirme officiellement, la perspective d’un contre-la-montre arrivant à La Planche des Belles Filles est toujours d’actualité. Pour une étape dont le départ pourrait être donné de Lure avant un passage par Melisey, la ville de Thibaut Pinot. Confirmation, ou non, dans une semaine

www.vosgesmatin.fr

 

[Fixedwheel]

Time trial up a mountain on the final Saturday. I love how the organisers are trying to be inovative - is this a more a ploy to get a french rider in yellow on the Champs?

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Time trial up a mountain on the final Saturday. I love how the organisers are trying to be inovative - is this a more a ploy to get a french rider in yellow on the Champs?

The whole rumored route favors Pinot, so yeah, I guess, but as far as as the time trial goes, it really does depend on the length. The climb itself is just 7km. The rest of the time trial will be flat/hilly.

I could actually see him losing the yellow jersey there...

 

[Red Rick]

Rumored queen stage with Croix de Fer, Galibier and Alpe d'Huez.

The originality is absolutely killing me.

 

[sir fly]

Inside a week to the presentation and it looks like it's gonna be a very scenic route.
Also, it appears the sprinters won't be overwhelmed by it.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Rumored queen stage with Croix de Fer, Galibier and Alpe d'Huez.

The originality is absolutely killing me.

Honestly a good stage, if you have something like a Tignes stage right after it. Otherwise Les Deux Alpes would be a lot better as a finish, but money talks.
Still, by modern Tour standarts that would be what the Italians call a tappone, over 4,500m of altitude gain.

 

[tobydawq]

1: Honestly a good stage, if you have something like a Tignes stage right after it. Otherwise Les Deux Alpes would be a lot better as a finish, but money talks.
2: Still, by modern Tour standarts that would be what the Italians call a tappone, over 4,500m of altitude gain.

1: Red Rick is a hard man to please.

2: I have looked at the probable profile for that stage, and it's actually more than 5500 altitude metres.

 

[Red Rick]

Honestly a good stage, if you have something like a Tignes stage right after it. Otherwise Les Deux Alpes would be a lot better as a finish, but money talks.
Still, by modern Tour standarts that would be what the Italians call a tappone, over 4,500m of altitude gain.

I mean the last AdH finish was so good, and that was the last of a block. Undoubtedly it's very hard, but also in a way that it's useless

 

[tobydawq]

I mean the last AdH finish was so good, and that was the last of a block. Undoubtedly it's very hard, but also in a way that it's useless

Wasn't the last AdH stage formatted exactly the same way as this one?

The only difference seems to me to be that this is a future stage, so it's necessarily crap

 

[houtdffan]

if its Croix de Fer, hard side of Galiber, then ADH, I do not believe that stage has been done before. Usually, its easy side of Galiber, then CDF/ADH

 

[OlavEH]

if its Croix de Fer, hard side of Galiber, then ADH, I do not believe that stage has been done before. Usually, its easy side of Galiber, then CDF/ADH

So Croix de Fer from La Chambre via Glandon and Galibier north? Agree that is pretty tough. Just too bad ASO are using these climbs so much. Don't they ever get any good bids for stages from somewhere in the Southern Alps, south of Barcelonette?

Honestly a good stage, if you have something like a Tignes stage right after it. Otherwise Les Deux Alpes would be a lot better as a finish, but money talks.
Still, by modern Tour standarts that would be what the Italians call a tappone, over 4,500m of altitude gain.

The last days we've seen rumours about Tignes, Meribel/Loze, Grand Colombier, Alpe d'Huez and PdBF. They can't do all these, probably no more than three.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

The last days we've seen rumours about Tignes, Meribel/Loze, Grand Colombier, Alpe d'Huez and PdBF. They can't do all these, probably no more than three.

Correct. Grand Colombier and Tignes are likely out. The stage before the final rest day supposedly finishes in the Vercors, possibly in Villard-de-Lans

The Meribel Col de la Loze rumor is solid, as is the Col des Glières (downhill finish) stage. (see link below)

likely GC stages in bold from stage 13 onwards


13. Chatel-Guyon - Puy Mary (1) (hard medium mountain GC stage ~160km)
14. Clermont-Ferrand - Lyon
15 ? - Villard-de-Lans (probably a minor GC stage, a few medium mountains + hill top finish, I guess)

restday

16. Grenoble - l'Alpe d'Huez (HC)
17. ? - Col de la Loze from Méribel (HC)
18 - ? - ? downhill finish from Col des Glières, via Plateau des Glières (HC)
19 ? - Champagnole ...breakaway and/or semi sprinters' stage
20. Lure - La Planche des Belles Filles (1) ITT
21 Paris

CYCLISME. Tour de France 2020 : voici à quoi pourrait ressembler le parcours près de chez vous

J-6 avant de connaître officiellement le parcours du Tour de France 2020. Le tracé de cette 107e édition sera ...

www.ledauphine.com

 

[sir fly]

Wasn't the last AdH stage formatted exactly the same way as this one?

The only difference seems to me to be that this is a future stage, so it's necessarily crap

Madeleine, Croix de Fer, Alpe d'Huez, if I'm not mistaking.

 

[gavia88]

I think there will be no Alpe d'Huez next year

more something like this:

13. Chatel-Guyon - Puy Mary (1) (hard medium mountain GC stage ~160km)
14. Clermont-Ferrand - Lyon
15 Lyon?? - Villard-de-Lans (probably a minor GC stage, a few medium mountains + hill top finish, I guess) (mont noir??)

restday

.16. Grenoble - Col de la Loze from Méribel (HC) (mountain top finish) (Madeleine)
.17. Brides les Bains - La Roche-sur-Foron (via Plateau des Glières) (downhil)
.18. ? - Grand Colombier (mountain top finish)
.19 ? - Champagnole ...breakaway and/or semi sprinters' stage
.20. Lure - La Planche des Belles Filles ITT
.21 Paris

sources: Velowire and Gruppetto