Tour 2014 Route Rumours

[Linkinito]

There are at least 2. velopeloton, owned by a guy who lives in Pyrenees, near Lourdes, and velowire, owned by a guy named Thomas (I think he is from Paris). They usually post the final route a few days, sometimes weeks before the official presentation. Sometimes letour.fr post the route a week before the presentation (see 2012 route)

I know, I come from this very website (velowire.com). I am not the guy who does all the research. He does his post early september and updates it frequently and he gets the whole route right days before the official presentation!
In 2013 he got it 12 days before the presentation

 

[McLovin]

I know, I come from this very website (velowire.com). I am not the guy who does all the research. He does his post early september and updates it frequently and he gets the whole route right days before the official presentation!
In 2013 he got it 12 days before the presentation

Nice to meet you then....again. I read velowire.com (and occasionally post) since 2009 or so.
You are right about 2013. Anyway, if I remember correctly, in 2012 he went wrong with APSM instead of Peyragudes, but anyway, he's doing some nice work.

 

[Lupetto]

According to Tuttosport there will be a MTF to Sestriere, after Iseran, Galibier and Montgenevre

Juvesport also mentions a finish at Puy de Dôme.

 

[roundabout]

Maybe they mean the department?

 

[Linkinito]

Juvesport also mentions a finish at Puy de Dôme.

Impossible, since they constructed a rack railway, the Tour can't go up there anymore. Even for an ITT.

 

[ljpoyz]

Sorry this is a tiny bit off topic... I am planning a 2015 honeymoon which Im likely to be able to angle in the grand depart when is the general time for that to be announced?

 

[Netserk]

Sorry this is a tiny bit off topic... I am planning a 2015 honeymoon which Im likely to be able to angle in the grand depart when is the general time for that to be announced?

Next year's Grand Depart was announced in January, so we should know where they start in 2015 in about 5 months time.

 

[ljpoyz]

Thanks for the reply! I am hearing Utrecht is very keen (Also Venice and Berlin)!

Next year's Grand Depart was announced in January, so we should know where they start in 2015 in about 5 months time.

 

[Finn84]

I would not be keen to see TdF start in Italy or Spain as they have own Grand Tours.

 

[Netserk]

I would not be keen to see TdF start in Italy or Spain as they have own Grand Tours.

I agree, but it has happened before.

 

[staubsauger]

Impossible, since they constructed a rack railway, the Tour can't go up there anymore. Even for an ITT.

Half the road is still there isn't it?

But guess you're right as it's the tour and not the giro.

 

[Linkinito]

Half the road is still there isn't it?

But guess you're right as it's the tour and not the giro.

The road was already narrow, and now it's just even narrower (like 2 meters wide). Clearly not enough for some logistics on the Tour right now.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Thanks for the reply! I am hearing Utrecht is very keen (Also Venice and Berlin)!

I may be wrong but won't next years Grand Depart be held in a France as they only start every other Tour away from France?

 

[Afrank]

I may be wrong but won't next years Grand Depart be held in a France as they only start every other Tour away from France?

First 3 stages are from Yorkshire to London next year.

Edit: wait, were you talking about 2015? My bad if so.

 

[Netserk]

I may be wrong but won't next years Grand Depart be held in a France as they only start every other Tour away from France?

Both 2009 and 2010 started outside of France (Monaco and Netherlands). It's roughly every second year outside of France (and the other years inside of France), but it's not a certain thing.

Bolded started outside of France:

14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 09, 08, 07, 06, 05 & 04

 

[ljpoyz]

Thats basically how I understood it but everyone I have asked that generally gets some inside word has mentioned cities outside of France.
I want Berlin!

I may be wrong but won't next years Grand Depart be held in a France as they only start every other Tour away from France?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Only if we get Steiler Wand von Meerane and Teufelstein in the first couple of stages. I'm sure we'd end up with something dull like Berlin-Berlin, Potsdam-Hannover, Hannover-Dortmund, then probably something like Frankfurt-Strasbourg to head into France.

I'd probably like something like Berlin-Berlin, Dresden-Gera (over Teufelstein & Steiler Wand in tribute to the Friedensfahrt), Nürnberg-Stuttgart (finishing with a lap of the 2006 Worlds course), then something like Schramberg or Rottweil-somewhere like Guebwiller. I would absolutely adore something like this:

First 110km in Germany:

Second 120km in France:

Fohrenbühl (7,6km @ 4,6%)
Büchereck (4,5km @ 7,4%)
Kandel (11,8km @ 8,2%)
Col du Hundsplan (5,5km @ 6,7%)
Col du Firstplan (3,2km @ 5,6%)
Col du Platzerwasel (8,2km @ 8,0%)
Le Grand Ballon (16,2km @ 6,1%)

 

[ljpoyz]

Like it alot!

Only if we get Steiler Wand von Meerane and Teufelstein in the first couple of stages. I'm sure we'd end up with something dull like Berlin-Berlin, Potsdam-Hannover, Hannover-Dortmund, then probably something like Frankfurt-Strasbourg to head into France.

I'd probably like something like Berlin-Berlin, Dresden-Gera (over Teufelstein & Steiler Wand in tribute to the Friedensfahrt), Nürnberg-Stuttgart (finishing with a lap of the 2006 Worlds course), then something like Schramberg or Rottweil-somewhere like Guebwiller. I would absolutely adore something like this:

First 110km in Germany:

Second 120km in France:

Fohrenbühl (7,6km @ 4,6%)
Büchereck (4,5km @ 7,4%)
Kandel (11,8km @ 8,2%)
Col du Hundsplan (5,5km @ 6,7%)
Col du Firstplan (3,2km @ 5,6%)
Col du Platzerwasel (8,2km @ 8,0%)
Le Grand Ballon (16,2km @ 6,1%)

 

[rghysens]

Saturday, July 5 - Stage 1: Leeds - Harrogate (flat stage)
Sunday, July 6 - Stage 2: York - Sheffield (very hilly stage)
Monday, July 7 - Stage 3: Cambridge - London (flat stage)
Tuesday, July 8 - Stage 4: Le Touquet - Ypres (flat stage)
Wednesday, July 9 - Stage 5: Lille - Bouvines (cobbled stage)
Thursday, July 10 - Stage 6: Péronne - Reims (flat stage)
Friday, July 11 - Stage 7: Bar-le-Duc - Verdun (ITT - "voie sacrée")
Saturday, July 12 - Stage 8: Nancy - Gérardmer (medium mountain stage)
Sunday, July 13 - Stage 9: Colmar - La Planche des Belles Filles (mountain stage + MTF)
Monday, July 14 - Stage 10: Belfort - Dole (flat stage)
Tuesday, July 15 - Rest day
Wednesday, July 16 - Stage 11: Arbois - Oyonnax (medium mountain stage)
Thursday, July 17 - Stage 12: Villars-Les-Dombes - Saint-Étienne (medium mountain stage)
Friday, July 18 - Stage 13: Saint-Étienne - Grenoble (mountain stage)
Saturday, July 19 - Stage 14: Grenoble - Risoul (mountain stage + MTF)
Sunday, July 20 - Stage 15: Tallard - Nîmes (flat stage)
Monday, July 21 - Rest day
Tuesday, July 22 - Stage 16: Limoux - Bagnères-de-Luchon (mountain stage)
Wednesday, July 23 - Stage 17: Saint-Gaudens - Pla d'Adet (mountain stage + MTF)
Thursday, July 24 - Stage 18: Lourdes - Hautacam (mountain stage + MTF)
Friday, July 25 - Stage 19: Pau - Bordeaux (flat stage)
Saturday, July 26 - Stage 20: Bordeaux - Libourne (ITT)
Sunday, July 27 - Stage 21: Dreux - Paris Champs-Élysées (flat stage)

This seems way too good to be a real option for aso. Of course, they can completely screw the stages to Gérardmer, Oyonnax, Saint-Etienne and Grenoble.

 

[babastooey]

I'm a big fan of the Izoard climb because Gino Bartali is one of my all time heroes.

It sounds like if they do Lautaret-Izoard-Station de Risoul then they will be climbing it on the north side. It seems like they usually climb it from the south side and then descend into Briancon. Have they ever climbed it starting in Briancon? How much different is it coming from that direction? Does anyone know?

I suspect that it is just as tough from both directions, the Izoard is the Izoard, but I was just wondering.

 

[Netserk]

They have climbed Izoard six times from the north. Most recently in 2003.

Profile from the north:

 

[babastooey]

I guess it must have been on the Bourg d'Oisans to Gap stage when they climbed it. I'm not surprised I forgot about it, after all, that was the stage when Beloki went out and you know who went through a field.

 

[rghysens]

I'm a big fan of the Izoard climb because Gino Bartali is one of my all time heroes.

It sounds like if they do Lautaret-Izoard-Station de Risoul then they will be climbing it on the north side. It seems like they usually climb it from the south side and then descend into Briancon. Have they ever climbed it starting in Briancon? How much different is it coming from that direction? Does anyone know?

I suspect that it is just as tough from both directions, the Izoard is the Izoard, but I was just wondering.

South side is considered to be more difficult.

 

[McLovin]

South side is considered to be more difficult.

South side, north side, the most beautiful climb I saw until now.

 

[gregrowlerson]

This is looking like a really good route. Stages 7-9 are fantastic to already get us some serious action happening in the GC, even before we get to the Alps. And Pla d'Adet = Yay!