Comparing the routes of the 2015 Grand Tours

[May0maniac]

Would have been nice, yeah. However...there is the Campo Carlo Magno and the Tonale before. They are both 2 very solid climbs, long and not easy.
15.3 km 6.1 % the first one...and 15.2 km 6% the second one. Typical TdF climbs.
Category 1 for sure ( in France they would knock on the door of HC).
We won't see attacks at that point....but it's enough to make it a very hard stage. The Mortirolo is the main attraction where the field will blow up.

Yes, both Campo Carlo Magno and Tonale are good climbs to have early, i just dislike the fact that they'll use Aprica already a first time before the Mortirolo, Monte Padrio would have been a way better option. Nobody would attack before the Mortirolo, but with another monster climb right before it the classic Mortitolo-Aprica combination could create even bigger gaps.

 

[nhowson]

Yeah, we get it. Contador is going to win, which is fine, and I don't mind it at all. What I do mind is, rather than discussing something actually interesting like the remaining podium spots everyone decides to look at different stages and take wild guesses at how much time he'll make on the second/third tier GC riders.

For the record, Uran in second and Aru in third. Uran to sit in Aru's wheel after the TT and hold on to his second place. Porte will top 5. After Abetone, they'll do what the others did at TdF 2014 and just not pay attention to whatever Contador is doing because they won't be able to catch him.

Or: Contador tries to save energy for TdF and Uran nicks by him in a close one. Which is unlikely, but likely enough to consider.

 

[Bavarianrider]

The Giro Route is pretty much the best you can excpect from a Giro parcours.
The only thing that is really annoying is the fact that there's a TT on day one.
Doesn't make any sense what so ever.
If this was an ITT the Giro parcours would be really really good. But still it's a very good parcours for Giro standards.

Tour is not even worth talking about, just one big disgrace.

Vuelta is a little bit better than in previous years, but it's still light years worse than the mid 90es to 2003 versions.

 

[cineteq]

Yeah, we get it. Contador is going to win, which is fine, and I don't mind it at all. What I do mind is, rather than discussing something actually interesting like the remaining podium spots everyone decides to look at different stages and take wild guesses at how much time he'll make on the second/third tier GC riders.

For the record, Uran in second and Aru in third. Uran to sit in Aru's wheel after the TT and hold on to his second place. Porte will top 5. After Abetone, they'll do what the others did at TdF 2014 and just not pay attention to whatever Contador is doing because they won't be able to catch him.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
There is a strong posibility Uran would win the Giro, even with Contador in the race.

 

[ILovecycling]

Porte getting hyped up again as a major GT contender, so it will be extra dramatic when he has his bad day in the Giro.

hahah,This.

 

[Asturiano]

Vuelta is a little bit better than in previous years, but it's still light years worse than the mid 90es to 2003 versions.

I don't think so.

 

[nhowson]

Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
There is a strong posibility Uran would win the Giro, even with Contador in the race.

I reckon that will only happen if Contador tries to save energy for the Tour. But with the P.R. effort put behind Lazarus' knee, I don't think we'll really know how hard he'll be going from anyone in the Tinkoff camp.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Yeah, we get it. Contador is going to win, which is fine, and I don't mind it at all. What I do mind is, rather than discussing something actually interesting like the remaining podium spots everyone decides to look at different stages and take wild guesses at how much time he'll make on the second/third tier GC riders.

If others think that is an interesting subject to discuss, let them.

Not that I see where that was discussed anyway, the only thing that comes close is some light-hearted banter & a discussion about how close the GC will be at the start of the Mortirolo stage to see how much of an influence it could be.

 

[nhowson]

If others think that is an interesting subject to discuss, let them.

Not that I see where that was discussed anyway, the only thing that comes close is some light-hearted banter & a discussion about how close the GC will be at the start of the Mortirolo stage to see how much of an influence it could be.

It's not just an in this thread thing, but oh well. That was quite an impulsive post of mine I admit, a few things annoying me that day and it's not smart to take it out on a generally quite meaningless (but fun) forum.

The Giro route is easily the best, followed by the Vuelta route which seems better than it is because the Vuelta routes have been awful. The Tour has an absolutely perfect first 8 stages, but the TTT onwards is just atrocious.

 

[MBotero]

Giro > Vuelta > Tour

 

[rghysens]

Giro (not a great race design, for a giro) is more ore less on the same level as the Vuelta (good design for a Vuelta, nowadays). Both are way above the design of the Tour (first 4 days are good, then it gets worse and worse).