- Apr 12, 2015
- 7,033
- 1,172
- 20,680
Re:
Kinda, I'm not done with the map but can give you a sneak peek. It's a costal stage along The North Sea. I don't think roads like these are seen before in modern cycling.Netserk said:Very nice! I guess you will go from the mainland to the island up north next?
Re: Re:
What's that, Concrete plates with the edges sealed with pitch?
Velolover2 said:Kinda, I'm not done with the map but can give you a sneak peek. It's a costal stage along The North Sea. I don't think roads like these are seen before in modern cycling.Netserk said:Very nice! I guess you will go from the mainland to the island up north next?
What's that, Concrete plates with the edges sealed with pitch?
Seeing there's another race going on and Gigs is finishing his race i guess i'll wait and hope there'll be a window to finish my own race.
I tried to do something with Denmark for a long time as i know, there are some amount of cobbles + plenty of wind possibilities, but the country is so boring and souless. It's like with Belgium, everything is so clean and structured. I'm now doing a race in Poland, which is not an upgrade, but at least there are some interesting places (Greater and Lesser Poland), while i couldn't find anything interesting in Denmark. Maybe that's just my luck. Ribe and Roskilde are quite nice towns through. Hope someday there'll be a proper streetview in Germany.
Forgot to add in. it's just my own opinion and i guess my own luck. If you know of any interesting/historic places in Denmark then feel free to blast me.
I tried to do something with Denmark for a long time as i know, there are some amount of cobbles + plenty of wind possibilities, but the country is so boring and souless. It's like with Belgium, everything is so clean and structured. I'm now doing a race in Poland, which is not an upgrade, but at least there are some interesting places (Greater and Lesser Poland), while i couldn't find anything interesting in Denmark. Maybe that's just my luck. Ribe and Roskilde are quite nice towns through. Hope someday there'll be a proper streetview in Germany.
Forgot to add in. it's just my own opinion and i guess my own luck. If you know of any interesting/historic places in Denmark then feel free to blast me.
- Apr 12, 2015
- 7,033
- 1,172
- 20,680
Across Jutland, Stage 2: Viborg - Brande, 177.5 km
After a relatively easy stage it's time for a leg breaker. Inspired by Paris-Roubaix, this stage contains a multitude of unpaved roads. But unlike Roubaix, the cobbles have been replaced with dusty dirt roads. The riders will start in Viborg, a former religious stronghold, and ride through the deserted Danish prairie in West Jutland on their carbon horses.
Stage 2 will start outside the large cathedral in Viborg. With its two towers, Viborg Cathedral is the city's special landmark. The history of the church dates back to the 1100s, but after several violent fires, the last in 1726, only the old cry is back. The rest is rebuilt. The present church was opened in 1876.
The church from a visual light show.
The town of Viborg was already in the Viking age both religious and commercial venue for all of Jutland. The town became bishopric in 1065, and until the 13th century it became one of Denmark's most important cities.
Once the peloton have left the sizable town, they will almost immediately ride through few rolling hills in Dollerup Bakker. First an uncategorised bump (600 m at 7%) and later Kilometerbakken (the Kilometer Hill) which is 1 km at about 6%.
Hald Sø located in the nature reserve, Dollerup Bakker.
There are three intermediate sprints. The theme of today is that they are next to Jutlantic museums. Jysk Brandmuseum, for example, is a place that exhibits old vehicles and equipment from fire departments/brigades.
An antique fire truck.
The eleven gravel sectors are the stage’s main ingredient. They range from 1 to 4 kilometers and vary in difficulty when it comes to elevation, width, unevenness, surface and natural obstacles. The last pavé (The Gyldne Middelvej) is the hardest. Many of the gravel paths are known from GP Herning, a one-day race held in the Danish Midwest.
The dusty lanes will certainly create massive splits due to the risk of crashes and punctures.
The riders are likely to arrive in smaller groups. Solo, in duos, trios or quartets. Rarely more than 10 riders will cross the finish line in Brande together.
Den Gyldne Mellemvej (The Golden Middle Ground in english) is less than 3 km from the final. The brave rider will be either rewarded or DNF. A wet race will turn it into a living nightmare.
You can watch some of the sections featured in the stage here:
Sdr. Greenvej/Sandfeldvej : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63JbRO9Uqfc
Brandholmvej: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB7oE6IUX0E
The nasty Gyldne Mellemvej in rain and mud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkcAC5S4bkY&t=1s
Gydevej’s vaping road.
After a relatively easy stage it's time for a leg breaker. Inspired by Paris-Roubaix, this stage contains a multitude of unpaved roads. But unlike Roubaix, the cobbles have been replaced with dusty dirt roads. The riders will start in Viborg, a former religious stronghold, and ride through the deserted Danish prairie in West Jutland on their carbon horses.
Stage 2 will start outside the large cathedral in Viborg. With its two towers, Viborg Cathedral is the city's special landmark. The history of the church dates back to the 1100s, but after several violent fires, the last in 1726, only the old cry is back. The rest is rebuilt. The present church was opened in 1876.
The church from a visual light show.
The town of Viborg was already in the Viking age both religious and commercial venue for all of Jutland. The town became bishopric in 1065, and until the 13th century it became one of Denmark's most important cities.
Once the peloton have left the sizable town, they will almost immediately ride through few rolling hills in Dollerup Bakker. First an uncategorised bump (600 m at 7%) and later Kilometerbakken (the Kilometer Hill) which is 1 km at about 6%.
Hald Sø located in the nature reserve, Dollerup Bakker.
There are three intermediate sprints. The theme of today is that they are next to Jutlantic museums. Jysk Brandmuseum, for example, is a place that exhibits old vehicles and equipment from fire departments/brigades.
An antique fire truck.
The eleven gravel sectors are the stage’s main ingredient. They range from 1 to 4 kilometers and vary in difficulty when it comes to elevation, width, unevenness, surface and natural obstacles. The last pavé (The Gyldne Middelvej) is the hardest. Many of the gravel paths are known from GP Herning, a one-day race held in the Danish Midwest.
The dusty lanes will certainly create massive splits due to the risk of crashes and punctures.
The riders are likely to arrive in smaller groups. Solo, in duos, trios or quartets. Rarely more than 10 riders will cross the finish line in Brande together.
Den Gyldne Mellemvej (The Golden Middle Ground in english) is less than 3 km from the final. The brave rider will be either rewarded or DNF. A wet race will turn it into a living nightmare.
You can watch some of the sections featured in the stage here:
Sdr. Greenvej/Sandfeldvej : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63JbRO9Uqfc
Brandholmvej: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB7oE6IUX0E
The nasty Gyldne Mellemvej in rain and mud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkcAC5S4bkY&t=1s
Gydevej’s vaping road.
- Apr 12, 2015
- 7,033
- 1,172
- 20,680
railxmig said:
True. Denmark is similar to Netherlands and Belgium (farming counties with hills and cobbles) while Norway is more comparable with it's fellow ski resort nations like Austria and Switzerland (high mountains, endless wilderness, lush forests and Alpine-like climbs with snow at the top)
- Feb 18, 2015
- 13,655
- 9,430
- 28,180
Vuelta a España stage 21: Pinto - Madrid (93 km)
So to finally bring this to an end, here is my stage 20.
The riders start on the townhall square of Pinto, a city only a few kilometers south of the capital of Spain Madrid.
The peloton heads northwards riding through some suburbs of Madrid before, after 37 kilometers it reaches a circuit the riders will ride around 10 times before the stage and the Vuelta in general ends. The only 93 kilometer long stage is completely flat and therefore one for the sprinters, although with a usually very weak sprinter field maybe an attacker would even be able to stay away. For the gc riders, this stage is really only a parade and no time gaps should be expected. The lap by the way is the one also used in the vuelta last year (not sure if it's always the same course for the parade in Madrid tbh) so the ceremonies would take place in the same place too.
Here is a picture of the ceremony last year with the winner standing next to Chris Froome :
Contador tribute:
Both the Vuelta 2008 and the Vuelta 2012, so his first two triumphs in his home gt, finished in Madrid and as the Vuelta usually ends here, ending my tribute Vuelta in the capital of Spain felt like the logical thing to do.
That said, in terms of Contador tribute this stage is clearly more about the start than the finish as this final stage of my Vuelta starts in Contador's hometown Pinto. And not only did he grow up here, he is still linked to this city as he lives there and often celebrated his victories on the Plaza De La Constitución, the exact place where this stage starts. Just google "Contador Pinto" and you'll get a lot of pictures with him celebrating with a gt trophy in front of a huge crowd. The one below is probably my favorite one, a picture of him in front of his fans, after his retirement, which to be honest makes me pretty nostalgic and sad although this was only around half a year ago.
So, this is it. I hope you guys liked it.
The route definitely has some flaws but I was kinda limited following the Contador theme and besides this was also the first Vuelta I've ever made, which made things even trickier as I didn't know the geography very well. Anyway, just refreshing some memories of old races where Contador shined, made the work absolutely worth it.
So to finally bring this to an end, here is my stage 20.
The riders start on the townhall square of Pinto, a city only a few kilometers south of the capital of Spain Madrid.
The peloton heads northwards riding through some suburbs of Madrid before, after 37 kilometers it reaches a circuit the riders will ride around 10 times before the stage and the Vuelta in general ends. The only 93 kilometer long stage is completely flat and therefore one for the sprinters, although with a usually very weak sprinter field maybe an attacker would even be able to stay away. For the gc riders, this stage is really only a parade and no time gaps should be expected. The lap by the way is the one also used in the vuelta last year (not sure if it's always the same course for the parade in Madrid tbh) so the ceremonies would take place in the same place too.
Here is a picture of the ceremony last year with the winner standing next to Chris Froome
:
Contador tribute:
Both the Vuelta 2008 and the Vuelta 2012, so his first two triumphs in his home gt, finished in Madrid and as the Vuelta usually ends here, ending my tribute Vuelta in the capital of Spain felt like the logical thing to do.
That said, in terms of Contador tribute this stage is clearly more about the start than the finish as this final stage of my Vuelta starts in Contador's hometown Pinto. And not only did he grow up here, he is still linked to this city as he lives there and often celebrated his victories on the Plaza De La Constitución, the exact place where this stage starts. Just google "Contador Pinto" and you'll get a lot of pictures with him celebrating with a gt trophy in front of a huge crowd. The one below is probably my favorite one, a picture of him in front of his fans, after his retirement, which to be honest makes me pretty nostalgic and sad although this was only around half a year ago.
So, this is it. I hope you guys liked it.
The route definitely has some flaws but I was kinda limited following the Contador theme and besides this was also the first Vuelta I've ever made, which made things even trickier as I didn't know the geography very well. Anyway, just refreshing some memories of old races where Contador shined, made the work absolutely worth it.
- Feb 18, 2015
- 13,655
- 9,430
- 28,180
Re:
True, I actually don't even know if I can make a proper froome tribute as I again don't want tomake a completely unbalanced mountain odyssey. I might have to make lots of stages without tributes. It's not that different than a nibali giro thoughRed Rick said:
- Apr 12, 2015
- 7,033
- 1,172
- 20,680
Across Jutland, Stage 3: Aarhus - Jelling, 188.5 km
This is a hilly affair with seven categorized climbs and a short uphill drag about a mile from the finish line. The hills are on average a bit steeper + longer than those in the Amstel Gold but there are fewer of them and I would expect identical riders to dominate. It's pretty much tailor-made for a Sagan, GVA or Matthews. Tim Wellens could also do well. Although I made a harder stage with shorter muritos, this is pretty much as mountainous as it's gets which tells you a lot about the Danish landscape. The terrain of Scandinavia is not the same. Denmark has much more in common with Holland and Belgium in terms of geomorphology while Norway (my home country) is more comparable with the Alpine nations such as Austria/Switzerland.
Today, we travel to the eastern coast as the third stage starts in Aarhus, also known as Aros in the Viking Ages, the largest city of the Cimbrian Peninsula (edging Kiel) and second largest city of Denmark after Copenhagen. With it's 300.000 inhabitants, it is the cultural center of Jutland.
Downtown Aarhus.
Excavations show that Aarhus had originated around the year 770 and was created by the Vikings. The city's location around the sea and the river had played a central role. A lot of water has flowed through Aarhus Å (the river of Aarhus) since then. And now, Aarhus is today a city with over 300k+ people. The city is in constant growth and evolves all the time.
Aarhus by night.
The race will start in "Aarhus Cykelbane”. A 333⅓ meter outdoor velodrome located in the luxurious Marselisborg district. Track cycling has a rich history in Aarhus dating back to the 1890s. The first circuit was held on a flat, 400 meters dirt lane, way back in 1893.
After a city trip through the Århus trip, the riders will hit some wide roads leading to the hills around the sea port, Silkeborg.
The first sprint alongside the river of the forested town of Silkeborg. After this sprint, the peloton will hit hill range in Silkeborg Forests, Denmark's largest green area.
First climb is Gjessøvej (1 km, 6.7%). First 800 m are about 7.5% with some false flat (3-4%) on the top. The next climb is more feasible. It starts with an uncategorized warm-up climb (Glarbobakken, 1.4 km at 4.7%) followed by a soft gravel descent leading up to Himmelbjerget (1.4 km, 6.4%). Himmelbjerget is a pretty consistent hill with a constant gradient of 6-7%. At the top of Himmelbjerget stands a 25 meter high-walled tower designed by the later city architect in Copenhagen Ludvig Fenger. It has been raised in memory of King Frederik 7.
The iconic tower at the top of Himmelbjerget.
Narrow roads will lead us to the fast but punchy Sønder Vissing hill (1.1 km at 7%) in the heart of the Danish wilderness. Yding Skovhøj (1.3 km at 6.5%) is the next challenge. The forested hill is also known as being the highest, accessible point in Denmark. The hill is 172.54 m, taking into account a Bronze Age burial mound built on top of the climb. Unlike most Danish climbs, it's actually steepest at the top, the last 500 m being over 10%.
The last 500 m at about 10% goes through the farmland. On the top of the hill, there is a Bronze age forest with several mounds.
Once the first hill range is passed, the roads become wider and more flat. Even a strong break formed in the Silkeborg hills will need to cooperate in order not to lose too much time. An intermediate sprint on the coastal side of Horsens, give the breakaway a chance to gain a few seconds but they will have to wait 50 km before the Vejle "Ardennes" are within reach.
The last 28.5k of the hilly final.
In order to ensure aggressive racing, there will be some sort of Golden Kilometer (called the Silver Kilometer here) at the top of the hardest climb, Golfbakken (1.7 km, 6.4%) which is furthest away from the finish line. The first one to reach the top of Golfbakken will be awarded with 5 seconds, 3 secs for number 2 and 2 secs for third. One of the steeper sections of Golfbakken (The Golf Hill in English) leads us through a tunnel.
The Golf Hill climb is peaking at about 11% just before the tunnel. Credits to danskebjerge.dk.
Golfbakken is an archetypical Danish hill. It's very steep in the bottom, often followed by a descent and with some false flat at the top. The Silver Kilometer makes it a great place for Wellens or Gilbert-type of rider with a great engine in hilly terrain to go clear and make it all the way to the finish.
The profile of Golfbakken.
After Golfbakken, the longer, penultimate hill Jellingvejbakken is next. With the length of just 2 kilometers, this is a mountain in Danish terms. Despite having some hard pitches, it's pretty constant at about 5.3 or 5.4% depending on the source. It's a great hill for a team with a GC rider to get rid off the fastest guys who have survived Golfbakken by setting a hard pace.
The last climb is Jerrumbakken (1.2 km, 5.6%), the easiest climb of today but still a nice ramp for an aggressive pursuiter who likes to go solo. It's 5 km before the final in Jelling. Just before reaching Jelling, there is a small, punchy pseudo-climb next to the lake of Fårup. It's 600 m at 5.4% and is just a mile before the finish.
Fårup Lake and the old town of Jelling popular destinations for tourists because of their Viking theme.
The final takes place in Jelling in front of the old-age church and protected Jelling stones, enormous 10th century runestones raised by Gorm the Old, the first ruler and King of Denmark. And later by his son, Harald Bluetooth.
The Jelling Stones.
This is a hilly affair with seven categorized climbs and a short uphill drag about a mile from the finish line. The hills are on average a bit steeper + longer than those in the Amstel Gold but there are fewer of them and I would expect identical riders to dominate. It's pretty much tailor-made for a Sagan, GVA or Matthews. Tim Wellens could also do well. Although I made a harder stage with shorter muritos, this is pretty much as mountainous as it's gets which tells you a lot about the Danish landscape. The terrain of Scandinavia is not the same. Denmark has much more in common with Holland and Belgium in terms of geomorphology while Norway (my home country) is more comparable with the Alpine nations such as Austria/Switzerland.
Today, we travel to the eastern coast as the third stage starts in Aarhus, also known as Aros in the Viking Ages, the largest city of the Cimbrian Peninsula (edging Kiel) and second largest city of Denmark after Copenhagen. With it's 300.000 inhabitants, it is the cultural center of Jutland.
Downtown Aarhus.
Excavations show that Aarhus had originated around the year 770 and was created by the Vikings. The city's location around the sea and the river had played a central role. A lot of water has flowed through Aarhus Å (the river of Aarhus) since then. And now, Aarhus is today a city with over 300k+ people. The city is in constant growth and evolves all the time.
Aarhus by night.
The race will start in "Aarhus Cykelbane”. A 333⅓ meter outdoor velodrome located in the luxurious Marselisborg district. Track cycling has a rich history in Aarhus dating back to the 1890s. The first circuit was held on a flat, 400 meters dirt lane, way back in 1893.
After a city trip through the Århus trip, the riders will hit some wide roads leading to the hills around the sea port, Silkeborg.
The first sprint alongside the river of the forested town of Silkeborg. After this sprint, the peloton will hit hill range in Silkeborg Forests, Denmark's largest green area.
First climb is Gjessøvej (1 km, 6.7%). First 800 m are about 7.5% with some false flat (3-4%) on the top. The next climb is more feasible. It starts with an uncategorized warm-up climb (Glarbobakken, 1.4 km at 4.7%) followed by a soft gravel descent leading up to Himmelbjerget (1.4 km, 6.4%). Himmelbjerget is a pretty consistent hill with a constant gradient of 6-7%. At the top of Himmelbjerget stands a 25 meter high-walled tower designed by the later city architect in Copenhagen Ludvig Fenger. It has been raised in memory of King Frederik 7.
The iconic tower at the top of Himmelbjerget.
Narrow roads will lead us to the fast but punchy Sønder Vissing hill (1.1 km at 7%) in the heart of the Danish wilderness. Yding Skovhøj (1.3 km at 6.5%) is the next challenge. The forested hill is also known as being the highest, accessible point in Denmark. The hill is 172.54 m, taking into account a Bronze Age burial mound built on top of the climb. Unlike most Danish climbs, it's actually steepest at the top, the last 500 m being over 10%.
The last 500 m at about 10% goes through the farmland. On the top of the hill, there is a Bronze age forest with several mounds.
Once the first hill range is passed, the roads become wider and more flat. Even a strong break formed in the Silkeborg hills will need to cooperate in order not to lose too much time. An intermediate sprint on the coastal side of Horsens, give the breakaway a chance to gain a few seconds but they will have to wait 50 km before the Vejle "Ardennes" are within reach.
The last 28.5k of the hilly final.
In order to ensure aggressive racing, there will be some sort of Golden Kilometer (called the Silver Kilometer here) at the top of the hardest climb, Golfbakken (1.7 km, 6.4%) which is furthest away from the finish line. The first one to reach the top of Golfbakken will be awarded with 5 seconds, 3 secs for number 2 and 2 secs for third. One of the steeper sections of Golfbakken (The Golf Hill in English) leads us through a tunnel.
The Golf Hill climb is peaking at about 11% just before the tunnel. Credits to danskebjerge.dk.
Golfbakken is an archetypical Danish hill. It's very steep in the bottom, often followed by a descent and with some false flat at the top. The Silver Kilometer makes it a great place for Wellens or Gilbert-type of rider with a great engine in hilly terrain to go clear and make it all the way to the finish.
The profile of Golfbakken.
After Golfbakken, the longer, penultimate hill Jellingvejbakken is next. With the length of just 2 kilometers, this is a mountain in Danish terms. Despite having some hard pitches, it's pretty constant at about 5.3 or 5.4% depending on the source. It's a great hill for a team with a GC rider to get rid off the fastest guys who have survived Golfbakken by setting a hard pace.
The last climb is Jerrumbakken (1.2 km, 5.6%), the easiest climb of today but still a nice ramp for an aggressive pursuiter who likes to go solo. It's 5 km before the final in Jelling. Just before reaching Jelling, there is a small, punchy pseudo-climb next to the lake of Fårup. It's 600 m at 5.4% and is just a mile before the finish.
Fårup Lake and the old town of Jelling popular destinations for tourists because of their Viking theme.
The final takes place in Jelling in front of the old-age church and protected Jelling stones, enormous 10th century runestones raised by Gorm the Old, the first ruler and King of Denmark. And later by his son, Harald Bluetooth.
The Jelling Stones.
- Apr 12, 2015
- 7,033
- 1,172
- 20,680
4 down, just 3 to go.
It's always more challenging to make a one-week race in a country without mountains because you don't want any boring sprinter stages. You have to be more creative. I don't even know if a climber could win this stage. I highly doubt it. But I forgot to add that the last K is slightly uphill. Some 2% false flat leading up to the Jelling Monuments.
It's always more challenging to make a one-week race in a country without mountains because you don't want any boring sprinter stages. You have to be more creative. I don't even know if a climber could win this stage. I highly doubt it. But I forgot to add that the last K is slightly uphill. Some 2% false flat leading up to the Jelling Monuments.
- Apr 12, 2015
- 7,033
- 1,172
- 20,680
Across Jutland, Stage 4: Esbjerg - Vejle 190.5 km
This stage is an Ardennes classics worthy with it's 19 categorized climbs (+ 2 softer lumps before the first official hill: Blue Horse). In order estimate the climbs' gradients and length, I found a middle ground between the expert measurements from danskebjerge.dk (he tends to make them a bit steeper) and the official hill signs of Vejle Municipality (they tend to make them a bit longer).
While it's not as long as a hilly classic, it takes the best from all 3 of the Ardennes classics. The hills similar those of Amstel Gold Race when it comes to length but more comparable to the climbs of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallonne in terms of steepness. The last uphill drag to the finish line (Rom's Hule: 700 m at 7%) isn''t showed on the profile. It's hard to pick a winner, but a rider capable of handling intense intervals and quick accelerations. This should be perfect for types like Kwiatkowski, Alaphilippe, Valverde, Benoot, Albasini but also Matthews/GVA have a chance.
Kongebakken. The entire climb is 700 m at about 11.5% (starting from the foot of Jellingvej) but the actual "wall" about 500 m at 13.5%. So it's similar in steepness to Mur De Huy but a bit shorter. The hill will be climbed two times on the route. There are no intermediate sprints in this stage but the Silver Kilometer will be featured twice here. A 5 seconds bonus is awarded to the first man at top both times in order to ensure the puncheurs are attentive.
Nice view of the entire town of Vejle from the Kongebakken-wall. The Vejle area is by far the hilliest place in Denmark.
The roads leading up the forested hill, Østengård which is about 19k from the finish line. The climb is about 1 kilometer and a bit over 8%. There will be another "Silver Kilometer" at the top in this stage to spice things up. If you conquer Kongebakken twice + Østengård, you will be able to gain 15 bonus seconds. Credits to danskebjerge.dk for the picture.
Østengård in the Tour of Denmark. But like Côte de La Redoute in Liege, the climb is often abused because it's too far way from the finish line to be crucial. Here it's less than 19k from the finish line and there is a bonus at the top. Instead of focusing on the great hills of Denmark, they are placing them too far apart from each other and make it all about uninspiring Kiddesvej laps.
The finish line is located in front of Vejle's track and field stadium and local football team's home ground. An f.. you colourbox for destroying the aesthetics.
The bay of Vejle. A place home to many of the climbs on the route and others such as the previously featured Golfbakken.
The list of hills on the route:
Blue Horse (750 m, 7.9%)
Tørskind (550 m, 9.6%)
Fandensdal (1 km, 5.5%)
Høllundvej (900 m, 6.3%)
Jennumbakken (1.2 km, 5.6%)
Hopballe Nord (750 m, 6.4%)
Bøgagervej (1 km, 6.6%)
Grejs Skov (450 m, 7.5%)
Kirkebyvej (650 m, 8.7%)
Kongebakken (500 m, 13.3%)
Bøgevang (550 m, 8.5%)
Kiddesvej (350 m, 13%)
Gl. Kolding Landevej (1 km, 5.4%)
Højen Skovvej (950 m, 7.5%)
Sandagergård, (450 m, 10%)
Østengård, (950 m, 8.2%)
Gl. Hornstrupvej, (550 m, 9.2%)
Kongebakken, (500 m, 13.3%)
Roms Hule, (700 m, 7%)
As mentioned earlier, I found a middle ground between the expert measurements from danskebjerge.dk (he tends to make them a bit steeper) and the official hill signs of Vejle Municipality (they tend to make them a bit longer).
This stage is an Ardennes classics worthy with it's 19 categorized climbs (+ 2 softer lumps before the first official hill: Blue Horse). In order estimate the climbs' gradients and length, I found a middle ground between the expert measurements from danskebjerge.dk (he tends to make them a bit steeper) and the official hill signs of Vejle Municipality (they tend to make them a bit longer).
While it's not as long as a hilly classic, it takes the best from all 3 of the Ardennes classics. The hills similar those of Amstel Gold Race when it comes to length but more comparable to the climbs of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallonne in terms of steepness. The last uphill drag to the finish line (Rom's Hule: 700 m at 7%) isn''t showed on the profile. It's hard to pick a winner, but a rider capable of handling intense intervals and quick accelerations. This should be perfect for types like Kwiatkowski, Alaphilippe, Valverde, Benoot, Albasini but also Matthews/GVA have a chance.
Kongebakken. The entire climb is 700 m at about 11.5% (starting from the foot of Jellingvej) but the actual "wall" about 500 m at 13.5%. So it's similar in steepness to Mur De Huy but a bit shorter. The hill will be climbed two times on the route. There are no intermediate sprints in this stage but the Silver Kilometer will be featured twice here. A 5 seconds bonus is awarded to the first man at top both times in order to ensure the puncheurs are attentive.
Nice view of the entire town of Vejle from the Kongebakken-wall. The Vejle area is by far the hilliest place in Denmark.
The roads leading up the forested hill, Østengård which is about 19k from the finish line. The climb is about 1 kilometer and a bit over 8%. There will be another "Silver Kilometer" at the top in this stage to spice things up. If you conquer Kongebakken twice + Østengård, you will be able to gain 15 bonus seconds. Credits to danskebjerge.dk for the picture.
Østengård in the Tour of Denmark. But like Côte de La Redoute in Liege, the climb is often abused because it's too far way from the finish line to be crucial. Here it's less than 19k from the finish line and there is a bonus at the top. Instead of focusing on the great hills of Denmark, they are placing them too far apart from each other and make it all about uninspiring Kiddesvej laps.
The finish line is located in front of Vejle's track and field stadium and local football team's home ground. An f.. you colourbox for destroying the aesthetics.
The bay of Vejle. A place home to many of the climbs on the route and others such as the previously featured Golfbakken.
The list of hills on the route:
Blue Horse (750 m, 7.9%)
Tørskind (550 m, 9.6%)
Fandensdal (1 km, 5.5%)
Høllundvej (900 m, 6.3%)
Jennumbakken (1.2 km, 5.6%)
Hopballe Nord (750 m, 6.4%)
Bøgagervej (1 km, 6.6%)
Grejs Skov (450 m, 7.5%)
Kirkebyvej (650 m, 8.7%)
Kongebakken (500 m, 13.3%)
Bøgevang (550 m, 8.5%)
Kiddesvej (350 m, 13%)
Gl. Kolding Landevej (1 km, 5.4%)
Højen Skovvej (950 m, 7.5%)
Sandagergård, (450 m, 10%)
Østengård, (950 m, 8.2%)
Gl. Hornstrupvej, (550 m, 9.2%)
Kongebakken, (500 m, 13.3%)
Roms Hule, (700 m, 7%)
As mentioned earlier, I found a middle ground between the expert measurements from danskebjerge.dk (he tends to make them a bit steeper) and the official hill signs of Vejle Municipality (they tend to make them a bit longer).
- Feb 20, 2010
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- Aug 3, 2015
- 22,055
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- 28,180
If we were able to include such stages in our potential Grand Départ, Im all for it. Would still be great with an easier stage as well... but as it stands, if we get the Tour start, Im afraid we are talking the same unsparing kind of stages as we saw in 2012 - apart from Storebæltsbroen which could be fun if windy.
- Apr 12, 2015
- 7,033
- 1,172
- 20,680
Re:
You can ride Chr. Wintersvej from the base of the climb (it's shorter but is almost 17% on average with 26% pitches) but I don't think it's made for road racing. It's too narrow for the team cars to get through. And from what I've heard, the asphalt is kinda loose and slippery. It should feel like riding on sandpaper.
Both yes and no. Chr. Wintersvej and Gl. Kongevej are two twin climbs who are called "Kongebakken" (King's Hill) when combined.Libertine Seguros said:
You can ride Chr. Wintersvej from the base of the climb (it's shorter but is almost 17% on average with 26% pitches) but I don't think it's made for road racing. It's too narrow for the team cars to get through. And from what I've heard, the asphalt is kinda loose and slippery. It should feel like riding on sandpaper.
- Apr 12, 2015
- 7,033
- 1,172
- 20,680
Re:
Yeah, the most likely scenario:
Copenhagen prologue
Copenhagen..-Copenhagen
And then some stage from Copenhagen to a town in Zealand.
All flat of course. But even if the Tour should start in Norway or Sweden, the stages would be kinda flat too. It's not really about racing but the branding of the country's capital.
Valv.Piti said:
Yeah, the most likely scenario:
Copenhagen prologue
Copenhagen..-Copenhagen
And then some stage from Copenhagen to a town in Zealand.
All flat of course. But even if the Tour should start in Norway or Sweden, the stages would be kinda flat too. It's not really about racing but the branding of the country's capital.
@Velolover2. Good you've dropped the climbs categorisation as it was pointless. I like your presentation, how written it is even of this stinker below does ruin some of the fun.
In my eyes it's not about the terrain. You can have interesting stages cyclingwise in any given terrain. If you do just a mix between wider and narrower roads - you're ensured a number of crashes. Denmark has way more than just that, which you are showing quite nicely.
Also, why are those priceless stones with viking's runes (one of their best invention) stored in such an ugly glassbox? I get it, it's to preserve them as best as possible why allowing peeps to admire them but the design of these boxes is just ugly. It looks like stolen from a jewelry store ffs.
I don't know if i should wait with my own race or not. I have basically all stages written down. If you also have your race written down then you can upload them in one sweep like you did with last two stages or just do a tennis with me - one day for you, one for me so peeps have time to follow and admire/detest our creations.
Ok, now i will upload my next stage, which should nicely tie-in with your Danish Ardennes theme as i have 11(!) categorised climbs ready to launch and i still omited two from that list to keep the profile somewhat readable. Considering the hills of Beskid Wyspowy are between 300-600m i feel confident to call it the Polish version of Ardennes.
Last stage: link
https://www.la-flamme-rouge.eu/maps/viewtrack/hd/164745
Tour de Pologne 2 – stage 3. Nowy Sącz – Nowy Sącz, 197km, medium mountain/mountain.
Climbs:
Przełęcz Huta – 3,6km, 4,5%, cat. 2, 751m
Mokra Wieś – 3,5km, 4%, cat. 3, 457m
Przełęcz Ostra – 13,5km, 3% (max 14%), cat. 1, 812m
Pasierbiec – 1,8km, 8,5% (max 16%), cat. 2, 506m
Rozdziele – 4,2m, 4,2% (max 10%), cat. 2, 525m
Krosna – 2,7km, 8,3% (max 22%), cat. 1, 535m
Sechna – 1,4km, 13% (max 23%), cat. 1, 452m
Kromolin Górny – 1,8km, 9% (max 18%), cat. 1, 465m
Just – 2km, 5,8%, cat. 2, 374m
Zawadka – 3,5km, 5,5% (max 12%), cat. 2, 462m
Rdziostów – 1,4km, 6,4% (max 11%), cat. 3, 366m
The stage starts in Nowy Sącz, 30km north of Przehyba. Nowy Sącz is the historical capital of the Beskid Sądecki region. It had been found in late XIII c. Soon it was a royal city with a castle. The city was on one of the main trade routes between Poland and Hungary. In XVII c. it was one of the first places freed from the Swedish invasion of 1655-1660. Many cities were completely destroyed during this invasion and this event will be predominant through some of the stages.
The main sight are the ruins of a XIV c. Royal Castle. The castle was destroyed thrice. First time during the Swedish invasion in XVII c. 2nd time during the Bar Confederration in late XVIII c. Last time at the end of WW2. Other monuments include the St. Margherite basilica from early XIV c. remains of city walls and a reinassance Lubomirski family mansion.
Remains of a royal castle in Nowy Sącz.
Rynek (Market/Main Square), Nowy Sącz.
The first half of the stage is in Beskid Sądecki – part of the central Beskid mountains. The highest peak is Radziejowa at 1262m.
Beskid Sądecki.
The only interesting thing in the first half is cat. 2 Przełęcz Huta. There are however two intermediate sprints in Krynica-Zdrój (just after the cat. 2) and Stary Sącz. Krynica-Zdrój is a major polish spa and winter resort. It saw a Tour de Pologne finish a couple of years ago. The spa was created during the Austrian reign of former Galicia in XIX c.
Next 40km from Krynica-Zdrój goes alongide the Poprad river on the Polish-Slovakian border. It's a popular spot for canoeing. This very curvy section starts from a spa town of Muszyna, which started as a Polish-Hungarian border fort in early XIV c. Later the fort was expanded to a local ducal palace – capital of a local "country" created by the Cracov's bishops after the king Władysław Jagiełło granted them the area in 1391. The town was transformed into a spa centre in early XX c.
Castle ruins in Muszyna.
Poprad valley near Muszyna, look at Slovakia. Looks not far from Switzerland... and i looove Switzerland
The race now meanders alongside the Poprad to the spa town of Piwniczna-Zdrój. Next on the route is Rytro. This village is home to a small fort/castle from late XIII c. The village is also home to a small ski station "Ryterski Raj" on Jastrzębia Góra. Since 2006 the Vyšehrad Marathon is finishing in Rytro.
Ruins of a fort in Rytro.
9km from Rytro the race reaches Stary Sącz, where Poprad merges with the Dunajec river. Stary Sącz is roughly 10km south of Nowy Sącz. The town was founded in XIII c. thanks to duchess Kinga of Poland. She also founded the local Clares monastery in 1280 and a Franciscan monastery next to it. Thanks to the location on the mentioned previously polish-hungarian trade route it prospered as a trading center. The town was severly damaged in 1795 by a fire. Main sights include the Clares monastery from XII c. and a XVII c. home (now museum) – the only one to survive the 1795 fire.
Clares Monastery in Stary Sącz.
After crossing Dunajec the race enters Beskid Wyspowy (Island Beskid). The name comes from isolated, individual peaks this mountain range is characterised by. The highest peak is Mogielnica at 1170m. The region is also popular with amateur cyclists, as it has many random muritos on sometimes narrow roads, which means positioning should be important.
Ćwilin peak in Beskid Wyspowy.
First climb is cat. 3 Mokra Wieś. It's 3,5km at 4%, but it does include a short 10% section in the middle. Just after Mokra Wieś is a very tough part to Łukowica. I've decided to count it into a much longer and irregular ascent to Przełęcz Ostra. The part to Łukowica is 1,1km at over 8% with a 14% section near the end. The road looks new, so i guess it was recently surfaced. Łukowica is a quite old village dating back to at least XIII c. It's home to a small wooden church from XVII c. It's also a birthplace of Michał Sędziwój (Sendivogius Polonus), a major XVI/XVII c. doctor and alchemist, also recognized as one of the grandfathers of modern chemistry. Some rumours and scolars say he discovered oxygen in early XVII c. I doubt he was the first one to do so though.
Climb to Łukowica.
Wooden church of St. Andrew in Łukowica.
Just after Łukowica starts a narrow hill to Przysłop. It's 1,8km at 6,4% with a small part at the top at apparently 12%, even if for me it looks more than 15%. The descent to Młyńczyska is short (500m) but quite narrow and steep. After a short false-flat in Młyczyńska the stage finally enters the last part of Przełęcz Ostra, which is 2km at 6% with a small part at 12%. Overall, it's 13,5km at 3%, which is a cat. 1 mainly because of extreme irregularity with significant walls mixed in. The descent leads to Limanowa.
Limanowa was founded in XIV c. probably by German colonists. Just north of Limanowa is a small (relatively large for the region) Limanowa-Ski station. It's also birthplace to a certain Katarzyna Niewiadoma. Just after Limanowa, in an adjacent village of Sowliny is the feed zone.
Limanowa.
After the feed zone starts the next climb of the day – Pasierbiec. It's the first proper murito with 1,8km at 8,5% (max 16% at the bottom). The race will go through a small plateau before descending down to Łososina Górna. Next climb is Rozdziele. It's the easiest side of this climb. It has a very nasty and extremely narrow east side on hormigón with the first 500m at 20% (max 23%). Sadly, i think it's just too narrow for any bike race. The south side is milder with 4,2km at 4,2%. The descent to Rozdziele is quite steep but wide.
Wooden church in Rozdziele from XV c.
Next roughly 10km tackles two smaller, uncategorised climbs in Kamionka Mała. After that is the next categorised climb of Krosna. It's the first of a bunch of cat .1 muritos in the area. Krosna is 2,7km at very irregular 8,3%. It features steep walls up to over 20% followed by flase-flats. Krosna is featured in a local Galicia Cycling Marathon race. The climb features some decent views of Beskid Wyspowy.
Profile of Krosna.
Views from Krosna.
The descent from Krosna to the village of Kąty is wider, but also irregular and in some places very steep (short 20% section in Dobrociesz). The descent also includes a 3km false-flat. Next climb starts in Kąty and it's named either after Kąty, neighboring Sechna or a small hamlet near the top called Grabie. It's the toughest murito of this stage. It's 1,4m at 13% with the last 300m at 22%. The road is straight and narrow. At the top there's roughly 1km long plateau before the descent (max 16%) on a wider road to Sechna. The top is 35,5km from the finish line.
Sechna.
Views from Sechna.
Sechna is followed by another narrow climb to Kromolin Górny. This one is slightly longer and easier than Sechna, but still has a 0,5km section at 14% (max ~18%). The climb is 1,8km at 9% and it's the last cat. 1 of the stage and also the entire race. The descent to Michalczowa is quite tricky. It can be quite steep (max ~15%). The last 25km to Nowy Sącz are easier.
Next climb starts after a short flat run-in to Łososina Dolna and it's to a hamlet called Just. It sounds like an english name, but it comes from a supposed St. Just (it's just a myth), who was living on a local hill. Nowadays at the top of this hill is a small wooden church from XVII c. The church was built upon an earlier abbey, which was buried down by Arians (a religious group) in XVII c. The climb is on national route 75, so the road is wide and the traffic is heavy. Just is a very regular cat. 2 climb with 2km at 5,8%. The descent to Tęgoborze is slightly steeper and features two serpentines.
Wooden church in Just.
Serpentines on the descent from Just with Rożnowskie Lake in the background.
In Tęgoborze starts the last cat. 2 climb of the stage – Zawadka. It's a longish climb with 3,5km at 5,5%, but the last 300m are at 10%. The top is 16km from the finish line. A quite steep but mostly straight descent leeds to Chomranice, first mentioned in XIV c. In XVII c. it was a local aryan centre. In the village is a wooden church from XVII c.
Profile of Zawadka.
Zawadka near the top.
Wooden church in Chromanice.
The last 15km to Nowy Sącz are basically flat but a small cat. 3 bump to Rdziostów. The climb is 1,4km at 6,4% (max 11%) and it's cat. 3. The descent to Chełmiec is wide but quite tricky. The last 6,5km to the finish line are flat.
The finish is in Nowy Sącz on the traditional Tour de Pologne finishing place on Beliny-Prażmowskiego street near the Gołąbkowice shopping center. The run-in is on Bulwar Narviku (Narvik Boulevard) and Kilińskiego street, but i excluded this random U-turn on Królowej Jadwigi street.
Finish in Nowy Sącz.
I guess a lot can happen on this stage. Considering it's just after Przehyba the fatigue could strike for less experienced riders (Pologne normally doesn't have a TdF roster). I guess Krosna, Sechna and Kromolin Górny in quick succession will force major splits, but they're 30km from the finish line, while the last 3 climbs are, compared to them, nothing special. I expect smaller 10-20 man groups with relatively large time splits. I guess such design should work better as an Ardennes inspired one-day race.
Next stage will focus on Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, also known as the Polish Jurassic Highland or Polish Jura (Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska).
Added in:
Not "i highly doubt it", but "that's just impossible".
In my eyes it's not about the terrain. You can have interesting stages cyclingwise in any given terrain. If you do just a mix between wider and narrower roads - you're ensured a number of crashes. Denmark has way more than just that, which you are showing quite nicely.
No worry, it's just a stadium. No aesthetics are being harmed.
Also, why are those priceless stones with viking's runes (one of their best invention) stored in such an ugly glassbox? I get it, it's to preserve them as best as possible why allowing peeps to admire them but the design of these boxes is just ugly. It looks like stolen from a jewelry store ffs.
I don't know if i should wait with my own race or not. I have basically all stages written down. If you also have your race written down then you can upload them in one sweep like you did with last two stages or just do a tennis with me - one day for you, one for me so peeps have time to follow and admire/detest our creations.
Ok, now i will upload my next stage, which should nicely tie-in with your Danish Ardennes theme as i have 11(!) categorised climbs ready to launch and i still omited two from that list to keep the profile somewhat readable. Considering the hills of Beskid Wyspowy are between 300-600m i feel confident to call it the Polish version of Ardennes.
Last stage: link
https://www.la-flamme-rouge.eu/maps/viewtrack/hd/164745
Tour de Pologne 2 – stage 3. Nowy Sącz – Nowy Sącz, 197km, medium mountain/mountain.
Climbs:
Przełęcz Huta – 3,6km, 4,5%, cat. 2, 751m
Mokra Wieś – 3,5km, 4%, cat. 3, 457m
Przełęcz Ostra – 13,5km, 3% (max 14%), cat. 1, 812m
Pasierbiec – 1,8km, 8,5% (max 16%), cat. 2, 506m
Rozdziele – 4,2m, 4,2% (max 10%), cat. 2, 525m
Krosna – 2,7km, 8,3% (max 22%), cat. 1, 535m
Sechna – 1,4km, 13% (max 23%), cat. 1, 452m
Kromolin Górny – 1,8km, 9% (max 18%), cat. 1, 465m
Just – 2km, 5,8%, cat. 2, 374m
Zawadka – 3,5km, 5,5% (max 12%), cat. 2, 462m
Rdziostów – 1,4km, 6,4% (max 11%), cat. 3, 366m
The stage starts in Nowy Sącz, 30km north of Przehyba. Nowy Sącz is the historical capital of the Beskid Sądecki region. It had been found in late XIII c. Soon it was a royal city with a castle. The city was on one of the main trade routes between Poland and Hungary. In XVII c. it was one of the first places freed from the Swedish invasion of 1655-1660. Many cities were completely destroyed during this invasion and this event will be predominant through some of the stages.
The main sight are the ruins of a XIV c. Royal Castle. The castle was destroyed thrice. First time during the Swedish invasion in XVII c. 2nd time during the Bar Confederration in late XVIII c. Last time at the end of WW2. Other monuments include the St. Margherite basilica from early XIV c. remains of city walls and a reinassance Lubomirski family mansion.
Remains of a royal castle in Nowy Sącz.
Rynek (Market/Main Square), Nowy Sącz.
The first half of the stage is in Beskid Sądecki – part of the central Beskid mountains. The highest peak is Radziejowa at 1262m.
Beskid Sądecki.
The only interesting thing in the first half is cat. 2 Przełęcz Huta. There are however two intermediate sprints in Krynica-Zdrój (just after the cat. 2) and Stary Sącz. Krynica-Zdrój is a major polish spa and winter resort. It saw a Tour de Pologne finish a couple of years ago. The spa was created during the Austrian reign of former Galicia in XIX c.
Next 40km from Krynica-Zdrój goes alongide the Poprad river on the Polish-Slovakian border. It's a popular spot for canoeing. This very curvy section starts from a spa town of Muszyna, which started as a Polish-Hungarian border fort in early XIV c. Later the fort was expanded to a local ducal palace – capital of a local "country" created by the Cracov's bishops after the king Władysław Jagiełło granted them the area in 1391. The town was transformed into a spa centre in early XX c.
Castle ruins in Muszyna.
Poprad valley near Muszyna, look at Slovakia. Looks not far from Switzerland... and i looove Switzerland
The race now meanders alongside the Poprad to the spa town of Piwniczna-Zdrój. Next on the route is Rytro. This village is home to a small fort/castle from late XIII c. The village is also home to a small ski station "Ryterski Raj" on Jastrzębia Góra. Since 2006 the Vyšehrad Marathon is finishing in Rytro.
Ruins of a fort in Rytro.
9km from Rytro the race reaches Stary Sącz, where Poprad merges with the Dunajec river. Stary Sącz is roughly 10km south of Nowy Sącz. The town was founded in XIII c. thanks to duchess Kinga of Poland. She also founded the local Clares monastery in 1280 and a Franciscan monastery next to it. Thanks to the location on the mentioned previously polish-hungarian trade route it prospered as a trading center. The town was severly damaged in 1795 by a fire. Main sights include the Clares monastery from XII c. and a XVII c. home (now museum) – the only one to survive the 1795 fire.
Clares Monastery in Stary Sącz.
After crossing Dunajec the race enters Beskid Wyspowy (Island Beskid). The name comes from isolated, individual peaks this mountain range is characterised by. The highest peak is Mogielnica at 1170m. The region is also popular with amateur cyclists, as it has many random muritos on sometimes narrow roads, which means positioning should be important.
Ćwilin peak in Beskid Wyspowy.
First climb is cat. 3 Mokra Wieś. It's 3,5km at 4%, but it does include a short 10% section in the middle. Just after Mokra Wieś is a very tough part to Łukowica. I've decided to count it into a much longer and irregular ascent to Przełęcz Ostra. The part to Łukowica is 1,1km at over 8% with a 14% section near the end. The road looks new, so i guess it was recently surfaced. Łukowica is a quite old village dating back to at least XIII c. It's home to a small wooden church from XVII c. It's also a birthplace of Michał Sędziwój (Sendivogius Polonus), a major XVI/XVII c. doctor and alchemist, also recognized as one of the grandfathers of modern chemistry. Some rumours and scolars say he discovered oxygen in early XVII c. I doubt he was the first one to do so though.
Climb to Łukowica.
Wooden church of St. Andrew in Łukowica.
Just after Łukowica starts a narrow hill to Przysłop. It's 1,8km at 6,4% with a small part at the top at apparently 12%, even if for me it looks more than 15%. The descent to Młyńczyska is short (500m) but quite narrow and steep. After a short false-flat in Młyczyńska the stage finally enters the last part of Przełęcz Ostra, which is 2km at 6% with a small part at 12%. Overall, it's 13,5km at 3%, which is a cat. 1 mainly because of extreme irregularity with significant walls mixed in. The descent leads to Limanowa.
Limanowa was founded in XIV c. probably by German colonists. Just north of Limanowa is a small (relatively large for the region) Limanowa-Ski station. It's also birthplace to a certain Katarzyna Niewiadoma. Just after Limanowa, in an adjacent village of Sowliny is the feed zone.
Limanowa.
After the feed zone starts the next climb of the day – Pasierbiec. It's the first proper murito with 1,8km at 8,5% (max 16% at the bottom). The race will go through a small plateau before descending down to Łososina Górna. Next climb is Rozdziele. It's the easiest side of this climb. It has a very nasty and extremely narrow east side on hormigón with the first 500m at 20% (max 23%). Sadly, i think it's just too narrow for any bike race. The south side is milder with 4,2km at 4,2%. The descent to Rozdziele is quite steep but wide.
Wooden church in Rozdziele from XV c.
Next roughly 10km tackles two smaller, uncategorised climbs in Kamionka Mała. After that is the next categorised climb of Krosna. It's the first of a bunch of cat .1 muritos in the area. Krosna is 2,7km at very irregular 8,3%. It features steep walls up to over 20% followed by flase-flats. Krosna is featured in a local Galicia Cycling Marathon race. The climb features some decent views of Beskid Wyspowy.
Profile of Krosna.
Views from Krosna.
The descent from Krosna to the village of Kąty is wider, but also irregular and in some places very steep (short 20% section in Dobrociesz). The descent also includes a 3km false-flat. Next climb starts in Kąty and it's named either after Kąty, neighboring Sechna or a small hamlet near the top called Grabie. It's the toughest murito of this stage. It's 1,4m at 13% with the last 300m at 22%. The road is straight and narrow. At the top there's roughly 1km long plateau before the descent (max 16%) on a wider road to Sechna. The top is 35,5km from the finish line.
Sechna.
Views from Sechna.
Sechna is followed by another narrow climb to Kromolin Górny. This one is slightly longer and easier than Sechna, but still has a 0,5km section at 14% (max ~18%). The climb is 1,8km at 9% and it's the last cat. 1 of the stage and also the entire race. The descent to Michalczowa is quite tricky. It can be quite steep (max ~15%). The last 25km to Nowy Sącz are easier.
Next climb starts after a short flat run-in to Łososina Dolna and it's to a hamlet called Just. It sounds like an english name, but it comes from a supposed St. Just (it's just a myth), who was living on a local hill. Nowadays at the top of this hill is a small wooden church from XVII c. The church was built upon an earlier abbey, which was buried down by Arians (a religious group) in XVII c. The climb is on national route 75, so the road is wide and the traffic is heavy. Just is a very regular cat. 2 climb with 2km at 5,8%. The descent to Tęgoborze is slightly steeper and features two serpentines.
Wooden church in Just.
Serpentines on the descent from Just with Rożnowskie Lake in the background.
In Tęgoborze starts the last cat. 2 climb of the stage – Zawadka. It's a longish climb with 3,5km at 5,5%, but the last 300m are at 10%. The top is 16km from the finish line. A quite steep but mostly straight descent leeds to Chomranice, first mentioned in XIV c. In XVII c. it was a local aryan centre. In the village is a wooden church from XVII c.
Profile of Zawadka.
Zawadka near the top.
Wooden church in Chromanice.
The last 15km to Nowy Sącz are basically flat but a small cat. 3 bump to Rdziostów. The climb is 1,4km at 6,4% (max 11%) and it's cat. 3. The descent to Chełmiec is wide but quite tricky. The last 6,5km to the finish line are flat.
The finish is in Nowy Sącz on the traditional Tour de Pologne finishing place on Beliny-Prażmowskiego street near the Gołąbkowice shopping center. The run-in is on Bulwar Narviku (Narvik Boulevard) and Kilińskiego street, but i excluded this random U-turn on Królowej Jadwigi street.
Finish in Nowy Sącz.
I guess a lot can happen on this stage. Considering it's just after Przehyba the fatigue could strike for less experienced riders (Pologne normally doesn't have a TdF roster). I guess Krosna, Sechna and Kromolin Górny in quick succession will force major splits, but they're 30km from the finish line, while the last 3 climbs are, compared to them, nothing special. I expect smaller 10-20 man groups with relatively large time splits. I guess such design should work better as an Ardennes inspired one-day race.
Next stage will focus on Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, also known as the Polish Jurassic Highland or Polish Jura (Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska).
Added in:
Tour de France will do everything that's in their force to have the first 3 stages as flat and nonintrusive as possible. it's still better than what they were doing in the early 00's, when there were cases of entire 1st week filled with bunch sprints. It's not like i detest sprint stages (i personally have nothing against them), but at least have some variety. Try to mix them in with other type of stages and it's not like France doesn't have terrain for that.Velolover2 said:Valv.Piti said:
Yeah, the most likely scenario:
Copenhagen prologue
Copenhagen..-Copenhagen
And then some stage from Copenhagen to a town in Zealand.
All flat of course. But even if the Tour should start in Norway or Sweden, the stages would be kinda flat too. It's not really about racing but the branding of the country's capital.
- Feb 20, 2010
- 32,508
- 14,275
- 28,180
Limanowa's actually a cross-sport hotspot in Poland - ski jumping world champion Maciej Kot ("Matt the Cat") and XC legend Justyna Kowalczyk are also locals as well as Kasia. But yes, it's definitely self-evident why Kasia's such a great climber given her physique, size and the terrain that she'll have grown up cycling. Kind of surprised you didn't include the Wysokie climb after Zawadka, though unless you can descend through the narrow road from Krasne Potockie to Klęczany that would lead into the Rdziostów climb, it would have to be the final climb and would probably kill the racing before that on the stage.
- Feb 20, 2010
- 32,508
- 14,275
- 28,180
There's La Toussuire and Chamrousse from the Tour, Supergà and the Trofeo Melinda from his national triumph, Tre Valli Varesine, Krvavec, Passo Vršič from the Tour de Slovénie, Villach in Austria (also a stage win from the Tour de Slovénie), Passo della Bocchetta (he's won both the Giro dell'Apennino and a stage there on the execrable Giro di Padania)...
Re:
Wait... what?! I didn't know Maciej Kot is/was a world champion. Ok... i've did some short research and acually he has some golds in team competitions. Okay... i guess.
In my original draft i actually had Wysokie (from Męcina) but i decided to have an easier finale to hopefully give the previous muritos more punch. So this one was a design choice. I think maybe the original draft is still somewhere lost in the annals of history (this stage is very old, like over half a year old).Libertine Seguros said:
Wait... what?! I didn't know Maciej Kot is/was a world champion. Ok... i've did some short research and acually he has some golds in team competitions. Okay... i guess.
- Apr 12, 2015
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Absolutely gorgeous stage you made there, railxmig. Makes me wanna visit Poland!
And yeah, you are right. Tour De France is still following the same formula of: at least 8 stages for the sprinters, 8 stages to the climbers + a few intermediate stages for the break. But as you mentioned, they have gotten a lot better in recent year and added at least a couple of stages for the classics riders.
Regrading the runestones, I think they are framed in glass to the fear of vandalism. It's funny how watching cycling gets you to appreciate historic artifacts and old architecture a lot more. I almost get hurt when I see an old building covered with random graffiti. :lol:
And yeah, you are right. Tour De France is still following the same formula of: at least 8 stages for the sprinters, 8 stages to the climbers + a few intermediate stages for the break. But as you mentioned, they have gotten a lot better in recent year and added at least a couple of stages for the classics riders.
Regrading the runestones, I think they are framed in glass to the fear of vandalism. It's funny how watching cycling gets you to appreciate historic artifacts and old architecture a lot more. I almost get hurt when I see an old building covered with random graffiti. :lol:
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