Tour de France 2013

[Bavarianrider]

Apparently there are rumors of a 80kmTT as an homage to the old days

 

[icefire]

Does it have anyone to pay for that?

Whoever paid last year for Galibier-Serre Chevalier can pay for Serre Chevalier-Col du Granon. Granon is closer to Serre Chevalier than Galibier. And they can just say that the stage finishes in Serre Chevalier as they did in 1986:

http://www.letour.fr/HISTO/fr/TDF/1986/etapes.html

 

[The Joker]

Apparently there are rumors of a 80kmTT as an homage to the old days

Crikey

I hope you are wrong, or the tour would be almost over before it started - Wiggo v Froome v Contador for the win

Guys like Andy Schleck will need the tour to have 10 MTFs to have any chance of winning the race...

 

[movingtarget]

Apparently there are rumors of a 80kmTT as an homage to the old days

After this year's Tour they may have to review that idea unless they don't care about an exciting conclusion to the race. The sprinters won't make the time cut. They would only do that if it was the only TT in the race and they would have to have it in the middle of the race and stack the final week with MTF's which could provide some entertainment from Contador and co in the final week. I suppose there is no reason that they always have to have a TT as the second last stage. It used to be the last stage but that long TT scenario would only work if it was earlier in the race. Maybe they want the race fought out on the iconic climbs instead of the TT of the past few years. Interesting.

 

[Ferminal]

The Iseran is great because of the scenery and the altitude, not to mention the length. The climbs you mention may be steeper, but are rather mundane, with the exception of Val Thorens, which I forgot about. But yes, that is indeed a great choice, too.

The N side of the Iseran doesn't have the gradients, but it's still hard. I don't expect a group sprint.



This is about the 2014 TDF, though. It won't feature next year.

It has to pass Val d'Isere and its ski area, so from Bourg St. Maurice presumably. The "easy" but looooong side. It wouldn't surprise me if they they did both sides, though. The S side on the way to Tignes the previous day. Hopefully from Italy over the Moncenisio.

I don't see much point in an MTF from the South, basically Alpe d'Huez at altitude. North would be something a bit different, however, it would only work if it's a brutal 220km+ stage. Knowing our friends at the ASO, it will be 150km from Grand-Bornand like 2007.

 

[movingtarget]

I don't see much point in an MTF from the South, basically Alpe d'Huez at altitude. North would be something a bit different, however, it would only work if it's a brutal 220km+ stage. Knowing our friends at the ASO, it will be 150km from Grand-Bornand like 2007.

I get tired of the Alpe every second year. They should cross the borders more into Italy and Switzerland but next year will be a celebration of the classic climbs of course.

 

[Ferminal]

Apparently there are rumors of a 80kmTT as an homage to the old days

UCI limit is 60km is it not? Probably not too hard to get an exemption though.

 

[Parrulo]

UCI limit is 60km is it not? Probably not too hard to get an exemption though.

RCS did it in 09 with the 64k itt the giro had that year. hands down the best time trial in recent times.

May 21, 2009: Giro d'Italia: Sestri Levante - Riomaggiore (60.5 km ITT):
1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 01:34:29
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.20
3 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 1.03
4 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana 1.14
5 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 1.27
6 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 1.54
7 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 1.59
8 Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 2.04
9 Jose Serpa (Col) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 2.13
10 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. 2.17
11 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas
12 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 2.18
13 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 2.26
14 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad 2.46
15 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD 2.48
16 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 2.53
17 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 3.00
18 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia - Highroad 3.27
19 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 3.35
20 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia - Highroad 3.54

i think the itt was supposed to be 64k but it was then shortened a bit to 60.5k. no itt bikes that day since the parcours were very hilly.

 

[McLovin]

Does it have anyone to pay for that?

It's 10 km's from Chantemerle/Serre Chevalier.

 

[hoerpi]

Crikey

I hope you are wrong, or the tour would be almost over before it started - Wiggo v Froome v Contador for the win

Guys like Andy Schleck will need the tour to have 10 MTFs to have any chance of winning the race...

I bet Andy rather has one TT at 80 km than two at 40, he will lose less per km since 80 km is more about recovery, but that's another discussion.

Didn't someone on here say that the finish on Mur-de-Bretagne was a test of new compact video transmission equipment? If that was the case then Puy de Dôme is a possibility. One can always dream.

 

[Bavarianrider]

I bet Andy rather has one TT at 80 km than two at 40, he will lose less per km since 80 km is more about recovery, but that's another discussion.

Didn't someone on here say that the finish on Mur-de-Bretagne was a test of new compact video transmission equipment? If that was the case then Puy de Dôme is a possibility. One can always dream.

Wasn't the problem with Puy de Dome also that it is a nature reservation or something and they don't get the permission for stage finish there anymore.

 

[Red Rick]

There's only one way to make a perfect stage to a ski station. That's descending to a ski station from 3000m in altitude

 

[jens_attacks]

i would like a 400 kms stage for this centenary tour to remember all of us of those old days.put some mountains in there too and it's a great recipe of success

 

[Lupetto]

UCI limit is 60km is it not? Probably not too hard to get an exemption though.

He's trolling like always. There are no sources for such considerations.

 

[Bavarianrider]

They talked about it on German Europsort. As well as about a possible super long 300km plus stage.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Not sure if this has been heard of yet but supposedly they will be climbing Mont Ventoux not once, but twice next year.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Jesus. Enough with the 'classic mountain twice!' gimmick. Start using some of the mountains you never use, or haven't used in years. So far we've had double Tourmalet, double Galibier and double Peyresourde. They were talking about double Alpe d'Huez next year, now double Ventoux instead?

Why not climb something epic that hasn't been done in years, like Mont du Chat?

If they're doing this whole 'history of the race' angle, they'd better be doing the Col de la Republique and the Ballon d'Alsace.

 

[Old&slow]

I would love to see less boring mountain stages and more exciting sprint stages.

I think it is time to recognize that mid mountain stages like todays stage 14 designed for breakaways are not working and are simply snoozefests. I Would love to see a Tour with 15 sprint/classic type stages. That would allow room for 3-4 boring but meaningful mountain stages a prologue and 1-2 ITT's.

 

[airstream]

such an edition will include minimum of improvisation: classic pyreneean mtf, montventoux, alpe-d'huez and something weaker (la plagne or tignes, as you say), because it's almost impossible to organize all mtf's on very hard climbs. 150k stages are probably even better than 220k ones. based on last year and la toussuire it can provoke an early action.

 

[movingtarget]

such an edition will include minimum of improvisation: classic pyreneean mtf, montventoux, alpe-d'huez and something weaker (la plagne or tignes, as you say), because it's almost impossible to organize all mtf's on very hard climbs. 150k stages are probably even better than 220k ones. based on last year and la toussuire it can provoke an early action.

Should be a classic race. The ingredients are looking good.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Jesus. Enough with the 'classic mountain twice!' gimmick. Start using some of the mountains you never use, or haven't used in years. So far we've had double Tourmalet, double Galibier and double Peyresourde. They were talking about double Alpe d'Huez next year, now double Ventoux instead?

Why not climb something epic that hasn't been done in years, like Mont du Chat?

If they're doing this whole 'history of the race' angle, they'd better be doing the Col de la Republique and the Ballon d'Alsace.

I don't think ASO use enough of the Vosges mountains. There are plenty of tough climbs in that region such as the Ballon d'Alsace or the Grand ballon. They could have MTF's on either of those and have an entertaining stage on climbs that haven't been used for a while.

 

[roundabout]

Ventoux twice on the same stage is ok.

 

[Ferminal]

Ventoux twice on the same stage is ok.

Probably what they need to do, as I predict a fairly flat finish to that stage.

 

[guncha]

The route presentation is in three months. It is still long way to go. As of now it looks like that after three stages in Corsica, TTT in Nice, two flat stages Le Tour might climb Ventoux in stage 7. However, it is not clear whether it will be MTF or stage with decent. If they climb Ventoux via traditional Bedoin then snooze-fest is guaranteed because closest towns (Orange, Carpetnras or Avignon) are 40km+ after the top of Ventoux…

 

[roundabout]

Probably what they need to do, as I predict a fairly flat finish to that stage.

If it's early in the Tour, say stage 7ish, then there is no way they are climbing it twice.

55km circuit, 20km of easy terrain between climbs is actually better than I thought for a double pass of the Ventoux.