Race Design Challenge II

[Gigs_98]

Re:

I feel so sorry for you guys. The participants have designed great, if not amazing routes (because what I'm following is simply a group of some of the best stages in the history of cycling), Eshnar has tried so hard to make the competition interesting and exciting to follow, and the judges have tried very hard to make sure that accurate votes came as quickly as possible to ensure there was a flow, but you've just been hit by what is probably the worst luck in the history of cycling, for all sorts of reasons. Either way, it's still an interesting challenge to follow, and one of the first ones I go to when I get onto the forum. I was going to participate, but I when the concept was announced I got completely blown away by the scale of the race and I thought I would fail at the history side of things as I'm not great at history and I am very surprised that I'm seeing such amazing routes. Keep it up, and I hope that you guys get to the finish soon .

I think the biggest problem of this whole challenge is motivation. I was very busy this November, but I think if I had been really motivated like I was last year, I even would have made the write up around midnight. But this challange is now already extremely long, I spent hours and hours making the route, every write up takes a big chunk of time and because of the whole interruptions I'm not really thinking about my race. Last year I was always really excited when the votes were coming and I was already thinking about my next write up the day before stage day. This year I don't care that much about the votes anymore and I would probably forget to post my stage if I Eshnar wouldn't always remind us at the beginning of his vote posts. I think it's no secret that this competition was just one step too far. It is probably too long, the area covered in the race is too big, finding good stage towns with an interesting Roman background is incredibly time-consuming and compared to the Giro challenge last year, making an historically good route is way more complicated. Last year you only had to use some big cities and throw in a Pantani/Coppi/Bartali tribute somewhere and that was it. But this year making culturally bad stages has a way bigger impact. I mean if you post a stage with 20 pictures of Roman landmarks in it you need about one second to notice that it's culturally better than a stage like this. Ofc I understand culturally good routes are something great, but again, this just costs so much time. Moreover because of all these difficulties many people didn't have enough time to participate at all. I think there were more than 10 people who announced they will participate after the challenge was announced, but at the end there were only 4 participants.
I'm happy to be part of this challenge, because I'm sure in one year looking at the routes again will be great, but right now this competition is unfortunately simply exhausting.

 

[fauniera]

Maybe Eshnar should try a one week race next. This can also be fun and challenging. Tirreno-Adriatico for instance, or some fantasy race.

 

[rghysens]

Re: Re:

I think the biggest problem of this whole challenge is motivation. ...
but right now this competition is unfortunately simply exhausting.

Quoted for truth.
Even Eshnar doesn't seem to be really motivated, as he wanted to call the whole thing of when it became clear there were "only" four participants.
Otoh, there are only three more stages to go, so let's just try to finish it.

Since I already sent my stages 26 and 27 to Eshnar last weekend (because I thought I wouldn't have too much spare time this week, but today was less busy than anticipated), I can post my stage 26.



Finally the judges get their long anticipated second itt.

Stage 26: Capua – Baiae: 61km, ITT

The technical side of this stage is easy to describe: it’s a 61km long ITT, half of it going west from Capua to the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the other half south along the coast of said sea. At the very end there are two small bumps to break the rhythm.

But, there’s more to say about the cultural side of things.
Capua was founded around 600BC by the Etruscans and captured by the warlike Samnites in 424 BC. In 343 BC Capua formed an alliance with Rome to oust the occupying forces. The importance of Capua increased steadily during the 3rd century BC, and at the beginning of the Second Punic War it was considered to be only slightly behind Rome and Carthage themselves, and was able to furnish 30,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry. During the 2nd Punic war it switched alliances to Carthago after the battle of Cannae, for which it got severely punished by Rome. In the later republic it became very prosperous and in the broader area a lot of gladiator schools were founded.
In one of these schools, a certain Thracian by the name of Spartacus started a riot that would lead to the escape of him and 70 companions in 73BC. The riot turned to a rebellion and later an outright war: the so-called 3rd servile war. 2 Years later the rebellion was quelled by Marcus Licinius Crassus, and 6000 survivors of the final battle were crucified along the Via Appia from Rome to Capua. So with some exaggeration, one might say that Spartacus’ rebellion began and ended in Capua.

And what better way to remember Spartacus than with an -albeit medium length- itt?

There are still some remains of ancient Capua, like the amphitheatre, a triumphal arch erected by Augustus, some tombs and a temple dedicated to Mithras.

The halfway point of Castel Volturno, ancient Volturnum, was a trade point on the road from Rome to Casilinum and Capua. It became a Roman colony in 194 BC and, in 95 AD, it was reached by the Via Domitiana, and received a large bridge connecting the two shores of the river with the same name.
After 45km the course goes by the ruins of Liternum, which became a Roman colony in 194BC.
The town is mainly famous as the residence of Scipio Africanus (the one who beat Hannibal), who withdrew from Rome and died there.

Nice to see, but it pales in comparison with the Roman edifices in the last 7km.

First there’s the archaeological site of Cumae.

Cumae came under Roman rule with Capua and in 338 was granted partial citizenship, a civitas sine suffragio. In the Second Punic War, in spite of temptations to revolt from Roman authority, Cumae withstood Hannibal's siege.
The place is most famous as the seat of the Cumean Sibyl, the priestess presiding over the Apollonian oracle at Cumae.
A bit further the course climbs to the edge of the Avernus, a volcanic crater, which was blieved to be the entrance to the underworld in Roman mythology. One can still see the ruins of the temple to Apollo.

Finally we arrive in Baiae, particularly fashionable towards the end of the Roman Republic. Marius, Lucullus, and Pompey all frequented it. Julius Caesar had a villa there, and much of the town became imperial property under Augustus. With its large swimming pools and domed casino, it continued to be a getaway for the elite. Nero had a notable villa constructed in the middle of the 1st century and Hadrian died at his in AD 138. It was also a favorite spot of the emperor Septimius Severus. The resorts sometimes capitalized on their imperial associations: Suetonius mentions in his history that the cloak, brooch, and gold bulla given to the young Tiberius by Pompey's daughter Pompeia Magna were still on display around AD 120.
According to Suetonius, in AD 39, Baiae was the location for a stunt by emperor Caligula to answer the astrologer Thrasyllus's prediction that he had "no more chance of becoming emperor than of riding a horse across the Gulf of Baiae". Caligula ordered a 3-mile-long pontoon bridge to be built from impounded ships of the area, fastened together and weighted with sand, stretching from Baiae to the neighboring port of Puteoli. Clad in a gold cloak, he then crossed it upon a horse.
Because the coast subsided, largely due to local volcanic activity, most of Baiae is now under water in the Bay of Naples.
The most remarkable ruins are those colloquially known as the Temple of Mercury, the Temple of Venus, and the Temple of Diana, which were traditionally credited to some of the more famous residents of the towns' villas.

And last but not least: in many western languages the town lend its name to geographical features resembling its own environment: bays, baaien, baies, baías,…


Total distance raced: 5587km

 

[Red Rick]

Capua timing is sweet as I ended my binge watch of the Spartacus TV series last week lol

 

[kingjr]

Re:

Capua timing is sweet as I ended my binge watch of the Spartacus TV series last week lol

"CAPUA! SHALL I BEGIN??"

 

[Eshnar]

Re: Re:

Quoted for truth.
Even Eshnar doesn't seem to be really motivated, as he wanted to call the whole thing of when it became clear there were "only" four participants.
Otoh, there are only three more stages to go, so let's just try to finish it.

Well, I did say that motivation was my main worry when I asked if you were willing to go forward with the challenge. Players and judges needed to be motivated and to stay that way, but unfortunately for various reason this competition went on for so long, it's no wonder we all feel tired.

 

[mikii4567]

Maybe Eshnar should try a one week race next. This can also be fun and challenging. Tirreno-Adriatico for instance, or some fantasy race.

If that would be the case, I would definitely be in it. Eshnar, make it happen Race Design Challenge III?
edit: obviously not straight away, but 2017?

 

[mb2612]

Nice rghysens, my stage is also a homage to Spartacus, although a little further south. On the route, we've been working on this for 6-7 months, which is longer than they spend working on the route for the real Giro, so I think it's understandable that everyone is exhausted. I've had a few thoughts about next years challenge and I think global Velon style races would be a fun challenge, which would be much shorter, hopefully encouraging more participation.

Via Roma Stage 26 Neapolis (Napoli) --> Caposele 244km
if he won the battle, he would have many fine horses that belonged to the enemy, but if he lost he would have no need of a horse. Spartacus (as told by Plutarch)

Today's stage is the second queen stage, and the best chance for any rider who still needs to gain minutes to do so, with no flat after the first 30 kilometres. Although the gradients are not enough to cause splits by themselves, the over 80 kilometres of categorised climbing, along with the accumulated fatigue from 3 long days in the saddle should thin the peloton, giving attackers ample opportunity to gain time.

The stage starts in Neapolis, which, despite it's name, is one of the oldest cities in Italy, and was effectively conquered by the Romans in the Second Samnite war, although the city remained relatively independent for a long time. The citizens of Neapolis maintained their Greek language and customs, with Roman's often visiting to better understand Hellenistic culture. Neapolis also was a popular tourist destination for Romans, with villas dotting the coastline, giving rich patricians the chance to get away from it all, something which has continued to this day.

The starts of the stage is relatively comfortable for the the riders, as for the first 30km they will head south, along the coastline, in the days flattest terrain. It will likely be a relatively somber start as this racing will all take part in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, and after 25km the days sprint point will occur in the town of Pompeii, giving the sprinters a chance to get a few points before the autobus forms.

After Pompeii, the days first climb starts, and it's a relatively straightforward second category, 12.2 kilometre climb, at an average gradient of 4.5% (Ignore the sharp gradient at the summit, the road uses a tunnel, to dorge that portion). After that climb, it's back down to the coast, and through the town of Amalfi, which was founded by Roman's were trying to hide from barbarian invasions, and you couldn't blame any cyclist who decided to hide here, rather than face what is to come.

After Amalfi, the days first category 1 climb, this one slightly shorter at 10.8km, but averaging 6.0%, with just a small respite half way up. After this climb the stage descends back down to the coastal road, for the final 15km of relatively calm before the constant climbing and descending begins. First though, they go through the town of Salernum (Salerno), which grew to prominence as a military garrison, charged with controlling the surrounding countryside, which rose up to support Hannibal. Although eventually it grew to become a major Roman hub in southern Italy.

Salernum is followed immediately by the days third, but least intimidating climb. Category two, and 5% over 9.6 km, the almost 10 kilometres of climbing should certainly start to wear down the peloton, and straight off the back of this climb the road starts to rise again, peaking with another category 2 climb, this one much steeper, averaging 8.2% over 6 km, but with the final 2km at over 10%, this should be the point where even some bigger names begin to show weakness.

After another quick decent the riders will know the have just 95 left to go, which will basically be covered by three climbs and descents. First up is a 14.6km cat 1 pass, the smothest climb today, wth all gradients in and around it's 5.3% average. After a shortish 10km descent the climbing starts again. And this climb is almost identical to the last, same length and category, although the gradient is slightly lower, at 4.7%, and the gradient is more uneven, with a short sharp section in the middle. The top of this climb has a few km of flatter terrain, which could put off riders from attacking, however that would be a mistake, as with no downhill for those who are suffering to recover, 10 seconds could very quickly go out to 30". After 5km on this plateau, the riders descend back down to the valley and the town of Montella, which like Neapolis, was conquered by Rome during the Samnite wars.

After leaving Montella, the riders face their final climb, also category 1, this climb is similar in average profile (15.4km at 4.9%) however in reality is much harder, as it splits nicely into 2. The first is a 8.8km, with an average of 6.7%, and 4km at 9%, which gives the final perfect opportunity to break free. This however is followed by a 3km downhill and flat section, before the 3.6km climb back to the final summit of the stage, before 15km of relatively technical descending into the finishing town of Caposele.

Like the rest of this stage, Caposele was in formerly Samnite territory, and was founded around the time of it's conquest, probably by ex soldiers. However it is most famous as being the source of the Siler (Sele) River, and hence roughly the location of Spartacus's final battle against Crassus.

The battle came two years after the start of the rebellion. Initially Spartacus and his army won a few major victories, however after Crassus took command of the Roman troops he successfully forced the slave army back and south, trapping them in Bruttium (Calabria), where Crassuss' troops built a 40 mile ditch to contain Spartacus. Spartacus successfully broke out of this containment, but the discipline of his slaves was breaking down, so he decided (or was forced) to turn and face Crassuss in a final decisive battle. Spartacus must have been hoping that his small numerical advantage could be brought to bear, however the superior training of the Roman legions proved decisive, with 60% of the Servile Army killed, and most of the remained captured and then crucified.

There is some debate about the exact location of the battle, with some historians placing it a few kilometres down the valley, maybe between modern Quaglietta and Senerchia, although Paulus Orosius places the battle directly at the source of the river, and hence around Caposele.

 

[Eshnar]

Stage 25 is here. Congratz to Rghysens for his/her 1000th point!

Let's finish this before Christmas, guys

JUDGE 1:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 3
I simply can't argue with a 60km pan flat TT deep into week 4. Fatigue will be a big factor and this will sort the men from the boys. Culturally, you accept that the cities have Roman heritage but it is not their main fame, however technically this is strong.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
This is a solid stage by all rights, a nice breakaway stage and potential banana skin for the GC men, but unfortunately this was a really strong day of stages for you to contend with.

Rghysens T: 4 C: 4
Chieti is a strong cultural city to choose, and actually having a pretty solid MTF is a rarity in this race of course due to the rules. The stage is on the short side, but I guess in a race built on excess, this IS the short ambush stage.

mb2612 T: 5 C: 4
I think this is the strongest stage of the day, with a really nice chaining of climbs at the end, none so severe they will make all the moves happen there, but on a long stage this far into the race, this should be really fun to watch.


JUDGE 2:

Gigs_98 T: 3 C: 3
Long ITT will give you more points in the weekly totals than for an individual design. So a par on the day for you.

Brullnux T: 4 C: 3
Nice medium mountain stage. Very attractive.

Rghysens T: 3 C: 4
Nice stage, and you continue to harvest cultural points. Stages in this area could be a little more interesting, but none of the climbs are going to make too much difference in GC.

mb2612 T: 4 C: 4
I love stages like this. Nice finish. Interesting culturally, too.


JUDGE 3:

Gigs_98 T: 3 C: 3
After all the madness, this long TT is on the short side for me

Brullnux T: 4 C: 4
Sweet little killer of a stage. 4 weeks in this should be great.

Rghysens T: 4 C: 4
Cool medium mountain stage with a pretty nice finish.

mb2612 T: 3 C: 5
Good stage. I'm all out of 4s tho so this will have to do with a 3. It's just a little less likely to create good action and I'd be skipping the first 5 hours


JUDGE 4:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 4
Nice ITT, although a bit on the short side. At least it's pan flat, and the location is great.

Brullnux T: 4 C: 3
I think this is technically the best stage of the day, but not great enough to deserve a 5.

Rghysens T: 3 C: 3
The profile looks great, but a close inspection reveals that the final climb is much harder than the penultimate (that is pretty long and shallow). As such, it's a bit disappointing.

mb2612 T: 3 C: 5
Great stage culturally, and I would've given you a 4 on the technical side, had I one more available.


CLASSIFICATION FOR STAGE 25

mb2612: 33
Rghysens: 29
Brullnux: 28
Gigs_98: 27


CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 25:

rghysens: 1000
mb2612: 944
Gigs_98: 906
Brullnux: 865

 

[Brullnux]

Iter per Imperium Romanum Stage 26: Siena-Cosa 205km

Penultimate road stage is a long, rolling stage that is probably suited to the breakaway more than anyone else.

It starts in Siena, a town constructed during roman times but admittedly not reaching its peak until the Medieval Era. The stage treks through the beautiful Tuscan countryside, and even includes a section of sterrato up to Montalcino.

Monte Amiata is the only proper climb of the day, and the inital section of 4km at 9.5% is hard enough to lanuch an ambush, despite how far away it is from the finish. This is the penultimate chance for climbers to really go for the win, as the following stage is likely to be great for the roleurs. An attack like Contador and Quintana at the Vuelta or like Nibali at the Giro could prove problematic, and a good descent on the twisty, narrow road down could create a minute plus lead by the time the riders reach Sangiolo. If there already teammates up the road, then there could be chance of an ambush because of how difficult it will be for the other teams to make up time on the remaining terrain, which is narrow and continuously rolling.

The last 10km before reaching the small climb are on very flat and staright land, so in those km there is a much bigger chance for the pack. The final climb is a twisty affair, and there are some steep pitches which could create some gaps. It is narrow too, and we finish at the entrance to the Cosa ruins. There are some spectacular views from up here looking over the sea. The town itself was not fo great importance during Roman times, but it now is of great importance to archealogists because of the fantastic ruins which remain.

 

[Brullnux]

Ha no way. I may have acually been able to stay within the 6000km rule unless my maths is off.

 

[Gigs_98]

I would like to post my stage but I can't log in into my cronoescalada account

 

[Brullnux]

I would like to post my stage but I can't log in into my cronoescalada account

Can confirm this is happening to me too. It's not really important for me anymore though

 

[Gigs_98]

Okay, I have already done the writeup, as soon as cronoescalada works again, I can post the stage.

 

[Gigs_98]

CONSTANTINOPOLIS-ROMA stage 26: Luna - Luna (227 km)

The riders have left the Alps but the climbing isn't completely done yet.
The start of the 26th stage is in Luna (Luni Mare), which had a very big economic importance because it was close to big stone pits, which is one of the reasons why the Roman monumental structure was even possible.

Especially the first two thirds of the stage are absolutely brutal. There is a steady up and down and the climbs aren't easy. The stage basically starts with 3 1st and one 2nd category climbs in a row, with hardly any flat between the ascents and descents. I unfortunately don't have a profile of the first climb, but the ones from the 2nd and 3rd one as well as a profile for the 2nd cat. ascent but only the last 10 k's of the pass will actually be climbed.

Still all these climbs aren't even close to being as difficult as the next one, the brutal Passo di Pradaccio.

The gradients of the climb are generally pretty high, but especially the finale of the pass is brutal, with 3 kilometers, steeper than 12%. As the 5th climb of the day, this will without a doubt hurt the riders so the last HC climb of the whole tour will give one of the last opportunities to make a big move.

Still this isn't a typical mountain stage, because the hardest part of the stage is now over, and the rest of the day is only hilly. Therefore if someone wants to gain a lot of time he can't just count on a usual attack. Instead he basically has to go for a long range attack. I think this should also help to balance the route since another stage with a downhill finish directly after a hard pass, would probably favor climbers too much.
However although the big climbs are over there are still some hard kilometers left, which will definitely hurt considering how hard the stage had already been up to that point. The first of these climbs is the Passo del Vestito, a relatively long, but not very steep pass. Still the last 4 k's are over 7% steep so this ascent isn't exactly easy.

Oh, and not to forget, this pass is incredibly scenic.

After the descent there are two more short climbs, which give riders the last chances to attack for the stage, and especially if riders are isolated and/or if the peloton is very small these two ascents could cause a lot of action. Then finally the stage finishes where it started, in Luna.

 

[rghysens]

Re: Re:

"CAPUA! SHALL I BEGIN??"

No, it's time this whole thing ends

 

[Eshnar]

By this evening I should have all the votes for stage 26. In the meantime, please start posting stage 27

 

[Eshnar]

Stage 26. Only 2 to go. Please post stage 27 asap.

JUDGE 1:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 3
This stage is really nice. I love the structure and sequence of climbs, but I just prefer mb’s effot a tad. I am not a fan of looping circuits in GT’s, and I don’t think Luni Mare offers enough to justify what you are doing. But the actual racing would be epic, so I shouldn’t be too harsh on you.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
Not the most exciting stage. Probably being generous here with the marks, but on second thoughts, you have at least made the finale interesting.

Rghysens T: 3 C: 4
Solid ITT, nice length. You once again do a great job in showcasing the cultural aspects of each region, and knitting them together beautifully.

mb2612 T: 5 C: 5
Great stage, from both aspects (culturally and technical)


JUDGE 2:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 3
Just one of those stages I wish could have been run in reverse (but for the loop around Pradaccio) - up and down all day and a really good stage which should see some strong action. Culturally it lacks a bit compared to the other stages today though.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
Montalcino backing into Monte Amiata is a really great racing combo in theory, but here it's seemingly very much a breakaway stage; while an ambush is possible this deep into the race it could also be fairly tame.

Rghysens T: 4 C: 4
I've marked you down slightly on the cultural side because of mb2612. This is the much needed TT and while it's been a long, long wait, this is like with Gigs' stage yesterday a key component of the final week of the race.

mb2612 T: 5 C: 4
While you've often at times banked everything on the cultural points, here we have a monster stage from a technical point of view as well as including some essential spots such as Pompeii.


JUDGE 3:

Gigs_98 T: 5 C: 2
Brilliant stage technically. Great placement of the last HC climb. I'll be demanding that stage in Giro's for years to come. Culturally there's not that much going on.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
Bit hit or miss, but you get bonus points for Montalcino.

Rghysens T: 4 C: 5
Long TT is good. Location is better. Fantastic place

mb2612 T: 4 C: 4
Very good stage, in both ways. Unfortunately you're narrowly edged out in both.


JUDGE 4:

Gigs_98 T: 4 C: 3
The Pradaccio is a bit too far from the finish imo.

Brullnux T: 3 C: 3
If the Pradaccio is far, the Amiata is even farther...

Rghysens T: 4 C: 4
Good ITT, but I would have liked something longer.

mb2612 T: 4 C: 5
Very good stage on all accounts.


CLASSIFICATION FOR STAGE 26

mb2612: 36
Rghysens: 32
Gigs_98: 28
Brullnux: 24


CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 26:

rghysens: 1032
mb2612: 980
Gigs_98: 934
Brullnux: 889

 

[Brullnux]

Iter per Imperium Romanum Stage 27: Ostia-Roma 117km

The penultimate stage starts in Ostia. The ancient town of Ostia Antica has some of the best preserved Roman ruins in all of Italy, and in fact the world, behind perhaps only Pompeii and Herculaneum. It is, naturally, much cheaper and has less people than the other two options, so is a fantastic, if underrated, tourist destination.

Ostia was famous for its harbour. Being so close to Rome, not even 30km from the centre of the city, it had great importance. Rome of course is not on the sea, so needed an outlet to which they could give their goods and exports, as well as take in their important imports. Therefore, there were canals and a river connecting the two places. Emperor Claudius’s finest moment was perhaps opening a new harbour here, one which he had commissioned and was a project dear to his heart. Dearer, of course, than his wife Messalina, who while Claudius was opening the harbour is said to have married Gaius Silius, the Consul designate of the time. Messalina is most prominent for her incredible sexual exploits, once sleeping with 24 men in a single afternoon while having a ‘shag-off’ (through no better word) with a famous prostitute of Rome. Despite being the Emperor’s wife, she won. This is how the Italian insult ‘Una Messalina’ came about. Anyway, I digress.

The race begins in the modern harbour before passing by the old city of Ostia, where there is the first intermediate sprint of the day. The riders then pass the interesting Riserva Naturale di Decima Malafede. It is a nice area of Lazio, which of course has its fair share of Roman architecture.

Then the riders make their way to the Lago Albano (Albanus Lacus), which is the only climb of the day. The lake is famous because around 395BC, the Romans won the war against the Veii by building a discharge tunnel crossing the crater walls, as the lake is an extinct volcanic crater. It served to irrigate the lands around the lake and as an emissary whenever the lake overflowed. They probably didn’t actually win the war because of this, but the Oracle of Delphi had prophesised that they could only win when the lake waters were used for irrigation. Delphi was home to the most renowned Oracle of the ancient world, so why not, hey? The tunnel is bloody long, mind, and was an impressive feat.

After making a loop of this lake, the riders head back down north going towards the capital of the Roman Empire. After passing Ciampino, they take on the Via Appia. Not the modern one, but the old one. Strewn with cobblestones, the riders will have to take this road on for a whole 10km, which almost matches some of the cobbled outrages that Libertine puts on in their Deutschland tours. The cobblestones vary greatly. For the most part, they aren’t ridiculously hard. The cobbles are fairly small and placed neatly(ish) together, like a bad Belgian road might have. Just a lot narrower. Like, Paterberg narrow. Every kilometre or so, the riders will have to undergo a 50m section roughly of terrifying cobbles. Here, they are big and plastered all over the place, worse than even the most hellish French sectors. Luckily for the riders, these sections are short, but they could still provide massive damage. If riders have already split then gaps of a few seconds could occur if someone takes the wrong line, mtb style. Via Appia was the most important Roman road of Southern Italy, going down all the way to Beneventum and then Calabria as well. It was built initially for military purposes, and was home to the ‘Crucifixion’ of the Spartan army, but ended up being used by everyone.

One of the crossover bits (the cyclist is on the easy section, the camera on the hard). You can see one of the many incredible roman sites nearby too.

One of the hard bits. You can see just how narrow it is too.

What the majority of the cobbles are like. It is not unfeasible at all.

The entry into Rome is fairly technical, as the riders pass by the Colosseum before jolting left and going around the Forum Romanum, and then coming back the other side in the best way I could manage (there are loads of narrow roads in the city) past the Vittorio Emanuele Palace (not relevant but quite pretty) and then passing the Colosseum and finishing with it at their backs. You may be surprised to see the penultimate stage, rather than the last one, finish in Rome. In truth, this was not my original plan, but I felt that were not enough proper climbing days in my Tour and considering I was so far back I needed something drastically different from everyone else on my final stage to try and at least come closer to catching up. I knew that a hilly stage then a finish in Rome (Probably ITT) would be pretty conventional, so I have something slightly different lined up for tomorrow. I imagine that a couple will guess what it will be.

 

[mb2612]

Sorry, I'm travelling today, so I don't have time to do a full write up

Via Roma Stage 27 Aufidena (Castel di Sangro) --> Lettomanoppello 172 km
Fortuna audaces iuvat - Latin proverb

The final road stage of Via Roma, and at just 172km, the shortest stage the riders have faced for a week, this stage gives the climbers one last chance to gain time before the specialists against the clock come back tomorrow. And, with the days toughest climb peaking with 60 kilometres to go, fortune may well favour the bold.

The stage starts in Aufidena, a complex of forts in the upper reaches of the Sangro River, which were large and well positioned enough to contain the entire local population in times of war. It was conquered by the Roman's in the third Samnite war, and turned into an urban center, until it was surpassed by the nearby town of Alfedena.

After an uphill first 15km to aid in the formation of the breakaway, the stage descends gradually for the next 30km, into the sprint point at the town of Sulmo (Sulmona), which is most famous for being the birthplace of Ovid. This is followed by a right turn, and the days first cat 1 climb. The climb is fully 17.2km long, and although the gradient is only 4.5% on average, it should be enough to start splitting the peloton.

After another 30km of descending the race proper starts, with the climb up to Passo Tettone. The hardest climb of the final week, rated HC, it averages 8.6% for its full 13 kilometre distance, and peaks with almost exactly 70km to go. The questions the protagonists will face, is whether they feel they can maintain an attack over the two climbs still to come.

After 20km of descending the stage passes its finish line in Lettomanoppello before starting it's next short sharp climb, this one just 5.2km, but also averaging 9%, giving another potential springboard for an attack before the final climb. The final climb, up Passo Lanciano, is another 17km HC climb, although this one averages only 6%, making it harder for any attacks to stick. It is however more like two climbs back to back, as the first 7km averages 4.4%, before it kicks up slightly to 7% for the final 10km of climbing of the race.

After the summit, it's just 10km of technical descending (although as the riders rode the sames roads earlier today, they should know it well) before the finish in Lettomanoppello. Lettomanoppello was a former Roman quarry, where asphalt, stone and marble were all mined.

 

[Gigs_98]

CONSTANTINOPOLIS-ROMA stage 27: Florentina - Poggio Civitate (192 km)

Only 2 stages left and after almost a month of racing the leader of the race will definitely do his absolute best to keep his lead. However because of this stage, changes in the gc are still absolutely possible.

The start of the stage is in Florentina (Florence), a city established by Julius Caesar in 59 BC, as a place to live for veteran soldiers. Centuries before Florence became the birthplace of the renaissance the town already became very big and an important commercial centre. Today the most famous Roman landmarks of the area are in the north of the city on the hill "Fiesole". Cycling fans will probably know this hill since it was the major climb of the WC 2013.

Btw, this theater is about 5 km away from Florence so I think you can count it as Florence. There aren't as many remains of the Roman era in the city centre, but still there are a few interesting ruins left.

The stage starts hilly with a few uncategorized bumps and a 3rd category climb after about 25 kilometers. A little bit later there is another climb, this time a clearly harder one, the relatively steep 2nd category climb to Montefienali. And then after the descent the really interesting part of this stage starts.

There is one last thing which could have a big impact on the gc and it is sterrato. The first two sectors are well known from Strade Bianche, especially the first one, Monte Sante Marie. It's followed by San Martino in Grania, which was afaik used this year for the first time. The sectors are ridden the other way around, which means that they are slightly easier but will make the race harder nontheless. After a short relatively flat section the probably hardest part of the stage starts, the 2nd category climb to Montalcino ofc on gravel roads. I think this climb has only been used in pro racing once, but it's nevertheless one of the most famous sterrato climbs in the world. The reason is a legendary stage in the giro 2010, in a stage with a lot of rain, therefore muddy streets and big time gaps between gc contenders.

As you can see, some of the gradients on this climb aren't exactly low, so they give teams the opportunity to cause a big selection even without rain. With rain, this stage will be hell on earth anyway.

For the next 31 km we are back on the strade bianche route, so first we have the descent from Montalcino, (A climb to Montalcino is part of the SB route, but that climb is on a normal road and not on sterrato like the one in 2010) and then two very long sectors who are usually used in SB very early and therefore don't have a huge impact there. In this stage however they might be crucial. First the relatively flat sector cosona, then the very hilly sector Pieve a Salti. At the end of the penultimate sterrato section there are only about 15 kilometers left, so if a rider wants to gain time he has to let the race explode here.

However this still wasn't the last sector because while the SB route doesn't have sterrato for a few kilometers, the pause for the riders in this race will be much shorter, since they face the last difficulty of the day. My sector number 6, or how the Strade Bianche officially calls this sector "Settore n. 2". What a name.
The last 10 km of the stage, including the last sector, are uphill, which will give the riders a last chance to attack and will make the last gravel section even harder.
The finish is on the hill Poggio Civitate (Murlo) and at this point I have to admit that I f*cked up. Poggio Civitate is the location of a very old settlement, but actually it's too old, since it's Etruscan and not Roman. I didn't know this when I designed the stage and only noticed it today when I did some research about Poggio Civitate. Now I'm not sure if the use of this place as a stage finish is allowed. Eshnar once wrote that the town only had to exist during the Roman republican or imperial era so it's not necessary that the town ever was part of the Roman empire. However I have no precise information in which time period the town existed. I only read on Wikipedia that it was probably built in the early 6th century BC (Roman Republic was established in 509 BC), so it's likely that this Etruscan town existed in the right time period, but I can't be 100% sure. Therefore I guess Eshnar can finally use his penalty rules

ps: God damnit Brullnux, your penultimate stage is extremely similar to my last one.

 

[rghysens]

Re: Mare Nostrum Stage 27

From the race design thread:

...though would have liked a Sorrento trip in tribute to my man José Manuel Fuente...

So, here’s to Libertine Seguros (and to a lesser extent JM Fuente and the Romans):

Mare Nostrum stage 27: Puteoli – Surrentum: 154km; medium mountains

It may seem strange to choose Puteoli over Neapolis or Capua, but I think this town absolutely deserves to be in a design of a “Roman GT”, for one specific and maybe far-fetched reason.
The local volcanic sand, named pozzolana, formed the basis for the first effective concrete, as it reacts chemically with water. The water would turn this sand/lime mix into a mortar strong enough to bind lumps of aggregate into a load-bearing unit. Concrete-like mixtures had been used for ages, but the Romans perfected it and were the first to use it on a massive scale, in its most spectacular way in the dome of the Pantheon in Rome. After the fall of the western roman empire, the knowledge of making concrete would be forgotten until the late renaissance and it would last until the 19th century before it would be used in a big scale again.
So, to pay tribute to the engineering skills of the Romans (I’m an engineer myself), I’ll let this stage start in Pozzuoli.

Roman Puteoli not only has volcanic sands on offer. It was the port where the Alexandrian grain ships unloaded their much needed cargo and the main hub for the export of luxury goods from Campania. The Roman Dictator Sulla had a country villa here and it was the place where he died in 78 BC.

The amphitheater in Pozzuoli is third largest of Italy's Roman arenas, once holding more than 20,000 spectators. It was partly buried from a volcanic eruption. Although not much remains of the seating area, the underground areas are well preserved including cages where animals were kept and the mechanisms for hoisting the animals into the arena.

Above all, the town is known for its macellum, or market building.

From Puteoli the course follows the shoreline of the Gulf of Naples, where there’ll be a first Roman landmark sprint in Roman (or Greek) Neapolis after 18km. The peloton keeps on following the coastline for the next 7km, until the well-known archaeological site of Herculaneum, the second Roman landmark sprint. Maybe less famous than Pompeii, Herculaneum was one of the towns that was completely destroyed by the eruption of the Vesuvius in 79AD.

Next on the menu is a small climb on the flanks of the Vesuvius, just to warm the legs a bit for what’s still to come.
The descent is followed by some flat roads to the third Roman landmark sprint of the day: the Villa Poppeae, an ancient Roman seaside villa. The villa itself is a large structure situated in the ancient Roman town of Oplontis (the modern Torre Annunziata). Evidence suggests that it was owned by the Emperor Nero, and believed to have been used by his second and rather notorious wife, Poppaea Sabina, as her main residence when she was not in Rome. The building is mainly known for its striking frescoes, and size.

Three kilometres further on the road is the next Roman landmark sprint: the aforementioned ruins of Pompeii.

Then there’s a short period of calm, before the first major climb of the day kicks in: the well-known Valico di Chiunzi. We’re not taking the usual descent to Maiori, but go by the Colle San Pietro. Its descent immediately gives way to the penultimate climb of the day: the rather shallow climb to the village of Bomerano. A short tunnel just after the summit gives way to the descent leading to ancient Stabiae, site of the last Roman landmark sprint of today.
Being only 16 kilometres from Mount Vesuvius, this seaside resort was largely destroyed by two metres of tephra ash in 79 AD.
Originally a small port, by the 6th century BC Stabiae had already been overshadowed by the much larger port at Pompeii. The town was destroyed by Lucius Cornelius Sulla on 30 April 89 BC during the Social War. Pliny the Elder recorded that the town was rebuilt and became a popular resort for wealthy Romans. He reported that there were several miles of luxury villas built along the edge of the headland, all enjoying panoramic views out over the bay.
According to the account written by Pliny the Younger, Pliny the Elder was at the other side of the bay in Misenum when the eruption started. He travelled by galley ship across the bay, partly to observe the eruption more closely, and partly to rescue people from the coast near the volcano.
Pliny died at Stabiae the following day. Currently, the archaeological area of Stabiae is mainly famous for its opulent Roman villas.

Immediately after the Roman landmark sprint, the last climb of the day commences, the Monte Faito. When cresting this climb, all that remains is the descent to Roman Surrentum.
Before its control by the Roman Republic, Surrentum was one of the towns subject to Nuceria, and shared its fortunes up to the Social War; it seems to have joined in the revolt of 90 BC like Stabiae; and was reduced to obedience in the following year, when it seems to have received a colony.
The most important temples of Surrentum were those of Athena and of the Sirens, but very few remains of the Roman town are still visible today.

Climbs:
Vesuvius: km30.5; 4km @ 6.2%; 3rd cat
Valico di Chiunzi: km67.5; 9.8km @ 6.1%; 2nd cat
Colle San Pietro: km74; 3km @ 4.6%; 4th cat
Bomerano: km99.5; 13.6km @ 4.4%; 2nd cat
Monte Faito: km131; 13.8km @ 7%; 1st cat

Roman Landmark sprints:
Neapolis: km18
Herculaneum: km25
Villa Poppeae: km43.5
Pompeii: km46.5
Stabiae: km117

Total distance raced: 5741km

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Buttering up the judges, rghysens... and all this when you're already leading. Your morals are called into question.

 

[rghysens]

Re:

Buttering up the judges, rghysens... and all this when you're already leading. Your morals are called into question.

Shouldn't a complete lack of any morals be honored in a contest that tries to find the best combination between cycling and the Romans?

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Buttering up the judges, rghysens... and all this when you're already leading. Your morals are called into question.

Shouldn't a complete lack of any morals be honored in a contest that tries to find the best combination between cycling and the Romans?

Not if I don't profit from it