Tour de France 2018 Rumours

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Re: Re:

Give me one of them 5000+ 200km+ 6 hour mountain stages first.

As for the Tourmalet, why no finish at Pic du Midi Bigorre, the observatory above the pass. Bola del Mundo eat your heart out. Don't need to put much before that in the stage.

Uh, maybe because it can't be raced with a road bike. The road surface is horrible and can in no way be compared with, say, Finestre.

It's also not suited for the TDF, even if they tarmacked it. The TDF is simply too big a race for such a finish, with limited space at the top and no other way out. Any other race ...sure, but it would be rather costly to make it raceable.

I've seen some speculation that the second Pyrenees stage could be something like this after a Superbagnères MTF:

(Portillon, Peyresourde, Aspin, Ancizan, Azet)

Not too bad for a short stage.

I will be happy with this one after Superbagnères MTF

Superbagneres is highly unlikely. Won't happen, IMO. Not next year, anyway.




Davidc #214 : auriez vous des info sur une ville de départ pour l'étape de la Rosière ?
Superbagnères n'est plus sur les cartes du Tour depuis longtemps.
Sait-on pourqu'oi ? Trop étroit ? Une seule route d'accès et donc de sortie ?

| fourchecaudine | mercredi 27 septembre 2017 à 9:47:42

[...]

@fourchecaudine : c'est pour l'évacuation du site de Superbagnères que çà pose problème, à cause de la télécabine qui ne débite pas assez (4 personnes) pour l'ensemble du public susceptible d'être au sommet. De plus elle devrait être changée l'été prochain par une 8 places, d'où le fait que j'émette de sérieux doutes sur une étape là haut l'été prochain.

| arbisman | mercredi 27 septembre 2017 à 13:09:29

http://www.velowire.com/article/1027/fr/tour-de-france-2018---les-rumeurs-sur-le-parcours-et-les-villes-etapes--.html

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Re: Re:

Just saw a tweet yesterday with a picture of Prud'homme at the top of the col du Pré but the tweet is now deleted. Looks good !

https://i1.wp.com/www.cycling-challenge.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/colpre700.png

Col du Pré - Roselend - Rosiere is cool, I guess, but with Sky dominating the field it's hard to get excited about any mountain stage, no matter the design.

At least it looks like there will be more high mountain stages to test Sky. That's something, I guess.

 

[Robert5091]

If it turns into a Froome vs Tommy D battle then it'll be worth only tuning in for the TTs.

 

[Red Rick]

I'm predicting a single ITT of 18km with a cat 2 in it.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

It's not official yet, but Etape du Tour 2018 might look like this. So there is a chance, that pro's will ride this too. Still rumorland. Would like it a lot. Romme+Colombiere in 2009 created huge gaps.

 

[Red Rick]

It's not official yet, but Etape du Tour 2018 might look like this. So there is a chance, that pro's will ride this too. Still rumorland. Would like it a lot. Romme+Colombiere in 2009 created huge gaps.

That was more dictated by tactics than by route. One of the best squads went crazy from the bottom of the penultimate climb. Maybe Movistar could make that happen next year, but if any other team does it Froome will sit there with plenty of guys still.

 

[railxmig]

It's not official yet, but Etape du Tour 2018 might look like this. So there is a chance, that pro's will ride this too. Still rumorland. Would like it a lot. Romme+Colombiere in 2009 created huge gaps.

Back then there were different circumstances. 2009 route was so atrocious that it was basically the only proper mountain stage but Ventoux on the last day. The attacking ones were the Schleck bros, who needed to gain time on Contador and Armstrong, who were much better against the clock (next day was the Annecy ITT). They played that stage much better than the AdH 2011 one. For some reasons Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle is still rumoured, don't know why. One day in the Basque region seems to be very probable.

 

[Escarabajo]

It's not official yet, but Etape du Tour 2018 might look like this. So there is a chance, that pro's will ride this too. Still rumorland. Would like it a lot. Romme+Colombiere in 2009 created huge gaps.

That was more dictated by tactics than by route. One of the best squads went crazy from the bottom of the penultimate climb. Maybe Movistar could make that happen next year, but if any other team does it Froome will sit there with plenty of guys still.

If I am not mistaken 2009 stage was harder as well.

 

[Red Rick]

It's not official yet, but Etape du Tour 2018 might look like this. So there is a chance, that pro's will ride this too. Still rumorland. Would like it a lot. Romme+Colombiere in 2009 created huge gaps.

That was more dictated by tactics than by route. One of the best squads went crazy from the bottom of the penultimate climb. Maybe Movistar could make that happen next year, but if any other team does it Froome will sit there with plenty of guys still.

If I am not mistaken 2009 stage was harder as well.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If they're climbing the Côte de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt and therefore doing the road from there through the bottom of Le Grand Bornand, why not do Croix-Fry at that point in the stage to encourage a stronger breakaway? Now that Glières is passable you could do something like my Tour stage to Le Grand Bornand in the Race Design Thread a year or two ago, although in fairness it may only really be doable at smaller races.

 

[Chrispol]

Re:

You can forget La Ramaz in the route.

There was some landslide early in the year and the road will be consolidated but the roadworks will be executed the next summers during 2-3 years.

And from what I hear it's possible that ASO pass Mont Saxonnex (the first part of plateau de Solaison) but use Colombiere without Romme.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re: Re:

You can forget La Ramaz in the route.

There was some landslide early in the year and the road will be consolidated but the roadworks will be executed the next summers during 2-3 years.

And from what I hear it's possible that ASO pass Mont Saxonnex (the first part of plateau de Solaison) but use Colombiere without Romme.

Sounds like this stage will end up more like the underwhelming 2007 route...

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

I'm predicting a single ITT of 18km with a cat 2 in it.

Cat 2...at the very least.

Wouldn't want to disadvantage those climbers too much

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Some new rumours today. First it was a stage starting from St-Pée-sur-Nivelle. Now we have an itt from St-Pée to Espelette. Around 30k of distance on the final saturday.

http://www.eitb.eus/es/deportes/ciclismo/tour-de-francia/detalle/5119998/senpere-acogera-salida-etapa-tour-francia-2018/

 

[Red Rick]

Some new rumours today. First it was a stage starting from St-Pée-sur-Nivelle. Now we have an itt from St-Pée to Espelette. Around 30k of distance on the final saturday.

http://www.eitb.eus/es/deportes/ciclismo/tour-de-francia/detalle/5119998/senpere-acogera-salida-etapa-tour-francia-2018/

Flat?
Rolling?
Hilly?

 

[Valv.Piti]

30 km and probably only time trial, jesus. Cant they just do something like 2013, that was great.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Some new rumours today. First it was a stage starting from St-Pée-sur-Nivelle. Now we have an itt from St-Pée to Espelette. Around 30k of distance on the final saturday.

http://www.eitb.eus/es/deportes/ciclismo/tour-de-francia/detalle/5119998/senpere-acogera-salida-etapa-tour-francia-2018/

Flat?
Rolling?
Hilly?

Downhill underwater.

 

[Red Rick]

Some new rumours today. First it was a stage starting from St-Pée-sur-Nivelle. Now we have an itt from St-Pée to Espelette. Around 30k of distance on the final saturday.

http://www.eitb.eus/es/deportes/ciclismo/tour-de-francia/detalle/5119998/senpere-acogera-salida-etapa-tour-francia-2018/

Flat?
Rolling?
Hilly?

Downhill underwater.

Nibali would love that

 

[yaco]

ITT should be stage 19 - TT's should never be on the weekend.

 

[StryderHells]

Re:

ITT should be stage 19 - TT's should never be on the weekend.

You keep making this point so I think we get your stance on this. Anyway I love ITT's so have no issues with them being on the weekends.

 

[staubsauger]

Ain't no stage to honor Pantani rumored? It's been 20 years since the pirate's glorious Giro & Tour double next year!

 

[kingjr]

For the love of god, please no.

 

[staubsauger]

Honestly, that 98 Les Deux Alpes stage probably would be better than another Alpe d'Huez stage with final climb only action.

Oh wait, Alpe d'Huez probably IS the stage to honor Pantani once again. Since Les Deux Alpes 98 & Alpes d'Huez 97 are the pirate's signature wins together with Merano-Aprica 94!

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Honestly, that 98 Les Deux Alpes stage probably would be better than another Alpe d'Huez stage with final climb only action.

Oh wait, Alpe d'Huez probably IS the stage to honor Pantani once again. Since Les Deux Alpes 98 & Alpes d'Huez 97 are the pirate's signature wins together with Merano-Aprica 94!

Didn't the giro teach us Pantani's signature wins are Oropa 1999 and Piancavallo 1998?

 

[staubsauger]

Re: Re:

Honestly, that 98 Les Deux Alpes stage probably would be better than another Alpe d'Huez stage with final climb only action.

Oh wait, Alpe d'Huez probably IS the stage to honor Pantani once again. Since Les Deux Alpes 98 & Alpes d'Huez 97 are the pirate's signature wins together with Merano-Aprica 94!

Didn't the giro teach us Pantani's signature wins are Oropa 1999 and Piancavallo 1998?

This hurts very bad, but yeah Oropa 99 probably is better remembered than Merano-Aprica 94. But hell, Pantani has got so many iconic victories. Eventually it is Les Deux Alpes 98 that shines above them all as the big signature win everyone remembers!