Tour 2012: Route Rumours / Our wishes

[just some guy]

So is there any recording of the presentation per chance?

TSF said he would have one up a some stage

 

[Bavarianrider]

http://www.letour.fr/2012/TDF/COURSE/fr/les_sommets_du_tour.html

All mountain stage profils.

Pyrenees are actually pretty tough. Nothing to complain. great route!

 

[The Hitch]

So is the route any different from the one that was expected (yes I have just gotten back from something else so have no idea what has been going on).

TSF said he would have one up a some stage

Great. Merci,

 

[theyoungest]

However this route brings Wiggins and Evans into the battle (for second place...). Wiggins should be a better time trialist than Evans or Contador (with the two being about equal, eh?) but he'll probably be the worst climber of the three.

Wiggins a better time trialist than Contador? Not really, I don't think he's beaten him in the last couple of years. Contador is both the best climber and the best (certainly in the context of a grand tour) time trialist of the GC contenders. I.e. there will be virtually no beating him.

 

[The Hitch]

TSF said he would have one up a some stage

Great. Merci,

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Let him believe Evans can actually beat Contador on top form on a course like this. It's more fun in July that way

I have not seen any maps yet, just the stage listing. But with only 4 mountain stages Conti may not be the only man everyone should worry about. Possibly a TTer who can climb... besides Conti. Or a breakaway specialist who can tough it out in the mountains, like Voeckler.

Overall I'm not very happy with the route with just 4 mtn stages. There are too many road stages for me to like this course.

 

[just some guy]

Wiggins a better time trialist than Contador? Not really, I don't think he's beaten him in the last couple of years. Contador is both the best climber and the best (and most consistent) time trialist of the GC contenders. I.e. there will be virtually no beating him.

1. CAS

2. the 1st 10 days again - 2 potential cross wind days and nervous peloton means you need a strong team to Sheppard the GC guys.

 

[The Hitch]

Wiggins a better time trialist than Contador? Not really, I don't think he's beaten him in the last couple of years. Contador is both the best climber and the best (certainly in the context of a grand tour) time trialist of the GC contenders.

WOW!!!.

The Cadel group will not be pleased with that.

I.e. there will be virtually no beating him.

You think Contador will get off? I mean the CAS thing. Because to me it seems he doesnt have much of a chance.

 

[Magnus]

So is the route any different from the one that was expected (yes I have just gotten back from something else so have no idea what has been going on).

If you expected only 4 mountain stages in stage 11, 12, 16 and 17 and the rest to be flat sprint stages it is different.

If you had looked at a map and what terrain could be used I think it's all you could hope for.

 

[Forunculo]

Wiggins a better time trialist than Contador? Not really, I don't think he's beaten him in the last couple of years. Contador is both the best climber and the best (certainly in the context of a grand tour) time trialist of the GC contenders. I.e. there will be virtually no beating him.

Cadel and him are at same level for me, depend of the factors at that moment if one performs better than other.

 

[Ferminal]

I'm with roundabout, the extra 15km between Croix de Fer and La Toussuire is unnecessary and detracts, rather than adds to the stage. If they wanted extra distance they could have done something around Albertville before going on to Madeleine.

 

[gregrowlerson]

http://www.letour.fr/2012/TDF/COURSE/fr/les_sommets_du_tour.html

All mountain stage profils.

Pyrenees are actually pretty tough. Nothing to complain. great route!

Thanks for the link!

Mountains aren't so bad/disappointing. And it's great that all 3 MTF's are on rarely used Tour climbs - certainly different to the norm. 4 mountain stages could be fairly decisive, so I'm not sure that the climbers are that disadvantaged. And if you're going to lose 4 minutes on a single TT then you probably shouldn't be in contention for the yellow jersey. Maybe on average a climber can get back a minute on stage 7, 11, 16 and 17 while limiting his losses to 2 minutes each on the 2 long TT's??

 

[Bavarianrider]

Thanks for the link!

Mountains aren't so bad/disappointing. And it's great that all 3 MTF's are on rarely used Tour climbs - certainly different to the norm. 4 mountain stages could be fairly decisive, so I'm not sure that the climbers are that disadvantaged. And if you're going to lose 4 minutes on a single TT then you probably shouldn't be in contention for the yellow jersey. Maybe on average a climber can get back a minute on stage 7, 11, 16 and 17 while limiting his losses to 2 minutes each on the 2 long TT's??

The two pyrennes tage are very good!

 

[Thomsena]

Best stages this year were not stages with finish on summit, meaning we have plenty of great and possibly exciting stages next year - we need Alberto for that though.

 

[Ferminal]

Interesting that of the six hardest climbs in the race, none of them are the last climb of the day. Bales is the only one which comes close enough to the finishing climb that it might actually produce some racing? Neither are any of the MTFs "HC".

 

[jens_attacks]

another mountains stage with something like it was this year,agnel-izoard-galibier and it could have been a perfectly balanced route.
the climbers have to go early on almost every stage,that's the only thing that can give entertainment

 

[The Hitch]

Aye he often makes a difference on "easy" climbs. Uses his explosiveness to get clear and he climbing+TTing ability to increase the gap. In the Giro he was at his best on the easier climbs tbh.

The easier climbs in the Giro would be fully classed HC's in the Tour.

Etna was something like 6.5% for 21km.

The part Bertie attacked on and spent the first few km stretching his lead on was over 8%

He also owned on Grossglockner though people forget that one because he gave the stage to Rujano, and that if included in the Tour would be the hardest climb they ever done. It had several full km of 10 and even 11% while the TDF hypes the "feared" 9% sections on Plateau De Beille,

He destroyed everyone by about a minute on Nvegal which had several 10% sections in the middle.

Then theres dropping everyone on Gardeccia at will which is 6km at 9% and of course messing around on Zoncolan the day before.

And he won on Angirilu.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

Stage 10 looks ok and 11 looks quite good, but it is very short. I like the finish at the bottom of the Peyresourde, and from that profile, not much flat between Tourmalet, Aspin, and Peyresourde which should be entertaining (hopefully). Does anybody know how many km's there are from the top of the Perguere on stage 14 to the finish in Foix?

 

[Cimber]

The easier climbs in the Giro would be fully classed HC's in the Tour.

Etna was something like 6.5% for 21km.

The part Bertie attacked on and spent the first few km stretching his lead on was over 8%

He also owned on Grossglockner though people forget that one because he gave the stage to Rujano, and that if included in the Tour would be the hardest climb they ever done. It had several full km of 10 and even 11% while the TDF hypes the "feared" 9% sections on Plateau De Beille,

He destroyed everyone by about a minute on Nvegal which had several 10% sections in the middle.

Then theres dropping everyone on Gardeccia at will which is 6km at 9% and of course messing around on Zoncolan the day before.

And he won on Angirilu.

Not saying he is bad on steep climbs, but that he is also good at flatter climbs. I remember he put some nice time into Andy a few years back on the Andorra climb which is not steep at all (cant remember its name)

 

[Cimber]

The two pyrennes tage are very good!

Any1 got profiles for them? on ASO's homepage I can only see profiles of the stages in tghe Alps

 

[AussieGoddess]

If the climbs were harder, then I would say no one has a chance against Contador.

With the climbing stages as they are, I actually think Evans, and maybe even Wiggins/Menchov and a few others have a chance.

 

[Cimber]

Riis about the 2012 course:

*Nice route for Bertie, though a few more mountain stages had been nice. But 100km TT is good.
*Cadel will be the main rival, as the course suits him perfectly.
*Refreshing with some new climbs
*The route will make the race interesting as it will force riders like Andy to attack more and earlier.
*Stage 7 shouldnt be underestimated

http://saxobanksungard.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3428

 

[Luke Schmid]

Interesting that of the six hardest climbs in the race, none of them are the last climb of the day. Bales is the only one which comes close enough to the finishing climb that it might actually produce some racing? Neither are any of the MTFs "HC".

I would be hopeful of stage 10, although the Col du Grand Colomibier is 40+kms from the finish there is hardly any flat at all, downhill mostly and the Richemond. If someone, or a couple of riders, can get a bit of time then they might well make it to the finish.

This route really needed stage 15 to be a mountain stage, probably a MTF.

 

[The Hitch]

When was the last time the TDF was raced in June?

Not saying he is bad on steep climbs, but that he is also good at flatter climbs. I remember he put some nice time into Andy a few years back on the Andorra climb which is not steep at all (cant remember its name)

Arcalis

I never said that you said he was bad on steep climbs.

I was just pointing out that attacks that may seem to be on easier gradients because they were minor mtfs at the Giro, are the kind of mtfs that will be considered hard come July.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

... Does anybody know how many km's there are from the top of the Perguere on stage 14 to the finish in Foix?

40Km, although a lot of that is descent. 12-15Km flat.