Race Design Thread

[Netserk]

Stage 11 Tuesday, Perpignan -> Montpellier, 184km

After yesterday's well deserved rest day in Perpignan, today's stage takes the riders up along the coast to Montpellier, though with 30km to go they take a detour out to the coast before returning to the city centrum with a 1.5km long finishing straight.

 

[Netserk]

Stage 12 Wednesday, Nimes -> Manosque, 187km

Second stage in a row for the sprinters, who haven't been handed much so far, as we approach the Alpes. I could've chosen a harder run-in, but given that this is only their fourth chance (and to make it at least a little realistic), I've given them the easy version.

 

[Netserk]

Stage 13 Thursday, Aix-en-Provence -> Chorges, 195km

A little appetizer for the upcoming stages. In the middle of the stage, the riders will climb Paris-Nice classic Montagne de Lure (1) and then an uphill drag before the final climb of Lebraut (2) over-viewing the beautiful Lac de Serre-Ponçon and a descent down to Chorges.

 

[Netserk]

Stage 14 Saturday, Digne -> Isola 2000, 236km

Here's that long high altitude multi-mountain stage I was talking about, and this Tour's only real MTF. Originally I wanted to go all the way up Lombarde, descent a few km and then finish at Santa Anna di Vinadio, but I'll save that combo for a Giro stage. The stage starts in Digne and the riders will have to climb Corobin (2) immediately, before they can get a little rest. After 70km they'll hit the double of Champs (1) and Cayolle (HC) and then the the highest pass of this Tour (and all Tours) Cime de la Bonette-Restefond (HC), before the MTF to Isola 2000 (HC). Hopefully we'll see some action before the MTF, but even if we don't (GC-wise), there should be a lot on the final climb.

 

[Netserk]

Stage 15 Sunday, Isola 2000 -> Valloire, 210km

The second rest day is tomorrow, so there's no holding back today. The stage starts off where it left yesterday, so the riders will have to climb the remaining part of Lombarde (2) and climb into Italy, but they'll only be there shortly, as they then have to climb Maddalena (2) back to France, where Vars (1) awaits them. After Guillestre it's time for the iconic Izoard (HC) with the Casse Déserte. The finish is similar to the Galibier stage in 2011 with the long valley road between the last two mountains, but this time the riders will have to descend down to Valloire after they have topped the Galibier (HC). This might not be a stage where you can win the Tour, but at this point in the race, there's a high risk that one of the contenders, or even the yellow jersey, might crack and lose minutes!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Stage 9 Sunday, Bagnères-de-Luchon -> Foix, 197km

Third Pyrénées stage in a row, this time a true roller coaster/chaos stage. They climb Portillon (1) from the gun, where many will want to send team mates up the road for later. Then ~20km of slight descent where riders will try to bridge across or the peloton will swallow them all before they then hit Menté (1) and Aspet (2). Despite both climbs feature often, this deadly combo (from the west) has only been used twice (and with the combination of Portillon it's a first). Halfway through they climb Core (1) before the final combo of Latrape (2), Agnès (1) and Péguère (1). There's over 25km from the top of the last climb to the finish, so attackers will want team mates up in front, or they'll need to attack before the last climb.

Badass stage

 

[Netserk]

Badass stage

I'd like to see a team control the race in these mountain stages

 

[Netserk]

Stage 16 Tuesday, Albertville -> Morzine, 197km

Since today and tomorrow are the last two days in the mountains, riders would've been extra motivated to 'rest well' and 'prepare' on yesterday's rest day in Albertville. The first half of this stage has no less than four climbs, Cyclotouristes (1), Bisanne (HC), Aravis (2) and Colombière (1), before the final combo of Ramaz (1) and Joux-Plane (HC), and then the descent down to Morzine. Another mountain stage that is hard to control, but most likely the favourites will duke it out on Joux-Plane, probably where the strongest rider will cement his overall lead.

 

[fauniera]

Stage 14 Saturday, Digne -> Isola 2000, 236km

[...] Hopefully we'll see some action before the MTF, but even if we don't (GC-wise), there should be a lot on the final climb.

Why not move the finish to Auron? The climb is a bit easier than Isola 2000 but much closer to Bonette. There would be 2 km of flat after Bonette compared to 15 km flat to Isola. This would nearly guarantee action on Bonette, don't you think?

 

[Netserk]

Why not move the finish to Auron? The climb is a bit easier than Isola 2000 but much closer to Bonette. There would be 2 km of flat after Bonette compared to 15 km flat to Isola. This would nearly guarantee action on Bonette, don't you think?

I've already designed such a finish once, and I'd like to have at least one HC MTF, and then finally the Tour has finished there before, so it helps with the realism.

 

[Netserk]

Stage 17 Wednesday, Morzine -> Rumilly, 200km

The last mountain stage in this Tour, now in the Jura, and designed to give the desperate climbers outside of the podium their chance to launch a long-range attack. The start is easy and there's only Croisette (1) (of major climbs) before the final that consists of the mighty combo of Biche (HC), Grand-Colombier (HC) (from it's hardest side) and Mont-Clergeon (1) with a little launch-pad (1.2km @ 6.4%) on the descent towards Rumilly.

 

[Netserk]

Stage 18 Thursday, Bourg-en-Bresse -> Dijon, 147.5km

Today and tomorrow are two short flat stages, which for the GC-riders will mean two de-facto rest days, before the final long ITT.

 

[Netserk]

Stage 19 Friday, Besancon -> Mulhouse, 133km

The same as yesterday. Sprinters will get their sixth opportunity, whereas GC-riders will enjoy that the stage is so short, so they can focus on tomorrow.

 

[The Hitch]

aren't there some rules about how many mountains one can pack into a gt lol.

Would love to play that course on pcm though.

 

[Netserk]

aren't there some rules about how many mountains one can pack into a gt lol.

Would love to play that course on pcm though.

I think that's a rule that only exists in the head of Prudhomme, ugh.

Sure there's about twice as many mountains as in a standard Tour, but I don't see the problem when there's just one flat sprint stage less than mountain stages (7 vs. 8).

 

[Netserk]

Stage 20 Saturday, Mulhouse -> Colmar, 65.8km (ITT)

The final deciding ITT. Hopefully climbers will have used the previous terrain, or they'll regret it as we're talking minutes in an ITT like this. Being at the end of the Tour (and what a Tour) and this long, it'll come down to engine and recovery. Expect the Tour winner to at least top-5 this one, perhaps even win it. The climb to Trois-Épis (6.6km @ 5.7%) will help the climbers a bit, and also make it difficult for a TT-specialist to win today.

 

[togo95]

Stage 9 and 17 are the best mountain stages in your tour imo, love them.

 

[Netserk]

If this route had been in 97/98, who do you think would be the favourite, Ullrich or Pantani?

 

[Netserk]

Tbf I haven't bothered to design the last stage, as it's just the traditional Champs-Élysées stage.

So a brutal Tour in a traditional format, but IMO also realistic (aside from the hardness) with the use of climbs and stage starts/finishes.

 

[The Hitch]

Tbf I haven't bothered to design the last stage, as it's just the traditional Champs-Élysées stage.

You are supposed to pick a Parisian suburb to start from. Choosing the same one as last time is just lazy.

me, I know exactly which suburb I'd start from.

Clue : it has one of the most beautiful and historicaly significant castles in Europe.

 

[Netserk]

Another take at the Tour

I have tried to create a monster route that are balanced and where riders won't wait for the last 5km before they attack. There are a few new climbs, but it's mostly 'safe' ones, so they shouldn't be any problem. It's a classic route with a prologue and two additional TTs, with the last on being on stage 20.

There are four new starting/finishing towns, but all four could be in a real route. Gujan-Mestras, Arette la Pierre-Saint-Martin (The ski station), Prades & Rumilly.

The Grand Depart is in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne. From there it goes out to the western coast and then counter-clockwise, with the Pyrénées first and then the Alpes last.

The overall route:

Stage 1 Saturday, Clermont-Ferrand -> Clermont-Ferrand, 10.7km (ITT)
Stage 2 Sunday, Clermont-Ferrand -> Super-Besse, 182km
Stage 3 Monday, Brioude -> Aurillac, 187km
Stage 4 Tuesday, Brive-la-Gaillarde -> Bordeaux, 215km
Stage 5 Wednesday, Bordeaux -> Gujan-Mestras, 56km (ITT)
Stage 6 Thursday, Gujan-Mestras -> Bayonne, 174.5km
Stage 7 Friday, Bayonne -> Arette la Pierre-Saint-Martin, 160km
Stage 8 Saturday, Pau -> Loudenvielle, 190km
Stage 9 Sunday, Bagnères-de-Luchon -> Foix, 197km
Stage 10 Monday, Foix -> Prades, 205km
---Rest Day, Perpignan---
Stage 11 Tuesday, Perpignan -> Montpellier, 184km
Stage 12 Wednesday, Nimes -> Manosque, 187km
Stage 13 Thursday, Aix-en-Provence -> Chorges, 195km
Stage 14 Saturday, Digne -> Isola 2000, 236km
Stage 15 Sunday, Isola 2000 -> Valloire, 210km
---Rest Day, Albertville---
Stage 16 Tuesday, Albertville -> Morzine, 197km
Stage 17 Wednesday, Morzine -> Rumilly, 200km
Stage 18 Thursday, Bourg-en-Bresse -> Dijon, 147.5km
Stage 19 Friday, Besancon -> Mulhouse, 133km
Stage 20 Saturday, Mulhouse -> Colmar, 65.8km (ITT)
Stage 21 Sunday, Versailles -> Paris (Champs-Élysées), 133.5km

Some fact and numbers:

There's 7 flat stages, 8 mountain stages (4 Pyrénées, 3 Alpes and 1 Jura), 3 ITTs (132.5km), 0 TTT and 3 hilly/medium mountain stages. The total length is ~3470 depending on the stage to Paris (which I usually don't bother much with, but will be the traditional finish). There's 44 2nd, 1st and HC mountains (that's about twice the normal), though only one 'real' MTF. The two rest days will be in Perpignan and Albertville after stage 10 and 15.

Updated the first post with links to all the stages.

 

[jsem94]

That ITT. What a beast of an ITT. How is that descent btw? Making riders take crazy risks on a descent isn't too wise imo.

 

[Netserk]

That ITT. What a beast of an ITT. How is that descent btw? Making riders take crazy risks on a descent isn't too wise imo.

It only has two switchbacks and it's on a wide rode. You can see it in streetview if you want to.

Here's the first switchback (in streetviw)
Alternatively seen from satellite

You can explore more of the descent if it interests you.

 

[jsem94]

Hmm. How would potential bike changes look like. TT bike up until the climb, and then road bike all the way to the finish, or another bike change back to the TT bike for the descent?

 

[roundabout]

Tour de France ala Giro

Continuing on

One remark though, I missed a T describing stage 1 so it is a TTT

Stage 4: Louhans - Thiers (216 KM)

First stage for sprinters. Louhans-Tournus-Charolles-Marcigny-Lapalisse-Vichy-Thiers

Nothing to write home about so no profile.

Stage 5: Issoire - Aurillac (144 KM)

The original design of the stage envisioned a repeat of the 2008 Tour de France final climbing the cote de Saint-Jean-de-Donne, but I finally decided to give sprinters a chance so from Saint-Simon it's more or less a direct route to Aurillac.

Map and profile

http://tracks4bikers.com/tracks/show/162511

Stage 6: Saint-Flour - Firminy (178 KM)

A rolling first 160 km before another new climb that is more Giro in spirit.

I present this little monster

3.6 km 10.5% average

Profile

http://www.cyclo-challenge.fr/IMAGES/IMG_COL/montee_chazournes_depuis_aurec.jpg

Michelin road atlas gleefully says 20% so it's a steep little hillock.

Road quality you say?

Start of the climb

https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.3648...&panoid=LIxsVej2q_4muBTbhzjfkg&cbp=12,16,,0,0

Gets steeper and the road narrows

https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.3696...i48KekKs0YD5vHo1iMcesQ&cbp=12,341.88,,0,14.01

A little ramp

https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.3800...d=_TXwukfAQ4mkSUxDyVjVaQ&cbp=12,340.88,,0,6.2

Near the summit

https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.3873...GobQNh8JCVRIQnLmPP5esA&cbp=12,341.95,,0,-0.13

Plateau at the top

https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.3926...=0I0Pq-2vJkdmq3nX4nqSMQ&cbp=12,72.45,,0,-0.13

From the top it's less than 15km with a technical descent back down to Loire and a few final false flat kilometers.

Map and profile

http://tracks4bikers.com/tracks/show/160621