Also remember the Grand Tours also seem to try to make their routes suitable to try to favor their home riders. Last year was a great example of that for the Vuelta with a course that fit Valverde extremely well.
Tour this year.
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Also remember the Grand Tours also seem to try to make their routes suitable to try to favor their home riders. Last year was a great example of that for the Vuelta with a course that fit Valverde extremely well.
I would pay good money to see him take on the Mont Ventoux Desnivelée Challenge.
He was DQed from the Stelvio stage for hanging on to cars.Well, to be fair to him, he has finished a Vuelta and won stage 18 in a Giro. It's actually a bit strange, because looking at PCS he seems to have completed stage 20 on the Stelvio in 2012 as well but is not listed as having participated on the following day's TT?
Guys like Pelucchi and Mareczko are worse climbers.
Race organisers keep an eye on TV audience data and take that into account for race design. Even before races were live on TV race organisers did things such as adding Poggio to MSR or search for old farm roads to use in Roubaix or Flanders because changes in the peloton or road surface had turned those races unselective.This whole parcours thing is an interesting discussion.
The TdF led the diminishing ITT K's because they did not have a French rider who could take advantage.
If a new Hinault shows his face then we will be back to 150k's of ITT per Tour.
As for the flat stages and bunch sprints you have to keep them because so many teams invest big money in sprinters and lead-out men.
One stage win makes a TdF for so many teams so if a few can land a sprint you are saving the industry and helping keep teams alive via the subsequent sponsorship exposure.
It's not fair that 98% of the riders have not a chance to win anything. Next year move the race to Nepal and go for Mount Everest. Then only 0.1 % can win. This is not a fair competition and not exiting for any wievers. Suggest 50% mountains and 50% no mountains. This is more fair for all the riders and will be much more exiting for us to see.
It's not fair that 98% of the riders have not a chance to win anything even #2 or #3. Next year move the race to Nepal and go for Mount Everest. Then only 0.1 % can win.
But are you bound to have some Sepp Kuss action?Not sure why everyone's missing the central brilliant idea here. Realistically you probably have to finish at Phaplu Airport which is still a long way from Base Camp and only 2500m altitude, but your final climb is like 20+km going up over 3000m so you're bound to get some GC action there.
That has always been the way of road cycling, whether they ride on flat, hilly or mountainous terrain.