Tour de France 2017 Stage 11: Eymet > Pau 203.5km

[sir fly]

Re:

Visiting all 5 mountain ranges sounds cool but at the same time it made Alps and Pyrenees easier which was really bad move. Much better would be that Alps and Pyrenees stay in the route every year (as they do) and then rotate between three others.

Yes, the route would've been considerably better with a stage more in both Alps and Pyrenees.
With Gc relevance, off course. Tourmalet 100 kilometres from the flat finish wouldn't count, naturally.

 

[Vasilis]

The other sprinter teams should try to put riders in the breakaway and make QuickStep really work for it, but they probably won't.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Its just hard not to laugh at Prudhomme. Its nothing but a marketing trick. The Jura were great, but the Vosges? What Vosges? I saw one climb, compare that to 2014. Same story in Massif Central. Joke

 

[Dedelou]

Re:

If just half of these pan flat sprint stages would have had a murito finish, this could have been a great race. Would have been loads more action from GC riders, puncheurs, breakaways and a more interesting battle for the green jersey. Preudhomme needs to get with the times and embrace the murito asap.

By the way, who is Preudhomme accountable to? If designing this terrible race and route is not a sackable offence, then I'm not sure what is.

what happened to "Bernard Hinault" he used to be a route contributor and podium presence. I don't see him at all this year

 

[Netserk]

If you guys had any knowledge of this race's history you'd know that this years tour really doesn't have an unusual amount of flat stages at all. There were dozens of Tours with a lot more fat stages and a lot less mountain/hilly stages.

Projected number of stages ending with a bunch sprint for 2017: 9

2016: 7 (including one day with crosswinds)
2015: 5 (including one day with crosswinds)
2014: 6
2013: 7 (including one day with crosswinds)
2012: 7
2011: 7
2010: 7
2009: 6 (including one day with crosswinds)
2008: 6
2007: 7
2006: 7

The big difference is that there's a lot fewer of the flat stages that go to the breakaway nowadays.

 

[Valv.Piti]

But to be fair, 2006 had probably had even more sprint finishes than 2017 had it been raced today

 

[Netserk]

Which is kinda why I wrote the last line

 

[bob.a.feet]

I think they should add a lot more hilly/rolling stages. Gives the breakaway and sprinters a chance and occasionally the GC riders might try something. Stage 2 at this year's Giro is a good example. Rolling terrain makes for a not entirely boring day for the breakaway, yet can also end in a bunch sprint.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Yeah sure, but I'd still rather watch a bunch sprint than 3 completely irrelevant riders duking it out with 20 minutes to the peloton. From what I can remember, 98, 99, 04 and 06 were as bad in that aspect. Then you obviously still have travesty routes like 2009 and to a little esser extent 2012.

 

[Netserk]

I prefer breakaway wins any day (but to each their own), but it also made the other flat stages better (I think) as the bunch sprint wasn't completely inevitable. Breaks were more attractive to get into and they always got a gap larger than just 3 minutes.

 

[hazaran]

You know whats sad? This time tomorrow kittel will have a stage to freakin Pau on his palmares

He already has a stage to *Liege*...

 

[Valv.Piti]

I generally do as well, just vaguely remembering some breaks that got up the road with a few meaningless riders in it which got 10-20 minutes 10 years back or so. Then, if I were to tune in with 10 k remaining as I've done on recent sprint stages, I'd rather watch the sprint from the peloton. Otherwise break wins obviously are more intriguing (on flat stages), especially at this point in time. Especially.

 

[Forever The Best]

Another pan-flat stage. Another Kittel win. Boring.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

I generally do as well, just vaguely remembering some breaks that got up the road with a few meaningless riders in it which got 10-20 minutes 10 years back or so. Then, if I were to tune in with 10 k remaining as I've done on recent sprint stages, I'd rather watch the sprint from the peloton. Otherwise break wins obviously are more intriguing (on flat stages), especially at this point in time. Especially.

A bit harsh, no?

But I feel the same way and that was why I particularly disliked much of the Vuelta last year (with the third weekend as an obvious exception) as that was just day upon day upon day of relatively anonymous riders being allowed to sort out the stage between them with the stage won by Valerio Conti as the most glaring example. The sprints were not much better, granted. Except for the last two.

 

[BigShoes]

I think ASO must have forgot to categorise that second climb that peaks at Morlaas. It rises almost 150 metres over 44km, and reportedly has gradients of almost 2% in places, such a pity Valverde isn't still here to launch a long distance solo attack on these steeper bits.

In all seriousness this stage is actually the most pointless of all the long, flat boring stages we have suffered so far this year.

 

[mb2612]

You dismissed 2006, but he 2006 sprint stages were the first bits of cycling I watched properly, and what made me fall in love with the sport. The tension rising as the breaks lead dropped by a minute ever 10km, from 6 minutes with 60km to go. Ever tightening, with complete uncertainty about whether or not they would make it. I was enthralled for literally an hour every day. Now I can barely be bothered to watch a 3 minute highlight video on youtube.

I just looked it up, to check that I'm not looking back with rose tinted glasses, and in 2006 the break was caught with 2km to go on stage 4 and 5, 4km on stage 6, stayed away stage 8 and then was caught with 4km to go again on stage 9.

I can't remember who it was, but a break deliberately kept the gap low, at 4 minutes or so, and saved energy, which then allowed them to surprise the sprinters, and since then the sprint teams have been much more cautious, and flat stages are terribly boring. If I started watching today, I'm not sure I would have become a cycling fan.

 

[Robert5091]

"Groundhog Day" anyone?

 

[Escarabajo]

Betancur to go in the break tomorrow and do a Pereiro!!

 

[Jungle Cycle]

i saw on twitter the Amador is out... is it true??
https://twitter.com/CiclismoInter/status/884953064930672642

 

[capuldemetal]

yap!
Goga Ruiz-Sandoval‏Verified account @BiciGoga 3h3 hours ago
More
En Instagram @Andrey_Amador anunció su baja del #TdF2017 Comprendemos tanto la molestia como el cansancio acumulado del Giro. A Recuperarse!"

 

[glassmoon]

stuck in the office again. probably gonna watch the whole thing... sheesh

 

[jflemaire]

Re: Re:

If just half of these pan flat sprint stages would have had a murito finish, this could have been a great race. Would have been loads more action from GC riders, puncheurs, breakaways and a more interesting battle for the green jersey. Preudhomme needs to get with the times and embrace the murito asap.

By the way, who is Preudhomme accountable to? If designing this terrible race and route is not a sackable offence, then I'm not sure what is.

what happened to "Bernard Hinault" he used to be a route contributor and podium presence. I don't see him at all this year

If I'm not mistaken he announced last year that he was retiring from that role.
Also, people are down on Prudhomme but since 2014 it's actually Thierry Gouvenou who designs the route (taking over from Pescheux). Of course, Prrudhomme has to approuve it. But still..

 

[rghysens]

Re: Re:

...
Also, people are down on Prudhomme but since 2014 it's actually Thierry Gouvenou who designs the route (taking over from Pescheux). Of course, Prrudhomme has to approuve it. But still..

Yeah, but why did he design a very entertaining course in 2014 (with a superb first half) and is it getting worse every year since? It isn't only due to the available terrain.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

...
Also, people are down on Prudhomme but since 2014 it's actually Thierry Gouvenou who designs the route (taking over from Pescheux). Of course, Prrudhomme has to approuve it. But still..

Yeah, but why did he design a very entertaining course in 2014 (with a superb first half) and is it getting worse every year since? It isn't only due to the available terrain.

Riders were complaining that 2015 first week was too difficult, I guess that's why there is a step back.

Gouvenou's ultimate goal is to design a Tour without a single summit finish in the grands massifs (Pyrenees, Alpes).

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

...
Also, people are down on Prudhomme but since 2014 it's actually Thierry Gouvenou who designs the route (taking over from Pescheux). Of course, Prrudhomme has to approuve it. But still..

Yeah, but why did he design a very entertaining course in 2014 (with a superb first half) and is it getting worse every year since? It isn't only due to the available terrain.

Riders were complaining that 2015 first week was too difficult, I guess that's why there is a step back.

Gouvenou's ultimate goal is to design a Tour without a single summit finish in the grands massifs (Pyrenees, Alpes).

Were riders complaining? Oh, then we are gonna stop doing that! Its the hardest bike race in the world for christ sake, or supposed to be, they are gonna ride regardless and it improves the spectacle significantly. Or you also gonna neutralise the descent because riders are complaining? Shh, don't listen to the riders.