Tdf 2014

[Andre.J]

I haven't had a decent night's sleep in the last 4 years due to the fact that TDF has become such a mess. So here is my proposition. I know there will be many mistakes so please tweak away at it.

1 stage of Prologue: 10 miles in difficult cobblestone roads (Paris-Roubaix style).

4 flat finishes including Paris arrival. The sprinters can have fun with the intermediate sprints since they get so many points for them now.

1 time trial descending a mountain. maybe 20 miles or so. This would be interesting to see the good descenders showing their skills.

1 regular time trial for another 30 miles or so.

6 MTF's. one really hard one where they climb up a 2 then quickly start on a 1 and then find their way to a HC as soon as possible.

3 rolling stages with many 2's i it all the way to the finish and end it with a similar finish like stage 1 2011.

2 stages that start on an HC and just ride down to the finish...a short stage. If it's too short we can do another stage after that one like they used to. Bring the riders up again to the same spot and let them descend again. Could be fun. Maybe we have to this one 3 or 4 times.

2 completely flat stages with a real tough climb at the end.


Apart from this, reduce teams to 5 or six per squad, and maybe add a few more teams....but less riders would be great.

Andre

 

[Boeing]

I haven't had a decent night's sleep in the last 4 years due to the fact that TDF has become such a mess. So here is my proposition. I know there will be many mistakes so please tweak away at it.

1 stage of Prologue: 10 miles in difficult cobblestone roads (Paris-Roubaix style).

4 flat finishes including Paris arrival. The sprinters can have fun with the intermediate sprints since they get so many points for them now.

1 time trial descending a mountain. maybe 20 miles or so. This would be interesting to see the good descenders showing their skills.

1 regular time trial for another 30 miles or so.

6 MTF's. one really hard one where they climb up a 2 then quickly start on a 1 and then find their way to a HC as soon as possible.

3 rolling stages with many 2's i it all the way to the finish and end it with a similar finish like stage 1 2011.

2 stages that start on an HC and just ride down to the finish...a short stage. If it's too short we can do another stage after that one like they used to. Bring the riders up again to the same spot and let them descend again. Could be fun. Maybe we have to this one 3 or 4 times.

2 completely flat stages with a real tough climb at the end.


Apart from this, reduce teams to 5 or six per squad, and maybe add a few more teams....but less riders would be great.

Andre

RE your TT Descending suggestion. how about a TeamTT climb/ descent. Start on incline end on decline. no flat just climb together tuck together


one of the early stages this year had a climb Phil said looked like his intestines. that would be a good one

 

[Old School]

I can DIG IT!

It is time for a change...more creativity would make the REAL fans go crazy.

 

[Boeing]

lest we forget that Le Tour is designed as a 3 week parade for the French to celebrate themselves first and a race second. After all it is the only culture they have left

 

[pastronef]

I haven't had a decent night's sleep in the last 4 years due to the fact that TDF has become such a mess. So here is my proposition. I know there will be many mistakes so please tweak away at it.

1 stage of Prologue: 10 miles in difficult cobblestone roads (Paris-Roubaix style).
4 flat finishes including Paris arrival. The sprinters can have fun with the intermediate sprints since they get so many points for them now.

1 time trial descending a mountain. maybe 20 miles or so. This would be interesting to see the good descenders showing their skills.

1 regular time trial for another 30 miles or so.

6 MTF's. one really hard one where they climb up a 2 then quickly start on a 1 and then find their way to a HC as soon as possible.

3 rolling stages with many 2's i it all the way to the finish and end it with a similar finish like stage 1 2011.

2 stages that start on an HC and just ride down to the finish...a short stage. If it's too short we can do another stage after that one like they used to. Bring the riders up again to the same spot and let them descend again. Could be fun. Maybe we have to this one 3 or 4 times.

2 completely flat stages with a real tough climb at the end.


Apart from this, reduce teams to 5 or six per squad, and maybe add a few more teams....but less riders would be great.

Andre

both suggestions are a bit mad. why do they have to ride a tt prologue on the cobbles? it is nonsense
and the downhill from HC... please let be serious, is it cycling or a circus?

they would need to eliminate Pau as a finish for pyrenean stages, find some steeper climbs, and reduce teams to 7 riders. that would be enough to try and see what happens.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

There should be an elimination race stage, race about the first 10km to give riders a chance to establish their position then the final rider every km gets eliminated. Each rider eliminated loses a second more than the rider eliminated after them with bigger time gaps once they get down to the top ten or twenty.

 

[Richeypen]

I haven't had a decent night's sleep in the last 4 years due to the fact that TDF has become such a mess. So here is my proposition. I know there will be many mistakes so please tweak away at it.

1 stage of Prologue: 10 miles in difficult cobblestone roads (Paris-Roubaix style).

4 flat finishes including Paris arrival. The sprinters can have fun with the intermediate sprints since they get so many points for them now.

1 time trial descending a mountain. maybe 20 miles or so. This would be interesting to see the good descenders showing their skills.

1 regular time trial for another 30 miles or so.

6 MTF's. one really hard one where they climb up a 2 then quickly start on a 1 and then find their way to a HC as soon as possible.

3 rolling stages with many 2's i it all the way to the finish and end it with a similar finish like stage 1 2011.

2 stages that start on an HC and just ride down to the finish...a short stage. If it's too short we can do another stage after that one like they used to. Bring the riders up again to the same spot and let them descend again. Could be fun. Maybe we have to this one 3 or 4 times.

2 completely flat stages with a real tough climb at the end.


Apart from this, reduce teams to 5 or six per squad, and maybe add a few more teams....but less riders would be great.

Andre

Pretty much agree with none of that. This year's Tour was one proper cobbled stage and one super hard Mountain stage away from being spot on.

 

[happytramp]

Okay! Got it. Instead of a team time trial we have a team based four man relay. There are four parts, where one rider tags another in by passing him.

A 10k time trial
A 5K climb
A 5K descent
A 1.5k Sprint

Four teams set out together (no drafting in the TT, there's marked lanes)
Eg, Cancelarra time trials and tags in Schleck for the climb, or Sagan tags in Basso for the climb who then tags in Nibali for the decent. It would be very, very exciting to watch.

 

[vcampbell]

I should start a thread about the 200th anniversary edition of the Tour. I would love that!

 

[Finn84]

About 2014 Tour interesting thing is that one of the Tour greats has 50th birthday during it. His hometown is not too far from French border so I could see a visit there.

Maybe something like:
July 16th: Intermediate stage to Villava
July 17th: Pamplona hilly TT
July 18th: Pyrenees mountain stage starting from Spain

 

[DominicDecoco]

Definitely needed the 10th race design thread..

 

[Christian]

lest we forget that Le Tour is designed as a 3 week parade for the French to celebrate themselves first and a race second. After all it is the only culture they have left

That's rich coming from a SoCalian!

 

[movingtarget]

I haven't had a decent night's sleep in the last 4 years due to the fact that TDF has become such a mess. So here is my proposition. I know there will be many mistakes so please tweak away at it.

1 stage of Prologue: 10 miles in difficult cobblestone roads (Paris-Roubaix style).

4 flat finishes including Paris arrival. The sprinters can have fun with the intermediate sprints since they get so many points for them now.

1 time trial descending a mountain. maybe 20 miles or so. This would be interesting to see the good descenders showing their skills.

1 regular time trial for another 30 miles or so.

6 MTF's. one really hard one where they climb up a 2 then quickly start on a 1 and then find their way to a HC as soon as possible.

3 rolling stages with many 2's i it all the way to the finish and end it with a similar finish like stage 1 2011.

2 stages that start on an HC and just ride down to the finish...a short stage. If it's too short we can do another stage after that one like they used to. Bring the riders up again to the same spot and let them descend again. Could be fun. Maybe we have to this one 3 or 4 times.

2 completely flat stages with a real tough climb at the end.


Apart from this, reduce teams to 5 or six per squad, and maybe add a few more teams....but less riders would be great.

Andre

Looks like Andy for the Giro in 2014 !

 

[Old&slow]

Since we are designing Tours. Here is my Dream Tour.

12 Flat Sprint stages all with time bonuses.
4 Classic stages with Time bonuses for finish and intermediate sprint.
2 MTF finishes with no time bonuses finish and intermediate sprint.
1 Prologue
1 TTT
Last stage to Paris will have Double time bonuses for finish and intermediate sprint.

With this formula it would be possible for a sprinter to win the Tour as we all know they are much more deserving than the traditional GC drama queen climbers. Plus we will have a much more exciting Tour as we eliminate the boring intermediate breakaway and mountain stages and add in many more exciting sprint stages.

 

[Boeing]

That's rich coming from a SoCalian!

We have the Rose Parade

 

[janraaskalt]

Can this thread be renamed, since it has nothing to do with the real TDF2014?

I was expecting real news about the race, not dreams.

 

[Magnus]

Can this thread be renamed, since it has nothing to do with the real TDF2014?

Agreed .

 

[draexem]

1 stage of Prologue: 10 miles in difficult cobblestone roads (Paris-Roubaix style).

1 time trial descending a mountain. maybe 20 miles or so. This would be interesting to see the good descenders showing their skills.

2 stages that start on an HC and just ride down to the finish...a short stage. If it's too short we can do another stage after that one like they used to. Bring the riders up again to the same spot and let them descend again. Could be fun. Maybe we have to this one 3 or 4 times.

Terrible suggestions.

I'd just stick with reducing the number of riders per team and getting rid of race radio for now instead of trying to dream up funky courses.

 

[Andre.J]

both suggestions are a bit mad. why do they have to ride a tt prologue on the cobbles? it is nonsense
and the downhill from HC... please let be serious, is it cycling or a circus?

they would need to eliminate Pau as a finish for pyrenean stages, find some steeper climbs, and reduce teams to 7 riders. that would be enough to try and see what happens.

The cobbles are to make it more interesting or different.

 

[Andre.J]

both suggestions are a bit mad. why do they have to ride a tt prologue on the cobbles? it is nonsense
and the downhill from HC... please let be serious, is it cycling or a circus?

they would need to eliminate Pau as a finish for pyrenean stages, find some steeper climbs, and reduce teams to 7 riders. that would be enough to try and see what happens.

There should be an elimination race stage, race about the first 10km to give riders a chance to establish their position then the final rider every km gets eliminated. Each rider eliminated loses a second more than the rider eliminated after them with bigger time gaps once they get down to the top ten or twenty.

I like that idea a lot...but I dont think they'll go for that one. TDF has to get modern like this. No radios either...I forgot to mention that on the thread.

 

[Andre.J]

lest we forget that Le Tour is designed as a 3 week parade for the French to celebrate themselves first and a race second. After all it is the only culture they have left

Boeing, this is exactly what we have to get rid of.

 

[Andre.J]

Pretty much agree with none of that. This year's Tour was one proper cobbled stage and one super hard Mountain stage away from being spot on.

That's pretty funny!!!