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Tour de France Tour de France 2024 route rumours and announcements

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Rob5091

Rob5091

Apr 8, 2023
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ITT after a rest day is the current norm, so as we have one on the closing day, I'd plump for after the first rest day - at least 35 km for that "Remco Flavour(TM)". :)

Also the current norm of no more then 2 GC/hard stages together.
 
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gavia88

Oct 7, 2019
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OlavEH said:
The first stages are very good. I find it strange if they will do two flat stages the second weekend.

The main mountain stages (14, 15, 19 and 20) on the other hand is just lazy stage design. 4 big mountain stages where either pacing of the stages, amount of flat before the last climb or doing the biggest climb as the last makes it not very likeley with much happening before that. Of course we can still get some action with riders like Vingegaard and Pog, but I really hope they at least try to create something more interesting.
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well, especially the pyrenees always seems to have copy paste of mediocre stage design from the ASO catalogus. The alpes stages as they seems to going to be for next year are not perfect, but also not super bad. Finish after Galibier in stage 4 is something that was unthinkable until 1 year ago. Finish on SuperDevoluy at least could have a very nice combo with Noyer, which is at least steep and scenic and with the easy final climb already could see atacks. The stage design for Isola and Couillole are not great, but starts with hard climbs from the start and with the tired legs in at the end of the third week could be hard enough to see some ambos.
 
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OlavEH

Oct 19, 2011
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gavia88 said:
The alpes stages as they seems to going to be for next year are not perfect, but also not super bad. Finish after Galibier in stage 4 is something that was unthinkable until 1 year ago. Finish on SuperDevoluy at least could have a very nice combo with Noyer, which is at least steep and scenic and with the easy final climb already could see atacks. The stage design for Isola and Couillole are not great, but starts with hard climbs from the start and with the tired legs in at the end of the third week could be hard enough to see some ambos.
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I agree on a Vaolloire stage and the finish at Super-Devoluy, but else I don't think the rumoured Alps stages are any better than the Pyrenees. The only reasons for that have to be some less important ones like that they are using less used climbs in the Alps next year. And that the Isola 2000 stage may include the highest usable pass in Europe. Pla d'Adet via Tourmalet, Aspin and Azet and a similar Plateau de Beille stage as in 2015 isn't any worse than Isola 2000 via Vars and Bonette and the already revealed stage to Couillole.
 
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gavia88

Oct 7, 2019
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OlavEH said:
I agree on a Vaolloire stage and the finish at Super-Devoluy, but else I don't think the rumoured Alps stages are any better than the Pyrenees. The only reasons for that have to be some less important ones like that they are using less used climbs in the Alps next year. And that the Isola 2000 stage may include the highest usable pass in Europe. Pla d'Adet via Tourmalet, Aspin and Azet and a similar Plateau de Beille stage as in 2015 isn't any worse than Isola 2000 via Vars and Bonette and the already revealed stage to Couillole.
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Normally I would agree, but we saw the last 2 years, that on pretty mediocrate mountain stages Pogacar and Vingegaard over delivered.
 
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gavia88

Oct 7, 2019
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OlavEH said:
I agree on a Vaolloire stage and the finish at Super-Devoluy, but else I don't think the rumoured Alps stages are any better than the Pyrenees. The only reasons for that have to be some less important ones like that they are using less used climbs in the Alps next year. And that the Isola 2000 stage may include the highest usable pass in Europe. Pla d'Adet via Tourmalet, Aspin and Azet and a similar Plateau de Beille stage as in 2015 isn't any worse than Isola 2000 via Vars and Bonette and the already revealed stage to Couillole.
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we can only hope plateau de Beille is not happing and we suddenly get something great like Portet d'Aspet, Core, LeTrappe, Agnes, Peguere en Prat d'Albis :grimacing:
 
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gavia88

Oct 7, 2019
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QueenStagiaire said:
So, they should keep designing mediocre stages even though we know they‘re mediocre? I‘m not worried about a terrible race because the riders make the race but they could just do better.
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I completely agree that stages could be much better. We all know that Plateau the Beille at the end of the Pyrenees almost never gives great racing. But considering riders make great racing on worse stages the last 2/3 tours, and the fact that it seems we get some really good medium mountain stages, 2 ITT's and maybe even sterrato, I don't think it's fair to complain to much.
 
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OlavEH

Oct 19, 2011
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gavia88 said:
Normally I would agree, but we saw the last 2 years, that on pretty mediocrate mountain stages Pogacar and Vingegaard over delivered
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Yeah, you're right here. With Pog ang Vinge in great shape it is possible we can get great racing despite a mediocre route.
gavia88 said:
we can only hope plateau de Beille is not happing and we suddenly get something great like Portet d'Aspet, Core, LeTrappe, Agnes, Peguere en Prat d'Albis
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The day after Pla d'Adet, I would actually prefer something like a Foix descent finish from Peguere instead of Prat d'Albis. A stage with something like Mente, Portet d'Aspet, Core, Latrape, Agnes and Peguere before descending to Foix, could have been great.
 
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gavia88

Oct 7, 2019
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OlavEH said:
Yeah, you're right here. With Pog ang Vinge in great shape it is possible we can get great racing despite a mediocre route.

The day after Pla d'Adet, I would actually prefer something like a Foix descent finish from Peguere instead of Prat d'Albis. A stage with something like Mente, Portet d'Aspet, Core, Latrape, Agnes and Peguere before descending to Foix, could have been great.
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I actually prefere in this case a finish on Prat d'Albis, as the 2 climbs before are harder and in the case the Peguere is the last climb there is always the risk they will wait till the last 3 kilometers. But, your suggested route I would clearly prefere over a finish in Plateau de Beille.
 
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OlavEH

Oct 19, 2011
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gavia88 said:
I actually prefere in this case a finish on Prat d'Albis, as the 2 climbs before are harder and in the case the Peguere is the last climb there is always the risk they will wait till the last 3 kilometers. But, your suggested route I would clearly prefere over a finish in Plateau de Beille.
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A Foix finish after Peguere is one of not too many designs in France that could actually provide some action before the few last kms.

But it does seem as it will be Plateau de Beille. I'm actually more annoyed that they don't do something more original in the southern Alps than Bonette - Isola 2000. Coupling Bonette via Auron og Cayolle with Pra-Loup are two of the very few good combos in France.
 
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OlavEH

Oct 19, 2011
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sindreflto said:
Could they do The Port de Pailheres before Plateau de Beille? Like 2007 when Contador beat Rasmussen and Vinokourov got droppet on this climb.
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Yeah, but I don't think it would be more than a marginal improvement compared to approaching from the west. There is still some valley between Pailheres and Beille, and the MTF to Beille is so hard that it would probably discouarge attacks already on Pailheres. Beille is probably the more commonly used MTF in Alps and Pyrenees combined that is most poorly connected to other climbs. Along with Alpe d'Huez if you don't do Sarenne first.
 
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Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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OlavEH said:
Yeah, but I don't think it would be more than a marginal improvement compared to approaching from the west. There is still some valley between Pailheres and Beille, and the MTF to Beille is so hard that it would probably discouarge attacks already on Pailheres. Beille is probably the more commonly used MTF in Alps and Pyrenees combined that is most poorly connected to other climbs. Along with Alpe d'Huez if you don't do Sarenne first.
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On the other hand, it's a good standalone MTF. Unfortunately, it was superfluous the last two visits, and thus saw muted racing.

Theoretically, I don't think it's more isolated than Alpe d'Huez.
 
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