I am not sure what has come over me today, but the more that I think about it, the more that I like it.
So okay, historically I would probably rate this route a 5 or a 6. But for a Prudhomme parcours I reckon it’s about an 8.
For starters, it is an improvement on this years’ course. I don’t think that we need any new climbs, for we have had a number of those recently. We just need to make better use of the ones that we already have, and not to reuse those too often. No Alp D’Huez again here (though I actually reckon it would work well as a stage 8 MTF), nor PDBF (thank God).
The first two stages don’t sound like they will be particularly decisive, but at least they are not straight out sprint stages either, so the winners may be slightly less predictable (and stages a little more entertaining, which can be a double meaning with Mr Entertainment himself, JA), and the likely small time gaps should mean that less riders are fighting for positions (and for the yellow jersey) in the likely bunch sprints of stages 3 and 4. Pacing wise, puncheur stages 1-2, sprinters stages 3-4, is better than the other way around. For the spectacle it is also better to have the more interesting stages on the weekend.
We don’t have as many mountains this year in the early stages, but in 2020 stages 2, 4 and 6 (yes, THAT stage) were useless in terms of the GC anyway. In 2021 we have something much more relevant than all of those stages combined: an ITT (blow your load boys)!
I wish that stage 5 was longer, but I am learning to live with disappointment. I am thirty-nine years old, but still not married. So acceptance of a 27 km length time trial is my version of ‘settling’.
I would love a good old fashioned Indurain/Ullrichesque 58 km ITT endurance slugfest. However, if we can only have 58 kms of ITT in the three weeks’ total (and it appears that in this era, this is all that we can have), then I think that it is much better for the overall GC battle that these kms be separated. To have some of these before the first high mountains, and the rest after the final high mountains, is actually great pacing imo.
Stage 5 will set the scene for the rest of week one, and to a certain extent also for the rest of the race. An individual time trial doesn’t necessarily kill the race as some may fear either. So okay, if Roglic and Pogacar are at least a minute ahead of everyone else after stage 5, then this could develop into merely a Contador vs. Schleck head to head (although having said that, everyone loved that Tour more than the others anyway). But what if Tom is ahead of Primoz after it? What if Geraint is ahead of Egan? Richie may even be ahead of both of them (that’s Porte, not Carapaz). What if Remco is ahead of everyone in the race?
Whatever happens, stage 5 is likely to encourage better racing in the Alps. At least it is better for the race than 2018’s TTT.
Yes, 2018. There are some similarities to that route here. But this route is also better than that one. For as well as an early ITT > TTT, we have better placement of the Le Grand Bornand (and some of my heart is with this town….Klodi) stage. Well, it is still not perfectly placed (push this out to stage 9 and have Tignes MTF after the rest day, and Prudhomme and I can become pen pals), but at least this Tignes stage is not too difficult. Furthermore, there is a rest day after that, so I don’t see any GC contender (who may also have lost time in the ITT) who has good legs on stage 8, not giving it a go on the Romme/Colombiere combo. Sure, there is very little to hurt the legs on this stage before those climbs, but we have the 248 km stage 7 (assuming that there are no protests) to do that.
Hurt: Stage 7
Heal: Le Grand Bornand
When one remembers how boring this stage was in 2018, one must also remember how horrifically placed that stage was (like even worse than Farrapona before Angliru). It was immediately after the rest day (so the riders had a new block of six stages in front of them to consider), and was immediately followed by not one, but two MTF’s. It never had a chance.
In 2021 I hope for much better. I am a little bit concerned about Sepp Kuss though….
Oh, and these Alps stages are on the weekend. So great for the spectators.
And another thing. Stages 8 and 9 in 2021 are actually kind of similar to stages 8 and 9 in 2020. Now I thought that those stages were pretty poor designs, but in the end the racing turned out great on them. They were helped by a hard stage 7 beforehand….
I am big on the idea of having a decisive stage the day after the rest day (so long as it isn’t killed by more decisive stages immediately after), so for me a flat stage on stage 10 is disappointing. But Prudhomme immediately redeems himself with the best stage of the 2021 Tour, the stage that includes a double serving of Ventoux. This is great on so many levels. I mean, it’s pretty long (by current day high mountain stage standards). It has a descent finish. It has a number of non GC stages following it. So there is GUARANTEED GC ACTION. And the gradients on that final climb are quite high, so we shouldn’t see too much DISGUSTING WHEELSUCKING. Everyone wins.
Stage 11 also ensures that this route is not back loaded. I think that it is best for the overall battle that the hardest mountain stages are in week two, and with this parcours we are kind of getting there.
I do not mind the number of ‘meh’ stages. Less decisive stages probably means more decisiveness in those stages. So long as they are placed well. Which generally they seem to be.
We get some potential rest days for the GC, until a possible minor conflict towards the end of stage 14, which is a prelude to stage 15, which is a really good Pyrenean stage. Like stage 11 it is long, and also like stage 11 it has a descent finish. The final climb should also be tough enough to at least prove reasonably selective. With the rest day to follow, this Andorra stage is perfectly placed.
I don’t mind that stage 16 is irrelevant, because we still have two more decisive days in the Pyrenees. And stages 17 and 18 should work well as a combo. Sure, stage 18 is hard, but it’s not Angliru hard. It won’t scare off attacks on stage 17. Besides, if you are a climber who needs to take back two minutes, then there are potentially greater gains on stage 17. Also, not only is stage 17 harder than stage 18, but crucially it’s MTF is harder. It’s also the longer of the two stages.
Stage 19 is another ‘rest’ day for the GC, before the final ITT. Great again, as it gives breakaway riders who have survived the mountains a deserved extra stage winning chance, or maybe even another chance for the sprinters. And you need this stage anyway, for if the ITT came immediately after Luz Ardiden, then attacks might only come inside the final 3 kms, rather than inside the final 10 kms.
So that’s it. I’m liking it. We have six proper (enough) high mountain stages, that are reasonably well placed. And two ITT’s. Maybe we’ll get a couple of interesting lumpy stages, and an echelons stage too, if we’re lucky.
So okay, historically I would probably rate this route a 5 or a 6. But for a Prudhomme parcours I reckon it’s about an 8.
For starters, it is an improvement on this years’ course. I don’t think that we need any new climbs, for we have had a number of those recently. We just need to make better use of the ones that we already have, and not to reuse those too often. No Alp D’Huez again here (though I actually reckon it would work well as a stage 8 MTF), nor PDBF (thank God).
The first two stages don’t sound like they will be particularly decisive, but at least they are not straight out sprint stages either, so the winners may be slightly less predictable (and stages a little more entertaining, which can be a double meaning with Mr Entertainment himself, JA), and the likely small time gaps should mean that less riders are fighting for positions (and for the yellow jersey) in the likely bunch sprints of stages 3 and 4. Pacing wise, puncheur stages 1-2, sprinters stages 3-4, is better than the other way around. For the spectacle it is also better to have the more interesting stages on the weekend.
We don’t have as many mountains this year in the early stages, but in 2020 stages 2, 4 and 6 (yes, THAT stage) were useless in terms of the GC anyway. In 2021 we have something much more relevant than all of those stages combined: an ITT (blow your load boys)!
I wish that stage 5 was longer, but I am learning to live with disappointment. I am thirty-nine years old, but still not married. So acceptance of a 27 km length time trial is my version of ‘settling’.
I would love a good old fashioned Indurain/Ullrichesque 58 km ITT endurance slugfest. However, if we can only have 58 kms of ITT in the three weeks’ total (and it appears that in this era, this is all that we can have), then I think that it is much better for the overall GC battle that these kms be separated. To have some of these before the first high mountains, and the rest after the final high mountains, is actually great pacing imo.
Stage 5 will set the scene for the rest of week one, and to a certain extent also for the rest of the race. An individual time trial doesn’t necessarily kill the race as some may fear either. So okay, if Roglic and Pogacar are at least a minute ahead of everyone else after stage 5, then this could develop into merely a Contador vs. Schleck head to head (although having said that, everyone loved that Tour more than the others anyway). But what if Tom is ahead of Primoz after it? What if Geraint is ahead of Egan? Richie may even be ahead of both of them (that’s Porte, not Carapaz). What if Remco is ahead of everyone in the race?
Whatever happens, stage 5 is likely to encourage better racing in the Alps. At least it is better for the race than 2018’s TTT.
Yes, 2018. There are some similarities to that route here. But this route is also better than that one. For as well as an early ITT > TTT, we have better placement of the Le Grand Bornand (and some of my heart is with this town….Klodi) stage. Well, it is still not perfectly placed (push this out to stage 9 and have Tignes MTF after the rest day, and Prudhomme and I can become pen pals), but at least this Tignes stage is not too difficult. Furthermore, there is a rest day after that, so I don’t see any GC contender (who may also have lost time in the ITT) who has good legs on stage 8, not giving it a go on the Romme/Colombiere combo. Sure, there is very little to hurt the legs on this stage before those climbs, but we have the 248 km stage 7 (assuming that there are no protests) to do that.
Hurt: Stage 7
Heal: Le Grand Bornand
When one remembers how boring this stage was in 2018, one must also remember how horrifically placed that stage was (like even worse than Farrapona before Angliru). It was immediately after the rest day (so the riders had a new block of six stages in front of them to consider), and was immediately followed by not one, but two MTF’s. It never had a chance.
In 2021 I hope for much better. I am a little bit concerned about Sepp Kuss though….
Oh, and these Alps stages are on the weekend. So great for the spectators.
And another thing. Stages 8 and 9 in 2021 are actually kind of similar to stages 8 and 9 in 2020. Now I thought that those stages were pretty poor designs, but in the end the racing turned out great on them. They were helped by a hard stage 7 beforehand….
I am big on the idea of having a decisive stage the day after the rest day (so long as it isn’t killed by more decisive stages immediately after), so for me a flat stage on stage 10 is disappointing. But Prudhomme immediately redeems himself with the best stage of the 2021 Tour, the stage that includes a double serving of Ventoux. This is great on so many levels. I mean, it’s pretty long (by current day high mountain stage standards). It has a descent finish. It has a number of non GC stages following it. So there is GUARANTEED GC ACTION. And the gradients on that final climb are quite high, so we shouldn’t see too much DISGUSTING WHEELSUCKING. Everyone wins.
Stage 11 also ensures that this route is not back loaded. I think that it is best for the overall battle that the hardest mountain stages are in week two, and with this parcours we are kind of getting there.
I do not mind the number of ‘meh’ stages. Less decisive stages probably means more decisiveness in those stages. So long as they are placed well. Which generally they seem to be.
We get some potential rest days for the GC, until a possible minor conflict towards the end of stage 14, which is a prelude to stage 15, which is a really good Pyrenean stage. Like stage 11 it is long, and also like stage 11 it has a descent finish. The final climb should also be tough enough to at least prove reasonably selective. With the rest day to follow, this Andorra stage is perfectly placed.
I don’t mind that stage 16 is irrelevant, because we still have two more decisive days in the Pyrenees. And stages 17 and 18 should work well as a combo. Sure, stage 18 is hard, but it’s not Angliru hard. It won’t scare off attacks on stage 17. Besides, if you are a climber who needs to take back two minutes, then there are potentially greater gains on stage 17. Also, not only is stage 17 harder than stage 18, but crucially it’s MTF is harder. It’s also the longer of the two stages.
Stage 19 is another ‘rest’ day for the GC, before the final ITT. Great again, as it gives breakaway riders who have survived the mountains a deserved extra stage winning chance, or maybe even another chance for the sprinters. And you need this stage anyway, for if the ITT came immediately after Luz Ardiden, then attacks might only come inside the final 3 kms, rather than inside the final 10 kms.
So that’s it. I’m liking it. We have six proper (enough) high mountain stages, that are reasonably well placed. And two ITT’s. Maybe we’ll get a couple of interesting lumpy stages, and an echelons stage too, if we’re lucky.