Tour 2014 Route Rumours

[Afrank]

Yes good route. The stage to Risoul is the most promising in terms of GC. It will be Galibier 2011 Déjà vu, it will be Andy Schleck attacking.

Fixed.

 

[Publicus]

I think we are in for some great racing. I don't think Froome can rely on the final ITT making significant differences as folks have previously speculated when we thought it was going to be pancake flat.

 

[phanatic]

Sagan v Kwiatkowski for green jersey?

 

[veji11]

1, 2, 7, 8, 11, 12: Sagan v Kwiatkowski for green jersey?

The existence of riders like Sagan and Kwiat changes the way some stages will be raced for sure... Where 2, 7, 8, 11 and 12 would have seen breakaways for sure in the past, now it will be hard to know, there will be a triple battle between fat assed sprinters vs Sagan/Kwiats vs breakaways.. interesting racing ahead.

 

[Netserk]

Kwiat won't ride the flat sprints, so is out of green. QS won't chase on Sagan stages, because of Cav's chances for green, but Kwiat will try to beat Sagan if Cav isn't in the group.

 

[The Hitch]

By tdf standards that route is amazing. Lacking an early time trial of course and imo a prologue but other than that fantastic. Best thing is pretty much every day there is something. The medium mountain stages half way through are in and of themselves better than some alpe or Pyrenees sections we've seen in years past.

 

[roundabout]

Yep most of it is good, though it still has a flat stage as the first, only one ITT and most mountain stages (read: the last two MTFs) are crap.

Portillon-Pyresourde-Azet-Pla d'Adet is a classic chain of climbs

 

[jsem94]

Definitely the best route in years.

 

[Afrank]

Sagan v Kwiatkowski for green jersey?

Kwiat will go for white I think.

 

[Eclipse]

I love it.

 

[Bavarianrider]

TT is 10km too short
Still it should be enough to create big gaps.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Although a long one, the tt shouldn't provide huge gaps on the given profile and probably twisty and narrow roads. Very nice.
And overall a very nice route. Offers plenty of opportunities.

Well it provided some gaps in 1994

1. Miguel Indurain: 1hr 15min 58sec
2. Tony Rominger @ 2min
3. Armand De Las Cuevas @ 4min 22sec
4. Thierry Marie @ 4min 45sec
5. Chris Boardman @ 5min 27sec
6. Bjarne Riis @ 5min 33sec
7. Thomas Davy @ 5min 35sec
8. Abraham Olano @ 5min 45sec
9. Arturas Kasputis @ 6min 1sec
10. Piotr Ugramov @ 6min 4sec

 

[BigMac]

Fixed.

I also wish that was the case but unfortunately it won't happen. He will likely be droped before the first intermediate sprint.

Kwiat will go for white I think.

He just has to try and keep going with the best and the jersey it's his. Only Talansky can take it from him, or Pinot.

 

[BigMac]

So what are your favourite three stages? Mines are:

1: Stage 2: York - Sheffield
2: Stage 14: Grenoble - Risoul
3: Stage 5: Ypres - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut

Honorable mention to stage 20's ITT.

 

[penzos]

Well it provided some gaps in 1994

1. Miguel Indurain: 1hr 15min 58sec
2. Tony Rominger @ 2min
3. Armand De Las Cuevas @ 4min 22sec
4. Thierry Marie @ 4min 45sec
5. Chris Boardman @ 5min 27sec
6. Bjarne Riis @ 5min 33sec
7. Thomas Davy @ 5min 35sec
8. Abraham Olano @ 5min 45sec
9. Arturas Kasputis @ 6min 1sec
10. Piotr Ugramov @ 6min 4sec

Yep.
Top five divided by five and a half minutes is enormous.
I can't see anything similar happening this year. The battle for the victory should be more tight as well as between the GC contenders.
Cut out the top two from 1994 and I think you'll get the distribution of top 8 (or even 10) in this year's edition.
Tony should be able to smash it, but there will be Cancellara, Wiggins, Phinney...
Regarding the GC, a more flat and straight course would favor Froome, I think.
This way it looks balanced.

 

[VeloGirl]

Thanks for posting these. I've been looking for all the stage profiles for a while now.
It helps decide which days I need to schedule off of work

I was on the fence about Friday the 11th (stage 7), but I think it warrants a vacation day - especially since I'll be taking that Monday (the 14th) off as well.

 

[qwerty16]

He just has to try and keep going with the best and the jersey it's his. Only Talansky can take it from him, or Pinot.

If he's anywhere near his Giro form of last year Betancur will be the favourite.

 

[BigMac]

If he's anywhere near his Giro form of last year Betancur will be the favourite.

Forgot Betancur was riding.

 

[rghysens]

So what are your favourite three stages?

Stage design-wise:

1) stage 2
2) stage 10
3) stage 8

Of course, strong crosswinds during stages 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 can result in a more attractive racing than during any of the (medium) mountain stages.

 

[Jspear]

Well it provided some gaps in 1994

1. Miguel Indurain: 1hr 15min 58sec
2. Tony Rominger @ 2min
3. Armand De Las Cuevas @ 4min 22sec
4. Thierry Marie @ 4min 45sec
5. Chris Boardman @ 5min 27sec
6. Bjarne Riis @ 5min 33sec
7. Thomas Davy @ 5min 35sec
8. Abraham Olano @ 5min 45sec
9. Arturas Kasputis @ 6min 1sec
10. Piotr Ugramov @ 6min 4sec

Those were the good ole days. You don't see that happening as much these days. (sometimes you do- yesterday's Giro tt was close.) As has been said I don't think this route will produce too big of gaps between the big GC guys. Froome definitely would have had more of an advantage if the tt had been a little more flat. I'm personally happy with the course.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Those were the good ole days. You don't see that happening as much these days. (sometimes you do- yesterday's Giro tt was close.) As has been said I don't think this route will produce too big of gaps between the big GC guys. Froome definitely would have had more of an advantage if the tt had been a little more flat. I'm personally happy with the course.

Honestly i think the profile is a bit misleading. Besides the rated Col it's never really above 2% gradient. Most of the track are false flats rather than hills.
I am pretty sure the winner will be above 50km/h average.

 

[Broth3r]

Oh my ****ing god, that route looks amazing. Them multi-mountain stages. The maybe legendary leg-breaker in England. It loese points for a flat stage on a weekend and on day 1 - which means I'll probably (but hopefully not) have to endure with the disgrace of a pure (read: not Matthews) sprinter donning the Yellow. But still, fantastic route.

 

[BigMac]

Oh my ****ing god, that route looks amazing. Them multi-mountain stages. The maybe legendary leg-breaker in England. It loese points for a flat stage on a weekend and on day 1 - which means I'll probably (but hopefully not) have to endure with the disgrace of a pure (read: not Matthews) sprinter donning the Yellow. But still, fantastic route.

Agree with you.

I don't have a problem with a pure sprinter donning the maillot jaune though. I would really love to see Cav snatch it on the first stage. He deserves it.

 

[penzos]

Agree with you.

I don't have a problem with a pure sprinter donning the maillot jaune though. I would really love to see Cav snatch it on the first stage. He deserves it.

Besides taking the Yellow jersey, keeping it or trading between various type of riders is another dimension of having a sprinters' Grand Départ.
It should be stimulating for the participants and entertaining for the viewers.

 

[BigMac]

Besides taking the Yellow jersey, keeping it or trading between various type of riders is another dimension of having a sprinters' Grand Départ.
It should be stimulating for the participants and entertaining for the viewers.

That's true.

I don't understand why some people think sprinters are not worthy of wearing the leader's jersey. They have as much right as the others. To them, it's most of the times a one in a lifetime oportunity.