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2020 Tour de France route rumors

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So, thats your take? Been looking forward to that the whole day (lol). Even though I know its kinda hard with only like 5 stage profiles or so, wtf is up with the ASO?
Very little time to go through it today, some serious day-job related stuff, so I've basically just skimmed through a couple of times, and that's all I've had time for. If I get some time to look through the route properly I'm sure I won't be able to stop myself sharing some fairly lengthy explanations, but I haven't had that much time to give it proper thought yet.
 
Why is it that weekend or not matters so much to you?

It's in the middle of the summer...
Maximum potential casual audience. People who aren't already cycling fans aren't taking time off work to watch cycling.

Most people who ARE already cycling fans aren't taking time off work to watch cycling.

But good, exciting stages on the days with maximum audience potential and casual audience reach is the easiest way to create new fans.
 
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Maximum potential casual audience. People who aren't already cycling fans aren't taking time off work to watch cycling.

Most people who ARE already cycling fans aren't taking time off work to watch cycling.

But good, exciting stages on the days with maximum audience potential and casual audience reach is the easiest way to create new fans.
Lyon's a huge host.
That stage's about the spectators at the spot.
Very little time to go through it today, some serious day-job related stuff, so I've basically just skimmed through a couple of times, and that's all I've had time for. If I get some time to look through the route properly I'm sure I won't be able to stop myself sharing some fairly lengthy explanations, but I haven't had that much time to give it proper thought yet.
O.K.
A minus in Libertine's column for now.
Sign up when you examine the material thoroughly and it'll be corrected.
 
I won't re-invent the wheel and always remain cautious about judging a route before it's being raced; it may be a platitude, but in the end the riders make the race. To me, this is the best Tour design (on the paper) in decades:

  • Week 1 will not be a bore fest as it has been so many times in GTs in general and the TdF in particular. We should have some degree of GC action at least every other day starting Day 2.
  • Therefore, this route is less back loaded than most GTs in a long, long time.
  • We hate the Kardashians! Not one "traditional" final here featuring a climb that riders know so well, they pace themselves and don't lose much time if any.
  • No medium mountain stages: I see at least three of them. With more detailed profiles we'll see exactly how they really look like.
  • No TTT and no sprinter will win 5 stages: Alleluia! Nothing against Cavendish, but him beating Eddy's record would have made me puke non-stop for a week...
  • The ITT debate is moot: we're not in the '70s or '80s anymore. We now have top time-trialists who somehow find a way to follow the best climbers and sometimes out-climb them. There used to be one rider per generation that could do that (pretty much), not anymore. This one is a 55-minute effort, not "that" bad.

So I'm quite happy with this route, Lyon on a week-end doesn't bother me too much since it's the second/third (greater vs. city) largest city in France. Of course I hope and prey that Tibopino is in the mix on home soil comes Stage 20. The next day is Paris...and my Birthday. I have a wish;).

9/10. Maybe 10 if my wish comes true.
 
I won't re-invent the wheel and always remain cautious about judging a route before it's being raced; it may be a platitude, but in the end the riders make the race. To me, this is the best Tour design (on the paper) in decades:

  • Week 1 will not be a bore fest as it has been so many times in GTs in general and the TdF in particular. We should have some degree of GC action at least every other day starting Day 2.
  • Therefore, this route is less back loaded than most GTs in a long, long time.
  • We hate the Kardashians! Not one "traditional" final here featuring a climb that riders know so well, they pace themselves and don't lose much time if any.
  • No medium mountain stages: I see at least three of them. With more detailed profiles we'll see exactly how they really look like.
  • No TTT and no sprinter will win 5 stages: Alleluia! Nothing against Cavendish, but him beating Eddy's record would have made me puke non-stop for a week...
  • The ITT debate is moot: we're not in the '70s or '80s anymore. We now have top time-trialists who somehow find a way to follow the best climbers and sometimes out-climb them. There used to be one rider per generation that could do that (pretty much), not anymore. This one is a 55-minute effort, not "that" bad.
So I'm quite happy with this route, Lyon on a week-end doesn't bother me too much since it's the second/third (greater vs. city) largest city in France. Of course I hope and prey that Tibopino is in the mix on home soil comes Stage 20. The next day is Paris...and my Birthday. I have a wish;).

9/10. Maybe 10 if my wish comes true.

Nice post, but....

I want to discuss a couple of points.

To suggest that ITT should be reduced or removed entirely because it disadvantages the climbers, is ridiculous. Why should Bardet be given a slight chance to contend for a podium spot, whilst Denis is given none (nationality and being a co-operative team member issues aside)? Now I am not suggesting that the Tour have 150 kms of ITT with only two or three high mountain stages, but such a route might give Denis a chance, and is to say that Bardet's GC chances should be as good as Denis', which should be next to none. To be able to win the TDF you should be able to time trial reasonably well, which someone like Pinot can. And the fact that we have a number of GC contenders who can time trial really well, to me adds further argument to having them. Neutral fans want to see Roglic vs. DuMoulin vs. Froome vs. Thomas in a 45-55 km flattish ITT. And they want to see if other contenders like Pinot and Bernal can limit their losses to under two minutes, time that is recoverable if good enough in the mountains.

This route is less backloaded, however, it's more a question of influencing riders attempts to peak. If a riders optimum peak is no more than a week, and even more specifically a few stages; which riders are going to attempt to peak to stages 6, 8 and 9, and which riders are going to attempt to peak to stages 15, 17 and 18? I think that we all unfortunately know the answer to that. If there were an additional two or three climbs plus 60 kms in the Pyrenees, then GC riders and director sportife's might have some more difficult questions to answer in regards to their planning and preparation.

On another subject, how many stages is Thomas De Gendt going to win? :)
 
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The French riders should like the route. No TTT but minimal TT kms raises the eyebrows. Sprinters also won't get many opportunities but the Green jersey might be an interesting one. I am glad to see the back of the TTT, obviously so is Quintana and Bardet. I like an unconventional course such as this, something different. Moving away from the traditional MTFs is also a timely change.

As for people that say Pinot can't win, never say never. I would never put money on Pinot to win but like Evans in 2011, magic can strike at least once. If Yates can win a grand tour and Carapaz why not Pinot, but it's generally the hardest one to win. The misfortune has to end somewhere hopefully for Pinot's sake. The jury is out on what would have happened in this year's Tour if he continued as he is always unpredictable in the final week but this year he climbed and TT'd much better than previous years even the TTT was a big improvement. Whether he could have got away from Bernal in the mountains is another thing. The crosswind stage was obviously a massive blow. Whoever, if anyone, can break the Ineos domination of the race will have to be riding exceptionally well.
 

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