Tour de France 2021 route rumors

[houtdffan]

tour route would be so much better had we simply made the TTs closer to 45-50 km each and then added Bales and Aspin.

 

[fbjim]

It would likely have been a total break stage but I'd love to have seen Mende between Ventoux and the Pyrenees. Definitely my favorite of rhe "middle of nowhere" GC climbs outside the major ranges.

 

[luckyboy]

Just looks like Rog vs Pog again unless Froome and Dumoulin are top again. Bernal, Quintana, Pinot, Bardet, Landa, Lopez, Yates will lose minutes with all that flat TT lol.

7/21 stages as sprints (that's right? 3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 19, 21) is too much...

Alps looks quite weak. Need another MTF there – some crazy short stage like 70km with 3 mountains.

Stage 14 looks like it could be fun. Portet might as well be 65km again but it would be better if that and Andorra swapped places. Nobody will go hard there the day before Luz-Ardiden.

idk, it probably won't be a huge difference from other Tours, whatever the route is. 99% of the time it's about conservative racing anyway.

 

[Matt92]

Just looks like Rog vs Pog again unless Froome and Dumoulin are top again. Bernal, Quintana, Pinot, Bardet, Landa, Lopez, Yates will lose minutes with all that flat TT lol.

7/21 stages as sprints (that's right? 3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 19, 21) is too much...

Alps looks quite weak. Need another MTF there – some crazy short stage like 70km with 3 mountains.

Stage 14 looks like it could be fun. Portet might as well be 65km again but it would be better if that and Andorra swapped places. Nobody will go hard there the day before Luz-Ardiden.

idk, it probably won't be a huge difference from other Tours, whatever the route is. 99% of the time it's about conservative racing anyway.

I'm afraid the sprint stages are actually 8 (13).

 

[roundabout]

I think 13 is also a sprint, regardless of whatever Prudhomme said in the preview about no stage in Carcassonne ever finishing in a sprint

 

[perico]

Overall I like the route.

A decent amount of ITT is finally back although I would prefr one of them to be hilly and longer but its still much better than any of the last yearsand that first TT will force climbers to attack in the alps.

Regarding the remaining stages, some of them are quite good like the Ventoux one but I agree that the Alps are too easy, Jumbo train will probably neutralise the Colombier and Tignes stages. I am glad that the Pyrenees are finally back to the third week and some of the stages and quite hard but I agree that the Luz Ardiden stage should have been harder (this Tour lacks a super hard mountain stage) and the Andorra stage is particularly hard either. Hope for some wind to spice things up in the first week but its always a lottery. At least sprinters will be happy with the amount of flat stages.

Speaking about the possible contenders, Jumbo could hardly have been happier (only if we had a TTT as well). Both Dumoulin and Roglic have a great route for them and I have little doubt that both will be present. Thomas also has a very good route and could be Ineos main option although Bernal might still be an option and someone like Porte could also be in the mix. Carapaz will surely go the Giro. Pogačar also has an interesting route but it won't be easy to defend his crown and climbers like Pinot, Mas or Quintana will have a tough time even reaching podium. Finally I end this post with Evenepoel because if he decides to ride this, he has a great route for him and who knows what may happen.

Mas has finished in the Top 10 of every GT TT he’s ridden since 2018. Pinot can also ride a very good TT. How they get lumped in with pure climbers is beyond my comprehension.

 

[Escarabajo]

I think is going to be a great Tour. Because I don't like the route. And every time that happens Boom!!!

 

[houtdffan]

This route seems like it was made for Evenepoel. The climbs seem to allow him to use his advantages. He's also the one who could take time on some of the medium mountain stages

 

[fbjim]

Luz Ardiden seems alright btw. Not sure what the whole "decline of the sport" thing is about, it's entirely reasonable course design to have the final mountain stage not be as difficult. Trust in accumulated fatigue to make selections, and if it's too hard you run the risk of riders racing too conservatively in the prior stages.

I generally dislike courses where the final mountain stage is the queen stage for that reason- especially if it's an ultra hard MTF that encourages attritional racing.

 

[fbjim]

Oh yeah, finally some purely aesthetic notes:

Sad that we don't get enough sprint/intermediate days ending in major cities. I know blah blah sprint days are boring etc but having a stage end in Lyon/Tolouse/Tours always feels a bit special. I guess Pau counts. Really I'm just spoiled from 2020 with two finishes in Nice, and one in Lyon.

Also pretty happy that the transition to mountain stages feel "natural" again. The gradual transition of terrain over the days is one of my favorite things about GTs, so I always dislike the thing like in 2018 where they finish in Roubaix and lol oh look we're suddenly in Annecy.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

This route seems like it was made for Evenepoel. The climbs seem to allow him to use his advantages. He's also the one who could take time on some of the medium mountain stages

Yeah, though i'm not counting out they 're hoping for Alaphilippe to give it a shot either. If it were really tailor made for Evenepoel, the ITT's would have been longer, or even made 45km + 13km at least or, like the Giro, there could be an extra ITT. For me, the route is not enough to skip the Olympics for Evenepoel, if they are to take place. I'd rather see him go to the Giro or Vuelta first anyway. It would have been good had he been able to ride the Vuelta right now even if not for GC, then simply for the experience.

Though if he does decide to go to the TDF, it could make it more interesting, shake things up a bit.

 

[Koronin]

Mas has finished in the Top 10 of every GT TT he’s ridden since 2018. Pinot can also ride a very good TT. How they get lumped in with pure climbers is beyond my comprehension.

Thanks. I know he could do a fairly good TT for a GC rider, but wasn't sure how good. That does answer some questions and shows I needed to have been paying better attention apparently.

 

[houtdffan]

Yeah, though i'm not counting out they 're hoping for Alaphilippe to give it a shot either. If it were really tailor made for Evenepoel, the ITT's would have been longer, or even made 45km + 13km at least or, like the Giro, there could be an extra ITT. For me, the route is not enough to skip the Olympics for Evenepoel, if they are to take place. I'd rather see him go to the Giro or Vuelta first anyway. It would have been good had he been able to ride the Vuelta right now even if not for GC, then simply for the experience.

Though if he does decide to go to the TDF, it could make it more interesting, shake things up a bit.

If Ullrich at age 21 could finish second (and should have won had he not had that TERRIBLE MTT up the Iseran), Evenepoel should be just fine at next year's tour.

Yes, the ITTs could be longer. However, some of his big time gains have been attacking from afar on these medium mountain stages. Would at least turn those into the GC battles they are intended to be, not just a breakaway stage with the peloton riding piano all day

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

If Ullrich at age 21 could finish second (and should have won had he not had that TERRIBLE MTT up the Iseran), Evenepoel should be just fine at next year's tour.

Yes, the ITTs could be longer. However, some of his big time gains have been attacking from afar on these medium mountain stages. Would at least turn those into the GC battles they are intended to be, not just a breakaway stage with the peloton riding piano all day

It's not so much about "being fine next year", it's about him talking about riding the olympics for the past two years as his main goal. While this course may be somewhat favorable for him, it isn't exactly a slam dunk with only 58k flat ITT's either. If the Giro puts out 3 ITT's, which they might with Ganna in mind, and the Olympics take place, this may end up being a rather easy choice for Evenepoel.

 

[OlavEH]

-- Mur-de-Bretagne... srsly!? ban it right with LPdBF (back in 2022 folks!)

What is the option here? A dead flat stage. If you draw a diagonal line through France, from southwest to northeast, the left half of that line is more or less flat with minimalt options to create stages that separate the riders. Mur de Bretagne is the lesser evil compared to having another flat sprinter's stage.

 

[OlavEH]

Mur-de-Bretagne... srsly!? ban it right with LPdBF (back in 2022 folks!)

What is the option here? A dead flat stage. If you draw a diagonal line through France, from southwest to northeast, the left half of that line is more or less flat with minimal options to create stages that separate the riders. Mur de Bretagne is the lesser evil compared to having another flat sprinter's stage. You could of course create a stage in a area exposed to crosswinds, or do a sterrato stage but these should come instead of some of the many flat stages, not instead of Mur de Bretagne.

 

[railxmig]

What is the option here? A dead flat stage. If you draw a diagonal line through France, from southwest to northeast, the left half of that line is more or less flat with minimal options to create stages that separate the riders. Mur de Bretagne is the lesser evil compared to having another flat sprinter's stage. You could of course create a stage in a area exposed to crosswinds, or do a sterrato stage but these should come instead of some of the many flat stages, not instead of Mur de Bretagne.

I will take yet another flat stage than this ish again. Just have like Plumelec or Plouay or a random berg, which Mur-de-bretagne was to begin with. Why not have a lap race around WC style and finish in the town or in Saint-Mayeux if you want a finish on a random berg. besides, apparently Landerneau (1st stage) already finishes on a hill.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Just looks like Rog vs Pog again unless Froome and Dumoulin are top again. Bernal, Quintana, Pinot, Bardet, Landa, Lopez, Yates will lose minutes with all that flat TT lol.

FDJ should leave Pinot at home and bring on Démare with full support, so he can go for the green jersey and stage wins. It's a festival for sprinters, specially if they can handle some hills as well.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Le Creusot

via bullomaniak @ Le Gruppetto

 

[OlavEH]

I will take yet another flat stage than this ish again. Just have like Plumelec or Plouay or a random berg, which Mur-de-bretagne was to begin with. Why not have a lap race around WC style and finish in the town or in Saint-Mayeux if you want a finish on a random berg. besides, apparently Landerneau (1st stage) already finishes on a hill.

No way it would be better witn another flat stage. There is more than enough of them already. But I agree that a loop including Mur de Bretagne and finish in a nearby town would be better.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I really hope that Remco rides this one and wrecks the other gc riders in the first ITT, so that the trains actually have to ride aggressive before the 3rd week.

 

[OlavEH]

I really hope that Remco rides this one and wrecks the other gc riders in the first ITT, so that the trains actually have to ride aggressive before the 3rd week.

I actually hope to see Remco in the Giro. Let Pogacar battle it out against Jumbo and Ineos in the Tour. Remco vs a bunch of top climbers in the Giro. Could potentially be much more interesting than the Tour.

 

[gavia88]

flamme rouge tried to map out the stages:

Tour de France 2021

Route of Tour de France 2021 tracked with La Flamme Rouge editor.

www.la-flamme-rouge.eu

 

[Berflamand]

Prudhomme said there will be 4 or 5 stages with possible echelon action.

I do love me some echelon action but I don't know if I can trust Prudhomme. Is there anyone who has studied the routes and can confirm if there are indeed many possibilities for echelons if the wind cooperates? Or is it impossible to predict without final profiles for the flat stages?

In any case, the first week seems to favour the classic types in the battle for yellow. Should be a nice fight between Van der Poel, Van Aert, Alaphilippe, Hirschi and other Sagans.

 

[rghysens]

Prudhomme said there will be 4 or 5 stages with possible echelon action.

I do love me some echelon action but I don't know if I can trust Prudhomme. Is there anyone who has studied the routes and can confirm if there are indeed many possibilities for echelons if the wind cooperates? Or is it impossible to predict without final profiles for the flat stages?

In any case, the first week seems to favour the classic types in the battle for yellow. Should be a nice fight between Van der Poel, Van Aert, Alaphilippe, Hirschi and other Sagans.

If aso designs a flat stage with nothing to tell about, they just hype it as a possible echelon stage. Remember stage 10 this year? Connecting 2 islands, coastal plains,... It was an almost 100% guarantee for echelons and we didn't really got them