Tour de France 2018 Rumours

[portugal11]

dumoulin will win this tour in the cobbled stage. this man is really the new indurain

 

[Robert5091]

Is this the La Route de France Féminine thread?

 

[Ashhutch97]

I believe the reason why the Tour are doing such short mountain stages is because there are lot's of people who the only bike race they watch all year is the Tour. So for a lot of people who are not huge cycling fans and don't watch every race like people on this forum, it means they can watch a stage in full without getting bored. Because I cant imagine someone who is new to cycling watching a 7 hour 200km mountain slog and enjoying it At the end of the day the Tour want new/ more people watching their race, so if doing shorter/more explosive mountain stages gets more people watching, then that is the way they will go.
Also I have been a life long cycling fan and I personally much more enjoy the short mountain stages, look at the Tour this year, the 200 km + stage to Peyragudes was really boring until the last 300 metres, whereas the short 100 km stage to Foix was full on racing from the start and really enjoyable.

 

[Singer01]

Re:

dumoulin will win this tour in the cobbled stage. this man is really the new indurain

Realistically with probable teams how much, if anything does Dumoulin lose to Froome is the 30km TTT.

 

[Tonton]

Something interesting popped up yesterday. Somebody discovered Montée des Glières, the cobbles, the airport of Mende and Aiguille du Grand Fond in the Tour Teaser Trailer for 2018. All those sites are likely in the TdF 2018.

He also discovered pictures of Lac de Cap-de-Long in this teaser. So this is the next big rumor we have. From Bagnères-du-Luchon via Peyresourde and Col d'Azet it's exactly 65 kilometers to Cap-de-Long.

Cap-de-Long is a great climb. Good news.

Still, 9 day borefest to begin, MTF on week-days, there's more not-to-like than positive so far.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Re: Re:

dumoulin will win this tour in the cobbled stage. this man is really the new indurain

Realistically with probable teams how much, if anything does Dumoulin lose to Froome is the 30km TTT.

I think the difference between them won't be too big. It wouldn't even surprise me if Sunweb manages to beat Sky.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

There might by such a short stage of 65 kilometers because the day before there could be a stage from Carcassonne to Vielha. Which would be a 260k monster. But yeah...all rumours. Guess we will have to wait until tomorrow or tueday.

 

[Escarabajo]

How do we know these things with certainty? (about the short stages, not about the mountain passes and cities)

Let's wait until the final route comes out.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Hmmmm 260km from Carcasonne to Viella, when I check that on the map, the only logical option I can find is doing Port de Balès and Col du Portillon. You can put some smaller climbs before it, while staying around the 260km mark. It would need an adventurous rider to get real GC action; Balès would be far away from the finish and there's still something like 15km of flat after the descent of Portillon. Nevertheless, Balès + Portillon more or less after 200km, that's pretty brutal as far as endurance is concerned.

It's probably not going to happen and I won't get my hopes up for exciting racing, but I really can't complain if they give us a 260km mountain stage to be honest.

 

[Red Rick]

Nice. Back to designing mountain stages that end with copious amount of flat roads. Because they incite action like nothing else

 

[Durden93]

Re:

Hmmmm 260km from Carcasonne to Viella, when I check that on the map, the only logical option I can find is doing Port de Balès and Col du Portillon. You can put some smaller climbs before it, while staying around the 260km mark. It would need an adventurous rider to get real GC action; Balès would be far away from the finish and there's still something like 15km of flat after the descent of Portillon. Nevertheless, Balès + Portillon more or less after 200km, that's pretty brutal as far as endurance is concerned.

It's probably not going to happen and I won't get my hopes up for exciting racing, but I really can't complain if they give us a 260km mountain stage to be honest.

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with long races. If a stage has multiple difficult mountains with minimal flat between them and, most importantly, little flat after the final climb, then I do not really care how long it is. Give me a 150-200kmish multi-mountain stage with ends after the decent over a 250km+ race with tons of flat any day.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Re: Re:

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with long races. If a stage has multiple difficult mountains with minimal flat between them and, most importantly, little flat after the final climb, then I do not really care how long it is. Give me a 150-200kmish multi-mountain stage with ends after the decent over a 250km+ race with tons of flat any day.

Well, I prefer a well designed 150-200km stage over a poorly designed 260km one obviously, but it would be nice if the endurance of cyclists got tested a little more. Length is just one of the factors in creating difficult and epic stages, but it's neglected a bit in recent years as far as I'm concerned, so if we get a proper 260km mountain stage again, I can only applaud it.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Re:

How do we know these things with certainty? (about the short stages, not about the mountain passes and cities)

Let's wait until the final route comes out.

Just checking the comments on the Velowire page. The people always do a fantastic job there and they figured out the right course over the last years. There are people, who comment on things, because they live in the french regions and get to know things about Le Tour passing by or not.
Still we have to wait for Tuesday, that is for sure. I like the speculation a lot more, then what they will present.

A guy just posted that itinary based on those rumours...

- Carcassonne - Vielha par Portet-d'Aspet (2), Menté (1), Balès (HC), Portillon (1) ~260 km
- Luchon - Lac de Cap de Long par Peyresourde (1), Azet (1), Cap de Long (HC) ~65 km
- Lourdes - Luz-Ardiden par Aspin (1), Tourmalet (HC), Luz-Ardiden par Viscos (HC) ~145 km
- Pau - Laruns-Artouste par Hourcère (HC), Soudet (2), Ichère (3), Marie-Blanque (1), Artouste (2) ~160 km

Cap de Long is all based on a few pictures from the beginning of the teaser video. That's all. But it's still something.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re: Re:

dumoulin will win this tour in the cobbled stage. this man is really the new indurain

Realistically with probable teams how much, if anything does Dumoulin lose to Froome is the 30km TTT.

He won't lose much, and seeing as Sunweb is also TTT world champion, if the course is not entirely flat but hilly, they might even win some time

 

[Durden93]

Re: Re:

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with long races. If a stage has multiple difficult mountains with minimal flat between them and, most importantly, little flat after the final climb, then I do not really care how long it is. Give me a 150-200kmish multi-mountain stage with ends after the decent over a 250km+ race with tons of flat any day.

Well, I prefer a well designed 150-200km stage over a poorly designed 260km one obviously, but it would be nice if the endurance of cyclists got tested a little more. Length is just one of the factors in creating difficult and epic stages, but it's neglected a bit in recent years as far as I'm concerned, so if we get a proper 260km mountain stage again, I can only applaud it.

A rider's endurance is not tested when nobody attacks because the probability of gaining time is minimal.

 

[mikii4567]

Re: Re:

A guy just posted that itinary based on those rumours...

- Carcassonne - Vielha par Portet-d'Aspet (2), Menté (1), Balès (HC), Portillon (1) ~260 km
- Luchon - Lac de Cap de Long par Peyresourde (1), Azet (1), Cap de Long (HC) ~65 km
- Lourdes - Luz-Ardiden par Aspin (1), Tourmalet (HC), Luz-Ardiden par Viscos (HC) ~145 km
- Pau - Laruns-Artouste par Hourcère (HC), Soudet (2), Ichère (3), Marie-Blanque (1), Artouste (2) ~160 km

Not an itinerary based on rumours, it's "what he hopes for"

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with long races. If a stage has multiple difficult mountains with minimal flat between them and, most importantly, little flat after the final climb, then I do not really care how long it is. Give me a 150-200kmish multi-mountain stage with ends after the decent over a 250km+ race with tons of flat any day.

Well, I prefer a well designed 150-200km stage over a poorly designed 260km one obviously, but it would be nice if the endurance of cyclists got tested a little more. Length is just one of the factors in creating difficult and epic stages, but it's neglected a bit in recent years as far as I'm concerned, so if we get a proper 260km mountain stage again, I can only applaud it.

Pfft about endurance - When Sky's tempo is a Sunday afternoon stroll until the last climb it's not testing endurance - You could have a 300km stage which will not test endurance if Sky is leading the peleton.

 

[yaco]

Re: Re:

dumoulin will win this tour in the cobbled stage. this man is really the new indurain

Realistically with probable teams how much, if anything does Dumoulin lose to Froome is the 30km TTT.

He won't lose much, and seeing as Sunweb is also TTT world champion, if the course is not entirely flat but hilly, they might even win some time

Little difference between Froome and Dumoulin in a flat ITT - Dumoulin will take time out of Froome in a hilly type ITT.

 

[kiszol]

Re: Re:

Little difference between Froome and Dumoulin in a flat ITT - Dumoulin will take time out of Froome in a hilly type ITT.

Why do you think Dumoulin is better vs Froome in a rolling ITT and not in a flat ITT? I mean ofc he beat the guy badly in the Worlds hilly ITT but isn't he better in the flat ITT as well?

Given a flat, a rolling and a mountainous ITT (all 30km in length) how much time could Dumoulin gain on Froome in each?

 

[jfazendeiro]

Route du Sud or Criterium du Dauphine in 2018?
The delay of 1 week in start of the TDF and this route make the Route du Sud a more natural preparation.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Route du Sud or Criterium du Dauphine in 2018?
The delay of 1 week in start of the TDF and this route make the Route du Sud a more natural preparation.

Wait - so the Dauphine and Suisse aren't delayed by one week?

That would mess with some schedules

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

Route du Sud or Criterium du Dauphine in 2018?
The delay of 1 week in start of the TDF and this route make the Route du Sud a more natural preparation.

Wait - so the Dauphine and Suisse aren't delayed by one week?

That would mess with some schedules

Could be good news for the Tour de Suisse guys, one week longer to recover.

 

[jfazendeiro]

Re: Re:

Route du Sud or Criterium du Dauphine in 2018?
The delay of 1 week in start of the TDF and this route make the Route du Sud a more natural preparation.

Wait - so the Dauphine and Suisse aren't delayed by one week?

TDF starts in the 7 of July.

Critérium du Dauphine 3-10 June
Tour de Suisse 9-17 June
Route du Sud 14-17 June

 

[kiszol]

Mountain stages according to latest rumours, courtesy of Velowire and La Flamme Rouge:
https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/919829811253661696

Apparently the 65km stage won't happen.

 

[Valv.Piti]

New rumours: No Cap de Long-stage, no Vielha (finishing after Balés instead making it 230 km long). Seems like we will have a flat transitional stage in the Pyrenées instead of Long.