Tour 2012: Route Rumours / Our wishes

[peloton]

focus on the medium mountains,what a complete fail.
can't even comment on a such thing.

+1

medium mountains, there's going to be very small time differences..
I liked this years route a lot.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I want this as a first stage in the Alps (not likely since we're probably going clockwise and this starts on the Mediterranean coast):

Menton - Barcelonnette - over the Col du Castillon (15km @ 4,5%), Col de Braus (11km @ 5,7%), Col de Turini (30km, 5,1%), Col St Martin (20km @ 5%), Col de la Couillole (16km @ 7,3%) and finishing off over the Col de la Cayolle (20,5km @ 6,3%) with about 25km descending in to the finish.

That would be approximately 230km and I reckon we could have some big gaps opened up on the Couillole even with Tour-style racing pre-Galibier.

It could also follow directly on from a long Côte d'Azur ITT, which a few of us have called for, patterned after the great Sestri Levante ITT in the '09 Giro.

 

[KasperAnker]

How come everybody seems to agree, that an ultimate MTF at Arette PSM seems awesome - but nobody notices the opportunity of finishing on a much steeper (though shorter) version of the summit - immediately after a 5 K descent from the dreadful Col de Hourcère?
Check the profile:
http://www.salite.ch/pierres2.asp?M...zvfmd&dx=485&dy=330&empriseW=970&empriseH=661

I would love this solution. It reminds me of the Queen's stage of the '09 Tour over the Col de Romme and Col de la Colombière. - Only with a MTF

This also gives an opportunity to lead the route over the Col de Labays
http://www.salite.ch/labays2.asp?Ma...q3gmd&dx=485&dy=330&empriseW=970&empriseH=661

This solution would give 20 flat km's after the descent, which is 3 km's less than the 'Marie-Blanque > Arette'-solution.

- KasperAnker

 

[jobiwan]

Here are some rumors that I stumbled upon.

Original French
English Translation

Rumors include:

1. Tough Ardennes stage in the first week
2. 1 or 2 stages in the Jura, one of them finishing in Porrentruy, Switzerland
3. Grand Colombier
4. Stage finish in Le Grand Bornand, probably approaching from Switzerland. (Romme/Colombiere combo a la '09 would be ideal, please)
5. Stage finish on Montagne de Lure (2009 Paris Nice Stage 6) after an ascent of Mont Ventoux from the Malaucène side.

Just pure rumors, not necessarily with any sources, but adding along nicely to what has already been put together.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

How come everybody seems to agree, that an ultimate MTF at Arette PSM seems awesome

It's a climb that flattens out towards the top. I'm not sure what gave you the idea that everyone is in love with that climb.

 

[KasperAnker]

It's a climb that flattens out towards the top. I'm not sure what gave you the idea that everyone is in love with that climb.

Well not exactly in love. But most post seemed positive, although 'awesome' might have been an exaggeration. Paddy Sweeney from La Lanterne Rouge and VeloPeloton seems thrilled. And the middle section of the climb from Arrette is interesting.

I was just puzzled why noone seemed to notice the other version of the climb, which I posted.
-I would love to see this in the 2012 Route.

Don't you agree?

 

[KasperAnker]

Btw if they stop in Arette-Pierre-Saint-Martin, the finish line will be around the 28 km at 1645 m's altitude. So it would not flatten towards the end...http://www.salite.ch/pierres2.asp?M...zvfmd&dx=485&dy=330&empriseW=970&empriseH=661

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Much better if they climb it from Tardets via the Col du Suscousse.

 

[KasperAnker]

Much better if they climb it from Tardets via the Col du Suscousse.

Seriously?
They both pass by Suscousse. The one I propose descends from La Hourcère to Suscousse, while your's climb directly to it.

This is the difference according to salite.ch

Col de Suscousse - difficulty 86,09
http://www.salite.ch/suscousse.asp?...6xfmd&dx=485&dy=330&empriseW=970&empriseH=661

Col de la Hourcère - difficulty 126,09
http://www.salite.ch/hourcere.asp?M...9xfmd&dx=485&dy=330&empriseW=970&empriseH=661

Also, the climb from Tardets is too far from any difficult mountains that could be on the Route before the final climb...

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Tour to have a finish in Porrentruy, Switzerland (Translated to English)
Original Article

So we're at least going to get one stage in the Jura, and if the focus really is on medium mountains in 2012, this could be an interesting couple days.

Wonder if it will be the same as stage 3 of Tour de L'Avenir? Looks a decent stage if so.

Le Grand Ballon - 1.4 km @ 8.8% - Catégorie 2
Col du Hundsrück - 5.9 km @ 6.4 % - Catégorie 2
Col des Rangiers - 4.4 km @ 5.1 % - Catégorie 3
Col de la Croix - 3.7 km @ 9.3 % - Catégorie 1

 

[Lupetto]

1: Prologue Liège
2: Liège – Seraing
3: Visé – Tournai
4: Tournai - Le Touquet
5: Abbeville - Rouen
6 : Gournay en bray - Saint Quentin
7: Orchies – Charleville Mézières
8: Sedan – Metz
9: Tomblaine – Ballon d'Alsace - Porrentruy
10: Belfort– Dijon
11: Nuits-Saint-Georges – Lyon
12: Parc des Oiseaux-Villars-les-Dombes – Morzine
13: Alberville – La Toussuire
14: St Jean de Maurienne – Annonay
15 : Annonay - Mende
16: CLM individuel Rodez
17: Mazamet – Guzet-Neige
18: Foix – Pla d'Adet
19: Saint-Lary-Soulan – Pierre-Saint-Martin
20: Pau – Bordeaux
21: Versailles – Paris Champs Elysées

Possible route based on rumours, taken from the Petite-Reine forum.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Possible route based on rumours, taken from the Petite-Reine forum.

No ITT..??

 

[roundabout]

What do you think CLM stands for?

 

[jens_attacks]

what a farce,again all the grand tours will have less than 50 km of itt.

 

[Race Radio]

Generally the most accurate route rumors come from Thomas Vergouwen

http://www.velowire.com/home.php?l=en

I don't see a thread yet on his site for 2012 but I assume he will have one soon. He has been spot on for the last 3 years.

 

[BillytheKid]

Presumably a mountain top ITT, cobbled or Ardennes stages minus a significantly long "flat" ITT, even with more medium mountain stages, could be seen as route that again favors Andy Schleck. If you have two long ITTs, one bumpy and technical. It would be impossible for either Schleck to win and maybe even podium. Super team (HA!) or not.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Possible route based on rumours, taken from the Petite-Reine forum.

All the way until stage 12 without a mountain again?

See, this is what happens when everybody forgets what a farce the first 2 weeks of the Tour were, and just remembers the hot finish. Prudhomme considers it a success and does it again.

I'd say they may as well combine the Dauphiné and Route du Sud into one race, but that would still contain more worthwhile race days.

 

[jens_attacks]

forget it libertine some will say it's epic because it's so much tension and you don't know the winner until the last stage.and it's very good that again probably the nervosity will crash out more than half of the gc contenders.and then some will vote it as the greatest grand tour of the year.
really i don't have any sort of expectations from le tour next year.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Presumably a mountain top ITT, cobbled or Ardennes stages minus a significantly long "flat" ITT, even with more medium mountain stages, could be seen as route that again favors Andy Schleck. If you have two long ITTs, one bumpy and technical. It would be impossible for either Schleck to win and maybe even podium. Super team (HA!) or not.

Why would medium mountain stages suit Andy? Have you forgotten he needs long and steep mountains to make a difference?

 

[Ferminal]

All the way until stage 12 without a mountain again?

Even then there are no HCs out of Morzine are there?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Even then there are no HCs out of Morzine are there?

Unless they grow a pair and send the riders to the Pas de Chavanette, I fully expect a finish on either Avoriaz or a finish in Morzine itself after a descent.

 

[roundabout]

Joux Plane. Doesn't look like they'll be going to the ski resort as 5(6) MTFs will be too much. On the other hand Joux Plane this early would be a waste while without it it will be rather bland - Ramaz only

 

[Ferminal]

Wouldn't a climb up the harder side of Joux Plane and a descent into Morzine be the best option then?

 

[roundabout]

You are correct. But if Morzine is the first Alpine stage it expect it to be 2003-like.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2003/tour03/?id=stages/stage7

 

[roundabout]

I actually like the proposed big mountain stages. They can be pretty epic if the terrain between points A and B is maximized.