Bring Back the Double ITT?

[BillytheKid]

Imagine a GT proper with two ITTs proper. The Schlecks would not have made the podium. Grand Tours are won by a master of all disciplines. They were given everything this year, a token TTT and sub-50K ITT at the end of a mountainous block of stages. Cadel Evens is a true Grand Tour rider in the traditional sense. What a great ride.

However, it begs the question, has the TdF change forever in a reduction of the influence of the ITT?

Bring back the ITT!

 

[perico]

In 1987, the middle TT was 55 MILES long, and the race came down to a 44 second difference between the most consistent all arounder and the best climber in the race. The best will rise to the top.

 

[Catty69]

Couldn't agree more. Plus the prologue. If you can't ride against the clock, you have no right to claim a win.

 

[Walkman]

I think almost everone on this forum would like to see two 40-50 km ITT in le Tour. I know I'd like it! Throw in a prolouge, some hilly stages (like this year) and 4 MTF aswell and you've got yourself a great Tour!

 

[Kender]

i like it when they do a mountain itt and a flat itt in the same year. doesn't happen often

mountain tt really shows up the best climbers. there is no attacks. there is no wheel sucking. best climber wins

flat tt shows up a riders power and endurance. there is nowhere to hide, no where to rest

 

[hfer07]

two long (2) ITT & no prologue will do it for me just fine

 

[BillytheKid]

i like it when they do a mountain itt and a flat itt in the same year. doesn't happen often

mountain tt really shows up the best climbers. there is no attacks. there is no wheel sucking. best climber wins

flat tt shows up a riders power and endurance. there is nowhere to hide, no where to rest

I agree with the exception of not always having an uphill finish on the climb ITT.

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

The current TdF management is intent on creating a race with two weeks of foreplay and one week of action. So I do not see this happening.

 

[Dalakhani]

I'd like to see 2 very different ITTs - though both at least 45+ mins.

Maybe one pan flat and another with a cat 2.

Steve

 

[Cobblestoned]

Prologue + one 30-40km hilly TT (or 15km MTT) + one flat 50km TT + 40 km TTT + time bonifications again = perfect

 

[Bavarianrider]

75km TTT
70km Flat TT
55 km hilly TT
15km MTT

 

[BillytheKid]

The current TdF management is intent on creating a race with two weeks of foreplay and one week of action. So I do not see this happening.

They should do something creative. I don't think they have the coastline like the ITT that Menchov won in the 2009 Giro. I though that was a fantastic ITT course.

 

[Sophistic]

Start with a 15km ttt, 35k flat itt first week, 50k hilly at the end

 

[BillytheKid]

75km TTT
70km Flat TT
55 km hilly TT
15km MTT

A Tour de TT! Why not?

 

[ingsve]

A Tour de TT! Why not?

It's not like it's something unprecedented. That's how pretty much every Tour was 20-30 years ago.

 

[avanti]

I love time trials. The only thing that bothers me is the change of weather that can happen during the long day. Maybe use wider roads and reduce start time intervals to 30 seconds.

I also like the idea of having a final day ITT into Paris on alternate years

 

[Ragerod]

Until Schleck gets his win I doubt we'll see the addition of TT stages. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[ingsve]

They already managed to change the rules enough to get the winners they wanted for green and polkadot so since Andy didn't manage to win this year either I predict that next year they will remove the regular TT altogether and only have a MTT. And if that doesn't work I'm sure they'll introduce bonus seconds for everyone who races with their brother.

 

[icefire]

Mountain stages in the 80's and 90's were longer than they are now. And so were the gaps at the stage finishes.

The man who bonked last Thursday and attacked yesterday all day has been 3rd in the ITT today. The first thing he said at the finish is that he was very happy with the result because he already felt very tired on the rollers.

I can't see ASO handing TdF wins to him just from the day of the course presentation.

 

[BillytheKid]

It's not like it's something unprecedented. That's how pretty much every Tour was 20-30 years ago.

True except for the third ITT (not counting a prologue).

The Schlecks would have hard time 20-30 years ago. I not really trying to take too much away from them, but I think a GT should not follow a certain trendfor more than a few years. I hope they change it up in regard to time trials.

 

[BillytheKid]

Mountain stages in the 80's and 90's were longer than they are now. And so were the gaps at the stage finishes.

The man who bonked last Thursday and attacked yesterday all day has been 3rd in the ITT today. The first thing he said at the finish is that he was very happy with the result because he already felt very tired on the rollers.

I can't see ASO handing TdF wins to him just from the day of the course presentation.

True because Contador can TT!

 

[Finn84]

I think there should be two ITTs (not counting prologue), but then have variety through the years.

* prologue and two long TTs (2002, 2003, 2006, 2007)
* mountain TT, one long TT (2001, 2004)
* opening TT long enough to not be a prologue, one long TT (2000, 2005, 2009)
* middle distance ITT and long ITT (2008)

TTT, if it is part of the route should be quite short, this year was good.

 

[Winterfold]

A GT has to have two ITTs - IMO one should be sporting and one flat.

Mountain TTs just let us know what we find out in Mountain top finish stages.

This was a real grimpeurs course this year - and they blew it - or crashed out - or were too knackered (but AC can TT anyway, so it the parcours is irrelevant).

That said, Cuddles won on a climbing biased Tour, and I see him as a puncheur/rouleur - so maybe it doesnt matter?

Now riders are less doped maybe we only need one ITT?

I still think two is better.

 

[The Hitch]

I want to see the tt on the final stage rather than the sprint.

 

[Lexman]

Two ITT could be welcome, one mountain and one flat...

And they (ASO) could also start in the montains or nearer the mountains as they do in the Giro... Why not start in Bordeaux and get in the Pyrenees after two days or so...