98th Tour de France presentation

[craig1985]

I think they made a mess of stage 17 TBH, and they should be finishing on Sestrières, rather then climbing over it. I personally would thrown in sections of Tro Bro Leon since we're going to go through Brittany, but I like the fact that there is some uphill finishes and chances of cross winds that can cause havoc.

 

[Jamsque]

Differences are never too big on team time trials. They even correct times... And Schleck will have a good team anyway, so he will minimize his losses. There's only one real time trial. In the past(read: before AS started winning the white jersey) there were 2 long time trials and a team time trial and/or prologue.

AS will win this, there's not a single doubt about that(unless he crashes before or during the Tour or gets caught on something)

Is the 'US Postal' rule still on the books? I assumed they got rid of it after they took the TTT out for several years.

 

[El Pistolero]

Think a little bit back will ya.

When this route was actualy made they most likely had no clue that Contador would be banned. If Contador was there more TTs would most likely have made the race less close and less exciting.

Well, they've known it for months now. Changes could've been made. Enough Cavendish stages to dump anyway.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The obsession with climbing routes continues.

I don't get it. I really don't get why it should come down to one-dimensional riders who can climb and nothing else.

Dutch maffia putting pressure so Gesink and Mollema can own.

 

[jens_attacks]

just 41 km of ITT.i think it's a record for le tour's history.when did that happen last time?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

With the exception of the excessive amount of sprinting staes I think its pretty good. Climbing will end up deciding this Tour, like it should, and I support that.

I agree, too much tt makes for less aggressive racing IMO.

And for all those moaning about no gc shake up till stage 14, often it's the riders in the tour who don't race, any ramp in the giro produces attacks

+1

And to the people who are crying about cadel, newsflash he had no chance anyway. But yeah, How dare the ASO completely disregard cadel's strengths

and I can't believe some were complaining at too many MTF? WTH man...

As for Prudhomme being a moron, I agree. I knew this when he choose BMC over vasc.

 

[issoisso]

just 41 km of ITT.i think it's a record for le tour's history.when did that happen last time?

Before TTs were introduced

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Start in Passage du gois (flag not dropped till after it is crossed),...

Well, at least if they are going to include the Passage du Gois they at least won't have to race it. I still think it's a dumb, risky idea to put the Passage in there even if they don't race it. But I give them credit for changing it up to see how it goes this time around. Here's a pretty good link with some pictures of the Passage not at low tide.
http://www.tobiwhaley.com/2010/01/30/passage-du-gois-and-2011-tour-de-france/

Lot's of things I like about this 2011 route overall:
- no prologue
- some good mountain stages in the Pyrenees
- ALPS, with the return of the Galibier and L'Alpe d'Huez

 

[Ferminal]

After having time to absorb things, it looks like the best route in the last 5 years. That of course, is not saying a great deal.

I still think a lot of it comes down to the first week or so. We had at least three "fun" stages at the start of the Vuelta and it made the sprinting stages more enjoyable/bearable depending on your predisposition.

If 1, 4, 5 and 8 all produce something, then it could be a good race. Again, it comes down to how its raced, and we know that the bunch don't often excite in July.

 

[kurtinsc]

I tend to agree with the majority... not enough ITT.

The TTT km don't help... they favor a lesser TT guy with a strong team over a stronger TT guy with a weaker team. That doesn't even things out between the TT first/climb second guys and the climb first/TT second guys in the GC.

While I'd like a long flat ITT instead of one of the flat stages, a 7-8 km prologue would help... or better yet a 15km 1st stage TT like a couple years ago. Less then 50km of ITT just seems very biased toward pure climbers.

 

[sublimit]

France dont have a Jean franciois Bernard or Hinault anymore or anything close hence the gradual decilne of ITT's. I think its kind of sad.

SKY will have their eye on the TTT and maybe they can Uran up there but it looks good for Andy but I'll have to study the coarse further.

 

[Ruxen1989]

Andy Schleck: "We will have a good tempo-team"

http://www.feltet.dk/index.php?id_parent=1&id=28&id_nyhed=28904

He points out two stages as the importent stages where he is probably going to do something and one of the stages is the TTT.
Speculation: Fabian Cancellara is in the house???????? 23 km. with Cancellara and Voigt as the motorbikes in front. If Cancellara signs with Schlux then they have to be mentioned as favorites to the TTT.

If Contador is there: The ITT is not long enough for Contador to make too big a diffenrence on A. Schleck and if Cancellara is at the Schlecks team the TTT is actually to Schlecks advantage.

Kim Andersen: "I'm very happy with the course" and then the medium points out that, that was clearly an understatement.

I really hope Nibali will drop the Giro 2011!

 

[Bumeington]

Good route I think. Obviously more ITTs would be preferable, if Wigans say was 2 minutes up on the climbers by the end of the 2nd week it would force some attacks. If you except the lack of balance (which I think is ok once in a blue moon but climbers routes for a few years in a row is not good I think) then you can say the route will be entertaining.

Ok it's back loaded, but hopefully that means that people will try to animate in the 1st two weeks (maybe not Schleck, but I can see Vino or maybe someone like Roche trying to gain time before the mountains).

Also, I think the point change might be a good idea, everyone complains sprinter stages have no action until the final 10k or 1k, well now at least there will be two bits of action

Surely Basso will have a chance on this route also

 

[skidmark]

Way to completely kill off any chances of a break on flat stages, ASO.

I had the same initial reaction, and then a bit of hope that maybe it would actually create a situation where a bunch of non-sprinters but frequent breakaways would be battling for the points jersey. It would certainly be interesting to look at Stephane Auge or Samuel Dumoulin trying to get in breaks to get the points jersey... it would be more like KoM is now.

But then I realized it's the Tour, and that is always dominated by negative racing because the stakes are so high. So probably not.

And then I realized that would mean that non-sprinters would try to get in the mix for the sprint all the time at the end, which would be exciting from a fan perspective, but probably really dangerous at the front of the peloton.

I guess we'll see how it shakes out. At least they're mixing things up...?

 

[Henrik]

And who will wear yellow going into the TTT?

 

[Jan the Man]

Gilbert???

 

[Henrik]

If he is there, I'd say he is an obvious candidate!

 

[luckyboy]

Alpe d'Huez stage looks like it could be pretty good, apart from the huge descent. Same with the Plateau de Beille

Desperately needs two time trials though.

First week should be incredibly exciting.


They should start near a mountain range one year, have 2/3 stages then go straight to 2 MTFs. Then some intermediate/boring sprint stages and a long TT before the next mountain range with 2 MTFs again. Few more sprints, another TT, Paris.


Long shot, but wouldn't it be great if the Colombian team were invited. MTs would be pretty good then..

 

[Ruxen1989]

And who will wear yellow going into the TTT?

EBH, Hushovd or Gilbert are my bet. I hope it will be EBH and then if Sky could do a good TTT too That would be nice.

 

[Mellow Velo]

A couple of uphill sprints in the first week and a couple of lumpy, phoney war stages to start week 2.
HTC will probably be scrapping with Garmin in the TTT, so as their respective sprinters can walk the walk, instead of having the usual, Cancellara yellow week.

The mountains, IMO.
I like the look of stage 12. It is tough and offers little respite between the Tourmalet and Luz Ardiden. A new climb in there, too.
Decisive.........on paper.
Stage 13: More pointless Pau poo.
Stage 14: The Plateau is always good for a sort out, but it's a long way from the d'Agneau. Polka dot battleground.
Stage 17 is a nothing mountain stage. The two early, major climbs are long drags but too far from the finish. All about the final "blip".
Stage 18 has the really big stuff; the high, high mountains, but climbs the Galibier from the lesser side. All about tempo trains and attrition.
Major damage, but minor attacking.
Stage 19 is a really tough 100kms. Tired legs etc, but maybe, by then, it could all be about defending GC positions.

 

[The Hitch]

As i said before, the tt is going the way of the dodo in the Tour. 70k itts become 60 k worth of tts individual AND team for the whole Tour.

 

[The Hitch]

I dont know if this has been said (havent read all 17 pages) but the profiles are ok. But it being the Tour, the style in which it is raced is far more important.

Tour 2011 needs one of 3 things.

1 No Andy Schleck (if only )- hence no clear favourite, a bunch favourites - Samu, Basso, Cuddles, Menchov who have never won the TOur and for whom it is their biggest chance ever.
1(b) someone to get in on Andy Schlecks dope and challenge him

2 Laquilla. Even Schlecklet has to attack earlier than the Alpe if a decent climber is has a 10 minute gc lead (pleas be Szmyd please be Szmyd)

3 Colombians. Im specifically hoping that Colombian team gets invited and that they DONT get into breaks on the big mountain stages. Then that they attack in the mountains while everyone else wants to soft pedal. Once they attack, someone, anyone of danger, might just decide to follow them. Maybe Sastre. And if Sastre goes Purito has to go. Purito goes Menchov has to go. Someone gets dropped. Now you have racing. Just like Mosquera blew that Andora hill wide open.

 

[Ferminal]

A couple of uphill sprints in the first week and a couple of lumpy, phoney war stages to start week 2.
HTC will probably be scrapping with Garmin in the TTT, so as their respective sprinters can walk the walk, instead of having the usual, Cancellara yellow week.

Maybe Gilbert could repeat what he did in the Vuelta. Although it's a bit harder without time bonuses. 1, 4 and 8 are all Gilbert stages and potentially 6 also.

 

[Climbing]

I don't know about Liquigas plans... but maybe Basso want to try TdF next year? (and why not considering the course perfectly suited for him)
In that case I don't know if Nibali will race Giro / Vuelta or he is going to help Basso in TdF.
It would be waste to say the least, to force him to run for Basso, when Liquigas has the luck to compete in all 3 GT.
I hope Riccò and Sella to be there too, they know how to animate a race.
Maybe the probably absence of Contador could do the trick, leaving more space for the others!

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I had the same initial reaction, and then a bit of hope that maybe it would actually create a situation where a bunch of non-sprinters but frequent breakaways would be battling for the points jersey. It would certainly be interesting to look at Stephane Auge or Samuel Dumoulin trying to get in breaks to get the points jersey... it would be more like KoM is now.

But then I realized it's the Tour, and that is always dominated by negative racing because the stakes are so high. So probably not.

And then I realized that would mean that non-sprinters would try to get in the mix for the sprint all the time at the end, which would be exciting from a fan perspective, but probably really dangerous at the front of the peloton.

I guess we'll see how it shakes out. At least they're mixing things up...?

I like the idea if the ASO has the sense (unlikely) to put the sprint after about 20Km, so that we have an opening sprint, then a normal sprint stage.

If they put them in the middle you'll end up either destroying breakaways or making them a non event.