Tour de France 2018 Rumours

[Robert5091]

Re:

That "sterrato" does nothing to distance anyone, will just cause someone to puncture and lose a minute since no car or moto around after the selective climb. Porte time loss confirmed?

:lol: You know LRP can n't make it through more then a week without some disaster happening. Poor man ...

If Froome & Tommy D are doing TdF, I'd like to see a 50 km long ITT on the last day into Paris.

 

[Escarabajo]

If they are going to put a long ITT, I'd prefer if they do it early. So we know what to expect from there on. Kill them goats!

 

[Tonton]

Re:

That "sterrato" does nothing to distance anyone, will just cause someone to puncture and lose a minute since no car or moto around after the selective climb. Porte time loss confirmed?

That's the BIG shortcoming of this stage design, if the track is accurate. The Col des Glieres should be just before the finish...otherwise, I agree, it will likely not be a factor.

 

[Netserk]

Re:

If they are going to put a long ITT, I'd prefer if they do it early. So we know what to expect from there on. Kill them goats!

It looks like there won't be any long ITT. Only a medium length rolling one.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

Btw Maaaaaaaarten, when you wrote "design crazy stages", I was a bit puzzled as the suggested stage was a short one, and not something brutal like this

If we're doing crazy Albertville-La Rosière stages, who said we had to climb to the finish?

 

[Netserk]

With all due respect, some detours are just a bit too much But then again the clue was "crazy"

 

[Libertine Seguros]

From as soon as La Rosière was suggested I was figuring out ways to do the Bernards - first time since 2009 - to get there and avoid the expected tame MTF (although Mont Bisanne into Col du Pré is something I've hoped for), but Albertville as a stage town makes it more or less impossible as the length becomes an issue.

 

[Netserk]

IF it actually was to be a monstrous stage, I think it could work well with a tame MTF. In reality, on the other hand...

 

[Escarabajo]

Re: Re:

Btw Maaaaaaaarten, when you wrote "design crazy stages", I was a bit puzzled as the suggested stage was a short one, and not something brutal like this

If we're doing crazy Albertville-La Rosière stages, who said we had to climb to the finish?

Lol.

You really love to dream. I am salivating just looking at this!

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Let's make Morgex to La Rosière a time trial for the ages. :lol:

 

[dacooley]

even one of the most anticipated stages Biche-Grand Colombier-Chat delivered quite a mediocre amount of action which makes all our dreams illusory. i'd better pray for havoc-provoking racing situation rather than beautiful and promising stage profiles.

 

[veji11]

even one of the most anticipated stages Biche-Grand Colombier-Chat delivered quite a mediocre amount of action which makes all our dreams illusory. i'd better pray for havoc-provoking racing situation rather than beautiful and promising stage profiles.

team sizes and place in the race are key.. put the Chambéry stage as one of the last mountain stages, where without MTF action has to take place from afar, and it could have been different. Too many riders were riding very conservatively at this stage of the race (ie "let's just not lose time today").

 

[dacooley]

even one of the most anticipated stages Biche-Grand Colombier-Chat delivered quite a mediocre amount of action which makes all our dreams illusory. i'd better pray for havoc-provoking racing situation rather than beautiful and promising stage profiles.

team sizes and place in the race are key.. put the Chambéry stage as one of the last mountain stages, where without MTF action has to take place from afar, and it could have been different. Too many riders were riding very conservatively at this stage of the race (ie "let's just not lose time today").

yes, but the last mountain stages are set to finish on the most iconic climbs which makes using chat almost impossible.

 

[rghysens]

So, the last three weeks not much more became clear, although we had some extra rumours. New additions are bolded. One week to go.
With Eshnar's assesment (***** = certainty; * = wild guess):


Stage 1: Noirmoutier-en-l'Île - Fontenay-le-Comte; flat (*****)
Stage 2: Mouilleron-Saint-Germain - La Roche-sur-Yon; flat (*****)
Stage 3: Cholet - Cholet: ttt (*****)
Stage 4: La Baule - Sarzeau; flat (****)
Stage 5: Lorient - Quimper: flat with ribins (other than those of tro Bro Leon) (****)
Stage 6: Brest - Mur de Bretagne: with the hilltop finish(***)
Stage 7: Fougères - Alençon: possibly with a hilly final (4-5 hills from 40km to go to 15km to go, crossing the so-called Alpes Mancelles) (****)
Stage 8: Dreux - Amiens; flat (****)
Stage 9: Arras - Roubaix; rumours about a few cobble sectors (***)

restday + transfer to the Alps

Stage 10: Annécy - Le Grand Bornand; high mountains, Plateau des Glières,Romme + Colombière? (****)
Stage 11: Albertville - La Rosière; high mountains + mtf (***)
Stage 12: Bourg-Saint-Maurice - l'Alpe d'Huez; high mountains (Madeleine-Glandon-traditional mtf or Madeleine-Galibier-Sarenne) (***)
Stage 13: Bourg d'Oisans - Valence; (****) start and finish seem to be decided, question is what will be the course. Following the Romanche and isère (= flat) or crossing the Vercors (= medium mountains). Given the next two stage will probably be medium mountains, I guess it will be flattish.
Stage 14: Valence - Mende; medium mountains with the finish on the altiport (but from which side?) (****)
Stage 15: Millau - Carcassonne (***); medium mountains with Pic de Nore?

restday

Stage 16: Carcassonne - Bagnères-de-Luchon (***); medium mountains (Portet d'Aspet, Menté, Portillon?)
Stage 17: ... - Loudenvielle (***); high mountains
Stage 18: Lourdes -Luz Ardiden; high mountains + mtf (**)
Stage 19: Pau - Formigal (**); high mountains + hilltop finish. Some rumours about Formigal
Stage 20: Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle - Espelette (**); (very hilly) itt. There are rumours about a 30km long itt between the two aforementioned villages. It could be interesting.
Stage 21: Compiègne - Paris (****); final flat parade, the start isn't all that important. Some vague rumours about finishing on the course of the 2024 olympics road race. It is possible that that course is implemented in the final parade stage, though.

 

[Netserk]

A bit similar to '11 regarding the structure. And imbalance.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

If it all turns out okay and we get decent ribin and cobble stages, a hilly finale in Alençon and Mûr de Bretagne, I actually think the first week is pretty good (note the if). Skelethor and the anorexic Latino midgets will be motivated to start getting back time once they hit the mountains and that's how it ought to be. With regard to the mountains, we will have to see how it turns out when we get actual profiles. Still way too little time trial kilometers though. At least the all rounders and rouleurs will have some opportunities in the first week with the ribins and cobbles, but another ITT would have been nice.

 

[Gigs_98]

The first four stages are cancer but the rest seems decent

 

[barmaher]

It just needs a 50km flat ITT. I would love if the hilly stages are actually going to happen.

 

[OlavEH]

Stage 5: Lorient - Quimper: flat with ribins (other than those of tro Bro Leon) (****)
Stage 6: Brest - Mur de Bretagne: with the hilltop finish(***)
Stage 7: Fougères - Alençon: possibly with a hilly final (4-5 hills from 40km to go to 15km to go, crossing the so-called Alpes Mancelles) (****)
Stage 8: Dreux - Amiens; flat (****)
Stage 9: Arras - Roubaix; rumours about a few cobble sectors (***)

This seems pretty good taken into considerations that they don't reach the mountains until stage 10. But I will be disappointed if there is no sterrato stage next year. Mur de Bretagne and ~10 km of cobbles as the only difficulties the first 9 stages would be disappointing.

Stage 10: Annécy - Le Grand Bornand; high mountains, Plateau des Glières,Romme + Colombière? (****)
Stage 11: Albertville - La Rosière; high mountains + mtf (***)
Stage 12: Bourg-Saint-Maurice - l'Alpe d'Huez; high mountains (Madeleine-Glandon-traditional mtf or Madeleine-Galibier-Sarenne) (***)

This actually sounds like one of the better usage of the Alps in the later years. Glieres before the combo of Romme + Colombiere is a good stage design. And both Madeleine and Glandon before Sarenne/Alpe d'Huez would be much better than only Glandon/Croix de Fer. However, if they follow the same procedure as the last 5+ years, we'll probably see only Colombiere and no Romme. And no Madeleine, only Glandon before Huez.

Stage 16: Carcassonne - Bagnères-de-Luchon (***); medium mountains (Portet d'Aspet, Menté, Portillon?)
Stage 17: ... - Loudenvielle (***); high mountains
Stage 18: Lourdes -Luz Ardiden; high mountains + mtf (**)
Stage 19: Pau - Formigal (**); high mountains + hilltop finish. Some rumours about Formigal

Four Pyrenee stages. Is that realistic? Guess most of these will be pretty short. And where will they go from Lourdes to Luz Ardiden? Loop around to do Aspin and Tourmalet first? Guess we could have a couple of short and intensive mountain stages to Loudenvielle (via Ancizan and Aspet) and Luz Ardiden.

 

[Netserk]

Other than the length of the stages (and their order, although that can't be changed), the Alpes looks good. The problem is the likely race situation after the first restday and therefore how they'll be ridden. I fear the podium contenders will gain little to no time on each other (if it's an easy way up to AdH).

 

[rghysens]

Four Pyrenee stages. Is that realistic? Guess most of these will be pretty short. And where will they go from Lourdes to Luz Ardiden? Loop around to do Aspin and Tourmalet first? Guess we could have a couple of short and intensive mountain stages to Loudenvielle (via Ancizan and Aspet) and Luz Ardiden.

The rumours about 4 Pyrenean (or 3.5) stages are already around for quite some time, but I have doubts about the transfer Formigal - Saint-Pée (about 200km, partially on mountain roads, so it takes about 3hours).

 

[Red Rick]

The first four stages are cancer but the rest seems decent

Seems...

 

[May0maniac]

The first four stages are cancer but the rest seems decent

Seems...

This we are talking about ASO after all, usually they find a way to mess things up.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Alençon is out, was announced two days ago. Stage will end in Chartres.

To get a nice overview, look here -> https://legruppetto.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5829&start=2060#p1135272

 

[Escarabajo]

I won't get excited until I see it. It does not look bad. Finally minimizing the sprints.