I believe they chose the stages quite skillfully. Bastille Day, perfect for that French breakaway to victory and a VERY lumpy stage that should allow for attackers to disappear out of sight and never be seen again. And by picking the stages right in the middle of the Tour, they're forcing some teams to pay attention.
I love the idea of no radios. The riders get to use their heads, their intuition, their actual racing skills to win a race rather than having everything fed to them by the team directors.
But, I won't be surprised if the peloton pulls some sort of protest. I can see that happening.