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Tour de France Tour de France 2024 route rumours and announcements

Page 23 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Okay, so a Briancon finish instead of one in Valloire? Would make more sense, if they continue with the junior length mountain stages (as per the article).

possible climbs / GC stages (apart from stages 1,2, 20 & 21)

4. Sestriere (1), Montgenevre (2) - Briancon
7. white roads?
9. Dijon ITT

11. Neronne (2), Puy Mary (1), Perthus (2) - Le Lioran
14. Azet (1), Pla d'Adet (HC or 1st) MTF
15. Portet d'Aspet (2), Latrape (2), Agnes (1) Lers (3) Plateau de Beille (HC) MTF

17. Bayard (2), Noyer (1) SuperDevoluy (3) HTF
19. Vars (1), Bonette (HC), Isola 2000 (HC) MTF
Or we can dream about a Colle Angello and Col d Izoard stage to Briancon..
 
In my opinion the Tour should go over the Mont Cenis and then finish on Valmeinier 1800. It is the best option for years to include Valmeinier, because it always interfers with the Telegraphe/Galibier. For the ski resort in my opinion it is a case of now or never.
 
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Okay, so a Briancon finish instead of one in Valloire? Would make more sense, if they continue with the junior length mountain stages (as per the article).

possible climbs / GC stages (apart from stages 1,2, 20 & 21)

4. Sestriere (1), Montgenevre (2) - Briancon
7. white roads?
9. Dijon ITT

11. Neronne (2), Puy Mary (1), Perthus (2) - Le Lioran
14. Azet (1), Pla d'Adet (HC or 1st) MTF
15. Portet d'Aspet (2), Latrape (2), Agnes (1) Lers (3) Plateau de Beille (HC) MTF

17. Bayard (2), Noyer (1) SuperDevoluy (3) HTF
19. Vars (1), Bonette (HC), Isola 2000 (HC) MTF
This would be diabolically bad IMO. Stage 18 would not be a mountain stage I presume?
 
4. Sestriere (1), Montgenevre (2) - Briancon
7. white roads?
9. Dijon ITT

11. Neronne (2), Puy Mary (1), Perthus (2) - Le Lioran
14. Azet (1), Pla d'Adet (HC or 1st) MTF
15. Portet d'Aspet (2), Latrape (2), Agnes (1) Lers (3) Plateau de Beille (HC) MTF

17. Bayard (2), Noyer (1) SuperDevoluy (3) HTF
19. Vars (1), Bonette (HC), Isola 2000 (HC) MTF
Stage 4 would be okay if they add a loop before the start of the climb to Sestriere to increase the length of the stage to somewhat like 170-180 km or more.

Medium mountain stages to La Lloran ans Super Devoluy would be okay.

The high mountain stages with MTFs at Adet, Beille, Isola 2000 and Couiloule are mostly mediocre in terms of design quality.
 
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Stage 4 would be okay if they add a loop before the start of the climb to Sestriere to increase the length of the stage to somewhat like 170-180 km or more.
The previous rumor had it as Pinerolo - Mont Cenis (HC) - Telegraphe (1) - Valloire - Les Verneys. With the (flat) finish just after the first short 8.5% stretch of Galibier.

GalibierN.gif
 
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This would be diabolically bad IMO. Stage 18 would not be a mountain stage I presume?
I don’t believe for a second that a Montgenèvre descent finish will be the only mountain stage in the first half of the race. Plateau de Beille as the final stage of the second week mountain block would be godawful pacing, but assuming we get 1-2 real mountain stages in the first week on top of that it’s decent otherwise, especially with two TTs.
 
I don’t believe for a second that a Montgenèvre descent finish will be the only mountain stage in the first half of the race. Plateau de Beille as the final stage of the second week mountain block would be godawful pacing, but assuming we get 1-2 real mountain stages in the first week on top of that it’s decent otherwise, especially with two TTs.
What part of ~130km queen stage that's all 7% grinders is supposed to be decent? Bonus points for Isola 2000 coming after an extended false flat downhill with the only steep section coming directly after a good 40 minutes of recovery.
 
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What part of ~130km queen stage that's all 7% grinders is supposed to be decent? Bonus points for Isola 2000 coming after an extended false flat downhill with the only steep section coming directly after a good 40 minutes of recovery.
Yes, let's completely ignore the altitude of Bonette... if the GC situation is right (and it usually has been the past few years) it will be all-out war there. Which also means you aren't getting loads of recovery before you hit Isola 2000. Yes, it would be way better if they finished in Auron and threw in Izoard before Vars, but I don't see how that's supposed to be a bad stage.

Also: Télégraphe + Galibier is 29.6k at 7.0% if you take out the descent in between them. Bonette from this side is 23.2k at 6.8% without any such room for recovery, and it being over 150 metres higher doesn't hurt either. If the former can cause such destruction on stage 11, then the latter, which is similar but only slightly easier, can do the same on stage 19 - and the MTF being easier than Granon is a good thing that late in the race, just like Bonette (unlike Galibier in the 2022 stage) being preceded by a climb the size of Vars from its hard side is a good thing.
 
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The previous rumor had it as Pinerolo - Mont Cenis (HC) - Telegraphe (1) - Valloire - Les Verneys. With the (flat) finish just after the first short 8.5% stretch of Galibier.
Would certainly be better. The worst they could do is a ultra short stage from Torino or Pinerolo and direcetly to Briancon via Sestriere and Montgenevre. That would be super underwhelming. Adding a longer loop with a couple of cat 3 climbs and Pramartino before Sestriere would be better. Or doing Monceniso before Sestriere from Cesena Torinese and then Montgenvre.
 
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Would certainly be better. The worst they could do is a ultra short stage from Torino or Pinerolo and direcetly to Briancon via Sestriere and Montgenevre. That would be super underwhelming. Adding a longer loop with a couple of cat 3 climbs and Pramartino before Sestriere would be better. Or doing Monceniso before Sestriere from Cesena Torinese and then Montgenvre.
They could still add Finestre after all.
 
Okay, so a Briancon finish instead of one in Valloire? Would make more sense, if they continue with the junior length mountain stages (as per the article).

possible climbs / GC stages (apart from stages 1,2, 20 & 21)

4. Sestriere (1), Montgenevre (2) - Briancon
7. white roads?
9. Dijon ITT

11. Neronne (2), Puy Mary (1), Perthus (2) - Le Lioran
14. Azet (1), Pla d'Adet (HC or 1st) MTF
15. Portet d'Aspet (2), Latrape (2), Agnes (1) Lers (3) Plateau de Beille (HC) MTF

17. Bayard (2), Noyer (1) SuperDevoluy (3) HTF
19. Vars (1), Bonette (HC), Isola 2000 (HC) MTF

If they do Briancon, maybe we can get Finestre

That would force riders to be ready on stage 1 instead of peaking for the 3rd week. May see multiple riders have Vuelta Remco bad days

Also, Montgenevre is a cat 1 from the east side
 
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Prudhomme has said he wants some "remco flavour (tm)" at the Tour so all this talk of mountain stages is only going to lead to even more disapointment then normal at the Big Official Tour Whoop-de-do.
120 km lumpy stages and lots of TT-ing is still my bet.

Will Gouvenou play ball, however?

The tour and Vuelta routes show the race directors are doing their own thing and running TT out of the sport
 
If they do Briancon, maybe we can get Finestre
It is already confirmed by Proudhomme himself, that stage 4 will be an easier mountain stage. So I doubt, that any Finestre or Col de Granon route would be easy. The climb of the Col de Mont Cenis seems legit, because afterwards there is room for a long flat section, to not make the first HC climb to decisive. And then add a cat 1 or HC MTF. That seems logical to me
 
It is already confirmed by Proudhomme himself, that stage 4 will be an easier mountain stage. So I doubt, that any Finestre or Col de Granon route would be easy. The climb of the Col de Mont Cenis seems legit, because afterwards there is room for a long flat section, to not make the first HC climb to decisive. And then add a cat 1 or HC MTF. That seems logical to me

Which is why Gouvenou should be fired and replaced by Zomegnan

Then we'd get Finestre, Sestrieres, Mongenevre, with a MTF on the Grannon
 
What's the expected length of the DIjon stage? If you want to make it a Remco friendly route, you'd have to make that time trial 50k and we know that won't happen.
How about a stage that's only 60km long and just for fun have a racing car starting grid? Yeah,sounds nuts but it happened.
The thinking seems to be nowadays that if every GC hopeful is seperated by just seconds then "it's exciting!" The only way Remco can stay in contention with the likes of Vingegaard and Pogacar is long TT's in my opinion.