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My impression from reading the comments on velowire is that they won't do the Vosges.
But what else then? Afterall, unless they completely threw us off and restarted the race in Strasbourg the race is starting in the North and has to come South East to reach the Alps (there are no rumours I have seen that can credit a passage through the Massif Central in the first week, and it would be strange to go around the Vosges but not into them.)
I think Dole (or that area) and Jura are more likely than Vosges as things seems now. But still not many rumours are confirmed.
Denmark ---> Boulogne-sur-Mer/Lille/Arendberg ---> Metz/Nancy ---> Dole ---> Jura ----> Swiss ----> Chatel seems most likely now. They can easily skipp Vosges this way. But not many confirmations yet.
Oh dear, please don't turn this thread into another Remco debate, statements like that definitely too early.Do they go lots of TT and medium mountains so Remco can challenge the slovenians, or hardly any TT and loads of long and high MTF so Bernal can?
I wish Venegaard wasn't on the same team as Roglic.
These combinations seem great but I hope they don't go down the __/\_/ route of designing those stages like @Red Rick already mentioned where nothing happens except for the last 5k.Galibier + Granon
Huez via Sarenne
Pailheres + Plateau de Beille
Spandelles + Aubisque or Hautacam
Add a tough medium mountain stage with a steep and shortish distance from the stage finish, and this would be a good route.
Oh dear, please don't turn this thread into another Remco debate, statements like that definitely too early.
If PdBF is confirmed that's a bit meh but at least it'll sort of guarantee earlier action already.
These combinations seem great but I hope they don't go down the __/\_/ route of designing those stages like @Red Rick already mentioned where nothing happens except for the last 5k.
There is no good way to use PDBF except maybe as a nuclear waste site.Going back to PDBF yet again (the 1058307th time it's been seen since its introduction in 2012) is a vomit comet, but this is - like in 2017 - at least the right way to use it. It's early enough to sort the contenders from pretenders, its relatively small gaps are sufficient at that stage in the race, and it's a diametrically opposed way to use it from the last time it was seen, rather than trying to make lightning strike twice.
The Japanese have levelled an entire mountain to reclaim land from the sea to build an offshore city before. I could definitely be talked into crowdfunding the necessary earthworks to donate PDBF to alleviate population density problems.There is no good way to use PDBF except maybe as a nuclear waste site.
I mean, I don't mind if it's used this way and without the extra ramp on top of it (that was such a shitshow).Going back to PDBF yet again (the 1058307th time it's been seen since its introduction in 2012) is a vomit comet, but this is - like in 2017 - at least the right way to use it. It's early enough to sort the contenders from pretenders, its relatively small gaps are sufficient at that stage in the race, and it's a diametrically opposed way to use it from the last time it was seen, rather than trying to make lightning strike twice.
Can't have climbs in the first half of the stage on more than 1 stageGrand Ballon is a really big climb by Vosges standards. I don't remember when the Tour used this side last time. Too bad it's so far from the finish.
Can't have climbs in the first half of the stage on more than 1 stage
I wish the didn't do the PdBF again. But it looks like the Tour loves that climb. Maybe they want to see early selection.
As for the Pailheres + Plateau de Beille looks on paper to be a powerful duo. But is reality is another power fest like Tourmalet- Luz Ardiden. They keep doing these flat+pair of climbs at the end. that is an awful way to design stages. I wish we see some classic long, true muti-climb stages. But I guess they will never comeback to the routes.
The good news is they have to choose between having Paillheres in the first half, which is impossible, and making the stage over 110km long.Pailheres + Plateau de Beille... large amount of flat between the two climbs, so not much action on the Pailheres
This was considered the WARM UP stage of the 2007 Pyrenees. Next year, the way Goveneou designs the routes, that would probably be the queen stage
I think it is more or less unavoidable with at least one or two of these kind of stages in the Tour. France isn't as packed with good climbs and combination of climbs like Italy, and the willingness (and originality) of ASO when designing stages is pretty absent. Pailheres and Beille are probably two of the four toughest climbs in the Pyrenees, and it wouldn't be too big of a problem with doing a stage with these climbs and a Galibier + Granon stage if they did something more original in addition. A multi-mountain stage more designed for attacks further out than the last few kms. And a long medium mountain stage of 230-240 km in Vosges or Massif Central would be nice additions.Pailheres + Plateau de Beille... large amount of flat between the two climbs, so not much action on the Pailheres
This was considered the WARM UP stage of the 2007 Pyrenees. Next year, the way Goveneou designs the routes, that would probably be the queen stage
Yeah, we might get more breakaways with strong climbers on the mountain stages, god forbid!Can't have climbs in the first half of the stage on more than 1 stage