Rate the 2015 Tour route!

[Kwibus]

That is something we'll never agree on

What's not to agree on?

A GT is not only about climbing mountains.

 

[theyoungest]

I don't understand the reasoning behind the TTT so late. It is after the usually hectic first week and if any GC team loses a few riders before the stage they will be in huge trouble right from the outset in the TTT.

Maybe they want to induce the riders to take fewer risks in the first week? In the back of their mind they will think: I need to stay upright, or I'm screwed for the TTT (and my team is too).

 

[Eshnar]

I need to stay upright, or I'm screwed for the TTT (and my team is too).

Ofc without the TTT riders would eventually think: "hey, what if I hit the ground, just for the lolz?"

 

[Pantani_lives]

It's weird that there's only 14K induvidual time trial, but this is good for Quintana and bad for Froome, who's thinking of doing the Giro and Vuelta instead.

The reason is probably that the young French riders, Pinot and Bardet, are good climbers but not such good time trialists. That could mean we aren't going to see many long time trials for several years.

 

[Kwibus]

157 voters for this poll and only 98 for the Giro This gets sadder and sadder

It's like that forever. You (and I) dearly hope the Giro will get atleast as populair as the TdF, but unfortunately it's not going to happen.
Imagine if the best riders of the world would line up at the Giro every year. There is no country that offers so much variation in their parcours as Italy.

 

[Kwibus]

Maybe they want to induce the riders to take fewer risks in the first week? In the back of their mind they will think: I need to stay upright, or I'm screwed for the TTT (and my team is too).

I was thinking the same, maybe it's a test by ASO.
Too bad that I'm fairly sure it won't work.

 

[Kwibus]

Ofc without the TTT riders would eventually think: "hey, what if I hit the ground, just for the lolz?"

Take less risk though. The last 10 years the GC teams also hit the front during the last 20km together with the sprinter teams. It's just mayhem, but I'm afraid this TTT as stage 9 will only make it worse instead of better.

 

[barmaher]

I had a look at the last 5 years to see what the team sizes were for the 9th stage. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but ...

9 riders : 12 teams on average (so just over half of the teams had full compliment)
8 riders : 7 teams on average
7 riders : 2 teams on average
6 riders or less : 1 team on average *


* These were Astana 2013, Garmin 2012, Movistar 2012 who all had 6 riders and Euskaltel 2012 who had 5

Very interesting stats, and I will admit not as bad as I had feared.

Still 3/22 with two riders or more gone is not a great state of affairs. And most of those races had no cobbles.

 

[Flamin]

No matter how bad the rest is, it deserves at least a 3 or 4 because of the great first week. This still has nothing on the farce called Vuelta.

 

[LaFlorecita]

What's not to agree on?

A GT is not only about climbing mountains.

Don't put words in my mouth

 

[Netserk]

Don't put words in my mouth

Same objection as in my post (number 125 in this thread)?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Same objection as in my post (number 125 in this thread)?

Yes and what Electress wrote in a post earlier

Edit:
"Must admit, don't like the sense that the biggest factor in sorting out the pack will probably be weather, cobbles and crashes."

 

[rghysens]

To balance out that 50TT that suits a Martin or Cancellara, Id mix in a mountain TT up the Galiber, Tourmalet or Ventoux to reward a climber like Quintana, Contador, etc.

To balance out a hypothetical 50km ITT there's already Arette-Pierre-Saint-Martin, Plateau de Beille, Mende, Pra-Loup, Alpe d'Huez and La Toussuire.

 

[barmaher]

It shouldn't be about the "best" rider. If it were, we would just hook them up to a machine and take their "numbers".

That is one of the problems I have with 1 climb stages with an MTF. It is almost always the best climber that wins. If we have multi-climb stages, where descending, tactics, measuring one's efforts and other skills come into focus, then we have an interesting GT.

If TDG had won the Giro that day in 2012, he would have deserved it for panache and tactics.

Similarly Conador was arguably not the "best" rider in Vuelta 2013.

 

[Escarabajo]

It shouldn't be about the "best" rider. If it were, we would just hook them up to a machine and take their "numbers".

That is one of the problems I have with 1 climb stages with an MTF. It is almost always the best climber that wins. If we have multi-climb stages, where descending, tactics, measuring one's efforts and other skills come into focus, then we have an interesting GT.

If TDG had won the Giro that day in 2012, he would have deserved it for panache and tactics.

Similarly Conador was arguably not the "best" rider in Vuelta 2013.

+1 . I also don't like the single MTF stages. That's why I have been keeping away from the Vuelta in the first place.

Never been a fan of the TTT either. But accept it in the Tour in order to measure the balance and power in a team. Not sure about why making it so late. But let's see what this change produces. Don't mind the change as an experiment.

 

[Flamin]

It's weird that there's only 14K induvidual time trial, but this is good for Quintana and bad for Froome, who's thinking of doing the Giro and Vuelta instead.

The reason is probably that the young French riders, Pinot and Bardet, are good climbers but not such good time trialists. That could mean we aren't going to see many long time trials for several years.

The best French rider from last year is a good TTist. Pinot is pretty decent as well. If they wanted to favour the French, they sure as hell wouldn't include cobbles, possible echelons and explosive finishes.

 

[mortailcoil]

This to me looks like an unhappy or precarious or miffed Shark-of-Messina for having his picture taken.

Or how about a sleepy S-o-M trying hard to stay awake?

 

[Tonton]

I think a more interesting discussion is not - how bad is the route, but - what is the reason behind it. I don't understand. Why after all these years has the ASO introduced all these gimmicks and broken so fiercly from the gt requirements it has operated under all these decades. Was there outside pressure from Tinkov? He got pictures of prudehome cheating on his wife and threatens to release them if they don't let him make a route for contador? (Though I think contador would have preferred maybe a few more tt kms). What is it. There are so many changes this year, more than in the last few decades put together. Can't be a coincidence.

The reasons are called Pinot, Bardet, Rolland, IMO. Big for business when French riders are in the picture at the TdF. Last summer's TV ratings were off the charts in France. The French guys should do quite well on such a route, gaps will be small until the last week, ASO will cash in big time.

 

[cineteq]

Haven't voted yet. Never seen results of a GT poll like this before.
I wouldn't be surprised if the riders make this edition more exciting than usual. And of course, the race design folks will be devastated if that happens.

The reasons are called Pinot, Bardet, Rolland, IMO. Big for business when French riders are in the picture at the TdF. Last summer's TV ratings were off the charts in France. The French guys should do quite well on such a route, gaps will be small until the last week, ASO will cash in big time.

Makes sense.

 

[barmaher]

Haven't voted yet. Never seen results of a GT poll like this before.
I wouldn't be surprised if the riders make this edition more exciting than usual. And of course, the race design folks will be devastated if that happens.

Makes sense.

I thought that too. It would make me laugh.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I thought that too. It would make me laugh.

We will probably see loads and loads of waiting on the MTFs. Exciting.

 

[Red Rick]

I see one great point about this route actually.

Due to its atrocious design, I won't get my hopes up and actually put in some miles myself. If I'm in good shape next summer, I'll have the ASO partially to thank for that

 

[Duke_S]

21 stages, 3344 km:

Total ITT distance over the years as a comparison.

 

[Taxus4a]

Voted a 5 but wanted to vote a 4. Lack of ITT is the main concern. Some nice mountain stages but lacks a real good one. Cobbles are nice but not back to back. Behhh.

Same opinion.

 

[pigoonse]

This to me looks like an unhappy or precarious or miffed Shark-of-Messina for having his picture taken.

Or how about a sleepy S-o-M trying hard to stay awake?

Interesting photos. He is not giving a whole lot away, imo.

First one: he is not particularly happy or unhappy to me. Maybe looking like he is experiencing a moment of mild disbelief.

Second one? There are some wrinkles on his forehead - a bit disconcerted? or it is fatigue.