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London bidding for 2017 Grand Depart

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Not a good idea. Much prefer to go elsewhere. Rarity keeps things special. And if they think they'd get the same vibe they had last year, they are mistaken.

Plus I get so frigging fed up with London and the SE getting these things. There's waaaaaay better countryside and opportunities in England for good stages outside the SE. The good thing about the Tour is that is doesn't need to be fixed to big stadiums and can therefore be used to showcase places beyond the obvious. If you are going to go to Britian again, how about Northumbria, Wales (harlech castle has a nice horribly narrow 1 in 2.5 which would be just brutal), West Country….so many places. But not yet. It's too much too soon, IMO.

Rather almost anywhere than London, tbh.
 
Re:

Electress said:
Not a good idea. Much prefer to go elsewhere. Rarity keeps things special. And if they think they'd get the same vibe they had last year, they are mistaken.

Plus I get so frigging fed up with London and the SE getting these things. There's waaaaaay better countryside and opportunities in England for good stages outside the SE. The good thing about the Tour is that is doesn't need to be fixed to big stadiums and can therefore be used to showcase places beyond the obvious. If you are going to go to Britian again, how about Northumbria, Wales (harlech castle has a nice horribly narrow 1 in 2.5 which would be just brutal), West Country….so many places. But not yet. It's too much too soon, IMO.

Rather almost anywhere than London, tbh.

Agreed so long as it's logistically possible. Long transfers for the first few days, or even worse, a rest day after Stage 3 make a total mockery of starting abroad, and make artificial money-making schemes like the Giro starting in USA or Asia seem perfectly legitimate.
 
Re:

SlickMongoose said:
They could always start somewhere more interesting, but they'd have to finish with a sprint stage to London so they can get the train back to France.
Its a 75 minutes flight from to paris from the north of england. As long as its a short stage the following day with a late start so the caravan and lorries can get a ferry you could have a stage finish anywhere in England. The giro went from dublin to the south of italy with an extra rest day so its clearly not a problem with no solution. Jib london and have a decent route.
 
Re: Re:

Swifty's Cakes said:
SlickMongoose said:
They could always start somewhere more interesting, but they'd have to finish with a sprint stage to London so they can get the train back to France.
Its a 75 minutes flight from to paris from the north of england. As long as its a short stage the following day with a late start so the caravan and lorries can get a ferry you could have a stage finish anywhere in England. The giro went from dublin to the south of italy with an extra rest day so its clearly not a problem with no solution. Jib london and have a decent route.


Problem with that is London will be paying the cash so will want most of the depart to be based around there.
 
Re: Re:

Pricey_sky said:
Swifty's Cakes said:
SlickMongoose said:
They could always start somewhere more interesting, but they'd have to finish with a sprint stage to London so they can get the train back to France.
Its a 75 minutes flight from to paris from the north of england. As long as its a short stage the following day with a late start so the caravan and lorries can get a ferry you could have a stage finish anywhere in England. The giro went from dublin to the south of italy with an extra rest day so its clearly not a problem with no solution. Jib london and have a decent route.


Problem with that is London will be paying the cash so will want most of the depart to be based around there.
Aye its wishful thinking i know but other than a prologue or tt to show off the sights the area surrounding london is flattish suburb.
 
Jun 10, 2010
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London isnt the best place for a tour start, ive never felt it too be so. Obviously last year was great in North UK because the terrain is BRILLIANT... its a 'shouldnt happen, for me.
 
Re: Re:

Swifty's Cakes said:
Pricey_sky said:
Swifty's Cakes said:
SlickMongoose said:
They could always start somewhere more interesting, but they'd have to finish with a sprint stage to London so they can get the train back to France.
Its a 75 minutes flight from to paris from the north of england. As long as its a short stage the following day with a late start so the caravan and lorries can get a ferry you could have a stage finish anywhere in England. The giro went from dublin to the south of italy with an extra rest day so its clearly not a problem with no solution. Jib london and have a decent route.


Problem with that is London will be paying the cash so will want most of the depart to be based around there.
Aye its wishful thinking i know but other than a prologue or tt to show off the sights the area surrounding london is flattish suburb.

Three stages starting in London (prologue in a random suburb, Champs-Élysées-like tour of the sights of central London, but less criterium-y, and then a hilly stage towards the coast (or move the London sprint stage to Stage 1 and have a TTT for Stage 2)) would be no less exciting than most first three Tour stages in the last decade.
 
In '94 they had the start in France, then a TTT to the Eurotunnel terminal near Calais, then three stages in the UK. Maybe instead of going Channel Tunnel they could go west from London, and then have a ferry to Cherbourg or something like they did then. London-London prologue (please a prologue not a TTT!!!), somewhere like Reading-Bristol (a few late hills to make it maybe less tough than the Sheffield stage in 2014, but something akin to Plumelec in 2008 or Mûr-de-Brétagne in 2011), then Bath - Portsmouth or Bournemouth then the ferry, so having a prologue, long rolling stage with some hard punchy climbs late on, then a short flat stage before the transfer.

I would definitely prefer Münster though, could have a flat stage around there, then a couple of hilly stages in the Rhein and Moselle basins to re-enter France near Trier or even via Luxembourg. Alternatively a punchy stage near Simmerath could be interesting as a second stage then re-entering France via Belgium through a stage from somewhere like Liège towards Charleville-Mézières.

France would be even better, we're getting to the point where the Netherlands hosts more GT départs than the actual three GT host nations...
 
Sep 19, 2013
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Re: Re:

Pricey_sky said:
rick james said:
it should come to the UK again, but it shouldn't go to London

Would love it to go to Wales, Cardiff would be a great base, could do a prologue/TTT then a really hilly stage before a flattish stage towards London for an easy transfer.
I'm biased but around Madchester and Sheff around the north of Derbyshire -winnats pass- snake pass- col du cat and fiddle? Before heading south? 3 stages in total with a TTT around London just for the ££££££€€€€€?
 
Re: Re:

Swifty's Cakes said:
Pricey_sky said:
Swifty's Cakes said:
SlickMongoose said:
They could always start somewhere more interesting, but they'd have to finish with a sprint stage to London so they can get the train back to France.
Its a 75 minutes flight from to paris from the north of england. As long as its a short stage the following day with a late start so the caravan and lorries can get a ferry you could have a stage finish anywhere in England. The giro went from dublin to the south of italy with an extra rest day so its clearly not a problem with no solution. Jib london and have a decent route.


Problem with that is London will be paying the cash so will want most of the depart to be based around there.
Aye its wishful thinking i know but other than a prologue or tt to show off the sights the area surrounding london is flattish suburb.

Abbreviated Ridelondon as a stage?
 
Re: Re:

Campervan man said:
Pricey_sky said:
rick james said:
it should come to the UK again, but it shouldn't go to London

Would love it to go to Wales, Cardiff would be a great base, could do a prologue/TTT then a really hilly stage before a flattish stage towards London for an easy transfer.
I'm biased but around Madchester and Sheff around the north of Derbyshire -winnats pass- snake pass- col du cat and fiddle? Before heading south? 3 stages in total with a TTT around London just for the ££££££€€€€€?
That will probably be considered far too similar to what they've just done with the Yorkshire stages, especially with Sheffield having hosted a 2014 stage. It'll probably be all about the south of England if this does go ahead.
 
Re: Re:

Campervan man said:
Pricey_sky said:
rick james said:
it should come to the UK again, but it shouldn't go to London

Would love it to go to Wales, Cardiff would be a great base, could do a prologue/TTT then a really hilly stage before a flattish stage towards London for an easy transfer.
I'm biased but around Madchester and Sheff around the north of Derbyshire -winnats pass- snake pass- col du cat and fiddle? Before heading south? 3 stages in total with a TTT around London just for the ££££££€€€€€?

My old stamping ground, and yes, I agree. Gorgeous countryside, quite varied, big population centres who have clearly demonstrated they'd come out for it.

But not yet. It's too soon.

As for logistics, there's very little difference flying from Manchester or somewhere further north (or west or wherever than London. And more ferry terminals than Dover, too.
 
Sep 19, 2013
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Re: Re:

Electress said:
Campervan man said:
Pricey_sky said:
rick james said:
it should come to the UK again, but it shouldn't go to London

Would love it to go to Wales, Cardiff would be a great base, could do a prologue/TTT then a really hilly stage before a flattish stage towards London for an easy transfer.
I'm biased but around Madchester and Sheff around the north of Derbyshire -winnats pass- snake pass- col du cat and fiddle? Before heading south? 3 stages in total with a TTT around London just for the ££££££€€€€€?

My old stamping ground, and yes, I agree. Gorgeous countryside, quite varied, big population centres who have clearly demonstrated they'd come out for it.

But not yet. It's too soon.

As for logistics, there's very little difference flying from Manchester or somewhere further north (or west or wherever than London. And more ferry terminals than Dover, too.

I hear you Libertine, shame though as England/UK does have good rides to throw up. However as a Brit I would rather Le Tour stayed local as France is awesome. Electress I went up your old stomping ground this week and last and neither felt summerish!!
 
I don't really care where a GT starts, as long as it doesn't lead to silly transfers (and from The Netherlands to Spain or Italy classifies as a silly transfer). London - France is still acceptable, even it would be the 3rd time in 11 years.
The 1994 tour had a hilly stage to Brighton. That would be a fine occasion to repeat it:
prologue: London
1st stage: London - London with some hills in it. Pricey_Sky can provide more details
2nd stage: ... - Brighton: hilly final
4th stage: In France, flat
5th stage: Cobbles
6th stage: Ardennes
....
2nd weekend: TT + mountain stage in Vosges
 
Re: Re:

MatParker117 said:
Swifty's Cakes said:
Pricey_sky said:
Swifty's Cakes said:
SlickMongoose said:
They could always start somewhere more interesting, but they'd have to finish with a sprint stage to London so they can get the train back to France.
Its a 75 minutes flight from to paris from the north of england. As long as its a short stage the following day with a late start so the caravan and lorries can get a ferry you could have a stage finish anywhere in England. The giro went from dublin to the south of italy with an extra rest day so its clearly not a problem with no solution. Jib london and have a decent route.


Problem with that is London will be paying the cash so will want most of the depart to be based around there.
Aye its wishful thinking i know but other than a prologue or tt to show off the sights the area surrounding london is flattish suburb.

Abbreviated Ridelondon as a stage?

People on here really don't like it.
 
Re: Re:

Campervan man said:
Electress said:
Campervan man said:
Pricey_sky said:
rick james said:
it should come to the UK again, but it shouldn't go to London

Would love it to go to Wales, Cardiff would be a great base, could do a prologue/TTT then a really hilly stage before a flattish stage towards London for an easy transfer.
I'm biased but around Madchester and Sheff around the north of Derbyshire -winnats pass- snake pass- col du cat and fiddle? Before heading south? 3 stages in total with a TTT around London just for the ££££££€€€€€?

My old stamping ground, and yes, I agree. Gorgeous countryside, quite varied, big population centres who have clearly demonstrated they'd come out for it.

But not yet. It's too soon.

As for logistics, there's very little difference flying from Manchester or somewhere further north (or west or wherever than London. And more ferry terminals than Dover, too.

I hear you Libertine, shame though as England/UK does have good rides to throw up. However as a Brit I would rather Le Tour stayed local as France is awesome. Electress I went up your old stomping ground this week and last and neither felt summerish!!

Did you indeed? Well, I was there for a week or so too (dropped in on Eroica for an afternoon being as we still have a house on the edge of the Peak District. Besides, being from Yorkshire I miss proper landscape…

I'm with you on France, though. Cannot wait to depart myself - not too long now! ;o)
 
Re: Re:

cellardoor said:
Pricey_sky said:
Not sure if it's been mentioned but Prudhomme said in his interview with ITV 2 days ago that 3 bids have been made from Britain for the 2017 grande depart. The 3 are London, Manchester and Scotland.

Scotland would be awesome. Nibali must be licking his lips.

I'd take Scotland or Manchester to be honest. Some nice hills to use for both locations, I guess Scotland would be either Edinburgh or Glasgow.
 

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