Stage profiles of tour de france 2014

[Miburo]

I remember doing this thread last year. Let's do it again.

I really think this is the best tour de france route in a long while. Maybe not enough ITT but that's it.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

 

[Miburo]

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

 

[Miburo]

Stage 9

Stage 10

Stage 11

Stage 12

 

[Miburo]

Stage 13

Stage 14

Stage 15

Stage 16

 

[Miburo]

Stage 17

Stage 18

Stage 19

Stage 20

No point in adding a new post for the profile of the last stage.

 

[Netserk]

Why not do a route analysis like Eshnar?

 

[Miburo]

Why not do a route analysis like Eshnar?

Hey be my guest, you can do it

 

[Netserk]

Hey be my guest, you can do it

Atm I'm doing a post about the cobbled stage, but it takes some time

 

[johnymax]

This is a fantastic route. I really, really like it.

 

[ILovecycling]

Atm I'm doing a post about the cobbled stage, but it takes some time

goood,Im looking forward to it

 

[darwin553]

giro looks harder

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Agree. The route is good and I really like the mountain stages. 6 mountaintop finishes (2 in Vosges, 2 in Alps and 2 in the Pyrenees) including one epic stage in Vosges.

STAGE 8:

First test. Differences will be small but a strong group of 10-15 tour contenders should be clear after this stage. These three climbs at the end of the stage is a very good idea.

STAGE 9:

Good stage for escapes. GC not likely to change - there are too many kilometers after the last climb and the next stage difficulty could be a factor too.

STAGE 10:

I love this one! Almost 3500 meters of climbing in Vosges. Relatively short stage with 7 climbs (including four 1 cat)! Some big break may form but the favourite groups will control it. GC fight likely in the last two climbs and cumulative effort from previous climbs will be a factor. The gaps between favourites on the last climb could be significant.

STAGE 13:

First high-mountain stage. It could be crucial for GC clasiffication. Col de Palaquit has some very steep gradiets (a few kilometers at 10-11%) and will be a good prelude before this big Chamrousse climb. After this stage we will know very much about Froome, Contador and others.

STAGE 14:

A typical Alpine stage with three good climbs. Recent years show that fight between favourites on such stages is usually limited to the last climb. However let's hope for some long-range attack (i.e. by Contador) on steep sections of the legendary Izoard

STAGE 16:

First Pyrenean stage ends after a descent from HC Bales climb. Let's hope there will be some good attacks on Bales (i.e. by Nibali) as the distance from the col to the finish is not too large.

STAGE 17:

Possibly the queen stage of the race. A typical Pyrenean stage with many steep acents and short descents. Four tough climbs in the last 75 kilometers speak for itself. Even GC attacks on Peyresourde or Val Louron Azet are possible. Maybe on Pla d'Adet we will know the Tour winner.

STAGE 18:

The stage features legendary Col du Tourmalet. As always (almost), It is in the middle of the stage. We know what it means - slow procession of GC contenders. But Hautacam will be a superb finale of TdF mountains. It will be really epic if some GC fight starts on Tourmalet

 

[Lanark]

Route isn't too bad. A couple of misses, only 1 interesting stage in the first 4 days. Those bunch sprints will be complete borefests. A hilly final, or maybe even a prologue (why did all GT's start to hate these the last couple of years?) would have spiced things up a bit.

Some really good medium mountain stages early on, some great stage design there, especially Gerardmer and Planche des Belles Filles. The real mountains are pretty late in the race, which results in only a single racing day between the Alpes and the Pyrenees. The design of the mountain stages all look pretty good, not spectacular, but certainly not bad, especially Pla D'Adet.

 

[christopherrowe]

Côte de Buttertubs is the name of my next band.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Best route in years.

I can't imagine the GC riders can turn this into a borefest, but you never know these days.

 

[Poursuivant]

Thank you very much for the profiles

 

[thrawn]

Potentially 3 good stages in the first 8 - a significant improvement on previous years. A prologue or tt in place of one of the sprint stages would have made for a good first week.

Stage 10 looks fantastic on paper. Is the final descent technical to allow for attacks before the final climb? Either way, potential for the last 2 climbs to be attacked on if anyone is game.

Stage 17 also looks great. Would have liked to have seen one additional climb on stage 18 before Hautacam.

Overall, I think the mountain stages look well designed this year.

 

[MBotero]

Great route,it looks way better than IL Giro.Stage 2 and 10 are very good,i hope they will be used at their full potential.

 

[the sceptic]

Stage 2 looks great.. Would be epic if Contador/Saxo tried something there..

 

[Jspear]

Route isn't too bad. A couple of misses, only 1 interesting stage in the first 4 days. Those bunch sprints will be complete borefests. A hilly final, or maybe even a prologue (why did all GT's start to hate these the last couple of years?) would have spiced things up a bit.

Some really good medium mountain stages early on, some great stage design there, especially Gerardmer and Planche des Belles Filles. The real mountains are pretty late in the race, which results in only a single racing day between the Alpes and the Pyrenees. The design of the mountain stages all look pretty good, not spectacular, but certainly not bad, especially Pla D'Adet.

I think they will only be borefests if you aren't into sprinting. In most stage races I would agree that the flat stages can be dull. But whenever there is wind, plus all the top world class sprinters, I actually enjoy the flatter stages. I'm very excited about Cav, Griepel, and Kittel (and maybe another surprise candidate) duking it out for wins.

 

[christopherrowe]

I think they will only be borefests if you aren't into sprinting. In most stage races I would agree that the flat stages can be dull. But whenever there is wind, plus all the top world class sprinters, I actually enjoy the flatter stages. I'm very excited about Cav, Griepel, and Kittel (and maybe another surprise candidate) duking it out for wins.

It's taken me years, but I now enjoy a good sprint stage as well. The only thing that detracts from them as theater for me is the almost mechanical nature of the catch of the day's breakaway, when well-organized teams relying on radios work together. But even then, as we saw the other day, they screw it up sometimes.

And I love the last five or six kilometers of the speed ramping up and the jockeying for position as teams surge and falter, as individual riders lose the wheels of their lead outs or go rogue and draft off other teams' riders. I love the combination of chaos and control that's on display in a bunch sprint as it is in no other aspect of the sport.

As for this year in particular, I too hope to see the rise of a fourth contender. The young Frenchmen still have yet to prove themselves against the very best, and I hope that one of them rises to the occasion and shines on home soil.

 

[HSNHSN]

Since the stage profiles have already been posted, could some admin/mod either add this thread to the "Tour 2014 Route Rumours" thread, or move all posts starting at this one from that thread over here, to avoid having the same comments/discussion again? I like this being discussed, but I'd prefer not to read the same things time and again (that's more or less what the Clinic is for).

 

[Matt92]

Ok, let's try a route analysis. I've done some stuff like this for a site I write for, but it's in italian. Never tried it in English.

Stage 1: Leeds > Harrogate 190.5 kms
Very quiet way to start the race. The second and the third climb are pretty difficult for a flat stage, but the distance from the finish (60+ kms) will definitely be too much for anyone to try anything. Anyway, there's a small trick at the end of the stage, as the final 2 kms are mainly uphill (http://www.letour.fr/PHOTOS/TDF/2014/100/PROFILKMS.png). The average gradient of the final 1000 metres is 2%, and that even includes a small downhill. Probably not enough to avoid a mass sprint, but probably enough to make the sprint a bit unusual.

Stage 2: York > Sheffield 201 kms
Beautifully designed stage. Some minor climbs for the first three quarters of the race, and then, starting with the Cote de Holme Moss, everything is possible. There's room for attacks in the final kilometres, as well as long-range attempts. The final two climbs are ardennesque: 1.5 kms at 9.1% and 0.8 kms at 10.8%, with the latter being only 5 kms away from the finish line. Sprinters are ruled out (except for the likes of Sagan, of course). I don't expect GC contenders to move this early, but, if I were a DS and I were trying to find a way to beat a seemingly undefeatable Froome, I'd definitely consider putting some pressure on him in a tricky stage like this. It could be harder for him to digest than some high mountain stages.

Stage 3: Cambridge > London 155 kms
Perhaps the easiest stage of the Tour: no KOM sprints, no small hills in the end to cause trouble to the sprinters. I can't imagine a scenario which doesn't include a mass sprint as the outcome.

Stage 4: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage > Lille Métropole 163.5 kms
The two KOM sprints put it a step above the previous stage, difficulty-wise, but a sprint here is just as sure as the day before. The only potential cause of problems in the final kms is the amount of turns.

Stage 5: Ypres > Arenberg Porte du Hainaut 155.5 kms
This is probably the most unpredictable stage of the entire Tour. It's totally possible that GC contenders decide to avoid risks and just neutralize the stage for themselves, letting cobblestones specialists fight for the stage win. But if just one of them decides to try to gain some time (and I can imagine someone like Kwiatkowski doing this), and forces all the others to chase, anything could happen. 9 pavé sections are enough to create gaps between classics specialists; in a race full riders without any Paris-Roubaix experience, minutes could fly everywhere. I don't want to know what could happen on a rainy day. Or, well, maybe I want to.

Stage 6: Arras > Reims 194 kms
The last quiet day before an impressive run of hilly/mountain stages. Two minor climbs far from the finish line, no twists towards the end. Just, once again, a couple of 90° turns in the final kilometres, that should be taken carefully.

Stage 7: Epernay > Nancy 234.5 kms
Sprinters could fight for this, but the Cote de Boufflers (1300 metres at 7.9%), just 5.5 kms from the finish, seems like the perfect platform for an attack. If I were forced to predict the outcome, I'd say someone will probably manage to break away on the last climb and hold on till the end, as there's very little time to organize the chase. Also, the climb is probably steep enough to force the sprinters' teams to ride slowly, in order to avoid cooking their leader's legs.

Stage 8: Tomblaine > Gérardmer - La Mauselaine 161 kms
Well-designed first stage on the Vosges, even if I don't expect any GC action before the final climb. Still, even if the profile and the stats probably don't show it, watch out for the Col de Grosse Pierre: it's 3 kms at 7.5%, but the central kilometre is at 11.3%, at there's a 16% passage in the final kilometre. From the top, it's just downhill to Gérardmer, before approaching the final climb (very steep: 1.8 kms at 10.3%). If he were not recovering from an injury, Purito would have taken this in his sleep.

Stage 9: Gérardmer > Mulhouse 170 kms
This stage has "escape" written all over it. The final flat section (over 20 kms) is way too long for GC riders to try anything on the Grand Ballon. The first hour of racing will probably be the most interesting one, with plenty of riders trying to get into the breakway. After that, the escapees will fight it out for the stage win, while the peloton will probably give life to a long procession.
Still, let's look on the bright side: in most recent Tours, this would have been the most interesting stage of the 1st week; this time it's the least important of three stages on the Vosges.

Stage 10: Mulhouse > La Planche des Belles Filles 160 kms
In my opinion, this is the best-designed stage of the entire race. I usually prefer longer stages, but this one won't give the riders a single moment to rest their legs. The Petit Ballon - Platzerwasel combination is awesome, but too far from the finish to inspire GC attacks (I hope we'll get to see them closer to the finish in the future, maybe with the stage ending with a downhill to Guebwiller). Col d'Oderen and Col des Croix will keep the race alive until the final 1-2 punch of Chèvres-Planche, which is simply perfect. The 1st category classification may be a little too much for the Col des Chèvres (3.5 kms at 9.5%), but it features probably the hardest gradient of the Tour (18%), with 1.5 kms at an average of about 15%. It's the kind of climb that could tear the peloton apart, if a team decides to shake things up.
The Planche caused decent gaps two years ago, when the route was almost flat before the final climb. This year, it will be a serious chance to put significant time into weaker GC contenders. Unless a break makes it to the finish, this will go to one of the big guns.

 

[Matt92]

Stage 11: Besançon > Oyonnax 187.5 kms
Yet another hilly stage, even if it's much lighter than the Vosges ones, and it will probably be decided among the members of an early breakway group. The Cote d'Echallon (3 kms at 6.6%) is not too far from the finish (19.5 kms), but not enough to cause GC action. The subsequent descent doesn't seem too technical, and could probably cause trouble only in rainy conditions.

Stage 12: Bourg-en-Bresse > Saint-Etienne 185.5 kms
With the Alps coming the following day, this could reward an early break, but it's not uthopian for sprinters to try and win this. The Col des Brosses is very long (over 15 kms), but not steep at all (3.3%); the Cote de Grammond is even less so (2.9%). Teams like Cannondale could definitely go for this, but even a top-shape Cavendish could resist on climbs like these, especially if his team organizes the chase well, so that they can ride on the KOMs at a quiet pace.

Stage 13: Saint-Etienne > Chamrousse 197.5 kms
First high mountain stage. The fight between GC contenders will probably begin only on the final climb, but the Col de Palaquit should not be underestimated. It'a long climb (14.1 kms), and its average gradient doesn't give a proper idea of its difficulty: it starts with a kilometre at 7%, then up for 2 kms at 10.5%; a 2-kilometre descent precedes 3 kms of easy gradients, but then come 5 kms at an average of 9.4%. The penultimate kilometre of this section is at 11.7%. If a GC contenders plans on attacking on the Chamrousse climb, this is an ideal chance to cause the first selection.
The final climb is much better known. It's very important to know the characteristics of the climb, as it's quite irregular, and the first 7 kms are the hardest part. After that, kilometres at around 8% alternate with others at 5-6%. Riders willing to attack will have to be aware of this aspect of the climb, and choose carefully where to make their move.

Stage 14: Grenoble > Risoul 177 kms
Typical alpine stage, even if it pales in comparision with other big mountain stages in the same region. The Col de Lautaret is notoriously super-easy, even if it's climbed from its harder side; the Izoard is much more difficult, with the final 7 kms constantly at 7-8-9%, but the downhill and the almost 20 kms of false-flat following the climb will probably be too much to see some GC action. Only riders with lots of minutes to recover in GC might try something.
Anyway, the final climb will definitely see some attacks, even if it's not a killer climb. The gradients are quite steady, no double-digit sections, but also very little space to rest. Big gaps are unlikely, except maybe for riders cooked by the previous mountains.

Stage 15: Tallard > Nimes 222 kms
This is the kind of stage that drives my dad mad: he can only see stages live in the week-end, and they put a meaningless sprint on Sunday. I know you probably don't give a thing about this fact, but I couldn't just skip the stage, and this is the most interesting thing I could come up with about it. Seriously, unless echelons or other unpredictable events happen, this is coming down to a sprint or a break, with absolutely nothing bound to happen in the peloton.

Stage 16: Carcassonne > Bagnères-de-Luchon 237.5 kms
Nice way to introduce the riders to the Pyrenees. All the action is obviously going to be concentrated on the Port de Balès, where we already saw some great racing in 2010, the only other time the Tour had is as its last climb (once again with the finish in Bagnères-de-Luchon).
The climb is long (almost 20 kms), even if the race direction decided to categorize only the final 11.7 kms. Anyway, that's of course the steep part of the climb, and it's really hard: 2 kms are over 10%, another kilometre is over 9%, three more are over 8%. The summit is only 21 kms away from the finish, and only the final 3 kms are flat. The descent if quite techinical and narrow, so there's room for new gaps to form, or for the ones created on the climb to extend.

Stage 17: Saint-Gaudens > Saint-Lary - Pla d'Adet 124.5 kms
I'll get this straight: I don't like this stage. It's way, way too short for my taste. I always considered cycling - and GTs in particular - as an endurance race (I'm afraid this term has a stronger meaning in English than it has in Italian, but I can't come up with a better translation). Stages like this are too short for professional cyclists, in my opinion.
Still, this aspect of the stage might help us see some exciting race. The Portillon will probably be just a warm-up, but starting with the Peyresourde, anything can happen. If I were to make a prediction, anyway, I'd say GC action may start on the Val Louron - Azet: it's the shortest climb of the day (7.4 kms), but also the steepest (8.3%), it's just 22 kms from the finish, and especially just 12 kms away from the beginning of the Pla d'Adet, with virtually no flat between the two. If I remember correctly, the downhill is quite technical too.
Of course, we'll see a showdown between the GC contenders on the final climb, and it may be brutal. The stats of the climb are incredibly similar to the ones of Semnoz (10.2 kms at 8.3% vs. 10.7 kms at 8.5%), and that caused massive gaps last year, in a similarly short (125 kms) but easier stage.

Stage 18: Pau > Hautacam 145.5 kms
I'm probably getting boring (well, I probably did around stage 2, but still), but I don't like this stage either. Technically speaking, the same Tourmalet - Hautacam combo is appearing for just the 2nd time, but it feels like I've seen it a hundred times. It's the same Tourmalet + MTF sequence we've been seeing since forever, and the climb is no longer that new (it's the 5th finish there in the last 20 years). Also, the flat section between the end of the descent of the Tourmalet and the beginning of Hautacam is pretty long, a problem which could have been avoided by just climbing the Aubisque instead of the Tourmalet (I know that's not exactly a fresh climb either, but I won't even consider the idea of Prudhomme climbing Spandelles).
Anyway, there's of course room for some good racing. We're talking about 17.1 kms at 7.3% followed by 13.6 kms at 7.8%, halfway into the final week, after two stages on the Pyrenees, three on the Vosges, two on the Alps, a stage on the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix and plenty of hilly stages. Also, this being the final mountain stage, there are a couple of major GC contenders who might go all-in if they're not in yellow at the start of this stage (I don't think I have to mention their names, but they start with C and N).

Stage 19: Maubourget - Pays du Val d'Adour > Bergerac 208.5 kms
Coming right after the Pyrenees, I think an early breakway will take this. Otherwise, sprinters will be back in the limelight, in spite of the Cote de Monbazillac (1.3 kms at 7.6%) 13 kms from the finish.

Stage 20: ITT Bergerac > Périgueux 54 kms
First and only time trial of the Tour. The fact it's the only one made me think it would be totally flat, so I was surprised when I saw the profile. It's very hilly, even if the proportions of the profile may be a little misleading. TT specialists might gain minutes and minutes on pure climbers, but, as I expect the GC competition to be between guys who TT well, I think it will come down to just who has more energy left in the tank. This could also cause some surprises in terms of stage win, as we'll have to see how the likes of Martin and Cancellare will have passed the mountains.

Stage 21: Evry > Paris-Champs-Elysées 137.5 kms
Well, we know this stage by heart, no point in spending too much time writing about it. Great showdown between sprinters in the most beautiful scenery any city can offer.

Final thoughts:
First thing: I like the route. I want to make it clear, because I'm going to follow this statement with a lot of words about what I dislike about it. It features the best first week I've ever seen in any Tour de France, and one of the best I've seen in any GT in recent years. The Giro, whose first half was simply atrocious this year, should take notice.
Since the first part of the race was so well-designed, I'm even more upset about the aspects I didn't like, as Prudhomme & co. were very close to giving us the best TdF route in ages.
The main fault is, in my opinion, the lack of 200+ kilometres mountain stages with multiple climbs. Those are the endurance stages which embody the essence of cycling, in my opinion. I'm not asking for zomegnanesque Gardeccia-like monster stages (though I loved that one), but just for a 200+ kms stage with 3-4 HC/1st cat. climbs. The queen stage is 125 kms long, the final mountain stage 145. My views may be a little extreme, but is kind of sprint-stages are too, on the other hand.
The other complaint I have is that almost all the high mountain stages have a been-there-done-that feeling to me. Of course, Risoul is a new climb for the Tour, but not really an exciting one; Chamrousse and Hautacam are not ultra-classics like Alpe d'Huez, but they're still nothing new. Most of all, with the exception of Palaquit, the other climbs on the Alps and Pyrenees are always the same: Lautaret, Izoard, Portillon, Peyresourde, Azet, Tourmalet.
Anyway, I'll repeat: I like the route. It's fresh, it keeps the race alive for its entire lenghth (and not just for the final 10-12 days, as it used to be in some recent years), it features different kinds of terrains. Still, since so many things were so well crafted, it's a shame that they missed a couple of details that would have made this a wonderful route.

PS: sorry for my poor English and my limited lexicon.

 

[gregrowlerson]

I pretty much agree with your analysis Matt92 of what is a very good Tour De France route. Throw in a 15km ITT on stage 1, plus an extra 80kms to the beginning of stage 17, and nobody would have any complaints.

I like ITT's very much, but don't mind the organisers giving various size helpings of time trial kilometres. Since 2012 had a lot (plus not much in the way of climbing) and last year a reasonable amount, then this year didn't need to be time trial heavy; still, 54kms is not enough IMO.