Tour 2012: Route Rumours / Our wishes

[Libertine Seguros]

Any hints on the order of the big mountain blocks? Will they go first to the Alps then the Pyrenees?

Starting from Liège I would expect that route, unless they want to go even longer without the high mountains than this year.

 

[The Hitch]

Any hints on the order of the big mountain blocks? Will they go first to the Alps then the Pyrenees?

13 is a big anniversary. So Alpes will probably be main event. Do they want to do Alpes 3 years in a row. I dont know. Id guess maybe Pyranees. Its also easier to go down to Alpes from Liege rather than go around into Pyranees then turn back East into Alpes.

 

[Lupetto]

Instead of a pure mountain time trial they should include a technical difficult tt with climbs and descents. Something like Sestri Levante – Riomaggiore transferred to the Département Alpes-Maritimes. Or bring back the beast, where Ullrich dominated everyone. A course for a complete rider.

Fewer flat kilometers between mountain passes. I like to see a combo of Colle San Carlo and Petit St.Bernard. It is even possible in a 45 km tt.
And then we have so many nasty, steep roads in Aquitaine region. Use them, ASO.

Also one of my favourites is Signal de Bisanne. It can be easily combined with the well known Cormet de Roselend.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Oh and i cant stress this enough.

NO TTT!!!!



What do you mean monster course?

Theres no difference between Andora Arcalis and Zoncolan remember?

And it cant be that monster if they start in Corsica and avoid all the climbs.

Monster in a sense that they include ´many the "legendary" clims, so many high mountain stages

 

[Bavarianrider]

Who else would be looking for more TT mileage and fewer high mountains, sugar?

Well there was an article on cyclingnews today that said the focus lies in the medium mountains.

I am not very hopefull for the TT though.

 

[Dead Star]

I'd like a cobbled stage again. Wet dream for the photographers and always produces exciting first week stages. The last one was superb ('cept for Frank Schleck's collarbone).

Wonder if they'll include any stages with tricky descents at the end? All that whinging by Andy might make them reconsider?

 

[El Pistolero]

Starting from Liège I would expect that route, unless they want to go even longer without the high mountains than this year.

It will be a flat stage if we can believe Phil. So don't have your hopes up high for any mountain stages soon if they already mess up Liege.

 

[Thomsena]

One long mountain stage of 160 km with 8.0 % in avg. - No downhill. Just up, up, up.

Oh, and put some cobbles on that bish aswell - there's your drama!

 

[roundabout]

Well there was an article on cyclingnews today that said the focus lies in the medium mountains.

I am not very hopefull for the TT though.

Medium mountains?

Ugh.

I mean more stages with them are always welcome but focusing on them is ridiculous.

 

[Lanark]

Ok, maybe a bit of a crazy idea, but I would love to see a ITT early on with some cobblestones. Why not? Because you can't use an ITT bike? Then don't.

Maybe a 30km ITT with 10 kilometers of cobbles. You would get some great footage, enough cobbles to make a difference but no danger of crashes like you would have in a normal stage. Last year's stage was nice to look at, but it was pretty much a case of 'were you in front or behind the crash', it had little to do with the riders abilities to handle cobblestones.

 

[icefire]

Medium mountains?

Ugh.

I mean more stages with them are always welcome but focusing on them is ridiculous.

It'd be fine if they don't come at the expense of the high mountains. Having them arranged to avoid two consecutive sprint stages would be too much to ask.

BTW, you may get rid of your Rebellin avatar

 

[Cult Classics]

Medium mountains?

Ugh.

I mean more stages with them are always welcome but focusing on them is ridiculous.

Why? Higher doesn't always mean better. When stages are really hard it sometimes just neutralises the race and means nothing much happens. Bit like at plateau de beille this year. Look at the stage to Gap this year - would big name riders have attacked hard on a climb like that if there'd been an HC summit to follow? Liege-Bastogne-Liege is always a great example of how - when they have to - riders will go hammer and tong at each other over 2-3km climbs. I would like to see a year with no or just 1 HC finish to force riders to attack earlier and harder on shorter climbs.

Would definitely like to see the Ballon d'Alsace and the following hill nearby (Weening won I think in a sprint with Kloeden following the descent). I remember the riders attacked a lot on that hill.

 

[mortand]

Would definitely like to see the Ballon d'Alsace and the following hill nearby (Weening won I think in a sprint with Kloeden following the descent). I remember the riders attacked a lot on that hill.

The Col de la Schlucht. That was a great stage in 2005. They passed the same climb in the rainstorm stage Heinrich Haussler won in 2009. That wasn't quite as fun though.

 

[The Hitch]

I'd like a cobbled stage again. Wet dream for the photographers and always produces exciting first week stages. The last one was superb ('cept for Frank Schleck's collarbone).

Wonder if they'll include any stages with tricky descents at the end? All that whinging by Andy might make them reconsider?

Saint Andrew hath spoken on the cobbles too so dont have high hopes where thats concerned.

 

[Fus087]

What I wish for:
- A hilly stage around Charleville-Mézières - it's easy to reach from Liège, it's already in France, and it's in the general direction of the course (clockwise in 2012 I suppose).
- Cobbles: Preferably some Flanders climbs (finish on Oude Kwaremont anyone? ), but another Roubaix stage like 2010 would be awesome too.
- In general, a first week with alternating flat stages and more demanding stages, like this year. It was a huge success (in regards to the racing).
- One or several medium mountain stages in the Vosges and/or Jura to shake things up.
- Alpes: One mountain-top finish and one descent finish (if that has to be Galibier-Briançon, please end the stage on that steep climb like they did in 2007), another medium mountain stage further south (Alpes-Maritimes) and/or Mont Ventoux.
- Pyrénées: Don't waste the big climbs. This year's Aubisque stage was interesting, but only in the breakaway - in terms of GC it was non-existing. A finish in Loudenvielle will work better; the Port de Balès is a good climb for a descent finish too. If they go to Spain, they could use some less-known Spanish climbs (mountain-top finish). And please make a stage in the Basque Country.
- ITTs: Prologue; long, demanding ITT between the big mountain ranges (à la Giro 2009); 30-35 km final ITT, but completely flat.
- Finally, some Breton ribinou (preferably with heavy wind, but that's not a course design question). After the mountains, on the day before the ITT. It could lead to some GC action, but even if the GC is as good as set (or the riders don't make it happen), it should make for good racing for the stage win.

I realise I probably won't get half of this, though.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Col de Granon is all I'm asking for

Yes!!! It would be great

 

[hughmoore]

What would the time gaps be in a MTF TT such as Alpe D.

Would the Schelcks reverse tables on Evans or would what?



Hugh

 

[craig1985]

wrong thread idiot (ie me)

 

[Rouetheday]

Several posters have asked for a stage in the French Basque area. There is a climb south of St. Jean-Pied-de-Port called the Pic de Beillurti. It's only six kilometres long, but it averages 13 percent! I can't say what the road condition is like, but surely the powers that be could manage to pave (or re-pave) 6 K of road. Also, my Michelin map indicates there are several routes to this plateau so accessibility for the publicity caravan, the fans and everyone else shouldn't be a problem. This climb seems like the perfect final mountain challenge before the final TT.

 

[mickkk]

My wish list.

Australian Prologue, it cant be too tough on a chartered A380.

Cobblestones
Dirt roads
Same gears as 100 years ago
300k plus stages (Nancy wake did 360k on a fixed wheel during the war)
No radios, only race radio
Vintage outfits
Velodrome stage
No water/food assistance from team cars, riders carry everything or buy it on the road like the old days.
Bonus points for break away riders over 100k
Twice the number of riders
Savage cut off times

 

[dlwssonic]

heard there might be a mountain TT up the alpe d huez. But they gotta control the crowds.

 

[Tuarts]

Australian Prologue, it cant be too tough on a chartered A380.

Rofl, Rest day before even Stage 1.

 

[Eshnar]

Time for an equal Thread to this.

Sorry but this is not equal to my thread. It lacks a poll

 

[richtea]

I'd like them to integrate a Devil style stage somehow on a road circuit, perhaps having them compete for bonus seconds. You could do it in heats maybe to manage the number of riders - with the final heat being contested between each team's leading rider on GC.

 

[AussieGoddess]

Actually I would love them to bring back time bonuses