Planches-Champex-Planches other side-Lein-Verbier 
Now I am curious what the next stage will be.
Now I am curious what the next stage will be.
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Závod Zlínským krajem
Stage 4: Uherské Hradiště - Uherský Brod; 203 km
Last stage is the longest one and creates best opportunity to open big gaps between riders, if it's raced hard. After first quite easy 70 kilometers comes the longest climb of the day which tops under Javořina hill. It is not very steep and at this point of the stage, it shuoldn't be decisive for the overall contenders. However, together with many more hills in this part of the stage (some of them have really steep sections like beginning of Řetechov and Petrůvka, both near Luhačovice), it will definitely tire the legs and reduce the binch, before the real fun begins with 55 km to go in the village Bzová.
There begins ascent to Žitkovský vrch after short false flat from Bojkovice. This is steep enough to cause some problems even with many climbs to come. I would imagine the best to try to be at the front end of the bunch, not to lose contact or position before the hardest challenge of the day, the climb to Mikulčin vrch. Road is narrow here and gradients are brutal. First 1,6 km of this climb have 13,3% with maximum over 20%. It eases out towards the top, so everyone has to measure his effort wisely, even more so, considering that still 40 kms remain to the finish from the top.
This 40 kms can be divided in two parts. First 30 kms are constantly up and down, and even if it's not as steep as Žitkovský and Mikulčin vrch, after 3 000 height meters climbed, it will hurt undoubtedly. Route here leads through beautiful villages like Lopeník, Březová and Strání. Here are some photos of the climbs as well, namely Javořina from Březová and from Strání.
Second part is mainly flat road leading to Uherský Brod, town that helds the finish of this race. Short, mostly cobbled hill awaits the riders here to split what came together on the 9 flat kms.
KOM:
Kuželov - 1,6 km; 6,3%
Suchov - 1,7 km; 4,4%
Javořina - 5,6 km; 5,4%
Březová - 3 km; 5,8%
Nezdenice - 2,5 km; 6%
Rudice - 2,3 km; 4,1%
Kladná Žilín - 1,9 km; 6,3%
Řetechov - 2,5 km; 5,3% (contains 700 m with 10,5 % average)
Petrůvka - 2,4 km; 6,8% (hardest kilometer has 9,5% average)
Rudimov - 0,6 km; 9,5%
Bojkovice - 1,1 km; 6,5%
Žitkovský vrch - 1,9 km; 9,1%
Mikulčin vrch - 3,9 km; 8,8% (first 1 km has 16% average!)
Lopenícke sedlo - 3 km; 6,7%
Březová - 2,6 km; 5,4%
Javořina - 2 km; 6,8%
Uherský Brod - 1 km; 5,8%
Cobbled sectors:
Uherský Brod - 0,6 km
Stage 4: Uherské Hradiště - Uherský Brod; 203 km
Last stage is the longest one and creates best opportunity to open big gaps between riders, if it's raced hard. After first quite easy 70 kilometers comes the longest climb of the day which tops under Javořina hill. It is not very steep and at this point of the stage, it shuoldn't be decisive for the overall contenders. However, together with many more hills in this part of the stage (some of them have really steep sections like beginning of Řetechov and Petrůvka, both near Luhačovice), it will definitely tire the legs and reduce the binch, before the real fun begins with 55 km to go in the village Bzová.
There begins ascent to Žitkovský vrch after short false flat from Bojkovice. This is steep enough to cause some problems even with many climbs to come. I would imagine the best to try to be at the front end of the bunch, not to lose contact or position before the hardest challenge of the day, the climb to Mikulčin vrch. Road is narrow here and gradients are brutal. First 1,6 km of this climb have 13,3% with maximum over 20%. It eases out towards the top, so everyone has to measure his effort wisely, even more so, considering that still 40 kms remain to the finish from the top.
This 40 kms can be divided in two parts. First 30 kms are constantly up and down, and even if it's not as steep as Žitkovský and Mikulčin vrch, after 3 000 height meters climbed, it will hurt undoubtedly. Route here leads through beautiful villages like Lopeník, Březová and Strání. Here are some photos of the climbs as well, namely Javořina from Březová and from Strání.
Second part is mainly flat road leading to Uherský Brod, town that helds the finish of this race. Short, mostly cobbled hill awaits the riders here to split what came together on the 9 flat kms.
KOM:
Kuželov - 1,6 km; 6,3%
Suchov - 1,7 km; 4,4%
Javořina - 5,6 km; 5,4%
Březová - 3 km; 5,8%
Nezdenice - 2,5 km; 6%
Rudice - 2,3 km; 4,1%
Kladná Žilín - 1,9 km; 6,3%
Řetechov - 2,5 km; 5,3% (contains 700 m with 10,5 % average)
Petrůvka - 2,4 km; 6,8% (hardest kilometer has 9,5% average)
Rudimov - 0,6 km; 9,5%
Bojkovice - 1,1 km; 6,5%
Žitkovský vrch - 1,9 km; 9,1%
Mikulčin vrch - 3,9 km; 8,8% (first 1 km has 16% average!)
Lopenícke sedlo - 3 km; 6,7%
Březová - 2,6 km; 5,4%
Javořina - 2 km; 6,8%
Uherský Brod - 1 km; 5,8%
Cobbled sectors:
Uherský Brod - 0,6 km
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2742831
Redbull Superclassic of Austria...from Innsbruck to Kitzbuhel Horn.
Some issues in terms of the distance...ridewithgps has it at 199.7 km (9776 meters of climbing), whereas the KML file ridewithgps sent to Google Earth has it at 183 km (8268 meters of climbing). Regardless, this race would NOT be for the faint of heart.
Oh, one minor note...we're going to need some of Red Bull's money to pay for paving some of these roads.
Another showing, from Tracks4bikers: http://tracks4bikers.com/tracks/show/145718
FYI, it's actually 198.5 km. I took it down a dead-end on ridewithgps, which will eventually be discarded.
And here it is with one more source, Mapmyride: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/232917601 (196.08 km according to that source)
Redbull Superclassic of Austria...from Innsbruck to Kitzbuhel Horn.
Some issues in terms of the distance...ridewithgps has it at 199.7 km (9776 meters of climbing), whereas the KML file ridewithgps sent to Google Earth has it at 183 km (8268 meters of climbing). Regardless, this race would NOT be for the faint of heart.
Oh, one minor note...we're going to need some of Red Bull's money to pay for paving some of these roads.
Another showing, from Tracks4bikers: http://tracks4bikers.com/tracks/show/145718
FYI, it's actually 198.5 km. I took it down a dead-end on ridewithgps, which will eventually be discarded.
And here it is with one more source, Mapmyride: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/232917601 (196.08 km according to that source)
There's a whole further stage of mountain carnage, and really, Switzerland has just too many mountains to include all the ones you want even on an Eshnar-style all mountain route, sadly.Ferminal said:
Maybe when I have a go at Romandie. As it is, however, stages 2, 4, 8 and 9 are full on mountain stages and stage 3 is a medium mountain stage... had to have a couple of less monstrous stages somewhere, I'm afraid.Alpechraxler said:No Mont Vully on the way to Neuchatel
I was going to say, this is purely MTB only for the moment I assume, because right now there's some roads which aren't even good enough for goat tracks you're using!SetonHallPirate said:
Libertine Seguros said:
HA! Like I said, some of Red Bull's money is going to have to go towards paving a few of those climbs.
Gave the Redbull Superclassic of Austria another shot...mountainbike not required (I made sure this one was driveable). This one is a bit longer, at 236 km, but certainly not less challenging.
RidewithGPS: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2748379
Mapmyride: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/233536281
Edit to add: There are some dirt roads in here (on the Herrenwald climb, that I've spotted so far), but we're talking Strade Bianche-type roads, not Crocodile Trophy-type "roads".
RidewithGPS: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2748379
Mapmyride: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/233536281
Edit to add: There are some dirt roads in here (on the Herrenwald climb, that I've spotted so far), but we're talking Strade Bianche-type roads, not Crocodile Trophy-type "roads".
Stage 9: Martigny - Chandolin, 131km
Climbs:
Ovronnaz (cat.1) 10,0km @ 9,3%
Anzère (cat.1) 14,1km @ 7,0%
Crans-Montana (cat.1) 14,3km @ 6,8%
Chandolin (HC) 22,4km @ 6,2%
Yes, the final stage is probably a bit too short to earn the full "Zomegnan Approves", but by god is it brutal. 4 climbs which, elsewhere in the race, might all be categorised HC, but here only 1 is. And with a nice new finish too, which I can't see has been used, at least recently.
So, if the Col du Lein didn't break the riders, these ones sure ought to. After just 10km of flat the riders hit Leytron, and that's when the Hell of the Valais begins. The first climb of the day is also the steepest - by some way - a crushingly relentless ascent which spends huge amounts of time over 10% and was the key climb in the decisive stage of the 2010 Tour de Romandie, where Alejandro Valverde originally triumphed upon returning to Sion, only for it to be re-allocated to Igor Antón later.
That stage, you may note, was a loop around Sion, so when you complete the end of the stage you are where you started. So we continue with the theme, doing the last few flat kilometres of the stage into the city, and arriving at the beginning of that stage, with the climb up to the ski station at Anzère. This features a short and very steep section around Champlan, but otherwise is pretty regular, between 6 and 8% most of the way. Still, at 14km in length it's pretty tiring. This is where my stage moves away from Romandie 2010, as that stage cut across from Ayent on the descent to Crans-Montana, whereas here we descend all the way back into the valley, to take on a slightly tougher side of the approximately 3593 ways to ascend to Crans-Montana. I've gone for this one, which has most of its harder gradients - around the 8-9% mark - low down. There's a bit of flat around the lake which should be familiar to all of you since Crans-Montana is an everpresent climb in the world of cycling, then it's a descent of the easternmost side of the climb into Sierre.
And then it begins. This is the profile of the climb to the ski village of Chandolin (well, it's actually the climb to Pramarin just above it, but the tarmac stops at Chandolin and so does this stage, as there's no room for a finish at Pramarin). This long and little-known climb is simply an undiscovered brute, long and relentless. The first 4,5km are at about 7,5-8%, then there's a flat kilometre to recover your forces, then it slams uphill again getting up to 10% before a long (circa 5km) stretch of falsish flat (uphill at only around 3-4%). After then passing through Vissoie and going through a couple of tunnels, the road starts to head upwards and consistently hits 7-8% for the rest of its ascent, with repeated switchbacks and steep rises especially after the village of St Luc. There are a couple of dangerous drops, with the road carved into vertical mountainside, before the road flattens out a little as we enter Chandolin itself.
A long and tough climb to cap a short, but very difficult day, it will be nigh on impossible for there to be a GC truce unless they totally soft-pedal this day.
Martigny:
Chandolin:
Climbs:
Ovronnaz (cat.1) 10,0km @ 9,3%
Anzère (cat.1) 14,1km @ 7,0%
Crans-Montana (cat.1) 14,3km @ 6,8%
Chandolin (HC) 22,4km @ 6,2%
Yes, the final stage is probably a bit too short to earn the full "Zomegnan Approves", but by god is it brutal. 4 climbs which, elsewhere in the race, might all be categorised HC, but here only 1 is. And with a nice new finish too, which I can't see has been used, at least recently.
So, if the Col du Lein didn't break the riders, these ones sure ought to. After just 10km of flat the riders hit Leytron, and that's when the Hell of the Valais begins. The first climb of the day is also the steepest - by some way - a crushingly relentless ascent which spends huge amounts of time over 10% and was the key climb in the decisive stage of the 2010 Tour de Romandie, where Alejandro Valverde originally triumphed upon returning to Sion, only for it to be re-allocated to Igor Antón later.
That stage, you may note, was a loop around Sion, so when you complete the end of the stage you are where you started. So we continue with the theme, doing the last few flat kilometres of the stage into the city, and arriving at the beginning of that stage, with the climb up to the ski station at Anzère. This features a short and very steep section around Champlan, but otherwise is pretty regular, between 6 and 8% most of the way. Still, at 14km in length it's pretty tiring. This is where my stage moves away from Romandie 2010, as that stage cut across from Ayent on the descent to Crans-Montana, whereas here we descend all the way back into the valley, to take on a slightly tougher side of the approximately 3593 ways to ascend to Crans-Montana. I've gone for this one, which has most of its harder gradients - around the 8-9% mark - low down. There's a bit of flat around the lake which should be familiar to all of you since Crans-Montana is an everpresent climb in the world of cycling, then it's a descent of the easternmost side of the climb into Sierre.
And then it begins. This is the profile of the climb to the ski village of Chandolin (well, it's actually the climb to Pramarin just above it, but the tarmac stops at Chandolin and so does this stage, as there's no room for a finish at Pramarin). This long and little-known climb is simply an undiscovered brute, long and relentless. The first 4,5km are at about 7,5-8%, then there's a flat kilometre to recover your forces, then it slams uphill again getting up to 10% before a long (circa 5km) stretch of falsish flat (uphill at only around 3-4%). After then passing through Vissoie and going through a couple of tunnels, the road starts to head upwards and consistently hits 7-8% for the rest of its ascent, with repeated switchbacks and steep rises especially after the village of St Luc. There are a couple of dangerous drops, with the road carved into vertical mountainside, before the road flattens out a little as we enter Chandolin itself.
A long and tough climb to cap a short, but very difficult day, it will be nigh on impossible for there to be a GC truce unless they totally soft-pedal this day.
Martigny:
Chandolin:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2753638
Same start and finish as Libertine's post above, but with the Zomegnan Stamp of Approval.
Same start and finish as Libertine's post above, but with the Zomegnan Stamp of Approval.
Medium mountain stage planned for 2014 Tour de France. Starts in Bayonne before heading to Spain. The route goes through Jaizkibel early on and then has some other climbs. The finish is at Villava, birthplace of Miguel Indurain who has 50th birthday next year during the Tour. So it's planned to celebrate one of Tour legends.
Also makes a more interesting parcours for the (in reality much shorter) Baiona-Iruña one-day race. I think that's one of the several races Arkaitz Durán won last year.
Having read this thread for almost a year I finally decided to join and try making a TDF. This is what I came up with.
1: ITT Biarritz - Bayonne (10 km)
2: Anglet - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (179.5 km)
3: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Hautacam (197 km)
4: Lourdes - Saint-Girons (182.5 km)
5: Saint-Girons - Mantet (199.5 km)
6: Perpignan - Montpellier (166 km)
7: Montpellier - Mende (156 km)
8: Saint-Chély-d'Apcher - Station du Mont-Dore (194 km)
9: Clermont-Ferrand - Saint-Étienne (239 km)
10: Valence - Avignon (146 km)
11: Cavaillon - Mont Ventoux (187 km)
12: Bédoin - Digne-les-Bains (186 km)
13: Castellane - Col du Turini (157 km)
14: Isola - Auron (199.5 km)
15: Barcelonnette - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (229 km)
16: MTT Le Bourget-du-Lac - Mont du Chat (13.5 km)
17: Aix-les-Bains - Flaine (183 km)
18: Geneve - Besançon (216 km)
19: Belfort - La Planche des Belles Filles (202 km)
20: ITT Colmar - Colmar (43.1 km)
21: Saint-Denis - Champs-Élysées (111 km)
This is what I came up with.1: ITT Biarritz - Bayonne (10 km)
2: Anglet - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (179.5 km)
3: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Hautacam (197 km)
4: Lourdes - Saint-Girons (182.5 km)
5: Saint-Girons - Mantet (199.5 km)
6: Perpignan - Montpellier (166 km)
7: Montpellier - Mende (156 km)
8: Saint-Chély-d'Apcher - Station du Mont-Dore (194 km)
9: Clermont-Ferrand - Saint-Étienne (239 km)
10: Valence - Avignon (146 km)
11: Cavaillon - Mont Ventoux (187 km)
12: Bédoin - Digne-les-Bains (186 km)
13: Castellane - Col du Turini (157 km)
14: Isola - Auron (199.5 km)
15: Barcelonnette - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (229 km)
16: MTT Le Bourget-du-Lac - Mont du Chat (13.5 km)
17: Aix-les-Bains - Flaine (183 km)
18: Geneve - Besançon (216 km)
19: Belfort - La Planche des Belles Filles (202 km)
20: ITT Colmar - Colmar (43.1 km)
21: Saint-Denis - Champs-Élysées (111 km)
Are you sure you've been reading for a year not posting, and you aren't just a socko for Eshnar? After all, Eshnar has three all-mountain Giri, and I see that as an all-mountain Tour. While I would love it, I can't see the ASO going for what appears to be a slightly tougher modified version of my Arnostegi-Errozate-Surzai-Bilgossa-Irei monster stage as the first road stage
I think we'll see double Ventoux in the next few years though.
I think we'll see double Ventoux in the next few years though.
The Zomegnan Pyreneean Cycling Classic (I'm sure Libertine could figure out why I call it that): http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2813787
Starts in Spain with the Port de la Bonaigua, followed immediately (after a long downhill) by the Portillon, Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, and then a finish at Luz Ardiden. Alternatively, this stage could be very easily slid into either a Tour or a Vuelta.
BTW, is there another way to make Ventoux a Zomegnan-approved stage besides a double ascent?
Starts in Spain with the Port de la Bonaigua, followed immediately (after a long downhill) by the Portillon, Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, and then a finish at Luz Ardiden. Alternatively, this stage could be very easily slid into either a Tour or a Vuelta.
BTW, is there another way to make Ventoux a Zomegnan-approved stage besides a double ascent?
Pave the Col du Jandri from Les-Deux-Alpes. Create a special polka dot point scale for it. It would be spectacular and dwarf the other great tours big climbs like the Angliru and Mortirollo.
Everyone's dream here. But has a very, very, very low chance to happen.Tonton said:
Fixed. Also the stage featured here finishes at the Cirque de Gavarnie, not Luz Ardiden.SetonHallPirate said:
Italy would see that as a challenge and set about taking the Giro to Nivolet or something. Then the Vuelta would see that as an affront and do Pico Veleta. Then the Tour would pave something bigger.
Whoops...my mistake! Couldn't seem to find Luz-Ardiden via any sort of google search, and took a best guess and figured that was it. Well, while I like your routing in the middle of the race better, I'll stick to my proposed finish. Fixed the middle to include the routing via Azet and Ancizan.
My Tour de France, prologue: Cherbourg
There have been few Tour de Frances. I decided to plan two myself. One is planned to be anti-clockwise and other clockwise.
I don't have info on conditions of the roads but I will try my best. The race uses 9+6+6 format, like many real Tours have done, including this one (which means that 2nd and 3rd Mondays are rest days)
Anyway, the race 1 starts with prologue at Cherbourg, just ahead of city hall. While usually prologue is quite flat, here we have some serious stuff for the beginning with about 80 metres of ascent in first half. Similarly, the route comes down to finish.
There have been few Tour de Frances. I decided to plan two myself. One is planned to be anti-clockwise and other clockwise.
I don't have info on conditions of the roads but I will try my best. The race uses 9+6+6 format, like many real Tours have done, including this one (which means that 2nd and 3rd Mondays are rest days)
Anyway, the race 1 starts with prologue at Cherbourg, just ahead of city hall. While usually prologue is quite flat, here we have some serious stuff for the beginning with about 80 metres of ascent in first half. Similarly, the route comes down to finish.
My Tour de France, stage 1: Cherbourg-Avranches
So, it's time for the first mass start stage. As in most cases, it favours the sprinters. The riders must negotiate one 4th category climb after Brécey, but it's still over 20 kilometers to go after that, so possible escapees could be caught by the sprinters' teams. The stage distance itself is 193 km.
A big part of the route is almost at the Atlantic coast and therefore, possibly wind-affected.
So, it's time for the first mass start stage. As in most cases, it favours the sprinters. The riders must negotiate one 4th category climb after Brécey, but it's still over 20 kilometers to go after that, so possible escapees could be caught by the sprinters' teams. The stage distance itself is 193 km.
A big part of the route is almost at the Atlantic coast and therefore, possibly wind-affected.
My Tour de France, stage 2: Pontorson-Mûr-de-Bretagne, 182 km
The majority of the stage is easy. Few smaller climbs, not sure whether they are really worth of rating, but if there is, it's only 4th category.
Meanwhile, the finish will be tough as riders will reach Mûr-de-Bretagne climb. It was used in TdF 2011 and won by Cadel Evans. The stage will be therefore suit riders who enjoy hilly classics, but as the result in 2011 suggests, it must not be underestimated by the GC contenders.
The majority of the stage is easy. Few smaller climbs, not sure whether they are really worth of rating, but if there is, it's only 4th category.
Meanwhile, the finish will be tough as riders will reach Mûr-de-Bretagne climb. It was used in TdF 2011 and won by Cadel Evans. The stage will be therefore suit riders who enjoy hilly classics, but as the result in 2011 suggests, it must not be underestimated by the GC contenders.
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