Tour de France 2018 Rumours

[yaco]

Re: 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.

Nah it's a bigger issue - More people get to watch stages live on weekends as well as watching on TV - Weekends are for the most exciting stages which also for me rules out flat stages, except for the last stages of GT's which are procession stages - So the last weekend of the TDF has an ITT and the Champ Elysses stage which hardly make for riveting viewing - It's also interesting that the crowd was below expectations for the stage stage Marseille ITT.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: 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.

Agree, it has become pretty annoying by now.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re: 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.

Nah it's a bigger issue - More people get to watch stages live on weekends as well as watching on TV - Weekends are for the most exciting stages which also for me rules out flat stages, except for the last stages of GT's which are procession stages - So the last weekend of the TDF has an ITT and the Champ Elysses stage which hardly make for riveting viewing - It's also interesting that the crowd was below expectations for the stage stage Marseille ITT.

To be honest, if the pyrenees are the 2nd big mountain range in the route a TT on stage 19 most likely means that stage 20 is flat which is definitely even worse than a TT, which is at least crucial for the gc. I generally also prefer mountain stages on weekends though, although that's a very personal opinion.

 

[roundabout]

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!

I remember the *****-*** coverage from that stage. Hardly legendary stuff when one had no idea what was going on most of the time.

Edit: self-censored

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Re: 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.

Nah it's a bigger issue - More people get to watch stages live on weekends as well as watching on TV - Weekends are for the most exciting stages which also for me rules out flat stages, except for the last stages of GT's which are procession stages - So the last weekend of the TDF has an ITT and the Champ Elysses stage which hardly make for riveting viewing - It's also interesting that the crowd was below expectations for the stage stage Marseille ITT.

Indeed, most casual fans don't like them. It's bad for business.

If they have to have an ITT on a weekend I'd rather they do it - only - on the first day, when it's far harder to predict the outcome, as far as the GC guys are concerned, anyway. Pyrenees late in the race make it harder to avoid that usually boring ITT on the last weekend, though.

 

[barmaher]

All of this talk of timing of ITT, mountain stages, etc. is taking the focus from the main elephant in the room.

Namely that there are not enough medium mountain stages with the potential for GC action.

 

[Chrispol]

Re:

All of this talk of timing of ITT, mountain stages, etc. is taking the focus from the main elephant in the room.

Namely that there are not enough medium mountain stages with the potential for GC action.

The medium mountain stages will surely be Mende and Carcassonne. Not sure about the GC potential for the second one.

 

[yaco]

Re:

All of this talk of timing of ITT, mountain stages, etc. is taking the focus from the main elephant in the room.

Namely that there are not enough medium mountain stages with the potential for GC action.

Well we need to see the parcours before we can make that assessment - I can say the 2017 TDF wasn't hard enough for a GT - Improvement needed for 2018.

 

[Poursuivant]

Re:

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

Dumoulin should tell them to swivel.

 

[capuldemetal]

https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/cyclisme/le-tour-de-france-fera-etape-a-roubaix-le-15-juillet-2018-1507207842

carrefour de l'arbre! all the climbers will race next year paris-roubaix! ))

 

[Rollthedice]

Re:

https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/cyclisme/le-tour-de-france-fera-etape-a-roubaix-le-15-juillet-2018-1507207842

carrefour de l'arbre! all the climbers will race next year paris-roubaix! ))

 

[Chrispol]

Actually what the article says is pure speculation.

The race is coming to Roubaix, that's almost a given, but they say that they reasonably hope that the Tour will use the Carrefour the l'Arbre.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/cyclisme/le-tour-de-france-fera-etape-a-roubaix-le-15-juillet-2018-1507207842

carrefour de l'arbre! all the climbers will race next year paris-roubaix! ))

Even in 2015 Nibali was attacking like mad on all cobbles

 

[franic]

Re: Re:

https://www.francebleu.fr/sports/cyclisme/le-tour-de-france-fera-etape-a-roubaix-le-15-juillet-2018-1507207842

carrefour de l'arbre! all the climbers will race next year paris-roubaix! ))

Even in 2015 Nibali was attacking like mad on all cobbles

Nibali knows how to ride his bike. Also, if Moscon can be top 5 I don't see why Nibali can't be top 3. Also, there used to be a time when Hinault, Moser, Merckx, Gimondi, etc were winning the Roubaix. Greg Lemond has a top 5. I just wonder why Indurain has never tried it for a good position

 

[Tonton]

A PR stage would be great, but make it real, not just 5 sectors...all in, or use my PR-RVV design. All in. Make it the tie-breaker.

Marseilles ITT had poor attendance...security, fear of terrorism. Marseilles anyone? It's sad, but the TdF should avoid this area right now. Big crowds, et caetera, sad but it's the World we live in. People chose to watch it on TV.

I hope for a Dumoulin-friendly design. I'll be disappointed. I'll give it a 8 just to mess with Netserk, and be devastated. Not looking good.

 

[Red Rick]

I hope for a Dumoulin-friendly design. I'll be disappointed. I'll give it a 8 just to mess with Netserk, and be devastated. Not looking good.

The Tour is like [insert random pop album]. Garbage and still really overrated

 

[Netserk]

The Tour is like Red Rick. Lazy, but you don't wanna miss it

 

[Tonton]

That;s making my night: both of you. Awesome.

 

[Breh]

Re: 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.

Agree, it has become pretty annoying by now.

Yaco is annoying but when other peoples incessant crying, in a way more obnoxious way, over routes isn't? One of your colleagues is way, way worse.

 

[Tonton]

Please feel free to report what you feel is either offensive or trolling. We watch.

 

[Breh]

It's neither offensive nor trolling. I have no complaints about how this board gets moderated, to the contrary.

I just get fed up sometimes with this neverending crying over routes.

"This years routes gonna suck"
"Why don't they send the riders down this life threatening gravel descent?"
"Why do race organizers need money?"
"Why can't we finish atop this mountain without any space for accomodation?"
"But 40years ago they did 300km+ stages!!!!"
"Why are riders not robots?"
"Sprint stages are dull but uphill sprints like Peyragudes are great."
"EWP is ***, they didn't have this during the interbellum? I don't have to ride this."
"They finished here before! WHy how what? A country's topography doesn't change every year?!"

Excuse me my rant. I should perhaps steer clear of these route threads.

 

[Tonton]

Well, that's opinions, what can we do? It's a forum. Let's not forget it. Some dumb stuff gets posted, that's OK. But you see some excellent takes from big time contributors. Take the good, the bad..

 

[Breh]

You don't have to do anything I was not having a go at the moderation. I just thought I'd voice my opinion on this topic. And yes, I'll have to take the good and the bad. Thats ok. I had my rant.


Anyway,

Today I learned the maximum average length of a stage is limited to 180km.
And from 2022 on, inflatable objects over the road will no longer be allowed.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

The Tour is like Red Rick. Lazy, but you don't wanna miss it

 

[Max Rockatansky]

I wonder if they end the stage in the velodrome.