General News Thread

[Valv.Piti]

Another thing to consider is also that Im pretty sure the Danes are some of the biggest cycling fans on average. Sure, lots of casual fans, but its a great cycling country in terms of the support you can expect on the roads and such. I also read that there are more bikes than people in Copenhagen, thats a nice stat and not all that irrelevant considering it is a bike race. Still, I know I would have been a lot more sceptic if NL got yet another one of these almost always boring GT-starts, so yeah. Logistically its also much harder, altho it was reported that the riders would be on the French hotels around 7 pm on day 3, so they should get lots of rest - still, the 4th day as a rest day is kinda awkward. Lets hope they only go with one more rest day as opposed to the Giro which still had two rest days afterwards the first and early one.

 

[Finn84]

Re: Re:

Stage 1 (Copenhagen) : 13km ITT
Stage 2 (Roskilde - Nyborg) : 190km (possible crosswinds)
Stage 3 (Vejle - Sønderborg) : 170km

Rest day, return in France

The third day in Jutland could have provided us with an Amstel Gold Race-type of race if the finish - not the start - had been placed in Vejle. As it is, everything indicates that breakaways will have a tough time during the stay in Denmark. Still, I will look forward to the finish in Sonderborg on day 3, hoping the organizers will choose the same final kilometers as on stage 2 in the Tour of Denmark 2016:

https://youtu.be/UkvzIhSaukA

I agree with that. There's also just about 30 kilometres to Billund airport so the travel should not be big issue with extra rest day.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Another thing to consider is also that Im pretty sure the Danes are some of the biggest cycling fans on average. Sure, lots of casual fans, but its a great cycling country in terms of the support you can expect on the roads and such. I also read that there are more bikes than people in Copenhagen, thats a nice stat and not all that irrelevant considering it is a bike race. Still, I know I would have been a lot more sceptic if NL got yet another one of these almost always boring GT-starts, so yeah. Logistically its also much harder, altho it was reported that the riders would be on the French hotels around 7 pm on day 3, so they should get lots of rest - still, the 4th day as a rest day is kinda awkward. Lets hope they only go with one more rest day as opposed to the Giro which still had two rest days afterwards the first and early one.

Also, the we've had far more GT starts than any other country lately. We're almost up there with France, Italy and Spain.

 

[Robert5091]

So this man is the reason TdF begins in Denmark?

 

[Nirvana]

Spot the difference

They are completely without shame when they say that will be harder now.

 

[Googolplex]

Why should we spot the difference? The above conditions has never been and will never be ridden.

 

[Nirvana]

The above condition show how it was before they put the mortar to fill the spaces between the stones, don't be confused by the fact that is clean because they washed the surface to work on it but is how was ridden until last year, in the past there was only grass between the stones. Now they've smoothed all the surface.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Hopefully they do a better job than the 2012 Giro of organising the finishes, because the Giro's sprints there were a disaster, roads that were fine for 120 riders in the Post Danmark Rundt but not for 200 riders including a bunch of ProConti Italian climbers, and we got three days of crashes. Following on from the Belgian start using the Muur as a first-half-of-the-stage nothing obstacle in a stage designed to be as uninteresting as possible otherwise, starting a stage in the only municipality in Denmark that could produce a selective hilly race (I am going to be 100% certain they are not going to use any of the dirt roads à la the GP Herning) is part of Le Tour's current targeted goal of producing the worst possible routes for their overseas starts (the exception being 2012 in the UK, where the first stage could have been so much more, the 3rd stage was through entirely flat areas, but the 2nd stage was really, really good).

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

Hopefully they do a better job than the 2012 Giro of organising the finishes, because the Giro's sprints there were a disaster, roads that were fine for 120 riders in the Post Danmark Rundt but not for 200 riders including a bunch of ProConti Italian climbers, and we got three days of crashes. Following on from the Belgian start using the Muur as a first-half-of-the-stage nothing obstacle in a stage designed to be as uninteresting as possible otherwise, starting a stage in the only municipality in Denmark that could produce a selective hilly race (I am going to be 100% certain they are not going to use any of the dirt roads à la the GP Herning) is part of Le Tour's current targeted goal of producing the worst possible routes for their overseas starts (the exception being 2012 in the UK, where the first stage could have been so much more, the 3rd stage was through entirely flat areas, but the 2nd stage was really, really good).

Yeah, of course that's their targeted goal...

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

So this man is the reason TdF begins in Denmark?
[picture removed]

His love and passion for cycling can't be denied, and he actually knows how to fit a bike helmet, unlike another (former) Prime Minister...
But I don't think he should get all the credit. There's this - technically half-French - guy, who might also have had quite an influence.

 

[Simurgh]

Re:

Hopefully they do a better job than the 2012 Giro of organising the finishes, because the Giro's sprints there were a disaster, roads that were fine for 120 riders in the Post Danmark Rundt but not for 200 riders including a bunch of ProConti Italian climbers, and we got three days of crashes. Following on from the Belgian start using the Muur as a first-half-of-the-stage nothing obstacle in a stage designed to be as uninteresting as possible otherwise, starting a stage in the only municipality in Denmark that could produce a selective hilly race (I am going to be 100% certain they are not going to use any of the dirt roads à la the GP Herning) is part of Le Tour's current targeted goal of producing the worst possible routes for their overseas starts (the exception being 2012 in the UK, where the first stage could have been so much more, the 3rd stage was through entirely flat areas, but the 2nd stage was really, really good).

Yeah, it really is a shame, that they wouldn't place a stage finish in Vejle, all because of Prudhomme's non-negotiable demand of finishing next to an airport, so the riders wouldn't sit more than 45 minutes on a plane to France. The worst part of this, is that this could be achieved by flying from the airport in Billund, approx. 30 km from a hypothetical stage finish in Vejle.

 

[Velolover2]

The ITT and flat, windy stage to Fyn are both good. But they could have improved stage 3 by making Vejle the final destination.

Placing it in Billund, an airport town and the home of Lego, would have been fine too. With the climbs being in the last part of the stage. And Odense could get their wish of hosting Tour De France by making it the place where the stage starts.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

Stage 1 (Copenhagen) : 13km ITT
Stage 2 (Roskilde - Nyborg) : 190km (possible crosswinds)
Stage 3 (Vejle - Sønderborg) : 170km

Rest day, return in France

The third day in Jutland could have provided us with an Amstel Gold Race-type of race if the finish - not the start - had been placed in Vejle. As it is, everything indicates that breakaways will have a tough time during the stay in Denmark. Still, I will look forward to the finish in Sonderborg on day 3, hoping the organizers will choose the same final kilometers as on stage 2 in the Tour of Denmark 2016:

https://youtu.be/UkvzIhSaukA

It was a great finish, for a race at that level.

However, in the Tour, on day 3, nobody is peeling off the front of the peloton in the last 5 Ks, just because of a bump in the road and a couple of narrow passages..... the sprinters trains are simply too good for that, at that level.

You are absolutely right the stage would have been so much better, if they had reversed the direction of it..... Vejle has fantastic terrain for cycling, with a bunch of short and sharp climbs and winding roads in and out of forests - but the way the stage is planned out, that terrain becomes completely irrelevant, being placed at the start of the stage.... all it will be used for, is establishing the "TV break of the day", before the sprinters teams reel them in with 10-15 K to go.

We could have gotten 3 important stages (provided the wind blows on stage 2), with the 3rd one being a showdown for the best puncheurs in the world, mixed in with everyone riding GC.

Now we get just 2 (and only 1 if the weather is great day two).

It would even had made more sense to reverse stage 3 logistically as well, as Vejle is only 20 K from an International airport, while Soenderborg only has a local airport for small aircraft.

I am guessing ASO wanted stage 3 to be a sprinters stage, because otherwise it is terrible planning on their part.

 

[RedheadDane]

Apparently they actually had to do a test at Sønderborg to see if they could get 600 people through in 50 minutes.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re:

Apparently they actually had to do a test at Sønderborg to see if they could get 600 people through in 50 minutes.

Through what? - What 600 people?

 

[RedheadDane]

Sønderborg airport. And I think she said 600 people, "she" being my sister, it was someone she knows who'd talked about it.
I guess if there aren't any normal people using the airport, they can load as much as humanly possible into the plane(s) while the stage is on. TT Bikes, the riders' suitcases, stuff like that. Then just throw the riders into the buses after the finish, and straight for the airport.

 

[Velolover2]

From what I've heard, one of the arguments against placing it in Vejle was that the traditional Post Danmark finish with Kiddesvej was too narrow and the area around the finish line was not made for big races. Simply not enough space.

The only place with enough space to host a finish was Vejle Stadium and it's surroundings. But you could still make a pretty epic stage by placing the finish line there.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

From what I've heard, one of the arguments against placing it in Vejle was that the traditional Post Danmark finish with Kiddesvej was too narrow and the area around the finish line was not made for big races. Simply not enough space.

The only place with enough space to host a finish was Vejle Stadium and it's surroundings. But you could still make a pretty epic stage by placing the finish line there.

This makes sense, and is also why I haven't been too angry about the final not being there. All the steep climbs in Vejle, except Munkebjerg which is located outside the city, are just way too narrow for a Tour peloton. And even Munkebjerg has a 2m narrow tunnel at the beginning that is just not compatible with the Tour.

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

From what I've heard, one of the arguments against placing it in Vejle was that the traditional Post Danmark finish with Kiddesvej was too narrow and the area around the finish line was not made for big races. Simply not enough space.

The only place with enough space to host a finish was Vejle Stadium and it's surroundings. But you could still make a pretty epic stage by placing the finish line there.

This makes sense, and is also why I haven't been too angry about the final not being there. All the steep climbs in Vejle, except Munkebjerg which is located outside the city, are just way too narrow for a Tour peloton. And even Munkebjerg has a 2m narrow tunnel at the beginning that is just not compatible with the Tour.

Not to speak about all the obstacles (safety first, kids). Imagine something like this in the last km. :lol:

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re:

From what I've heard, one of the arguments against placing it in Vejle was that the traditional Post Danmark finish with Kiddesvej was too narrow and the area around the finish line was not made for big races. Simply not enough space.

The only place with enough space to host a finish was Vejle Stadium and it's surroundings. But you could still make a pretty epic stage by placing the finish line there.

But, you don't need to finish on a climb, for it to be an exiting stage.

The stadium is only like 1,5 K from the Kiddesvej climb (there are several others that could be incorporated in an exiting finish).

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

From what I've heard, one of the arguments against placing it in Vejle was that the traditional Post Danmark finish with Kiddesvej was too narrow and the area around the finish line was not made for big races. Simply not enough space.

The only place with enough space to host a finish was Vejle Stadium and it's surroundings. But you could still make a pretty epic stage by placing the finish line there.

This makes sense, and is also why I haven't been too angry about the final not being there. All the steep climbs in Vejle, except Munkebjerg which is located outside the city, are just way too narrow for a Tour peloton. And even Munkebjerg has a 2m narrow tunnel at the beginning that is just not compatible with the Tour.

Not to speak about all the obstacles (safety first, kids). Imagine something like this in the last km. :lol:

Stuff like that is easily removed and reestablised after - especially in light of the income a tour finish brings your town, for a once in a lifetime event

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

From what I've heard, one of the arguments against placing it in Vejle was that the traditional Post Danmark finish with Kiddesvej was too narrow and the area around the finish line was not made for big races. Simply not enough space.

The only place with enough space to host a finish was Vejle Stadium and it's surroundings. But you could still make a pretty epic stage by placing the finish line there.

But, you don't need to finish on a climb, for it to be an exiting stage.

The stadium is only like 1,5 K from the Kiddesvej climb (there are several others that could be incorporated in an exiting finish).

You are right. A combination of Gl. Kongevej (which is harder than Kiddesvej) + the Rom's Hule uphill drag within the last 4 km is possible.

In recent years, stage 3 of the Tour have often been a puncheur stage.. so why not?

 

[RedheadDane]

Just gonna drop this* here, for no other reason than "it's bloody hilarious!" (At least in my opinion).









*Article about Connor Dunne, who - in case anyone was unaware - is bloody huge!

 

[roundabout]

TdS 2019, not perfect, but also surprisingly non-terrible

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D0UofFbWkAEUhnC.jpg

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

TdS 2019, not perfect, but also surprisingly non-terrible

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D0UofFbWkAEUhnC.jpg

If people are waiting for me to *** and moan about this route, then I have some bad news for them.

It's pretty decent.