Tour 2014 Route Rumours

[Eshnar]

Can we stop the OT, thanks.

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

 

[Afrank]

Le Tour De France has already been there, and will be back in 2014. But where is it?

So where is this?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

No rumours from me, but does anyone know if there's any more detail about the last stage in the UK - Cambridge to London via Epping Forest? Depending on what way the come down from Cambridge to Epping Forest there's a lovely big hill they can take, and I'm interested to see what they're going to do with it! (Will also affect where I might watch the stage!)

Considering the tougher than expected stages around Yorkshire, ASO would probably want to make the London show a bunch sprint.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Considering the tougher than expected stages around Yorkshire, ASO would probably want to make the London show a bunch sprint.

Pretty much this. Around 99% sure the London stage will be almost flat and be a bunch sprint.

 

[Lupetto]

So where is this?

Philippe Thys after crashing on the stage from Longwy to Dunkerque in 1913.

http://la-legende-du-tour.francetvsport.fr/fr/photo/699/chute-de-philippe-thys/annee/1913

 

[barmaher]

Snow in July? How high up? I thought there weren't any high mountains in the northeast of France?

 

[barmaher]

So it looks like there is no TTT now. Is that right? Just one time trial? It doesn't look like a balanced route with all the MTF they are planning.

 

[Netserk]

Snow in July? How high up? I thought there weren't any high mountains in the northeast of France?

I don't see any snow.

 

[barmaher]

It looks like snow to me. But clearly I am just thick.

 

[jens_attacks]

let me guess....the magnificent,beautiful tarmac to pau

 

[Pricey_sky]

So it looks like there is no TTT now. Is that right? Just one time trial? It doesn't look like a balanced route with all the MTF they are planning.

It looks like it will be a long TT to suit the specialists. Froome will put minutes into most of his rivals if rumours are correct.

 

[JRanton]

No, it is clearly correct that Andy lost time because of a bad descent. He was further down at the end of the stage than he was at the summit. We can argue with each other until we're blue in the face about the ins and outs of what would have happened if he hadn't been in the position of being behind at the summit, it's straight up untrue to say that he didn't lose time because of a bad descent, because he did.

There are a few comparable situations. Team Sky got upset at Movistar pushing the pace in Paris-Nice last year on a descent, which caused Levi Leipheimer to crash. They felt it was unfair to attack on a descent, when they were already attacking when Leipheimer crashed; their express purpose was to distance poor descenders, and by crashing Leipheimer got himself distanced; it's then morally ambiguous whether to continue as that was a consequence or to hold up as a contender had crashed. When Valverde crashed in the Jersey Rojo in the Vuelta, Team Sky got on the front and drove it hard to distance him: pure hypocrisy (I'd have called it score-settling, but Movistar never punished Sky in Paris-Nice, and OPQS got their own back on Valverde in Catalunya). In the 2010 Giro in the mud stage, Vincenzo Nibali crashed in the maglia rosa; there was a bit of consternation at the front about what to do in the group with Evans, Vino and Garzelli, but eventually two stage-hunting Milram riders decided that while the GC men may be unsure about waiting for a crashed GC leader, they were not GC men and were interested in a potential stage win; once they started attacking, Vino and Evans covered them, and Nibali eventually lost nearly 3 minutes.

Cases are different, sure, but it's not a totally unique situation. It can be - and has been - argued that Andy slipped his chain shifting (I don't recall the details exactly and can't be bothered to consult youtube right now) and was therefore to blame for his own misfortune, therefore isn't as unfortunate as, say, Chavanel, who punctured in the maillot jaune on the cobbles and was left behind like the GC irrelevance he ultimately is in a three week race by the unrepentant Saxo boys.

Besides, Contador obviously felt some remorse for his actions, or he wouldn't have been sprinting for the line in the TT in Bordeaux to try to ensure his victory was by more than 39".

Valverde's crash in the Vuelta happened just after Sky (Flecha) attacked in the crosswinds. Nobody sits up and waits in that situation, even for the race leader.

 

[JRanton]

It looks like it will be a long TT to suit the specialists. Froome will put minutes into most of his rivals if rumours are correct.

It will be at the end of the race though so recovery and how strong you're feeling at the point is almost as important as your TT skills.

 

[Linkinito]

let me guess....the magnificent,beautiful tarmac to pau

Nope, it's Philippe Thys after his crash in the Longwy - Dunkerque stage in 1913. The crash happened near Lille.

 

[fauniera]

No Spandelles apparently. Pescheux ruining it again, as usual.

 

[Linkinito]

No Spandelles apparently. Pescheux ruining it again, as usual.

It's no more Pescheux who designs the stages, it's Thierry Gouvenou now. Pescheux however still assists until 2015, then he'll retire.

The problem with Spandelles is the road is really narrow. Some smaller races like the Route du Sud can take it without any problem, but the Tour de France has like 5 times more cars. That's the main problem with it: it's so big, they probably can't take some roads like Spandelles.

But Velowire.com says the news from La Dépêche du Midi shouldn't be taken too seriously.

 

[jens_attacks]

i love tourmalet but even myself i'd like more to see spandelles...maybe next years then

 

[guncha]

This route is torture to time trialists. In 2010 un 2011 there was just one ITT; however, prologue in 2010 and TTT in 2011 gave them at least some opportunities. I thought I would never miss prologue in TDF...

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

This route is torture to time trialists. In 2010 un 2011 there was just one ITT; however, prologue in 2010 and TTT in 2011 gave them at least some opportunities. I thought I would never miss prologue in TDF...

A cobbled stage and a long ITT is more than enough to balance the mountain stages, IMO. Unless you want Froome to win by 10+ minutes...

 

[jens_attacks]

so is schlucht in? 2005 side?? sky to vanish like discovery?

and how much from ballon d'alsace top to the finish?

froomey might end the race right there

 

[The Hitch]

This route is torture to time trialists. In 2010 un 2011 there was just one ITT; however, prologue in 2010 and TTT in 2011 gave them at least some opportunities. I thought I would never miss prologue in TDF...

Ah yes 2011. A ttt that gave the weakest time trialists in tdf history (hyperbole) 0 time loss to evans an a time gain over contador, Sanchez, voeckler.

meaning that when it came to the mountains they didn't even think there was any need tp attack because after the ttt (which balanced things out so much) the pure climbing specialists were already in a great position.

What a perfect balancing role that played how very different the tdf would have been without it.

Totally comparable to a prologue where tt time is judged by tt ability (don't want that, that doesn't "balance out the route")

 

[movingtarget]

It will be at the end of the race though so recovery and how strong you're feeling at the point is almost as important as your TT skills.

Even if it is at the end of the race who will put time into Froome in the TT apart from Cancellara and Martin ? His climbing is strong as is his recovery and he will still put good time into most of his rivals in the TT and a bit less maybe into Nibali, and someone like TJVG who will be out of contention by then anyway.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

So it looks like there is no TTT now. Is that right? Just one time trial? It doesn't look like a balanced route with all the MTF they are planning.

they want quintana to win, althouhg a ttt wouldn't hurt him.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

It looks like it will be a long TT to suit the specialists. Froome will put minutes into most of his rivals if rumours are correct.

not if it's on the last day. then it's all about recuperation and froome showed in this years tour that isn't his strongest point

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

A cobbled stage and a long ITT is more than enough to balance the mountain stages, IMO. Unless you want Froome to win by 10+ minutes...

a pure mountain itt of 15-20 km, a ttt of 30 km, long flat itt of 50 km on the last day is balanced enough for me