Eshnar
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we don't even know where it goes, how can it be confirmed?Is stage 20 confirmed to be a MTF?
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we don't even know where it goes, how can it be confirmed?Is stage 20 confirmed to be a MTF?
Whoops.we don't even know where it goes, how can it be confirmed?
If they do anything in that area, it would be interesting to see Falzarego as a MTF after Giau (and 3-4 climbs before that). The last climb would be something like 10 km, 5,5 % after Giau. Could have been a very interesting stage.Whoops.
Anyway judging by the final mountain stage design of the last 6 years I imagine it's gonna be a big one that's not just all about the MTF.
I suppose if you want to go to Tre Cime that Giau + other stuff is hard enough that it's not all about Tre Cime.
Duran-Staulanza-Fedaia (FEDAIAAAA!!!!!)-Pordoi-Giau-Falzarego?If they do anything in that area, it would be interesting to see Falzarego as a MTF after Giau (and 3-4 climbs before that). The last climb would be something like 10 km, 5,5 % after Giau. Could have been a very interesting stage.
Absolutely. Something like that! Or Cibiana istead of Duran since they proably will come from east.Duran-Staulanza-Fedaia (FEDAIAAAA!!!!!)-Pordoi-Giau-Falzarego?
I might see some variation happening with Mont Cenis, Finestre, Sestriere and then Montegenevre for a finish in Briancon so you have a start and finish in France.
Although maybe if you have such a start and finish combo it's too irresistable to just have a vanilla Galibier stage again.
With a monster like Finestre you don't need a whole lot before it and I'd think it largely wasts Agnello and Izoard. Action would likely be left to Finestre, as with just about any Finestre/Sestriere stage. I think what you do after Finestre is much more interesting than what you do before it.Most obvious stage for Briançon with Finestre, considering that Briançon has to pay quite a bit of money, would be a stage starting and finishing in Briançon with this route: Briançon, Col Echelle, Bardonecchia, Susa, Finestre, Sestriere, Cesana, Monginevro, Briançon (finish line at the top of the steep road that leads to the old city). About 150 km and 4300 m of elevation gain, sounds reasonable given the fact that the Tour is moving toward progressively shorter mountain stages.
Talking about the Giro, my dream stage is: Saluzzo - Colle dell'Agnello - Col d'Izoard - Montgenevre - Susa - Finestre - Sestriere (finish). 226 km, I guess at least 6200/6300 m of elevation gain.
Newspapers be like "Alpe d'Huez in Tour de France"The real fantasy land is Colle Basset or Strada dell'Assietta on the way to Briançon.
Partially agree. But a couple of times every decade, it would be interesting with a stage with Gardaneccia difficulty. And that stage would be of epic difficulty. Another option would be Bolzano - Aprica via Mendola, Tonale, Gavia and Mortirolo. Around 220 km and over 5000 height meters.I'd prefer a 6000m gain stage in like the Dolomites where one single climb can dominate the others far less.
FTFYPartially agree. But a couple of times every decade, it would be interesting with a stage with Gardaneccia difficulty. And that stage would be of epic difficulty. Another option would be Bolzano - Aprica via Mendola, Tonale, Gavia and Mortirolo. Around 220 km and over 5000 height meters.
Dolomites is awesome, but a massive mountain stage there (at least in the central part of the Dolomites) should containat least one of Giau orFedaia (FEDAIA!!!!). The rest of the climbs are IMO too easy/not steep enough to create some real carnage. Rolle, San Pellegrino, Falzarego, Staulanza, and the climbs on Sella Ronda are typicall 6-7 % climbs. If they are use only this type of climbs and for instance ends with at downhill finish to Selva Gardena/Badia/Cortina, it would proably be soft-pedaling most of the stage before some minor attacks on the last climb and only small time gaps.
Fedaia and Giau are great climbs, but they also connect very well with the other climbs. Sella from Canazei is either cut in half or preceded by flat if you cannot use Fedaia.Partially agree. But a couple of times every decade, it would be interesting with a stage with Gardaneccia difficulty. And that stage would be of epic difficulty. Another option would be Bolzano - Aprica via Mendola, Tonale, Gavia and Mortirolo. Around 220 km and over 5000 height meters.
Dolomites is awesome, but a massive mountain stage there (at least in the central part of the Dolomites) should contain at least one of Giau or Fedaia (or both). The rest of the climbs are IMO too easy/not steep enough to create some real carnage. Rolle, San Pellegrino, Falzarego, Staulanza, and the climbs on Sella Ronda are typicall 6-7 % climbs. If they are use only this type of climbs and for instance ends with at downhill finish to Selva Gardena/Badia/Cortina, it would proably be soft-pedaling most of the stage before some minor attacks on the last climb and only small time gaps.
Yeah. It didn't mean that they should/would all those climbs, but some or most of them (and perhaps other climbs with similar gradients). The main point was that if you want to create a mounstrous mountain stage in the Dolomites which simultaneously creates large gaps, I think you need at least on of those two climbs.Cramming in as many of the remaining climbs into a single stage should see massive time gaps, but the order of climbs is hardly optimal and the value for difficulty low:
Forcella Chiandolada instead of Cibiana and it's Zomegnan approved.Absolutely. Something like that! Or Cibiana istead of Duran since they proably will come from east.
The Vuelta showed what a brutally steep climb in the middle of a stage can doForcella Chiandolada instead of Cibiana and it's Zomegnan approved.
Yeah, if we're talking the whole Dolomites that there's lots of stuff, even without other obvious monsters like Manghen and Pampeago.I think Pordoi-Sella-Gardena would be raced properly and see real gaps even in a realistically difficult mountain stage. If we're talking monstrous difficulty, I can think of multiple combos without those two climbs that would work. I don't really fear passivity on 7 % gradient climbs, as long as the stage is designed better than the 2017 Dolomites stage.
Passo della Forcella with +100kms to go is the way to go!The Vuelta showed what a brutally steep climb in the middle of a stage can do
The first 3 climbs of the day in the other direction is one of my favourite underused combinations (Rolle-Valles-San Pellegrino with a downhill finish in Moena di Fassa).Fedaia and Giau are great climbs, but they also connect very well with the other climbs. Sella from Canazei is either cut in half or preceded by flat if you cannot use Fedaia.
Cramming in as many of the remaining climbs into a single stage should see massive time gaps, but the order of climbs is hardly optimal and the value for difficulty low:
I prefer Rolle last with San Martino di Castrozza as a downhill finish. Then the hardest of the three climbs would be in the middle and not last.The first 3 climbs of the day in the other direction is one of my favourite underused combinations (Rolle-Valles-San Pellegrino with a downhill finish in Moena di Fassa).
Passo Pampeago is super underrated IMO. Especially with Manghen before it. Just don't go back and do Alpe di Pampeago again.Yeah, if we're talking the whole Dolomites that there's lots of stuff, even without other obvious monsters like Manghen and Pampeago.
Sella from Ponte Gardena/Waidbruck (one of the top 3 ugliest villages in Südtirol, but that's another topic) is a climb with almost 1,800m of altitude gain and the steep section early on and the final 9kms are not easy.
That one before a MTF on the Pordoi or a downhill finish in Arabba (gonna use those 34 hairpins someway) would be great.
Passo Valles followed by Passo San Pellegrino is another nice combo with steep climbs with no flat after the descent, that one and a downhill finish in Moena would be great.
And the final 5.8kms of this one right after the descent:
You can link that combination with multiple other climbs and have Passo Rolle from South or even Manghen right before Valles.
And then you also have the always underused Würzjoch/Passo delle Erbe (the actual Ladin name is Jú de Börz) with multiple steep sides that you can connect with other climbs and either have a great MTF or a downhill finish in Brixen/Bressanone (one of the nicest towns in Südtirol).
Also a great option.I prefer Rolle last with San Martino di Castrozza as a downhill finish. Then the hardest of the three climbs would be in the middle and not last.
I mean to ask, is Plan de Corones viable as a pass?Also a great option.
Also, I feel like the Valparola from La Villa is underrated. Yes, the final 2kms are easy, but before that we have 5kms at 8.4%, it's by far the hardest side of the Valparola. It would work fine as a MTF or before the Giau from Pocol before a short uphill finish in Colle Santa Lucia from Caprile after the long, technical Giau descent.
No, it's a dead end road up a(n overrated) skiing mountain, unless you wanna force road cyclists to use the downhill MTB trails there's no way of using it as a pass.I mean to ask, is Plan de Corones viable as a pass?