Rate the-epic-fail" of a 2011 tour de france route

[Roland Rat]

Yeh this poll is a complete screw up, because rating how much of a fail it is implies that if its a massive fail you give it a ten. Its like the poll is asking how much does the tour route suck on a scale of 1 to 10, not the other way around.

I think you should start again acf.

Uh-huh, I just did that too. Voted 3 as I didn't think it's that much of an "epic fail", just because it won't suit Cuddles and his pi55-poor BMC team. I'd vote 7 on the usual quality scale.

 

[Roland Rat]

You can lay out the most diverse & challenging parcours, but at the end is up to the riders to make the race exiting--therefore this thread is useless & stupid

Exactamundo. Look at the Tour of Britain - we all complained about the "boring" parcours before the event and it became one of the most aggressive stage races of the season.

That was helped by smaller team numbers though.

 

[David Suro]

Unless someone is a teenager, "Epic Fail" is an oveused and trendy term most frequently employed by those who have nothing nice (or smart) to say.

If you don't like the course, don't watch the race. It really is that simple.

For one, I am looking forward to following cycling next season and enjoying the races.

 

[skidmark]

These polls are really being screwed up this week.

Asking who the best climber of the 2000ds was but, no Armstrong. (on the other hand Leonardo Piepoli is included in both 90s and 2000s list)

Asking who the best Spanish climber is (bar Contador). Options given - Samu, Purito and LLS No Sastre, Valverde, Mosquera.

Asking who had the best season, with no Nibali on offer.

Asking how big a fail the Tour is, but then saying that it is actually, how great the Tour is, after people have voted.

Well, at least he was the first one to post something. Perhaps he can put 'official news breaker of how epically the TdF 2011 route failed' in his sig line.

Anyway, I'll have to see the profiles of all the stages before making up my mind. Although it's tempting to bow to peer pressure and throw down a 'look how much of a cycling fan I am, I don't even give the TdF a chance... Giro Giro Giro blah blah blah' post. (note: the Giro IS way better, but a completely different race for a fairly different audience) But as far as the Tour goes, I think within their popular and safe niche, there's at least a fair bit of tinkering going on. I hope it can be more interesting than the last 2 years, but I guess we'll see.

 

[dolophonic]

They did not do the race yet so how do you know its a fail.. so wacky.!
AcF vs Assasin= ?

 

[ferryman]

Unless someone is a teenager, "Epic Fail" is an oveused and trendy term most frequently employed by those who have nothing nice (or smart) to say.

If you don't like the course, don't watch the race. It really is that simple.

For one, I am looking forward to following cycling next season and enjoying the races.

To be fair I don't think ACF meant Epic Fail rather, as I read it, the Epic or Fail poll which makes sense.

Anyway, I like the route and voted a tentative 7 but hoping 8 (or 9 if AC somehow survives).

 

[The Hitch]

To be fair I don't think ACF meant Epic Fail rather, as I read it, the Epic or Fail poll which makes sense.

I doubt it. "Epic fail" has been used increasingly around here. Acf was pretty displeased with the route. He sees it as an epic fail.

And to call the route an epic fail was quite moderate by ACFs standards when you look at what he wrote on the "98th Tour presentation" thread.

 

[BroDeal]

Somebody smack the stupid out of Prudhomme. His obsession with designing a "down to the wire" course is dooming us to boredom

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The thing that's sad is, the Giro has been more down-to-the-wire than the Tour in the last 3 years.

First Tour mountain stage those years:
2008 - 6
2009 - 8
2010 - 7

First Giro mountain stages those years:
2008 - 1
2009 - 4
2010 - 8

The last time we went to stage 12 before a proper mountain stage was 2002. Which was one of the worst Tours in history.

 

[roundabout]

I don't really think that this was a mountain stage

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/giro08/?id=stages/giro082

And this years stage 8 is a slightly lamer version of stage 6 from 2008 (same start and finish)

Ok, that's enough of me being too pedantic.

On the bright(er) side on paper the flat stages look more complicated than usual.

 

[ferryman]

Somebody smack the stupid out of Prudhomme. His obsession with designing a "down to the wire" course is dooming us to boredom

I'm not so sure he has to be honest. There will be no soft pedalling through the Pyrenees next year, unlike 2009. And the only ITT follows the Alpe stage, so any climber in contention for Yellow or a podium place will have to attack there.

Or, more likely, I'm just being tooo positive

 

[simo1733]

When I am emotional I become irrational with my posts.

Really?I can't say I had noticed

 

[lucybears]

Best route of the last few years.

when looked at with the changes to the calculation of how the green/polka winners will be determined, you're probably right !

 

[Barrus]

Allright how many of you want a new thread?
Because I received a request for this from ACF, mainly because the poll was otreally understandible

 

[auscyclefan94]

Average ranking, 5.925.

 

[Boeing]

People, I did not make this because of Evans. The past 3 routes haven't really given guys who are strong time triallers and decent climbers a chance to win. Also, the ttt should never be included in the overall classification, why does a team discipline count to a inidividual classification? I made it because I usually do these types of threads and why can't you take my opinion with merit on this topic instead of just making snide remarks at me.

to qualify for merit ones opinion must have reasoning behind it. as a start. then perhaps a little evidence for support

random dogmatic statements with nothing but a list of what you like and don't like ...well...don't fly, boy

 

[auscyclefan94]

to qualify for merit ones opinion must have reasoning behind it. as a start. then perhaps a little evidence for support

random dogmatic statements with nothing but a list of what you like and don't like ...well...don't fly, boy

I gave evidnece for what I thought about the route. Don't understand your contention.

 

[rhubroma]

Rate the-epic-fail" of a 2011 tour de france route. make comments!

Is something wromg with your head mate?

It's a poor course for everyone whose rider can't win it seems!

For the rest of us, who have no rider in particular and thus are looking at it with a neutral and objective mind, it's a fine route.

Finally we have a last week worth a damn! And the first stages aren't a complete bore! The Tour has practically been a time trialer's race, who can climb, for years, now it's a climbers race with a time trial. Time trials are very boring (though necessary), mountain top finishes aren't.

I would have only liked to have seen a prologue and one more time trial, to give more balance, and it would have been nearly perfect. Damn! If there had been a route like this in 99 and Pantani didn't get caught at the Giro!

 

[rata de sentina]

Average ranking, 5.925.

Which is basically a meaningless outcome because of your frenetic assault on the English language.

 

[who dat]

The last mountain stage should be interesting with only 109km, I am wondering if someone in the GC could go for a solo win from the Galibier. Maybe a nibali or sammy sanchez could attck and consolidate on the descent. UNlikely but will be interesting

 

[auscyclefan94]

Is something wromg with your head mate?

It's a poor course for everyone whose rider can't win it seems!

For the rest of us, who have no rider in particular and thus are looking at it with a neutral and objective mind, it's a fine route.

Finally we have a last week worth a damn! And the first stages aren't a complete bore! The Tour has practically been a time trialer's race, who can climb, for years, now it's a climbers race with a time trial. Time trials are very boring (though necessary), mountain top finishes aren't.

I would have only liked to have seen a prologue and one more time trial, to give more balance, and it would have been nearly perfect. Damn! If there had been a route like this in 99 and Pantani didn't get caught at the Giro!

There possibly could be something wrong with me!

rata de sentina, Well some people could easily work it out what it meant. Clearly ten means it is awesome route as it is a higher number. If I have numbers 1 to 10 surely people can infer that it means rate it out of 10. But i guess I shouldn't insult some peoples intelligence.

 

[jonjungel]

My opinion on the route&rules:

The good:
- Not too many pure sprint stages in the beginning. I have nothing against sprints as long as the sprinters have to work for it.
- Decisive stages in both the Alps and Pyrenees.

The bad:
- Too few TT kilometers. A 45-55 km TT before the Pyrenees would liven up the racing in the mountains.

The best:
- The new point system for the green jersey. It has the potential to make even the flat stages partly interesting. If the intermediate sprint is cleverly placed in the mountain stages, there could be racing throughout the whole stage. First the green jersey contenders, and then the GC guys.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I have made a new thread with clear instructons for the poll. No need to post on this thread now!

 

[uphillstruggle]

The problem with the tour is that it is more limited by France's topography than the giro is by Italy's. Italy is a more compact country, thus giving the route designers more leaway to fit in host towns and the iconic climbs which give the race its allure.

If the tour wants to visit Brittany for example, as it will this year, there will envitably be a long period in the flatter part of the country, unless they did a few days then transfered. If they want to visit the flatter areas of the centre and north they are stuck with less options.

Not too bad of a route I don't think but i won't be using any holidays up until the second half of the race. 92's route should be used as an example.

 

[rghysens]

The problem with the tour is that it is more limited by France's topography than the giro is by Italy's. Italy is a more compact country, thus giving the route designers more leaway to fit in host towns and the iconic climbs which give the race its allure.

true (although, from a mathematical point of view, France is more compact). It's almost impossible to create a giro-like parcours in France, just because France is much bigger and the north and west are almost completely flat.