La Grande Boucle 2011 TTT - Galibier - Alpe D'Huez

[ErmOkk]

Sounds great, eventhough I like the pyrenees more and it would be a pity if they didn't make a decent stage their (look at 2009, trully awefull)!

 

[ManInFull]

The Schlecks better be recruiting Cancellara to gain time on Alberto in the TTT.

I agree there. AC's team should be trying to recruit him too. I don't think that AC's current team will do well in a TTT right now.

 

[ManInFull]

Well I love the fact there is no opening ITT or prologue. But, it will only be exciting if time bonuses are brought back.

I am disappointed that a TTT will be included. Yes, they are fun to watch, but a sorting of the GC will be the result - on ST2. Too early.

While the Pyrenees are my favorite, I am excited to what they have in store for the riders in the Alps.

Maybe they will use some lame timing rule that doesn't make GC contenders on weak TTT teams lose as much time as they actually do. This method was employed when US Postal was destroying the competition in the TTTs.

 

[outrage9]

Maybe they will use some lame timing rule that doesn't make GC contenders on weak TTT teams lose as much time as they actually do. This method was employed when US Postal was destroying the competition in the TTTs.

And maybe Garmin will spend the next 49 weeks training to win that one stage since they wont be a GC threat either.

 

[indurain666]

the tour needs to bring back a long ITT in the first week - open up some time gaps so GC contenders are forced to race the mt stages aggressively. 1989 stage 5 ITT 73km, 1991 stage 8 73km ITT.

+1, a long ITT puts climbers on the ropes and forces them to actually do something

 

[Climbing]

TdF still sucks big time without new steeper climbings.
Still a very long way from Giro.

 

[indurain666]

TDF should be like this:

-Stage 1: Short 30 km TT
-Stage 2 3: flat stage for sprinters
-Stage 4: long ITT, 60 k
-Stage 5-6: more of the boring crap, stage six should finish in Pau
-Stage 7: Pyrinees: aubisque tourmalet louron azet or something like that
-Stage 8: Even harder with a mountaintop finish
-Stage 9: A few mountains but head to mediterranean
Rest
-Stage 10 11: Flat stages
-Stage 12: Mt. Ventoux ITT
-Stage13, 14 Flat, go to sT. Ettiene or somewhere else close to alps
-Stage 15: Alpe D'Huez mountaintop finish
-Stage 16: Long hard epic stage, perhaps not a mountain top finish
-Stage 17: Another long one epic mountain stage
Rest
-Stage 18 transition, sprinters
-Stage 19: ITT, 40-50 k
-Stage 20 Paris

Organizers, please take note

 

[icefire]

+1, a long ITT puts climbers on the ropes and forces them to actually do something

Yes. To ride conservative for 2nd, or 3rd, or 4th, or...

 

[jobiwan]

I really enjoyed the stage where they finished in Barcelona. Maybe after the Pyrenees?

 

[guncha]

TdF still sucks big time without new steeper climbings.
Still a very long way from Giro.

This year TDF route was much better than Giro's. 25km Madelaine did much more damage than any of Giro's steeper climbs. When Giro had 25km, 19km, 18km long decisive climbs at the same tour? Plus it is unacceptable to have a GT with 23km of ITT only.

This year's TDF had 4 GC mountain stages before the Pyrenees and all but two GC contenders were eliminated before the Pyrenees. I can only hope that TDF 2011 will have plenty of GC stages before the Alpes unlike TDF 2009 when there was only one (TDF 2009 route suc***).

 

[BroDeal]

This year TDF route was much better than Giro's. 25km Madelaine did much more damage than any of Giro's steeper climbs. When Giro had 25km, 19km, 18km long decisive climbs at the same tour? Plus it is unacceptable to have a GT with 23km of ITT only.

This year's TDF had 4 GC mountain stages before the Pyrenees and all but two GC contenders were eliminated before the Pyrenees. I can only hope that TDF 2011 will have plenty of GC stages before the Alpes unlike TDF 2009 when there was only one (TDF 2009 route suc***).

Duuuude, I'll have what he's smoking.

 

[IlCobraFan]

TdF still sucks big time without new steeper climbings.
Still a very long way from Giro.

Giro d'Italia 2010: 5 mountain stages
Tour de France 2010: 6 mountain stages

I prefer the Giro but the Tour this year was not that bad.

 

[Weapons of @ss Destruction]

General classification should be about the strongest rider winning the race. The GC is an individual classification and should not be based on team strenght but rider strength.

So, you are saying that new rules should be implemented stating riders should not be allowed to follow their team mates' wheels in any other stages? Or that team tactics will not be allowed? I guess we should just have 3 weeks of staggered start ITTs then?

no. the ttt still sucks.

Yes, it sucks for teams who choose a rider composition that is not well-suited to TTTs. Do the teams stacked for TTTs complain that the mountain stages suck because the other teams selected better climbers for their squad? It's up to each team to make rider selections that they think will best play into their goals. Sometimes they get the bull, and sometimes they get the horns.

 

[The Hitch]

This year TDF route was much better than Giro's. 25km Madelaine did much more damage than any of Giro's steeper climbs. When Giro had 25km, 19km, 18km long decisive climbs at the same tour? Plus it is unacceptable to have a GT with 23km of ITT only.

This year's TDF had 4 GC mountain stages before the Pyrenees and all but two GC contenders were eliminated before the Pyrenees. I can only hope that TDF 2011 will have plenty of GC stages before the Alpes unlike TDF 2009 when there was only one (TDF 2009 route suc***).

Ummm lets see

TDF 2010 mountains

Madeline- Schleck and conti increase lead over everyone else. Sanchez leaps Menchov, Gesink.
Stage 16 - Conti leaps Schleck.

thats pretty much it.

Giro 2010 mountains
Monte Grappa- Nibali leaps Basso, Evans. all 3 + scarponi leap vino. all gain about 2 mins on arroyo
Monte Zoncolan - Basso leaps Nibali, Evans and Scarponi all gain 2- 3 mins on Arroyo
Monte Kronplatz- Evans, Scarponi leap Nibali. Evans gains 40 secs on Basso. All gain 1-2 mins onb Arroyo
Mortirolo - Evans cracks. Scarponi Nibali leap Evans. Basso leaps Arroyo.

oh and of those 4 mountains, 3 - Kronplatz, Mortirolo and Zoncolan make the Rhone Alpes look like a few speed bumps.

You are right that the giro perhaps had too few itt kms. I say that from the position of having wanted cuddles to win more than because i find itts interesting. In fact itts arent always the best in epic mountain gts. They are the most handy when the gt is boring, because then it presents the best opertunity for gaining time. Hency why the most boring gt in recent years, produced a great itt- the epic annency time trial of 09.

 

[Ryaguas]

This year TDF route was much better than Giro's. 25km Madelaine did much more damage than any of Giro's steeper climbs. When Giro had 25km, 19km, 18km long decisive climbs at the same tour? Plus it is unacceptable to have a GT with 23km of ITT only.

This year's TDF had 4 GC mountain stages before the Pyrenees and all but two GC contenders were eliminated before the Pyrenees. I can only hope that TDF 2011 will have plenty of GC stages before the Alpes unlike TDF 2009 when there was only one (TDF 2009 route suc***).

WHAT??? Dude check your camel cuz that pot is not good! ya know?

 

[auscyclefan94]

So, you are saying that new rules should be implemented stating riders should not be allowed to follow their team mates' wheels in any other stages? Or that team tactics will not be allowed? I guess we should just have 3 weeks of staggered start ITTs then?



Yes, it sucks for teams who choose a rider composition that is not well-suited to TTTs. Do the teams stacked for TTTs complain that the mountain stages suck because the other teams selected better climbers for their squad? It's up to each team to make rider selections that they think will best play into their goals. Sometimes they get the bull, and sometimes they get the horns.

No. A main part of cycling is having the domestique on the front doing the work. The General classement is an individual classification so having itt's on all stages is just taking it too far. Don't understand your 2nd paragraph's relationship to the issue and statement I was making? I don't like the ttt's but team's still need to prepare themselves for them like they need to prepare their teams for the mountains.

 

[auscyclefan94]

They should have the pyrenees/first mountain range in stages 4-7 like they did in the giro in 2009.

 

[theswordsman]

From the official site in case anyone hasn't seen it:

Saturday 2nd July
FIRST STAGE
Passage du Gois > Mont des Alouettes: 180 km

A Grand Start between sky and sea… The official start of the 98th edition of the Tour de France will take place at the Passage du Gois. Linking the continent to the island of Noirmoutier and measuring 4.5 km in length, the Passage du Gois is a submersible road covered twice daily at high tide, but which remains fully accessible at low tide.

Beforehand, the starting ceremony will take place in Fromentine followed by a parade along the island of Noirmoutier. Then, once they have rejoined terra firma, the pack will wind its way through the Vendée, firstly along mainly flat roads towards the south, before heading northeast towards Les Herbiers through more rolling countryside. The finishing line will be based at Mont des Alouettes whose summit stands at 232 metres. The Mont des Alouettes was a strategically important site during the Wars of the Vendée (1793-1796).


Sunday 3rd July
SECOND STAGE
Les Essarts > Les Essarts - Team time-trial: 23 km

The second day in the Vendée will witness the return of the team time trial, a stage not included in the programme for the Tour de France 2010. It will be contested over a 23 km circuit with the start and finish at Les Essarts.

The route will follow a loop to the west of the town, mainly on the flat and straight roads in the Bocage of the Vendée, passing through the towns of Boulogne and La Merlatière in particular.


Monday 4th July
THIRD STAGE
Olonne-sur-Mer > …

The riders will cover a distance of approximately 80 km on the department's roads before leaving the Vendée…

http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/us/grand_depart_2011.html

The TTT's aren't that fun to watch IMO, mostly because you get brief glimpses of teams from the same perspectives. The one two years ago was just nasty, with squads wiping out on corners or riding off the road into the field.

After watching this year's race, I'm a hundred percent behind bringing back time bonuses.

 

[movingtarget]

Why not try another mountain ? Alp D'huez is used almost every two years. There are plenty of alternatives. The ASO are getting a bit obssessed about reliving the past.