Tour 2012: Route Rumours / Our wishes

[Duartista]

I don't mind so much the lack of MTFs, as long as the other mountain stages are tough. It will present a different challenge to the riders. My main criticism would be the lack of a really long, hard queen stage to balance out the extra TT-ing.

 

[Bavarianrider]

maybe one for LLS



just like this year in the

There were lots of mountain satges and only few TTkm this year.

Next year's ratio looks much more balanced. I like the route.

 

[theyoungest]

Certainly those mounatin stages will be super intense. As there aren't too many of them, climbers will have to attack early.

Your man Tony M actually has a shot at this.

edit: that's probably why you call it "balanced".

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

There were lots of mountain satges and only few TTkm this year.

Next year's ratio looks much more balanced. I like the route.

you must have an odd notion of mountain stages.

I mean I counted 4, where only 2 saw action.

But I suppose being a martin fanboy it is hard to draw the line at what is a mountain stage.

 

[AussieGoddess]

you must have an odd notion of mountain stages.

I mean I counted 4, where only 2 saw action.

But I suppose being a martin fanboy it is hard to draw the line at what is a mountain stage.

meh - if Tony can stay with them over 25 HC climbs, with 4 MTF's then he probably will go up in my estimation anyway, winner or not

 

[theyoungest]

you must have an odd notion of mountain stages.

I mean I counted 4, where only 2 saw action.

But I suppose being a martin fanboy it is hard to draw the line at what is a mountain stage.

It's actually pretty easy: Martin gets dropped --> mountain stage.

 

[kanari]

It's actually pretty easy: Martin gets dropped --> mountain stage.

This year on the stage to Gap he was in the break with a chance of a stage win but was dropped be Hesjedal, EBH and Hushovd. I wouldn’t open the champagne just yet if I were Bavarianrider…

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

This year on the stage to Gap he was in the break with a chance of a stage win but was dropped be Hesjedal, EBH and Hushovd. I wouldn’t open the champagne just yet if I were Bavarianrider…

No way he wins the tour, but it's about as good of a chance as he will get.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Gesink won't make this in good form anyway cause of the injury. Would surprise me if he could..

his career is probably over by then anyway and mollema will be the future boy and after that maybe kelderman.

 

[airstream]

What your thoughts about 12th stage, guys? How may it look?

 

[Bavarianrider]

What your thoughts about 12th stage, guys? How may it look?

The finish s way out of the real Alps. So there will be some mountains in the beginning of the stage. But that's it. Nothing will happen for the GC here.

 

[Sophistic]

Betting companies will have to contact NASA to calculate the odds for Purito

 

[The Womble]

I'm British and i live Pau. Couldn't be happier

 

[roundabout]

Betting companies will have to contact NASA to calculate the odds for Purito

To be honest apart from Contador, Evans and Wiggins/Froome the rest might well not bother

 

[jens_attacks]

just finished puking
anyway this is not a surprise for me,the routes of le tour de france are more for the women these days.marianne vos for the win.

the itt kms are ok that's normal and giro should do it too.but where are those 240 km mountain stages,where?what a fail
contador is the main favourite,true
wiggins/froome and menchov though are very strong contenders
cadel will have no pressure,he already has one and i can see him again on the podium


and how the hell on earth they showed it on le tour's site?

*goes to puke again

 

[Lanark]

I don't have any words for this. I've seen some weak Tour's, but this? Two MTF's on some glorified highways. That's it? Not in my worst nightmares I could have envisioned such a bad route.

The average Dauphiné is tougher than this, let alone the genuine Grand Tour's in Italy and Spain.

 

[Moncoutie]

Oh dear, that is a mess.

 

[ingsve]

There will be some really though desicions for Sky if they get Cavendish. You have a Tour with lots of flat stages just waiting for Cav and at the same time you have a Tour that Wiggins could win. Good for them that they have gotten guys like Siutsou who is used to working both in the mountains and in the sprints.

Wiggins
Uran
Rogers
Siutsou
Flecha
Thomas
Stannard
EBH
Cavendish

I guess this would be a team that would have a decent shot at both Green and Yellow.

 

[Bavarianrider]

The stage in the french Jura should be reall good.
The Madeleine-Glandon-Croix de Fer stage will be good. It's short but it's mountains from start to finish.
Same is true for the first Pyrenees stage.
Best route since 07

 

[Mambo95]

Wiggins
Uran
Rogers
Siutsou
Flecha
Thomas
Stannard
EBH
Cavendish

I guess this would be a team that would have a decent shot at both Green and Yellow.

My guess is Wiggins, Froome, Uran, Sivtsov, Cavendish, Eisel, EBH, Sutton, one of Porte/Pate/Stannard

 

[Moncoutie]

There will be some really though desicions for Sky if they get Cavendish. You have a Tour with lots of flat stages just waiting for Cav and at the same time you have a Tour that Wiggins could win. Good for them that they have gotten guys like Siutsou who is used to working both in the mountains and in the sprints.

Wiggins
Uran
Rogers
Siutsou
Flecha
Thomas
Stannard
EBH
Cavendish

I guess this would be a team that would have a decent shot at both Green and Yellow.

Thought Thomas had already said he isn't doing the Tour next year?

 

[El Pistolero]

Actually with this route it's going to be incredibly easy for Sky if they have both Cav and Wiggins.

 

[stefrees]

There will be some really though desicions for Sky if they get Cavendish. You have a Tour with lots of flat stages just waiting for Cav and at the same time you have a Tour that Wiggins could win. Good for them that they have gotten guys like Siutsou who is used to working both in the mountains and in the sprints.

Wiggins
Uran
Rogers
Siutsou
Flecha
Thomas
Stannard
EBH
Cavendish

I guess this would be a team that would have a decent shot at both Green and Yellow.

Swap Thomas (he's pretty certain he's not doing tour next year) for Porte or rogers and I'd agree yeah

 

[Richeypen]

Swap Thomas (he's pretty certain he's not doing tour next year) for Porte or rogers and I'd agree yeah

Froome will ride now. Bet its a happy day in the Wiggins household, no track for him next year though

 

[Arnout]

Well... What can we say.

I actually like the idea of two ITT's, it might heat up the racing in the mountains too. But then the mountain stages should be hard and not short (I know I know Alpe was 110km).

Actually the main problem again will probably not be the moutain stages itself but it looks like an insanely long wait for them - again.