Race Design Challenge II

[rghysens]

Stage 14: Complutum – Saguntum: 493km; hilly, ultra stage

After a transfer of 127km on highways, the race caravan arrives in Complutum for the start of the first ultra stage, which will head to the shores of the Mediterranean.

Complutum was founded by the Romans in the first century AD, and with a bit more than 10.000 inhabitants, it was the biggest Roman city in the current Madrid region. The city reached the status of municipium and had its own governing institutions.
Due to unlimited building in the 1960’s, much of the historical site has been destroyed. It became a protected zone in 1985, and a first campaign of archaeological excavations started, mainly unearthing foundations of the Roman edifices, but also some nice mosaics.

The course heads southeast for the first 2/3 of its length, crossing the rolling plains in this part of Spain. On several occasions the rises on the road will be hard enough to be categorized as 4th or 3rd category climbs, but more often not. Still, this incessant up-and-down will add to the fatigue that will play a big role in the final of this stage. Furthermore, the total elevation gain will be the highest of all stages of Mare Nostrum until now, barring the two high mountain stages.
Meanwhile, there are two Roman landmark sprints to be contested. First, after 111km, at the former Roman city of Segobriga, which is now the site of an archaeological park.
The first mention we have of Segóbriga is a brief reference by the Greek geographer Strabo, while
Pliny mentions the exploitation of lapis specularis, a variety of translucent gypsum much appreciated at the time for the manufacture of window glass and an important part of the Segbriga economy. This material was mined in "100,000 places around Segóbriga" and Pliny assures us that "the most translucent of this stone is obtained near the city of Segóbriga and extracted from deep wells".
In the time of Augustus around the year 12BC, it ceased to be a stipendiary city which paid tribute to Rome, and became a municipium, governed by Roman citizens of important status, which led to an economic boom. A program of monumental building was completed in the Flavian period of the 80's AD, and public buildings around a forum and the city wall can be admired today. At this time the city was allowed to issue currency in its mint.
Furthermore Segobriga had also an amphitheatre, a theatre, two thermal buildings, a circus and a necropolis outside the city walls.

After 202km, the second Roman landmark sprint awaits the peloton. The Roman city of Valeria was founded between 93 and 82 BC when Valerius Flaccus became proconsul of Hispania Citerior, since when it has preserved the name that refers to its founder.

Currently, the sites shows the remains of a nymphaeum, large cistern and some aquaducts.

Neither of both Roman landmark sprints announces a change in terrain, but after almost 350 kilometres, after crossing the Guadalquivir, the big engines can really make a difference. Fatigue will have sapped the legs of their competitors, and on a more than 40km long false flat they can stretch the peloton, which will break at a certain point. This false flat ends with the tenth climb of the day, followed by a fast, 15km long descent and the climb to the Puntal de Bastero. A long but gradual descent leads to the foot of the Coll de la Vinya, the penultimate difficulty of the day. Its descent immediately connects to the start of the last and hardest climb of the day, the rather steep 2nd category climb to Els Gamellons, before the quite technical descent to Saguntum kicks in.

The city of Saguntums claim to fame will mainly be it being the casus belli for the 2nd Punic war.
After the first Punic war the Carthaginians and Romans decided that all territories on the Iberian peninsula south of the river Ebro should be under Carthaginian influence and all territories north under Roman influence. None of both powers would intervene in the territory of the other. When the city of Saguntum, south of the Ebro, later allied itself with Rome and was besieged by Hannibal, Rome neglected the earlier treaty with Carthage and declared war.
Although it was almost completely destroyed by Hannibal after a prolonged siege, it was rebuilt by the Romans and prospered during almost the entire duration of the Roman empire, reaching a population of about 50.000 inhabitants. Amongst the Roman remains are a (heavily restored) theatre and a forum.

Climbs:
Alto de Zulema: km1.5; 1.2km @ 7.7%; 4th cat
Alto de Cerra de la Cruz: km10.5; 1.2km @ 8.3%; 3rd cat
Alto de la Hontanilla: km67; 2.2km @ 5.5%; 4th cat
Alto del Cerro de la Cantera: km76.5; 2.4km @ 6.9%; 3rd cat
Alto de Villalgordo del Marquesado: km153.5; 1.8km @ 4.6%; 4th cat
Alto de Villaverde y Pasaconsol: km183; 1.6km @ 5.4%; 4th cat
Alto de Gavildar: km211.5; 2.2km @ 4.7%; 4th cat
Alto de Campillo de Altobuey: km246.5; 1.6km @ 4.9%; 4th cat
Alto de Contreras: km274.5; 2.4km @ 5.3%; 4th cat
Alto del Montmayor: km388.5; 2km @ 5.3%; 4th cat
Alto del Puntal de Bastero: km412; 3.8km @ 6.2%; 3rd cat
Coll de Vinya: km459; 3.2km @ 5.2%; 3rd cat
Els Gamellons: km475.5; 5.4km@ 8.6%; 2nd cat

Roman landmark sprints:
Segobriga: km111
Valeria:km 202

Total distance raced: 3094km

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Looks distinctly to me like your finishing climbs are the Puerto del Oronet and the Alt del Garbí, no?

 

[rghysens]

Re:

Looks distinctly to me like your finishing climbs are the Puerto del Oronet and the Alt del Garbí, no?

Don't know about the names these climbs are usually given, but I used the names I found on the topographic map for Spain.
Oronet and El Grbi are near the summits of the climbs, so I gues that will be their given names.

 

[mb2612]

Via Roma Stage 14 Petra --> Characmoba (Karak) 162 km
The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,
which Man deemed old two thousand years ago,
Match me such marvel save in Eastern clime,
a rose-red city half as old as time. - John William Burgon

The first of a series of mountains stages, this stage is unlikely to see long distance attacks from the main leaders, so instead there is a short sharp finishing climb to guarantee at least some action between the favourites.

Petra, the start town, is the former capital of first the Nabataean kingdom and then Arabia Petraea. Originally founded due to the ability to store water in and amongst the rock formations, and then charge for the water during droughts, the city fell into decline during the later Roman Empire due to the gradual shifting of trade routes northwards, as well as earthquakes doing significant damage to the town. Petra is most famous today for its incredible rock-hewn architecture, much of which survived the earthquakes.

Straight out of town, the stage starts it's first climb, a 8.7km 7.1% category 1 climb, with a 2 kilometre segment over 12%, to ensure that only the strongest riders make it into the breakaway. The stage then follows the Via Regia, north out of the city, and along the Jordanian Plateau for 40km, passing through the town of Negla (). The whole stage today takes place in the Roman province of Arabia Petraea, which was formerly the Nabataean kingdom before being annexed in whole following the death of the Nabataean king. Given how much this tour has focused on battles, it's worth noting that the annexation seems to have been relatively bloodless, with the Roman legions moving in, and the Nabtaeans accepting the futility of fighting.

After 50km of racing the gradient starts to become more variable, with a stepped category 2 climb of 5.3% for 4.2km before descending through the town of Arindela (Gharandal). The next 40km are up and down, including an uncategorised 3km at 7% before the stage goes down and up the other side of a canyon. The climb out the canyon is another category 1, this time 11.4km at 6.3% summitting with 40km left to ride.

5 km after the top of the climb the riders pass the sprint point at the town of Mothous (Mu'tah). This town is mainly notable for a battle in 629 CE, as it was first engagement between the Eastern Roman Empire and the forces of Muhammad. The battle was won comfortably by the Romans as they had a significant numerical superiority.

Following the sprint, the stage has another 15km of slow descent before we reach the finishing town of Characmoba. There is then further descending as the route circles below the town, before climbing the final 7km to the category 2 finish. The final climb is split into 2 sections, the first is 3.4km at 7.1%, then there is 1.8km of recovery before the final 1600 metres at 7.5% including the final 600m at 11%, which combined with the time bonuses should be enough to bring the big names to the fore.

Characmoba was, along with Areopolis slightly further north, the main Roman city on the plateau. It's location on a hilltop, with a natural fortress above a pass down to the dead sea valley below. Unfortunately for archaeologists, the location was so strategic that the Crusaders built a massive castle on the same spot, obliterating the remnants of Roman occupation.

 

[Brullnux]

Iter per Imperium Romanum Stage 14: Castulo-Libisosa 216km

The 14th stage is probably the easiest transitional stage of this race so far, with not much in terms of climbing or difficulty.

It begins in Castulo. The fact about this town is that it was never actually invaded by the Romans, and wasn't strictly speaking part of the Empire. In 213 BC, the Hasdrubal Barca, brother of Hannibal, managed a crushing victory over the Romans with a force of 40,000 Carthaginians at this site. However, the city of Castulo had betrayed the Carthaginians, so forever became an ally of the Roman Empire.

The stage then continues on the Roman road, that continued in the same direction as Via Augusta until the 100km mark, where it takes a smaller road into the hills. There, unsurprisingly, the climbs come. They are not particularly hard, and No sprinters shoudl really be dropped by these. They could make the race harder to control for sprinters' teams (I expect them to stay up to here) and more exciting for the viewer in the final kilometres.

After rejoining the roman road with 50 to go, the run in is pretty flat. The finish includes a final 300m stretch at about 8%, but isn't very technical and is continuously fairly wide. Libisosa, which is a Roman settlement just outside Lezuza, around 8 hectares large.

 

[Eshnar]

Eshnar? :lol:

whatever suits you Romans would rather cut through mountains than doing hairpins after all.

 

[Eshnar]

Stage 13 people. Remember, after stage 14 is the second weekly vote, so tomorrow is NOT stage day, but we'll use it to catch up with week 2.

JUDGE 1:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 5
Great stage for the tt'ers to.......... gain time on other tt'ers since all the climbers went home, or are dead and dying beside the roads in Northern France and Flanders. Riders will need some of that super power potion after this

Brullnux T: 4 C: 2
This one is gonna hurt and it will be very hard to control

Rghysens T: 5 C: 3
I think almost everyone approves of this stage, not including Tom Dumoulin. Those roman roads are a ***** though, they ride like complete crap on an mtb, those road bikes are not gonna like it

mb2612 T: 1 C: 1
Not much going on it seems, and saying that's a euphemism would actually be a euphemism in itself. My mum once told me to try and say nice things. So congratulations on finding a possible cure for insomnia. Probably very hard to make a good stage there though, but ain't nobody get fo dat

JUDGE 2:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 5
What’s not to like? Long ITT at a good point of the race. Also, the Asterix tribute was spot-on.

Brullnux T: 4 C: 2
This stage is really, really cruel. Up and down all day with some tough climbs and action near the end. Nice. Type of stage on which a GC guy could lose minutes.

Rghysens T: 5 C: 4
I love it. Imaginative, tough on the legs and viewers will really know that this is a tribute to the empire.

mb2612 T: 2 C: 2
Uninspiring stage from a racing viewpoint. Also from a cultural viewpoint.

JUDGE 3:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 2
An ideal TT - tough Breton roads, so favouring power but all rolling so no true rhythm can be made. 69km is long enough to be fair for a 4 week race without being an overkill distance. After all, this race is 1/3 longer than a normal GT, so this would be equivalent to a 50k TT - just right. Despite the awesome Asterix tie-in, however, there can be no getting away from this being somewhat of a gimmick from the cultural point of view.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
Nice to see Venta Luisa, but the descent between Coberteras and the Puerto Viejo is dangerously narrow, which could be a problem. If that's widened enough to be safe, it's a really nice run-in for the last 45k or so.

Rghysens T: 3 C: 3
I'd give this a 4 for technical if I could believe that Fuenfría was legitimately ridable, although the péloton ought to be pretty trimmed down by this point I just fear the descending part of it is just too poor condition, though I'm sure Unipublic could be persuaded to get some of that tarmacked. It would certainly freshen up stage design options in the Sierra de Guadarrama.

mb2612 T: 2 C: 2
Afraid you've hurt yourself with this one, by admitting there's little likelihood of wind. The write-ups are always great but here you've fallen into Brullnux's trap of the 'wrong' antiquity.

JUDGE 4:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 4
Not strictly Roman culture... but still Roman-related culture.

Brullnux T: 4 C: 3
Really nice profile and a proper length.

Rghysens T: 5 C: 4
Sterrato? Cobbles? Climbs? 5/5.

mb2612 T: 2 C: 3
If you don't believe in your own stage, no one will...

CLASSIFICATION FOR STAGE 13

Gigs_98: 32
Rghysens: 32
Brullnux: 25
mb2612: 15


CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 13:

rghysens: 463
mb2612: 430
Gigs_98: 413
Brullnux: 411

 

[mb2612]

Brutal from the judges. But yeah, the downside of going to Alexandria, is that it requires a boring stage or two across the Sinai desert before things can get interesting.

Via Roma Week 2 Library
Via Roma Stage 8: Phintias (Licata) --> Lilybaeum (Marsala) 227 km

Via Roma Stage 9: Hermaeum (Al Huwariyah) --> Aspis (Kelbia) 85 km (ITT)

Via Roma Stage 10: Carthage (Carthage) --> Kbor Klib (Siliana) 187 km

Stage 11: Simitthu (Chemtou) --> Hippo Regius (Annaba) 245km

Stage 12: Alexandria --> Naucratis (Ezbet Hasan Kassim) 91km ITT

Stage 13: Dafnai (Qantara) --> Lysa(Nahal Loz) 299km

Stage 14: Petra --> Characmoba (Karak) 162 km

 

[Brullnux]

The descent from Coberteras is pretty narrow but I'd say it is on par with Crostis but also it is pretty short so it should be OK. Some better tarmac and it would be fine I think

Is today Stage day or week judging day?

 

[Gigs_98]

Updated version of my stage library:
viewtopic.php?p=2018884#p2018884

 

[Eshnar]

Is today Stage day or week judging day?

Stage 13 people. Remember, after stage 14 is the second weekly vote, so tomorrow (24.09) is NOT stage day, but we'll use it to catch up with week 2.

 

[rghysens]

I updated my library too

 

[Hugo Koblet]

As a historian with speciality in the Roman Empire and a cycling fan, this is my favorite thread

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

As a historian with speciality in the Roman Empire and a cycling fan, this is my favorite thread

You really should have been a judge then.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

As a historian with speciality in the Roman Empire and a cycling fan, this is my favorite thread

Dude you could've told me this before, I would've got you to help me pick locations and do write ups. Is it too late to ask now?

 

[rghysens]

Small question: is it allowed to have a transfer bigger than 150km before the last day (like often in the Tour de France)?

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

Small question: is it allowed to have a transfer bigger than 150km before the last day (like often in the Tour de France)?

Like we did in the previous challenge, it is allowed "only if the final stage is flat, or a very short ITT". I would say, less than 20 km.

 

[Eshnar]

Still have to post week 2 votes. In the meantime, here are stage 14's

JUDGE 1:

Gigs_98 T: 2 C: 3
Yes, they are necessary, but still... there is no reason to make them SO flat.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
Quite average.

Rghysens T: 4 C: 4
Having the hardest climb as last makes it a bit lame. Otherwise I'd have happily given it a 5.

mb2612 T: 4 C: 4
Not a big fan of uphill finishes, but this one is ok. And the location is great.


JUDGE 2:

Gigs_98 T: 2 C: 4
I know, there's not a great deal you can do with the west coast of France except hope for wind, and the race needs some flatlands. Mediolanum is a nice choice.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
I bumped up the technical points slightly because the Albacete region has long-standing Vuelta tradition for its annual "trial by crosswind" stages in the race's earlier days. The Roman road saves you from further penalties on the cultural points.

Rghysens T: 3 C: 3
Not super enthused by this as an ultra-stage. Definitely the length will make the later climbs killer, but the last climb is the toughest and I'd therefore expect riders to wait for it. Deceptively little flat though, so this one will break some legs.

mb2612 T: 4 C: 3
Nice to see a tough uphill finish with the legit background, but you do fall into the "wrong antiquity" trap again and the Crusader castle harms the cultural points as well.


JUDGE 3:

Gigs_98 T: 1 C: 3
Yeah, these stages may be necessary, just don’t expect any technical points. Nice finish location.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 2
This is a pretty uninspiring transitional stage. Culturally, none of the stages today excite me too much, but using an old Roman road ensures you get to 3 culturally, like all your opponents.

Rghysens T: 4 C: 3
This is a crafty version of the ultra stage. Nobody is going to have much left for that sadistic Category 2 at the end.

mb2612 T: 3 C: 3
This route is actually nice enough. You were close to getting a 4, but I am in a bad mood today. Petra is a good place to include in the race.


JUDGE 4:

Gigs_98 T: 2 C: 2
I don't like it when the flattest stages are very long, and only going near the coast and possible winds save it from being a 1.

Brullnux T: 2 C: 3
It's good that there's a bit of climbing in a sprinters stage, but I still don't see myself tuning in for a long time.

Rghysens T: 3 C: 5
Seems to me that the only place of action in a 500km stage will be the final 2 climbs. However, the places you visit don't cease to be interesting in this stage.

mb2612 T: 4 C: 4
Hard terrain all day, with a nice finish, in great scenery. I like it


CLASSIFICATION FOR STAGE 14

mb2612: 29
Rghysens: 29
Brullnux: 22
Gigs_98: 19


CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 14:

rghysens: 492
mb2612: 459
Brullnux: 433
Gigs_98: 432

 

[Brullnux]

viewtopic.php?f=24&t=30951&p=2018909&hilit=iter+per+imperium+romanum+library#p2018909

Could I post today? I have more time so it would be easier for me.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=30951&p=2018909&hilit=iter+per+imperium+romanum+library#p2018909

Could I post today? I have more time so it would be easier for me.

Isn't today stage day anyway?

 

[Eshnar]

It is stage day... week2 votes are a bit late, but you can post.

 

[Gigs_98]

CONSTANTINOPOLIS-ROMA stage 15: Vesunnia - Cossium (220 km)

The 2nd flat stage in a row, but well, you can't really do anything else in this part of France. At least this stage is a bit hillier so riders like Kittel might have a problem and attackers a chance to escape the sprint trains. I really don't have time for a write up so I'll make this short. The start is in Vesunnia (Perigueux):

.

On the way to the finish the riders pass Burdigala (Bordeaux):

The finish of the stage is in Cossium or Vasatica (Bazas) only a few kilometers after the golden mile which is located on the last little hill to encourage attacks. And attackers might even have a chance. I know the route looks very flat on the profile because there are no categorized climbs, but if you look at the openrunner profile you'll see that the part after Bordeaux is actually very hilly.

 

[Brullnux]

Iter per Imperium Romanum Stage 15: Ilorci - Carthago Nova 73km ITT

The third ITT of the race, and one to swing the race into the favour of the TTers before the proper mountains begin. This one is seriously long, at 73km. It is near twice the length of the Greek ITT, so this should provide some enormous gaps.

The stage starts in Ilorci, a fairly large roman town. Then it follows a very wide typical Vuelta road for 16km before reaching modern day Murcia. There, the riders pass through the city and approach a narrower road through the country where a 10km false flat of 2.5% awaits them. The last 2km mof this section kick up to about 5%, but it is nothing to put the powerhouses off the stage. The open country road continues until km 53, where the riders take the Carretera de Murcia, an arrow straight road, typical of the Roman era. In fact, it was built then. It is followed until the end in Carthago Nova, one of the most important Roman cities in Iberia.

 

[rghysens]

Stage 15: Colonia Augusta Nemausus – Vasio: 151.5km, mountainous

After a transfer along the shores of the Mediterranean on the third restday, the race caravan arrives in Colonia Augusta Nemasus . The course will visit some eyecandy, climb the giant of the provence and finish in a roman settlement.

In the 7th century BC, the Celts founded an oppidum on the Mont Cavalier near a spring. Later it would grow into one of the biggest of the Celtic Mediterranean world. It came under Roman influence in 121BC when the Romans campaigned (and defeated) the Gallic tribes of the Averni and Allobroges, mainly because they wanted to link up the territories they gained in Spain after the 2nd Punic war with Italy.
In 27BC Augustus officially founded a colony in Nemausus, and made it the capital of Gallia Narbonensis, circling it with a wall of 6km long,which made it one of the biggest cities in the whole of Gallia and Germania. At its peak, the city had 50000 – 60000 inhabitants, and matching monuments of which the amphitheater, several temples and the city gates are still visible.

After the official start on the outskirts of town, the course goes north for 20km and then turns east to contest the first Roman landmark after 25km: the iconic Pont du Gard, an almost intact aquaduct that provided Nîmes with the necessary water.

The stage will continue in a northeasterly direction for about 40 kilometers, when the second Roman landmark sprint is reached. That will be as much a commemorative event as anything else, because it is here, and not in Cannae, Carrhae or the Teutoburger forest that Roman armies met their worst defeat (measured by loss of live). Near Arausio the Roman armies led by Quintus Servilius Caepio and Gnaeus Mallius Maximus were defeated in 105BC by a coalition of the Germanic tribes of Cimbri and Teutons. 80000 Roman soldiers lost their lives that day. As a consequence both leaders were exiled and consul Gaius Marius was forced to change the terms of conscription and structure of the army, the so-called Marian reforms.
Roman Colonia Julia Secundanorum Arausio was founded in 35BC. Nowadays it flaunts with two very well preserved edifices of that past: the theatre and a triumphal arch.

When leaving Arausio, there’s 35km to go to the first and only difficulty of the day: Vintur Mons.
Mont Ventoux’s original name (1st or 2nd century AD) had nothing to do with wind, but relates to the name of a Gallic deity of the mountains or the Gallic “Ven-top” (“snowy peak”). It is “only” in the 10th century that the original name degenerated in Mons Ventosus.
We -well, the riders- tackle the Giant of the Provence from its classic side and descend to Malaucène, followed by a final stretch of gently downhill false flat to Roman Vasio.

At the end of the 4th century BC, the upper city of Vaison became the capital of a Celtic tribe, the Vocontii. After the Roman conquest the Vocontii retained a certain degree of autonomy. Their continued authority in the gradual Romanization of the Celtic oppidum meant that the city plan incurred no disruptive re-founding along rigid Roman orthography. Many Vocontian aristocrats moved down from the oppidum and established villas along the river, around which the Gallo-Roman city accreted. In the Roman period it became one of the richest cities of Gallia Narbonensis, with numerous geometric mosaic pavements, a fine small theatre on a rocky hillslope, baths and the aforementionned villas.

A Roman bridge still connects the two sides of the town at both banks of the Ouvèze river.

Climbs:
Mont Ventoux: km121; 20.8km @ 7.5%; 1909m; HC

Roman landmark sprints:
Pont du Gard: km25
Arausio: km63

Total distance raced: 3245.5 km

 

[Eshnar]

Here are week 2 scores. As week 1, they are multiplied by 3. The final evaluation after week 4 will instead be multiplied by 5, as was originally planned, so that the final route counts a bit more than its intermediate evaluations.

Also, please double-check my calculations

JUDGE 1:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 3
You stepped up your game this week, but I think some ITT kms more would help.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
Lots of medium mountains, but with just a shortish ITT they will probably make lots of breakaways happy.

Rghysens T: 4 C: 4
Really good second week. Your route is probably the best, but I don't think it deserves a 5 yet. Locations are also very good.

mb2612 T: 3 C: 4
Two ITTs in such a short time are probably not ideal. I do hope your next week will feature some serious hills. I keep liking your cultural thread, but I feel it is less great than it was in the first week.


JUDGE 2:

Gigs_98 T: 5 C: 4
Some lovely stages back-to-back. Nice ultra racing and we'll placed ITT. I loved the Asterix stuff and you have visited a few nice spots.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
Some lovely stages, but variety of little lacking. Culturally you have visited a few okay locations, but a fair bit of "filler".

Rghysens T: 4 C: 4
Some great stages. Hung nicely together, and it feels really like a Roman race.

mb2612 T: 2 C: 3
Two ITT so close together is a bit much. You visited some nice spots, but culturally a par at best.


JUDGE 3:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 3
The second weekend is fantastic and the Laon and Tournai stages are brutal. One problem of pacing though, which prevents the 5, is that if you don't have a rest day after stage 12 you have a HUGE transfer on the same day as a 400+km stage, for a 70k ITT, and if you do, then your third weekend is a TT and a pan-flat stage à la ASO.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 4
No standout stages that really get my pulse racing here but very little that won't see at least some potential for GC action, so consistently providing decent racing opportunities. The Tigava stage is a well-designed medium mountain stage, and Andalucía is a region that is being otherwise overlooked.

Rghysens T: 3 C: 3
While I love your second weekend, the move to Spain hasn't really set my world on fire, with also the Ultra Stage being on the Sunday liable to prevent action in the Segovia and Ávila stages.

mb2612 T: 2 C: 4
You continue to gamble on the cultural points; the second week in isolation is a bit oddly-paced with the two super-long chronos so close to one another and only a fairly minor puncheur's finish to create GC gaps between them. Stages in and of themselves are all fine but the pacing is a bit confusing - however only a few minor issues with the antiquity period prevent a perfect 5/5 for culture.


JUDGE 4:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 2
I really like the progression of your route. After a first week not without it's difficulties and a rather opportunistic ultra stage you now pile up in the medium mountains and the hills. I do think the high mountains better be approaching slowly though. Culturally, I think your route suffers a bit from the area's you've visited.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 4
You have some stages I really like. You have a lot of stages that are up and down all day, which is good, but the deciding climbs are often a tad shallow, and the real hard climbs are often at a point in the race where you don't expect much action. Culturally you visited some nice places as well.

Rghysens T: 5 C: 3
You keep making almost every stage very interesting. The only thing I don't like is the ITT coming after the hardest mountain stages so far, but that is offset by 2 rest days. Those legs gunna be confused. Culturally I liked your first week a bit better.

mb2612 T: 3 C: 4
The hilly stages and mountain stages are very nice, but I don't think doing two massive ITTs in 4 days is a great idea, and the flat stage is too long in the 2nd week. Overall, you have a number of very good medium mountain stages, but I hope you get to the bigger mountains relatively soon


CLASSIFICATION FOR WEEK 2

Rghysens: 30 -> 90
Gigs_98: 29 -> 87
Brullnux: 26 -> 78
mb2612: 25 -> 75


CLASSIFICATION AFTER WEEK 2:

rghysens: 582
mb2612: 534
Gigs_98: 519
Brullnux: 511