Tour de France 2013

[Libertine Seguros]

It gave the TdF 2011 two of the best stages in recent cycling history.

No, what gave the TdF 2011 two of the best stages in recent cycling history was the fact that the route was ludicrously backloaded and the riders rode like a bunch of wimps in the Pyrenées, giving them no option but to animate things early in those two stages.

The TdF 2011 had a great final week, but that's all. It was one of the best one-week races of the year, if not THE best one-week race of the year.

 

[profff]

unfortunaely, doing twice in the same stage the alpe will be very difficult.
the road up to col sarennes is in very bad condition, narrow and crossed by a couple of drains canal ( i hope it is right in english...)that are very dangerous
downhill is also very narrow road and i do not think that the tour likes this kind of roads.

that is really a bad thing , because from the barrage where ends the downhill from col de sarennes to the beginning of the alps there are only about 10km or less and teams have no chances to close the gap if somebody attacks in the first alpe climb.

 

[The Hitch]

There will be a TTT as well.

So what? A stage where Andy Schleck loses 0 time to gc contenders can never compensate for actual tt km's. You test more tt ability in 34km of individual tt than you do in 33km itt and a 50km ttt.

 

[The Hitch]

No, what gave the TdF 2011 two of the best stages in recent cycling history was the fact that the route was ludicrously backloaded and the riders rode like a bunch of wimps in the Pyrenées, giving them no option but to animate things early in those two stages.

The TdF 2011 had a great final week, but that's all. It was one of the best one-week races of the year, if not THE best one-week race of the year.

Best stages in recent cycling history?

18 was 100% Andy Schleck. Without him it would have been a slog up the Galibier with attacks in the last 10k, maybe. Not a single other contender or even semi contender did a thing until the last climb.
As great as Andy Schlecks fortitude that day was, watching a clock tick slowly to 4 minutes for 2 hours is NOT the best our sport has to offer.

Where were the counter attacks, the people being dropped 30k from the finish, the peddaling squares, the groups on the road? 2 of the contenders even took time to change bikes in the middle of it.

Schleck was all that happened until we were well within what one could call final mtf action zone.

19 was 100% Contador. No one else did a thing. Even on the final climb, only Samu and Rolland, then outside the top 10 did anything, Evans and Andy just argued over who was going to pull their little group, which even at the top still had peter velits and tdg in it.

I dont see how anyone can say those stages were 2 of the best in recent cycling history, unless we qualify recent as the last 5 years or something.

 

[McLovin]

unfortunaely, doing twice in the same stage the alpe will be very difficult.
the road up to col sarennes is in very bad condition, narrow and crossed by a couple of drains canal ( i hope it is right in english...)that are very dangerous
downhill is also very narrow road and i do not think that the tour likes this kind of roads.

that is really a bad thing , because from the barrage where ends the downhill from col de sarennes to the beginning of the alps there are only about 10km or less and teams have no chances to close the gap if somebody attacks in the first alpe climb.

actually it says that they will repair the road until July.

 

[webvan]

Only seen this so far http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rep...scents-of-lalpe-dhuez-for-2013-tour-de-france - is there a more complete document? Two ITTs or one TTT and one ITT?

 

[McLovin]

Only seen this so far http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rep...scents-of-lalpe-dhuez-for-2013-tour-de-france - is there a more complete document? Two ITTs or one TTT and one ITT?

One TTT in Nice, one ITT in Mont Saint Michel and another ITT from Annecy.

 

[OlavEH]

I hope they'll add a couple of hilly (and long) stages with an uphill finish on a 2. or 3.category climb. If not, it will be yet another mediocre route.

I guess it's all about the money. Can't be any other explanation why the ASO are so reluctant to try something new......

 

[airstream]

100th edition is not time for experiments. its high time to show window dressing with all legendary climbs. anyways i'd prefer 5 mtfs even if all other stages are flat and tt's.

 

[OlavEH]

100th edition is not time for experiments. its high time to show window dressing with all legendary climbs. anyways i'd prefer 5 mtfs even if all other stages are flat and tt's.

So, when is it time to try something new? Tourmalet twice in 2010 incl MTF. Galibier twice in 2011 incl MTF. Peyresourde twice in 2012 incl MTF at Peyragudes.

They do the same climbs over and over again with minimum variation. They don't have to exclude these climbs completely, just give us one or two stages where they try someting new.

 

[pastronef]

can anyone show the Sarenne road on google maps or similar? thank you

 

[SetonHallPirate]

So, when is it time to try something new? Tourmalet twice in 2010 incl MTF. Galibier twice in 2011 incl MTF. Peyresourde twice in 2012 incl MTF at Peyragudes.

They do the same climbs over and over again with minimum variation. They don't have to exclude these climbs completely, just give us one or two stages where they try someting new.

In fairness, all of those you mentioned were on separate stages. This Alpe d'Huez stage is twice in the same stage. Yes, it's the same climb, but it's at least on a loop, and, for the first time, one of those is not a finish. There's a novelty in that alone, if you ask me.

Has the Tour de France gotten stale? Yes, definitely. Is it trying something different with Alpe d'Huez this year? Yes.

 

[pastronef]

can anyone show the Sarenne road on google maps or similar? thank you

all right I found it, they should join the road D25 going to Mizoen, ending on the side of the reservoir du Chambon

 

[OlavEH]

In fairness, all of those you mentioned were on separate stages. This Alpe d'Huez stage is twice in the same stage. Yes, it's the same climb, but it's at least on a loop, and, for the first time, one of those is not a finish. There's a novelty in that alone, if you ask me.

Has the Tour de France gotten stale? Yes, definitely. Is it trying something different with Alpe d'Huez this year? Yes.

Well, you could also say they were trying something new last year and the year before. Galibier had never been used as a stage finish before, while Tour had been used only one time before as a MTF.

My point was that they're using just about the same climbs every year, and very rarely try something new.

Well, last year they did add Grand Colombier and Mur de Peguere, but it's a bit wasted when these climbs aren't closer to the stage finish.

 

[webvan]

One TTT in Nice, one ITT in Mont Saint Michel and another ITT from Annecy.

Thanks, that sounds pretty interesting, Corsica, ITTs, Alpe x2, etc...

 

[RedheadDane]

Well, last year they did add Grand Colombier and Mur de Peguere, but it's a bit wasted when these climbs aren't closer to the stage finish.

I thought it was this year they added Grand Colombier...

 

[OlavEH]

I thought it was this year they added Grand Colombier...

Of course! This year.

 

[auscyclefan94]

The fact that Prudhomme has to use the same climbs twice in one year indicates that he is either a) clueless b) lazy c) has run out of ideas or d) all of the above.

 

[airstream]

So, when is it time to try something new? Tourmalet twice in 2010 incl MTF. Galibier twice in 2011 incl MTF. Peyresourde twice in 2012 incl MTF at Peyragudes.

They do the same climbs over and over again with minimum variation. They don't have to exclude these climbs completely, just give us one or two stages where they try someting new.

for what? the tour is completely commercial project and works perfectly regardless minimum or maximum variations in parcours. so we have what we have.

 

[OlavEH]

for what? the tour is completely commercial project and works perfectly regardless minimum or maximum variations in parcours. so we have what we have.

A more entertaining Tour perhaps? Works perfectly is a matter of opinion.....

From my point of view the Tour has a greater potential of more excitement and entertainment with a greater route variation.

But, as you said, it's a completely commercial project....

 

[Ferminal]

all right I found it, they should join the road D25 going to Mizoen, ending on the side of the reservoir du Chambon

Correct...

Personally I would have liked to see Sarenne from Huez, descending, and the climbing back up to Sarenne (and towards Huez) via Col de Cluy.

 

[theyoungest]

Don't know about the credibility but this is circulating on twitter

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Don't know about the credibility but this is circulating on twitter

Well, at least, on first sight, it looks nice.

Except for the second week.

 

[Descender]

Looks BS to me.

 

[infeXio]

So no MTT according to this ((