Rate the 2012 Tour route

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

http://www.letour.fr/2012/TDF/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html

profiles of all medium and high mountain stages:

http://www.letour.fr/2012/TDF/COURSE/fr/les_sommets_du_tour.html


Let the hate fester.

 

[jens_attacks]

7 as the giro.

vuelta please surprise me

 

[Bavarianrider]

Cobles and 30km more of TT and it would be a 9-10

 

[roundabout]

I'll be kind and give it a 6.

 

[Eshnar]

It's 5/10 for me.
The amount of ITT is perfect, but I think the mountain stages are simply too easy (overall). And they keep on designing ridiculously short MTFs.

 

[Zoncolan]

I gave it a 6 as the ITTs finally make it look like TDF. However, the big mountain stages are lacking.
The two stages with the most promising profiles are 140 km long.

 

[alexcta]

 

[Ferminal]

4/10... I give it a 5 but they lose a point for poor/non-existent profiles.

The first 12 days or so are actually very well balanced, ideal. Maybe one easy sprint stage too many, but it is the Tour.

Stage 8 to Porrentruy looks good, like the medium stage in the Giro with a similar profile. The Stage 7 MTF is also much better than having to wait until Stage 12. Happy to see an ITT before the Alps for a "change" Stage 10 is a tad disappointing, I don't expect much here. Stage 11 is the Queen stage. With a couple of climbs early and an uphill finish, 12 is a good "out stage".

Up until this point, I'd be giving it an 8-9, now let's have a flat stage stage or two, and then lay down the hardest mountains in the race...

But no, Stage 14 is the worst stage of the race, easily. I do like 16, but on revision, Aspin and Peyresourde may just not do the trick. Seriously, what is stopping them taking in Azet here? As a standalone 17 is ok, but combined with the stages around it this makes for a very disappointing final week of the Tour.

First half of Tour with the second half of the Giro = 10/10

 

[Sophistic]

7.5/10, this could work out well if the pure climbers indeed start go nuts early in the mountain stages, if not its gonna be crap.

 

[canyonball]

First half of Tour with the second half of the Giro = 10/10

+1 I was just thinking about that!

 

[El Pistolero]

Pretty crappy.

 

[jens_attacks]

7.5/10, this could work out well if the pure climbers indeed start go nuts early in the mountain stages, if not its gonna be crap.

absolutely,my vote was based on that.
now everyone on statements say that they need to attack before the first itt(contador,schlecks)
if they will race those stages like they should,no one will talk about the shiity route.if that doesn't happen,it will be a disastrous tour.

 

[Havetts]

Gave it a 6, the Toussuire stage looks AWESOME but then you wonder why they'd pick the Toussuire climb as the final climb. Stage 10 & 16 look cool too, stage 17 is a bit awkward and I'm not sure what to think of it.

The rest of the Tour is lame, no really hilly terrain and finishes and so there will probably be 14 sprint stages, possibly 2 of them will be for the break so we have a total of 9 days worth of watching if you include the TT's..

 

[pastronef]

big changes next year Nike was on board since '96

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Woeful on pretty much every level, unless you are an Evans, Wiggins, Menchov or Contador fanboy.

I don't mind a course which gives an Evans or a Menchov a chance to win. I do mind a course which rules out the specialist climbers right from the start.

 

[El Pistolero]

Gave it a 6, the Toussuire stage looks AWESOME but then you wonder why they'd pick the Toussuire climb as the final climb. Stage 10 & 16 look cool too, stage 17 is a bit awkward and I'm not sure what to think of it.

The rest of the Tour is lame, no really hilly terrain and finishes and so there will probably be 14 sprint stages, possibly 2 of them will be for the break so we have a total of 9 days worth of watching if you include the TT's..

I only count 10 stages for Cav to win. Still way too much though.

 

[El Pistolero]

Woeful on pretty much every level, unless you are an Evans, Wiggins, Menchov or Contador fanboy.

I don't mind a course which gives an Evans or a Menchov a chance to win. I do mind a course which rules out the specialist climbers right from the start.

I find it pretty woeful as well. A good Grand Tour is where Cav can only win 3 stages at max.

A prologue, 3 time trials, 3 MTF, 3 mountain stages with descends, 5 hilly stages, 3 flat stages with no obstacles, a Tro Bro Leon like stage, a stage with cobbles and a Tropea like stage of the Giro this year. That's a perfect Grand Tour.

 

[Magnus]

But no, Stage 14 is the worst stage of the race, easily.

Aren't you looking forward to this:
http://www.climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=Col-de-P%E9gu%E8re&MountainID=6316

 

[Magnus]

I only count 10 stages for Cav to win. Still way too much though.

10?
How did you arrive at that?

As I see it he could win 2, 4, 5, 6, 13, 15, 18, 20.
Of these stage 4 and 13 could be Echelon stages.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Great course, I only think they should have included cobbles.

http://www.geox-tmc.com/index.php?o...ver-the-2012-tour-de-france&Itemid=38&lang=en

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

4/10... I give it a 5 but they lose a point for poor/non-existent profiles.

The first 12 days or so are actually very well balanced, ideal. Maybe one easy sprint stage too many, but it is the Tour.

Stage 8 to Porrentruy looks good, like the medium stage in the Giro with a similar profile. The Stage 7 MTF is also much better than having to wait until Stage 12. Happy to see an ITT before the Alps for a "change" Stage 10 is a tad disappointing, I don't expect much here. Stage 11 is the Queen stage. With a couple of climbs early and an uphill finish, 12 is a good "out stage".

Up until this point, I'd be giving it an 8-9, now let's have a flat stage stage or two, and then lay down the hardest mountains in the race...

But no, Stage 14 is the worst stage of the race, easily. I do like 16, but on revision, Aspin and Peyresourde may just not do the trick. Seriously, what is stopping them taking in Azet here? As a standalone 17 is ok, but combined with the stages around it this makes for a very disappointing final week of the Tour.

Yeah, final week is horrible. Aspin from that side is weak, even by Vosges standards. Peyresourde is pretty demanding towards the top, and may save the stage if a GC guy cracks. That's a big if, however.

17 is only okay and not nearly hard enough as the most important mountain stage in the final week. I think the 2012 Tour suffers from the fact that the planned final and most demanding Pyrenees mountain stage was skipped in favor of a flat stage. HUGE mistake, IMO.

 

[Siriuscat]

5......This one will be down to the riders to create the excitement

 

[thehog]

10?
How did you arrive at that?

As I see it he could win 2, 4, 5, 6, 13, 15, 18, 20.
Of these stage 4 and 13 could be Echelon stages.

The other problem with so many flat stages is crashes and favourites. Like this year they eliminate themselves from the tension and the want to stay close to the front with classic/one day styled riders. It will end in tears again for most.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

It's an 8.

The great news is that the pure climbers aren't going to have the victory handed to them. Or in Andy Schleck's case, second place handed to them.

The pacing of the definitive stages is much better than in recent years as is the amount of time-trialling. maybe we'll even see attacks from further out than the last few Kms of a climb on this one.

It's a clear improvement on recent Tours so gets an 8.

 

[thehog]

It's an 8.

The great news is that the pure climbers aren't going to have the victory handed to them. Or in Andy Schleck's case, second place handed to them.

The pacing of the definitive stages is much better than in recent years as is the amount of time-trialling. maybe we'll even see attacks from further out than the last few Kms of a climb on this one.

It's a clear improvement on recent Tours so gets an 8.

Very good!!