Tour de France 2013

[craig1985]

Until there is some official profiles, the first three stages seem a bit meh. I know it's a sin for ASO to do this, but it wouldn't hurt to have a finish at the Col de l’Ospedale on stage 3?

 

[auscyclefan94]

I started tracing out the profiles, but there's not really much point.

Stage 1: Dead flat the entire way
Stage 2: A couple of easy climbs (Cat 2s or 3s) then Vizzavona 40km before the finish.
Stage 3: First two climbs are nothing, third is a false flat and the final climb will leave the punchuers with 15km to survive.

Realistically we could have three fairly large bunch sprints.

Stage 1 is dead flat boring stage, Stage 2 looks good fun and looks quite tough & Stage 3 looks like a good one for Goss as it seems to be a stage that tougher spritners can survive.

 

[greenedge]

The route around Corsica does not seem bad, though a prologue in my view would not be amiss.

Maybe they shall compensate by having an ITT/ TTT as soon as they get back to France

 

[McLovin]

What's up with starting in June again? I understand in 2012 beacuse of London, but 2013?
It was fain with tradition of first Saturday of July. They are tryin to put presure on Giro and cut the number of riders who are willing to ride both?

 

[auscyclefan94]

there will be TTT. I'd put some money on that.

 

[Anonymous]

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

http://www.teamskyfans.com/tdf2013.html

Route are approximate based on the information provided by the organisers.

 

[craig1985]

Looks boring.

 

[RedheadDane]

You know what could be rather awesome, and totally impossible (because it's insane)?

Having stage 4 being in pedal boats!

"All" it would take is some special one-person pedal boats. Speed boats would of course take the place of the cars... I don't think there'd be the same need for police, hard for crowds to turn up in the middle of the Mediterranean!

 

[Anonymous]

Looks boring.

stge 3 could be interesting. its got that northern european look about it. Not sure what the wind is like on the west coast of corsica?

 

[forumlurker]

the corse (see what i did?) looks good to me. it may not be the most difficult course, but the racers make the race. i think the main point of starting in corsica is to show the world how beautiful corsica is and what a great place it is to ride a bike.

 

[ferryman]

stge 3 could be interesting. its got that northern european look about it. Not sure what the wind is like on the west coast of corsica?

If Nice in July is anything to go by it can be quite blowy, usually Northerly (I think) but could be wrong and nothing really to get excited about

Edit. Blowing north so is that a southerly? Fek, it's the Med and whatever it was it was warm!!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I don't think I've seen such a dreadful misuse of terrain since the 2009 Tour de Suisse. I guess they were afraid that there might be gaps in the GC before stage 15.

 

[ferryman]

I don't think I've seen such a dreadful misuse of terrain since the 2009 Tour de Suisse. I guess they were afraid that there might be gaps in the GC before stage 15.

Erm, don't you know it's all about the riders not the terrain

Seriously, it's not great but not bad by TDF first 3 days standards. But yes what a wasted opportunity for something special to start the Centenary with a bang

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Erm, don't you know it's all about the riders not the terrain

Seriously, it's not great but not bad by TDF first 3 days standards. But yes what a wasted opportunity for something special to start the Centenary with a bang

Of course! The 2011 World Championships were boring because the RIDERS didn't start attacking left, right and centre.

The riders behave differently in the Giro, Tour and Vuelta. The parcours designers have to react to that. By normal TDF first 3 days standards this is absolutely fricking phenomenal.

But it's still a huge wasted opportunity, and Prudhomme will still probably be scared of putting anything that might create big GC gaps anywhere except week 3, because it was apparently a success this year, making sure that nothing happened until week 3. After all, after three years of trying, he finally got his final day showdown, and Cavendish in green. He must be pleased as punch.

Coming to you for 2014: 14 flat stages in Picardie, Île-de-France, Loiret, Cher, Creuse, Lot-et-Garonne and Gers, then five MTFs and an ITT.

 

[Anonymous]

Erm, don't you know it's all about the riders not the terrain

Seriously, it's not great but not bad by TDF first 3 days standards. But yes what a wasted opportunity for something special to start the Centenary with a bang

I think thats the thing to bear in mind.. its the first 3 days, not the alpes, pyranees, or final week.

But, theres still a little room for a big contender or two to come a cropper.

 

[Torrrr]

Perfect Grand Depart! Can we just skip 2012 season? Am already planning my trip back to Corsica and Bastia in particular. Roll on le Tour 2013!

Sorry no constructive comments, it's just too damn exciting to think straight.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I think thats the thing to bear in mind.. its the first 3 days, not the alpes, pyranees, or final week.

But, theres still a little room for a big contender or two to come a cropper.

Firstly, why can't the first three days be selective? I dislike this assumption (mostly on the part of the ASO) that there should only be the two sets of mountains, and that leaving everything until the final week = exciting racing, and therefore it doesn't matter if they waste every opportunity the land presents to them for two weeks as long as the end is good.

Secondly, Corsica offers lots of opportunities to do something different and be selective. One of our biggest gripes with the Tour's organisation in recent years is that it has become increasingly predictable. If you're not going to take the opportunities that Corsica offers, what's the point of going there for the Grand Départ? Wasted opportunity.

 

[craig1985]

Col de l’Ospedale aside, what other selective finishes do they have?

 

[Ferminal]

I just hope the next four stages aren't flat days heading west... need to go to Ventoux or Massif before the Pyrenees.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Col de l’Ospedale aside, what other selective finishes do they have?

You don't have to have a mountaintop finish. Just a properly hard stage with something close enough to the finish to mean that it's not necessarily a bunch finish.

 

[McLovin]

Following the Corsican stages which will set in motion the 2013 Tour de France, the pack will travel to Nice for a team time trial which will inaugurate the "mainland" stages of the 100th edition of the race.


http://www.letour.fr/2012/TDF/COURSE/us/actus.html#zone184937


le:

4th STAGE
Tuesday 2nd July
Nice > team time trial

After the Grand Depart of the 100th Tour de France in Corsica, it is at Nice that the race will make its re-entry to the mainland. The 4th stage will be a team time trial on the streets of the capital of the French Riviera. The starting point is yet to be determined, but the finish, as was the case in 1981, is already booked for the Promenade des Anglais. The length of the stage will be around 20 km.

5th stage
Wednesday 3rd July
Cagnes-sur-Mer > …

The race will kick off at Cagnes-sur-Mer, a town to the west of Nice, playing host to the Tour de France for the first time. The peloton will then head towards...

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Col de l’Ospedale aside, what other selective finishes do they have?

Too many to list.

Serra di Pigno is perhaps the most well-known and one of the steepest for sure. It's right outside Bastia, Corsica's second largest town, where the pan flat first stage will finish.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&....,cf.osb&fp=2694518daba461a1&biw=1440&bih=807

 

[greenedge]

It's nice to hear there is a TTT in Nice. Because if there was not a TTT in the centenary year of the TDF being raced it would almost take us back to the 1960's and there needs to be a balanced route after 3 days in Corsica to establish some order. We just have to hope it's short otherwise there will be insurmountable gaps. And if there was not a TT teams like Rabo would just pull more in the crosswinds.

I wonder whether there will be more hilly finishes over sprint stages???

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It's nice to hear there is a TTT in Nice. Because if there was not a TTT in the centenary year of the TDF being raced it would almost take us back to the 1960's and there needs to be a balanced route after 3 days in Corsica to establish some order. We just have to hope it's short otherwise there will be insurmountable gaps. And if there was not a TT teams like Rabo would just pull more in the crosswinds.

I wonder whether there will be more hilly finishes over sprint stages???

If the stages in Corsica weren't so disappointing then we wouldn't need a TTT to establish the order in stage 4, and we could have a proper goddamn stage.

 

[greenedge]

You don't have to have a mountaintop finish. Just a properly hard stage with something close enough to the finish to mean that it's not necessarily a bunch finish.

Is that not what stage 2 will be??? I can't really imagine Sky pulling for Cav up there if Wiggins has to respond to an attack.

A complaint for me at the TDF is why they never have any stages around Paris in the North. They are always near thee mountain ranges which is fine but if they started somewhere then headed through France to the mountains it would be better, instead of skirting along the borders.

Is it likely the final ITT will be held in Paris??? And I wonder will any stages finish on velodromes???