Tour de France 2016 route prediction

[Valv.Piti]

Okay I made the champagnole stage again but this time with a more difficult finish:

I still don't think the aso wants to make something like that as their last road stage before the ITT but it would be at least okay

Of course ASO doesn't want to make anything like that. It's pointless and pure crap.
You should find some other amusement for yourself. This stage designing isn't something you're good at.

And you should probably try to find amusement in other things than bashing people on forums for any reason

 

[Campervan man]

Okay I made the champagnole stage again but this time with a more difficult finish:

I still don't think the aso wants to make something like that as their last road stage before the ITT but it would be at least okay

Of course ASO doesn't want to make anything like that. It's pointless and pure crap.
You should find some other amusement for yourself. This stage designing isn't something you're good at.

I say ignore these sort of comments. I am interested in the design of stages which site do you use Gigs? Is that site in the top right corner easy to use, maybe someone else will help. Thanks.

 

[Gigs_98]

Okay I made the champagnole stage again but this time with a more difficult finish:

I still don't think the aso wants to make something like that as their last road stage before the ITT but it would be at least okay

Of course ASO doesn't want to make anything like that. It's pointless and pure crap.
You should find some other amusement for yourself. This stage designing isn't something you're good at.

I say ignore these sort of comments. I am interested in the design of stages which site do you use Gigs? Is that site in the top right corner easy to use, maybe someone else will help. Thanks.

I am actually not the biggest fan of cronoescalada but the profiles look very good (as you can see)
However you could also try openrunner. IMO that is the best side if its only about designing

 

[Arredondo]

Okay I made the champagnole stage again but this time with a more difficult finish:

I still don't think the aso wants to make something like that as their last road stage before the ITT but it would be at least okay

Of course ASO doesn't want to make anything like that. It's pointless and pure crap.
You should find some other amusement for yourself. This stage designing isn't something you're good at.

 

[Gigs_98]

Okay I made the champagnole stage again but this time with a more difficult finish:

I still don't think the aso wants to make something like that as their last road stage before the ITT but it would be at least okay

Of course ASO doesn't want to make anything like that. It's pointless and pure crap.
You should find some other amusement for yourself. This stage designing isn't something you're good at.

 

[malakassis]

i found this nice TDF archive page with old routes and profiles:

http://www.touratlas.nl/etappekaarten/

its amazing how they had hardcore mountain stages in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

 

[Windsor1334]

Re:

i found this nice TDF archive page with old routes and profiles:

http://www.touratlas.nl/etappekaarten/

its amazing how they had hardcore mountain stages in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Wasnt hardcore, was normal.....dont have any proper mountain lately...

 

[dpm1991]

Re:

i found this nice TDF archive page with old routes and profiles:

http://www.touratlas.nl/etappekaarten/

its amazing how they had hardcore mountain stages in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

And You, my liege, just hitted the jackpot.

So many forgotten MTF's (Guzet-Neige!). Times, where guys like Steve Rooks and Bernie Hinault could be succesful in sprints while Sean Kelly & Didi Thurau, not to mention the Moser & Saronni duo, being ocasional mountain goats.

 

[mrc510]

Re:

i found this nice TDF archive page with old routes and profiles:

http://www.touratlas.nl/etappekaarten/

its amazing how they had hardcore mountain stages in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Where can you see the profiles?

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

i found this nice TDF archive page with old routes and profiles:

http://www.touratlas.nl/etappekaarten/

its amazing how they had hardcore mountain stages in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

thats great, thanks

 

[avanti]

Please let their be an ITT on the last stage into Paris.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

i found this nice TDF archive page with old routes and profiles:

http://www.touratlas.nl/etappekaarten/

its amazing how they had hardcore mountain stages in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

OMG!!!

This is better than porn

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

i found this nice TDF archive page with old routes and profiles:

http://www.touratlas.nl/etappekaarten/

its amazing how they had hardcore mountain stages in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

OMG!!!

This is better than porn

That route of 1975, is really better than porn

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

i found this nice TDF archive page with old routes and profiles:

http://www.touratlas.nl/etappekaarten/

its amazing how they had hardcore mountain stages in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

This is actually a really great link. I've been perusing over some of it at times these past few days. Don't know the parcours too well pre 2000, so have already looked at all the '90's routes plus a few others from earlier.

Yes, 200+ km stages with four or five HC/Cat 1 climbs seem to be sadly absent from the Tour lately. And if the Tour is so big on tradition, then why such a reduction in recent years in time trialling? It seems that every event used to have 150-200 kms of ITT and TTT; racing against the clock has always defined the Tour as being for the all rounder, not just climber. It's a mystery to me as to why they have gone away from these disciplines.

As for the repetitive nature of some of the climbs, I'd say that the Tour has probably always done that. Maybe even more so in the past. When you consider that popular MTF's today like Hautacam and PDB are only relatively recent inclusions, the Pyrenees are possibly more varied today than yesteryear.

The first week appears to be an improvement on recent routes, as the pancake flat stages are not dominating so much. Lumpy/medium mountain stages in general have been reasonable recently, so some good, some bad. The blurring of the lines is that often the high mountains could be confused with the medium ones.

Stage lengths in general have dropped away dramatically. 250+ km stages featured regularly in the '90s; now in all of the grand tours they are almost extinct (I recall the Giro did do one really long stage, about 260kms this year). Why? Cyclists should be fitter now than ever before. Fans want to see variety too. We will somewhat accept a 110km MTF (even if it's to the bloody Alp duez!) if it's preceeded or proceeded by a multiple mountain true queen stage.

As for some of the towns that used to host finishers but do so no longer, is this simply due to them being outbidded? Or out bribed

 

[malakassis]

this years vuelta has almost 10.000 meters to climb in 2 stages (11,16).
its strange that the hardest bike-race (tour) doesnt have the hardest parcours. i know, riders make the race, but still organizers have to offer them terrain. then its up to the riders to interprete the terrain to their favor.

 

[Gigs_98]

this years vuelta has almost 10.000 meters to climb in 2 stages (11,16).
its strange that the hardest bike-race (tour) doesnt have the hardest parcours. i know, riders make the race, but still organizers have to offer them terrain. then its up to the riders to interprete the terrain to their favor.

Well, the tour simply isn't the hardest bike race, thats nothing new... and actually I don't even care which race is the hardest. All 3 gt's should have a good difficulty, not too easy and also not to hard

 

[Valv.Piti]

this years vuelta has almost 10.000 meters to climb in 2 stages (11,16).
its strange that the hardest bike-race (tour) doesnt have the hardest parcours. i know, riders make the race, but still organizers have to offer them terrain. then its up to the riders to interprete the terrain to their favor.

Well, the tour simply isn't the hardest bike race, thats nothing new... and actually I don't even care which race is the hardest. All 3 gt's should have a good difficulty, not too easy and also not to hard

But we need stages that the Vuelta organizers have created in all 3 GT's, Mortirolo.Aprica was probably the closest in the Giro, while Croix de Fer-La T was the hardest in the Tour. Both very tough stages, but nothing like those 2 stages which just throws hard climbs (rather short, but ALL of them steep) in quick succession which pretty much is the key word IMO for making great stages and great TV: A couple (or 6) of hard climbs in succession which neither the Tour nor the Giro did this year. The Vuelta, which is the most criticized for their route, managed to create 2 of those dynamite stages. For all the hype of the Andorra stage, Im actually looking more forward to the Ermita de Alba. Long, tough day with 3 hard climbs in the last 50 kms for a glorious finale, thats how it should be.

 

[roundabout]

two thumbs up for having those stages on a Wednesday and a Monday

 

[Marco Pantani]

two thumbs up for having those stages on a Wednesday and a Monday

Yop epic brain work.

 

[Gigs_98]

this years vuelta has almost 10.000 meters to climb in 2 stages (11,16).
its strange that the hardest bike-race (tour) doesnt have the hardest parcours. i know, riders make the race, but still organizers have to offer them terrain. then its up to the riders to interprete the terrain to their favor.

Well, the tour simply isn't the hardest bike race, thats nothing new... and actually I don't even care which race is the hardest. All 3 gt's should have a good difficulty, not too easy and also not to hard

But we need stages that the Vuelta organizers have created in all 3 GT's, Mortirolo.Aprica was probably the closest in the Giro, while Croix de Fer-La T was the hardest in the Tour. Both very tough stages, but nothing like those 2 stages which just throws hard climbs (rather short, but ALL of them steep) in quick succession which pretty much is the key word IMO for making great stages and great TV: A couple (or 6) of hard climbs in succession which neither the Tour nor the Giro did this year. The Vuelta, which is the most criticized for their route, managed to create 2 of those dynamite stages. For all the hype of the Andorra stage, Im actually looking more forward to the Ermita de Alba. Long, tough day with 3 hard climbs in the last 50 kms for a glorious finale, thats how it should be.

Okay, Im honest. Most of you will completely disagree but I think the andorra stage isn't that good. One climb after another but as soon as the stage reaches a section were attacks could be made there are short flat sections between the climbs and the penultimate climb is only 2nd category. Why should anyone risk the whole vuelta for a absolutely crazy long range attack when there are still 3 more mtf's and two other mountain stages to come. The stage could be great at another point of the race but I really prefer this years aprica stage (we shouldnt forget that the first two climbs of this stage were actually 1st category but the giro simply undercategorizes there climbs). However this years tour really missed a monster stage. I really want to see a triple HC stage again or something like the le grad bornand stage 2009.

 

[barmaher]

Flat section is only 5km after Gallina. There might not be long-range attacks, but it doesn't mean that the course is to blame.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Flat section is only 5km after Gallina. There might not be long-range attacks, but it doesn't mean that the course is to blame.

The flat section itself isn't the problem. It is that the final, (the part after gallina) is probably the easiest part of the whole stage.

 

[malakassis]

Re: Re:

i found this nice TDF archive page with old routes and profiles:

http://www.touratlas.nl/etappekaarten/

its amazing how they had hardcore mountain stages in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

And You, my liege, just hitted the jackpot.

So many forgotten MTF's (Guzet-Neige!). Times, where guys like Steve Rooks and Bernie Hinault could be succesful in sprints while Sean Kelly & Didi Thurau, not to mention the Moser & Saronni duo, being ocasional mountain goats.

thx. i found it in the forum of http://www.salite.ch
i know this site since 2001 and it was one of the first with profiles of many climbs, also smaller and lesser known ones. at that time satellite based tracing and easy profile designing wasnt possible.

 

[Valv.Piti]

this years vuelta has almost 10.000 meters to climb in 2 stages (11,16).
its strange that the hardest bike-race (tour) doesnt have the hardest parcours. i know, riders make the race, but still organizers have to offer them terrain. then its up to the riders to interprete the terrain to their favor.

Well, the tour simply isn't the hardest bike race, thats nothing new... and actually I don't even care which race is the hardest. All 3 gt's should have a good difficulty, not too easy and also not to hard

But we need stages that the Vuelta organizers have created in all 3 GT's, Mortirolo.Aprica was probably the closest in the Giro, while Croix de Fer-La T was the hardest in the Tour. Both very tough stages, but nothing like those 2 stages which just throws hard climbs (rather short, but ALL of them steep) in quick succession which pretty much is the key word IMO for making great stages and great TV: A couple (or 6) of hard climbs in succession which neither the Tour nor the Giro did this year. The Vuelta, which is the most criticized for their route, managed to create 2 of those dynamite stages. For all the hype of the Andorra stage, Im actually looking more forward to the Ermita de Alba. Long, tough day with 3 hard climbs in the last 50 kms for a glorious finale, thats how it should be.

Okay, Im honest. Most of you will completely disagree but I think the andorra stage isn't that good. One climb after another but as soon as the stage reaches a section were attacks could be made there are short flat sections between the climbs and the penultimate climb is only 2nd category. Why should anyone risk the whole vuelta for a absolutely crazy long range attack when there are still 3 more mtf's and two other mountain stages to come. The stage could be great at another point of the race but I really prefer this years aprica stage (we shouldnt forget that the first two climbs of this stage were actually 1st category but the giro simply undercategorizes there climbs). However this years tour really missed a monster stage. I really want to see a triple HC stage again or something like the le grad bornand stage 2009.

And I am honest as well: That pretty much sums up this thread. Thank god I aint a route designer

 

[Red Rick]

Fact is there are a decent amount of posters here who would do a wayyyyy better job at designing routes for GT's. I personally find most Tour and Vuelta routes quite unbelievable in repetitiveness and lack of good stages