TDF 2016 design to give all the 'big 4' an equal chance?

[Catwhoorg]

The most decisive stage this year ?

Stage 2 to Zeeland.
1:28 between Froome and Quintana, compared to 1:26 on ADH. In the end those echelons were the difference between the two.

With a longer flatish TT, this Tour would have been perfect for balance between the fantastic 5 (TJVG deserves to be considered in that group too)

 

[willbick]

Re:

And him being getting ill is almost a given isn't it? With being THAT skinny. It's like the risk you take to climb a mountain faster by being so light. I'm sure some of the other riders could attempt to get that skinny too, but most feel it leaves themselves too susceptible to getting sick

Lol he was not in any way sick. TJVG was sick - he couldnt pedal and had to abandon. Froome was a million miles from that

 

[SeriousSam]

There's some middle ground between completely healthy and being so sick you are dropped when the peloton hits a hill.

 

[Steven Roots]

Re:

Has there been any rumours of next years parcours? I know it starts in France, but that's about it. You would expect more TT, I will predict a hilly TT of 35km.

We know the first two stages (Mont-Saint-Michel-Utah Beach, and then St-Lô-Cherbourg, with an hilly finish according to Gouvenou), the third one starts from Granville which is in the vicinity and in the same department (Manche).

One stage finish, a rest day and the stage start following for Andorra.
Im trying to draw what could be a great route (i saw that there is a thread for that, which is really nice), we'll see what Prudhomme will do, then we will crawl in foetal position and cry.

 

[Taxus4a]

I think is not a question of a route that suite some riders similar, but a route for a Tour de France rider, a complete route, ITT, wind, mountain, long stages, explosive stages, diferent kind of finish, etc...

At the end the stronger rider win despite the route, but this year wansnt the best route for Froome, he was very disapointing..but in a stage with wind and cobbles, pure climber are going to pay that, maybe in the day, or maybe later in the race...coblestone stage didnt got differences between the main favourites, but in Pierre sant Martin some riders payed that and another stages...

 

[Poursuivant]

Re: Re:

Has there been any rumours of next years parcours? I know it starts in France, but that's about it. You would expect more TT, I will predict a hilly TT of 35km.

We know the first two stages (Mont-Saint-Michel-Utah Beach, and then St-Lô-Cherbourg, with an hilly finish according to Gouvenou), the third one starts from Granville which is in the vicinity and in the same department (Manche).

One stage finish, a rest day and the stage start following for Andorra.
Im trying to draw what could be a great route (i saw that there is a thread for that, which is really nice), we'll see what Prudhomme will do, then we will crawl in foetal position and cry.

Cheers

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

I think the best mountain stage for Quintana would probably be Bourg-Saint-Maurice -> Iseran -> Galibier -> Granon. 195km long that even if it only has three climbs (four with telelgraphe) would have about 5600m of vertical gain. All three climbs of high altitude as well.

bring it *** ON!

 

[bassano]

Re:

The most decisive stage this year ?

Stage 2 to Zeeland.
1:28 between Froome and Quintana, compared to 1:26 on ADH. In the end those echelons were the difference between the two.

With a longer flatish TT, this Tour would have been perfect for balance between the fantastic 5 (TJVG deserves to be considered in that group too)

Van Garderen, seriously? How you can say that? Van Garderen is just zero compared to them, he won just nothing, Valverde is way to better and he is not only one

 

[dwyatt]

I think they should re-run the 1979 tour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_Tour_de_France#Stages

If quintana can win this i'll start supporting him

 

[Vino's Mum]

Re:

I think they should re-run the 1979 tour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_Tour_de_France#Stages

If quintana can win this i'll start supporting him

TDF: Bernard, we'd love it if you could win a second Tour in '79, do you have any preferences for the route?
The Badger: Moar time trials.
TDF: Oh, go on then.

 

[MellowJohnny]

Descending is Nibali's strength, not sure how to factor that in to a course.

 

[dwyatt]

Re:

Descending is Nibali's strength, not sure how to factor that in to a course.

Easy, make the route run north to south.

 

[Asero831]

no more valleys. It discourages long range attacks

 

[dwyatt]

Re:

no more valleys. It discourages long range attacks

Ah cunning, move the mountains closer together, i like it.

 

[oncehadhair]

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

 

[dwyatt]

Re:

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

How do you explain this years course with no real time trials then?

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

How do you explain this years course with no real time trials then?

Money. Cities don't like ITTs.

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Re: Re:

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

How do you explain this years course with no real time trials then?

Money. Cities don't like ITTs.

You need to explain that one to me Netserk. Empirical evidence says your right. Don't understand why ??

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

How do you explain this years course with no real time trials then?

Money. Cities don't like ITTs.

You need to explain that one to me Netserk. Empirical evidence says your right. Don't understand why ??

Fans don't like ITTs, so cities and sponsors don't either. Too few people bother watching them. Heck, TTTs are more popular than ITTs.

 

[dwyatt]

Re: Re:

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

How do you explain this years course with no real time trials then?

Money. Cities don't like ITTs.

You need to explain that one to me Netserk. Empirical evidence says your right. Don't understand why ??

Fans don't like ITTs, so cities and sponsors don't either. Too few people bother watching them. Heck, TTTs are more popular than ITTs.

Don't really undertsand that - as a roadside fan i've always felt ITT's are the best by far. Surely it is roadside fan's that bring money to a city?

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Re:

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

I think we all need to understand how impossibly difficult choosing a TDF route is.

I have no doubt in my mind that the TDF does cater for the riders involved. AND RIGHTLY SO. Anglo-American fair play dictate that everything should be a level playing field year after year. A flat snooker table.

The French say fck that. AND RIGHTLY SO. But they will always give you a chance. At least one, but a maximum of one. x x

 

[Fight.The.Power]

Re: Re:

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

How do you explain this years course with no real time trials then?

Money. Cities don't like ITTs.

You need to explain that one to me Netserk. Empirical evidence says your right. Don't understand why ??

Fans don't like ITTs, so cities and sponsors don't either. Too few people bother watching them. Heck, TTTs are more popular than ITTs.

Well from experience, watching the ITT and TTT (and I have only watched Chartres and Nice live) have been better to watch live than any other stage I have seen Netserk ?

 

[oncehadhair]

Re: Re:

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

How do you explain this years course with no real time trials then?

I think you'll find that the opening stage was considered a time trial (rather than a prologue). I'm not sure there are any rules regarding number and length of time trials.

 

[oncehadhair]

Re: Re:

It seems Prudhomme is trying to design courses that have the best of France and cycling (steep mountains, open descents, technical descents, rolling farmland, windy coast, Belgian cobbles, time trials etc) with no transition stages. In doing so he gives some hope to time-trialers, climbers, puncheurs and sprinters of the peloton.

The idea of designing courses that favour one cyclist or another are hopefully far from his thinking.

And let the most consistent cyclist win the gc and the opportunists win some stages.

I think we all need to understand how impossibly difficult choosing a TDF route is.

I have no doubt in my mind that the TDF does cater for the riders involved. AND RIGHTLY SO. Anglo-American fair play dictate that everything should be a level playing field year after year. A flat snooker table.

The French say fck that. AND RIGHTLY SO. But they will always give you a chance. At least one, but a maximum of one. x x

Its more likely that the organisers design a route and the nerds pick it to pieces and claim it has been designed for one rider or another. So as far as catering for the riders involved they will usually be the same (different names but similar range of abilities).

The organisers are trying to showcase cycling and france (and satisfy sponsors). By having different types of stages gives all riders a chance.

There is no level playing field because no matter what sort of course is designed it will be possible to claim that it favours a certain rider (or type of rider).

 

[hrotha]

Doing an ITT in a city means essentially shutting it down for a whole day. Locals often don't like that.