Tour 2012: Route Rumours / Our wishes

[auscyclefan94]

On a positive side: with a parcours like this, the race can't disappoint. Is it so difficult to put one 200+ km mountain stage with 4+ decent climbs (with the last 2 close enough to the finish) in the parcours
I hope the climbers will finally take advantage of the opportunities in the medium mountains. Anyone still remembers the stage to Gap this year? It only had a cat2 climb near the finish, but it caused some fireworks.

Let's hope ASO put in some hilltop finishes in the first week (Seraing, probably Boulogne, hopefully Rouen)

edit: lots of "hopes" in this post

Boulogne is definetly an Hill top finish.

 

[42x16ss]

Boulogne is definetly an Hill top finish.

That's the thing - it's a hill finish. So the biggest time gap amongst contenders will be what? 5-10 seconds unless there's a break, which will be unlikely that early.

And it is before the TT, so if it goes wrong for a climber it could be game over before the mountains start, no matter what heroics they come out with in the Pyrenee/Alps.

One big nasty queen stage and this route would be amazing, but ATM it is very underwhelming...

 

[auscyclefan94]

That's the thing - it's a hill finish. So the biggest time gap amongst contenders will be what? 5-10 seconds unless there's a break, which will be unlikely that early.

And it is before the TT, so if it goes wrong for a climber it could be game over before the mountains start, no matter what heroics they come out with in the Pyrenee/Alps.

One big nasty queen stage and this route would be amazing, but ATM it is very underwhelming...

For all we know, that could be the pyrenean stage to Peyreguade.

 

[just some guy]

If you guys think BMC were riding on the front and getting in the way during the 1st 10 days last year.

Expect all GC contenders teams to be fighting - if you think 2011 was a nervous race 2012 will be a crash fest. I hope no one gets hurt badly.

I guess Matt Haymen maybe the most important guy for SKY next year, Burghardt for BMC etc etc.

 

[auscyclefan94]

If you guys think BMC were riding on the front and getting in the way during the 1st 10 days last year.

Expect all GC contenders teams to be fighting - if you think 2011 was a nervous race 2012 will be a crash fest. I hope no one gets hurt badly.

I guess Matt Haymen maybe the most important guy for SKY next year, Burghardt for BMC etc etc.

The reason why there was many crahses this year is due to lack of prologue and early mountain stages. They provide a pecking order in the peloton. Also, 2011 was just an extremely bad tour/year for crashes. Those riders such as Burghardt are always important.

I've been enjoying reading Bavarianrider's posts on this thread especially with his gloating regarding the number ot ITT km's and asking for some more Well played!

 

[LaFlorecita]

pfff silly hitch claiming that there are itt's outside of july . . .

This made me laugh so hard.

But hey, he did OK in the TT in this years Tour as well.

 

[Ferminal]

All I ask for:

 

[McLovin]

All I ask for:

reverse that stage.

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

One big nasty queen stage and this route would be amazing, but ATM it is very underwhelming...

The amount of TT km's is good, but it's now gone too far the other way in favour of the TTers rather than the climbers. One or two more mountain stages would make it fantastic. I can see Sky trying to go all US Postal on this and drilling it on the mountain stages to suck the life out of any climbers who might want to attack.

reverse that stage.

+1000

 

[Bavarianrider]

why the final itt on the penultimate again????? move that to 4 days earlier and have a MTF on the penultimate stage for pure action....

I agree on that. That shouldn't have the TT on the last saturday more or less every ****ing year.

 

[McLovin]

+1000

I'm serious. It's gonna be the 16'th stage next year. It would have been even better with Marie-Blanque before Aubisque.

 

[Descender]

Maybe this stage will teach the pure climbers to take advantage of every inch of the terrain that favours them.

The TTlists do it, why shouldn't the climbers do it? Why should we watch impotently how they softpedal a whole mountain range like this year?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Some amusing posts here.

I see Stages 1-6 = lots of crashes. Lots and lots of crashes. Beyond there, lots of nothing.

What's amusing is that I have been wishing for a Tour like we saw in the early 90's, with a total of 200km TT distance. But not at the total expense of climbs. Instead, we got a bit more TT than in recent years (95km total), but considerably less climbs!

This looks like a Tour with a lot of breakaways in the last two weeks, where a rider like Voeckler might be able to actually steal a stage, and the Tour.

 

[just some guy]

@marcopinotti: For what it counts, I like the "leaked" Tour de France 2012 route.

 

[The Barb]

I don't like taking long term bets but Wiggins at $21 is now too good to resist.

Assuming nothing goes wrong for him between now and July 2012, he could just about be favourite with this horrendous route, no?

 

[Bavarianrider]

I don't like taking long term bets but Wiggins at $21 is now too good to resist.

Assuming nothing goes wrong for him between now and July 2012, he could just about be favourite with this horrendous route, no?

Are we talking about the guy that couldn't even beat his own domestique in the Vuelta??

I'd put my money on Evans.

 

[Ferminal]

@marcopinotti: For what it counts, I like the "leaked" Tour de France 2012 route.

Should lead the TdF and send Cuddles to the Giro.

 

[auscyclefan94]

The amount of TT km's is good, but it's now gone too far the other way in favour of the TTers rather than the climbers. One or two more mountain stages would make it fantastic. I can see Sky trying to go all US Postal on this and drilling it on the mountain stages to suck the life out of any climbers who might want to attack.



+1000

Sky couldn't go US Postal and if they did they would blow Wiggins up and set it up really well for guys like Alberto and Frandy.

Maybe this stage will teach the pure climbers to take advantage of every inch of the terrain that favours them.

The TTlists do it, why shouldn't the climbers do it? Why should we watch impotently how they softpedal a whole mountain range like this year?

Thank you. Very logical argument. The climbers will now be not so passive and not wait for the final mountain range to attack. They will have to attack early and hard. Many of you will be surprised how good this tour will be.

btw, Cadel retweeted Marco's tweet about liking the tour!

 

[TeoSheva]

Are we talking about the guy that couldn't even beat his own domestique in the Vuelta??

I'd put my money on Evans.

that guy, the same that was on the podium at the same Vuelta, that won the Dauphine, and which is one of the three best TTers in the World...

 

[just some guy]

EFIC FAIL ASO!


Lots of TT km's!!!! YAY!!!! Doesn't look like Many MTF's. Also, Menchov won't get invited to the Tour unless Geox goes WT. With the amount of invites they don't have enough room for them.

Sky couldn't go US Postal and if they did they would blow Wiggins up and set it up really well for guys like Alberto and Frandy.


Thank you. Very logical argument. The climbers will now be not so passive and not wait for the final mountain range to attack. They will have to attack early and hard. Many of you will be surprised how good this tour will be.

btw, Cadel retweeted Marco's tweet about liking the tour!

..................................

which is it then ?

 

[jens_attacks]

i wonder guys who will lead the europcar team.
kern must be dreaming right now of the podium of le tour if the team will let him this time racing until the finish
rolland has no chance that's for sure,way too much itt for him

 

[just some guy]

that guy, the same that was on the podium at the same Vuelta, that won the Dauphine, and which is one of the three best TTers in the World...

4 best ITT Evans has come the closest to beating Tony in ITT in the last 6 months

 

[hrotha]

i wonder guys who will lead the europcar team.
kern must be dreaming right now of the podium of le tour if the team will let him this time racing until the finish
rolland has no chance that's for sure,way too much itt for him

Are you saying the team pulled him out and that Kern wasn't injured? Why would they do that?

*whistles innocently*

 

[auscyclefan94]

..................................

which is it then ?

It was an epic fail for aso because because they released the route on their website too early and leaked the route not because of the route itself. I have always liked this route after I knew 2 ITT's were on the agenda. A tougher Alprine stage may of made it better but I am quite content with the route.

 

[Winterfold]

Sky couldn't go US Postal and if they did they would blow Wiggins up and set it up really well for guys like Alberto and Frandy.

Did you watch the Dauphine and the Vuelta?