Race Design Thread

[togo95]

Tour of Three Islands - 8

Stage 8: Olbia - Alghero; 165 km

First stage in Sardinia after rest day and transfer to Olbia is indeed a flat stage for sprinters. But at second glace (and maybe at first as well with this exaggerating profile) you will see, that it's rolling terrain all the way to the finish in Alghero. I think that sprinters will be happy for this stage and shouldn't let breakaway win it, because there aren't many (I counted 2) so flat stages in this tour.

KOM:
Sennori (3) - 7,6 km; 3,5%

Sprints:
Santa Teresa Gallura - 61 km
Sassari - 159 km

Olbia:

Alghero:

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Gonna try and finish off my Tour, since there's only a couple of stages left now.

Stage 20: Chalon-sur-Saône - Chalon-sur-Saône, 42,5km (ITT)

This is the final judgment day for the GC men; the day it will all be settled. The riders, after yesterday's stage, will transfer up the banks of the Saône river to the largest town in the Saône-et-Loire département, roughly halfway between Lyon and Dijon, for a medium length, mostly flat chrono that will favour the power men.

The riders' powers of recovery will be stretched here, as of course since the rest day they have only had one relatively light day after three brutal mountain stages. The riders start in the heart of the city,and several corners in the early going provide a stern technical test, including a couple of very sharp and difficult cobbled corners. Once the riders have got themselves into the suburb of Châtenoy-le-Royal, however, there are 10 kilometres with only one small, easy turn in it; this 10km all comes at a very shallow, gradual uphill as well, and so the true powerhouses will be able to mash out a high tempo and gain a lot of time here.

After the village of Mercurey, however, the riders have a quick technical section, but also will switch from wide, open roads to narrow lanes. This is only a brief spell before returning to the D981, however, where there is another straight stretch. After this the riders will traverse the railway and meet the N6, where they will have another 8km of ramrod straight power riding, this time at a vague, shallow downhill, towards Chalon-Champforgueil airport, before hitting the outskirts of the city again. Most of this is on the wide open Avenue de Paris, but there is another tricky technical section before returning to the finish on Boulevard de la Republique.

And there you have it, the final GC-relevant stage of my Tour; it's not a super-long time trial, but with a 61km TT with two climbs in it already in the legs, this is the final chance for the strongmen to take the time out of the climbers; minutes can be won and lost in huge chunks in this race, and after some of the stages that have preceded it, this could open up bigger gaps than a typical 42km TT.

Chalon-sur-Saône:

Boulevard de la Republique:

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Stage 21: Corbeil-Essonnes - Paris Champs Elysées, 98km

No profile necessary for this one.

Points:
Paris Champs Elysées (3ème Passage), 60km
Paris Champs Elysées (8ème Passage), finish

Yes, it's the traditional closer on the Champs Elysées - I had to be a slave to a couple of traditions, and this was one of them. This year's suburb of choice to start the champagne parade from is Corbeil-Essonnes, chosen for no reason other than that a friend of mine used to live there.

As we all know pretty much what this stage will entail, I thought I'd just look back on the race a little.

The race's total length is 3413km.

There are 7 finishes on categorised climbs. 3 of these are HC climbs (Col du Mantet, Méribel-Mottaret and Mont du Chat), there is one cat.2 summit finish on an intermediate stage (Mont Faron), a cat.3 finish shortly after a cat.2 climb on a medium mountain stage (Super Besse-Sancy) and two cat.4 finishes for the puncheurs (Laon and Colline de Fourvière). There are two further mountain stages that end in either a period of flat (Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port) or a descent finish (Barcelonnette).

2 of the 3 HC finishes are on climbs new to the Tour; the third is on a climb only used once. Similarly Mont Faron has only been used once. Several of the climbs in other stages are either brand new (Arnostegi, Errozate, Irau, Cyclotouristes, Signal de Bisanne) or rarely used (Jau, Couillole, Turini, Semnoz, Saint-Anastaise), though there is a place for a couple of 'classic' climbs (Galibier, Madeleine, Super Besse). The steepest climb is the Col d'Irey, at 12,0% for 4,5km, while the longest is the Col du Galibier at 36km.

There are 115km of Individual Time Trial and 0km of Team Time Trial to balance out these strong mountain stages, as well as a stage featuring 11 cobbled sections and a number of bergs.

Only 22km of the distance are spent outside France. These are in Belgium in the first half of stage 4, enabling us to use a couple of small cobbled climbs. All GC-decisive moments will take place in France.

There are 7 stages designated as flat (stages 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 13 and 21). Of these, probably 5 are expected bunch sprints. One is a cobbled stage which will result in Classics-like activity, the other is liable to be broken up by wind. A further sprint stage features a sprint on uphill roads, but not enough to be categorised.

Corbeil-Essonnes:

Paris Champs Elysées:

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 4 Cantiano - Assisi 161 kms
The other one of the easiest stages. The only difficulty of the day is the beautiful climb of Monte Subasio, the last 1.5 kms of which are unsurfaced (and the first kms of the descent, too). The climb starts from Assisi and, after the descent, the riders will go back there to an uphill sprint.

Monte Subasio 14 kms @ 6.8%

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 5 Arezzo - Loiano 155 kms
Dangerous stage in Tuscany, with three warmup passes before the real challenge of the day, the Muro Di Campeggio, with just 3 kms to go.

Croce a Mori 11.7 kms @ 4.4%
Giogo di Scarperia 10.5 kms @ 5.7%
Futa 11.7 kms @ 4.3%
Muro Di Campeggio 1.9 kms @ 15.9%

 

[Eshnar]

Stage 6 La Spezia - Masone 216 kms
Long stage along the Ligurian coast, with the famous (and overused) Passo del Bracco, the difficult Monte Fasce and the HC of the day, Monte Beigua. After that, the Passo Del Faiallo will lead the riders to Masone, and to the first rest day, just before they got crushed by the Alps

Passo Del Bracco 10 kms @ 4.5%
Monte Fasce 10.2 kms @ 7.2%
Monte Beigua 19 kms @ 6.7% (taking out the false flat at the start is 15 kms @ 8%)
Passo Del Faiallo 11.8 kms @ 4.2%

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 7 Alba - Sestriere (MTF) 188 kms
First day in the Alps with a classic combo

Moncenisio 14 kms @ 6.6%
Finestre 18.6 kms @ 9.1%
Sestriere 17 kms @ 3.6%

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 8 Rivoli - Colle Del Baracun (MTF) 192 kms
This one hurts.
First the long ascent of Sestriere, then two "lesser" climbs before a real, murderous mountain.
The first 9.3 kms of this evil path are the ones leading to Rifugio Barbara Lowrie, measuring a nice 11.2%. After that, the riders will continue to the Colle del Baracun, through the sterrato. This section must be as steep as the tarmac part, since the total gradient is 11.4% (!) over 14 kms. I don't have a complete profile, sadly.

Sestriere 21.2 kms @ 4.5%
Angrogna 6 kms @ 9%
Rorà 10 kms @ 6.7%
Colle Del Baracun 14 kms @ 11.4%

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Octave Lapize screamed "Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins!" at the race officials in 1910. I know this is an exercise in impractical race routes as no GT would ever be 21 consecutive mountain stages, but I dread to think what Lapize would have made of this Giro!!! I'm looking at a couple of these climbs and I can hear Angelo Zomegnan saying "hmmm, this might be a bit much?"

I have to say, the Rifugio Barbara Lowrie is brutal enough as it is, I'm not sure we need to add another 5km of sterrato at 11% when we've had Finestre the day before

The Muro di Campeggio makes Sormano look like a cake-walk. Wow.

However, the Basques smile and say "bring it on".

2,7km @ 16,2%. Read it and weep

 

[Eshnar]

Octave Lapize screamed "Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins!" at the race officials in 1910. I know this is an exercise in impractical race routes as no GT would ever be 21 consecutive mountain stages, but I dread to think what Lapize would have made of this Giro!!! I'm looking at a couple of these climbs and I can hear Angelo Zomegnan saying "hmmm, this might be a bit much?"

I have to say, the Rifugio Barbara Lowrie is brutal enough as it is, I'm not sure we need to add another 5km of sterrato at 11% when we've had Finestre the day before

The Muro di Campeggio makes Sormano look like a cake-walk. Wow.

However, the Basques smile and say "bring it on".

2,7km @ 16,2%. Read it and weep

Nice bump this one
Anyway, to take it seriously, imo Lapize had his good reason to complain about it in 1910. But today I really think there's no reason to complain about anything. Times (and cycling) changed. I'm confident Zomegnan would have seriously thought of doing the Baracun in the Giro if someone proposed that to him.
He had too many alternatives though.

 

[togo95]

Tour of Three Islands - 9

Stage 9: Sassari - Oristano; 217 km

This is second longest stage in this tour. It is quite hilly, but the last relevant climb is 65 km before finish in Oristano, so it shouldn't do much damage, but you never know. There is some potential for break staying ahead too.

Link

KOM:
Cantoniera Belvedere (3) - 5,8 km; 6,3%
Lanna Caguseli (3) - 14 km; 4,3%
Su Mullone (2) - 5km; 8,2%

Sprints:
Ottana - 101 km
Fordongianus - 192 km

Sassari:

Oristano:

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Nice bump this one
Anyway, to take it seriously, imo Lapize had his good reason to complain about it in 1910. But today I really think there's no reason to complain about anything. Times (and cycling) changed. I'm confident Zomegnan would have seriously thought of doing the Baracun in the Giro if someone proposed that to him.
He had too many alternatives though.

Well, I think if riders were handed your proposed GT route there would be complaints!

Of course, they're effectively sequences of 21 individual mountain stages, and Baracun looks like pure death on two wheels.

As a pure climbing obsessive, I can only approve. I wasn't even aware that roads continued beyond Rifugio Barbara Lowrie to be honest, and think that going just to that is brutal enough, is there any room at the top of Baracun?

 

[Eshnar]

wasn't even aware that roads continued beyond Rifugio Barbara Lowrie to be honest, and think that going just to that is brutal enough, is there any room at the top of Baracun?

I wasn't aware, neither. I just find it a while ago while playing with google maps. It took me two hours to find out just the name of the whole climb. I found some pictures (there are a few of them if you google that) and it seems there's some room at the top , but if it's not enough, at the beginning of the descent looks like there's plenty of space. The descent is MTB only as far as I can tell, but the climb could be resurfaced and raced without particular problems I think.

PS: Of course now riders would complain. They complained for everything lately. Maybe someone should take a look to the early Pyrenees stages in the Tour history and think of proposing them again.

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 9 Torino - Cervinia (MTF) 172 kms
Let's back with a more conventional stage
MTF to Cervinia (featured in this year Giro) through a slightly better route than the one RCS chose

Col Zuccore 16.2 kms @ 7.5%
Saint Panthaleon 16.4 kms @ 7.1%
Cervinia 20 kms @ 4.8%

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 10 Orsières - Alpe Fuori 180 kms
Craziness again!
This time the hell is on full tarmac.
The stage starts in Switzerland, and after a fairly easy route it comes back to Italy through the Simplon Pass (whose descent has a few tunnels that makes tracks4bikers go mad, as you can see). Straight after that, the roads become wall-like.
L'Alpe Fuori, despite being much more known (and in better conditions) than the Baracun, is not shown on the software and I had to trace it. The resulting profile is perhaps my best ever though

Simplon Pass 20 kms @ 6.6%
Alpe Fuori 9 kms @ 13.4%
The profile shows 9.3 kms, but the last 300m are on sterrato and I didn't count them. The race ends at 1495 m above sea level.

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 11 Cernobbio - Alpe Vaccaro 183 kms
Another garage ramp (before a few stages with "normal" climbs), another crazy climb I traced on my own (this time the road was shown but for some reason tracks4bikers don't wanna use it ).
But this isn't the only problem of the day: as warmup, there's the gigantic Passo San Marco, and then the (ridicolously easy compared to its neighbours) climb to Dossena.

Passo San Marco 26.6 kms @ 6.5%
Dossena 11.8 kms @ 6%
Alpe Vaccaro 8.5 kms @ 12 %

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 12 Lecco - Splügen 152 kms
As stage 10 started from Switzerland and ended in Italy, this one goes in the opposite direction. It probly looks like a rest day, since the only hard climbs is not crazy at all. The Passo Dello Spluga will let the riders cross the border and breath a bit.

Passo Dello Spluga 30.2 kms @ 5.9%

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Is Alpe Fuori the one that took over from Scanuppia on Climbbybike's difficulty ranking?

There is some serious crazy riding here, more insane than Bavarianrider's leg-crushing Nebelhorn ITT!!!

On the mapping problem, this seems to be a google maps thing sometimes. Some climbs don't even appear as roads on there despite being paved all the way - Peña Cabarga and Anglirú for example (Spain is the biggest problem for mapping for this reason), while in other places roads appear but sometimes if they're seasonally shut or not recognised as roads for normal traffic you can't map up there automatically - Bergstation Fellhorn comes under this heading, and El Portezuelo. It looks like that's the problem you've come up against. In other situations you can draw the map but not look at the profile (mapmyride's continuous elevation thing only goes to a certain level, so mapping out routes too far north of Oslo is fine but you can't look at a profile), and other places the mapping software has all the roads there, and the continuous elevation is sorted, but the roads haven't yet been uploaded to that software - I had a right blast with my Tour of Israel for that reason, as large parts of the country had to be mapped by hand.

And of course, the problem of tunnels and bridges seems to be a pretty universal one to all the mapping facilities, that profile goes insane (ok, MORE insane )

This would make an awesome Multi-stage Radmarathon, like a proper test of survival.

 

[Eshnar]

Is Alpe Fuori the one that took over from Scanuppia on Climbbybike's difficulty ranking?

No, it's not. Scanuppia is harder, and the climb that overtook it (Pozza-San Glisente) is way harder

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process.

It is you know.

 

[Eshnar]

It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process, It's a process.

It is you know.

I must admit I fail to understand this post. Sorry for that.

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 13 St. Moritz - Livigno 194 kms
From Switzerland to Italy again, climbing Umbrail Pass (the Swiss side of the Stelvio), and then the long and gentle Passo Di Foscagno, with the same finish of Giro 2005.

Umbrail Pass 13.2 kms @ 8.5%
Passo Di Foscagno 24.2 kms @ 4.4%

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 14 Bormio - Avio 256 kms
One of the toughest stages: Gavia, Tonale, Carlo Magno, Durone, Punta Veleno and Cavallo Di Novezza

Passo Di Gavia 25.6 kms @ 5.5%
Passo Tonale 10.9 kms @ 5.9%
Campo Carlo Magno 15.2 kms @ 6%
Passo Durone 6.2 kms @ 7.3%
Punta Veleno 8 kms @ 12.5%
Cavallo Di Novezza 22 kms @ 6.1%

 

[Eshnar]

Stage 15 Rovereto - Glacier De Sölden (MTF) 194 kms
The Giro goes to Austria to exploit an awesome combo: Passo Del Rombo and Rettenbachferner!

Passo Del Rombo 29.1 kms @ 6.2%
Glacier De Sölden (Rettenbachferner) 12.9 kms @ 10.4%

 

[Eshnar]

STAGE 16 Innsbruck - Franz Joseph Höhe (MTF) 197 kms
After the last rest day, the Giro resumes with a stage entirely on Austrian soil.
The monster of the day is the Fuscher Törl, that will lead the riders up to the Hochtor Pass, and then to the Grossglockner.

Hochtor Pass (via Fuscher Törl) 24 kms @ 6.9%
Franz Joseph Höhe 8 kms @ 6.3%