Tour de France 2025 route rumours and announcements

Page 34 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
2012 would be a great tour route with the aliens.

Pog likely on the back foot after a long ITT, forcing him to do type III civilization WMD attacks

we'd see mega raids on Grand Colombier, a Glandon Grande Explosion, and Pyrenean Mega Power

There's no way in hell it would've been a great route. We'd probably have better racing but the route would still be full of crap.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
It will land somewhere in the 2009, 2012 and 2017 group as one of the worst Tour routes of the past 20 years. Exact spot dependent on specifics to be announced tomorrow, although it can't be worse than 2009. They really don't deserve to get bailed out by Pogacar and Vingegaard again, and there's an argument to be made it would be better in the long run if they don't.
2009 had Le Grand Bornard, which will probably be better than any of the mountain stages next year, and 2012 had some punchy stages in the 1st week and an awesome stage to Porrentruy. And 2017 was terrible but had a brilliant stage in the Jura with the return of Mont du Chat.
Also in 2009, 12, and 17 there were good weekend stages, every weekend stage is looking like it'll be flat next year, IMO 25 is looking like the worst route I've seen, and I've been following cycling since the Armstrong years.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: Sandisfan
I reckon 2012 with the aliens would be fun IMO. The mountain stages were awful don't get me wrong, but the first week was pretty well designed with several punchy stages. That stage to Porrentruy would've been a lot of fun and it was the last grand Tour to have over 100km of ITT. Better designed mountain stages and all of a sudden it's a very balanced route.
 
There's no way in hell it would've been a great route. We'd probably have better racing but the route would still be full of crap.

and how can you be so sure of that

because of the negative racing produced by negative racers that year?

The Grand Colombier stage may have been the best of the whole race as there would have been an anti-matter explosion on that climb, followed by the Richemont immediately after being a power climb. Only stage that wouldnt have produced is LPBF
 
and how can you be so sure of that

because of the negative racing produced by negative racers that year?

The Grand Colombier stage may have been the best of the whole race as there would have been an anti-matter explosion on that climb, followed by the Richemont immediately after being a power climb. Only stage that wouldnt have produced is LPBF

Because I think a bad route is a bad route regardless of the racing it produces. I agree that Grand Colombier was a good design but the other mountain stages were crap. A good racing doesn't make a bad design - good and vice versa. If Mortirolo-Aprica sees a bad racing it won't mean a bad design
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
and how can you be so sure of that

because of the negative racing produced by negative racers that year?

The Grand Colombier stage may have been the best of the whole race as there would have been an anti-matter explosion on that climb, followed by the Richemont immediately after being a power climb. Only stage that wouldnt have produced is LPBF
The Problem with the Grand Colombier stage was placing, as the big stage in the Alps was the next day, meaning riders would be scared to attack. I was love a stage like the Grand Colombier stage 2012 as a stage 20, that would have potential to be carnage if a rider like Pog or Vinge needed time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
The Problem with the Grand Colombier stage was placing, as the big stage in the Alps was the next day, meaning riders would be scared to attack. I was love a stage like the Grand Colombier stage 2012 as a stage 20, that would have potential to be carnage if a rider like Pog or Vinge needed time.

It came the day after a real ITT, however. Today, Pog and Vingo would need to make up a minute or more on Remco and likely would be going ballistic.

Didn't work in 2012 because Wiggins was the best at the ITT and his only competition was forced to ride on a leash
 
It came the day after a real ITT, however. Today, Pog and Vingo would need to make up a minute or more on Remco and likely would be going ballistic.

Didn't work in 2012 because Wiggins was the best at the ITT and his only competition was forced to ride on a leash
No way a 100% fit Pog and Vingo loose a minute or more to Remco, I wouldn't be suprised if either Pog or Vinge beat Remco in a TDF ITT. They wouldn't need to go ballistic, Pog and Vingo both put minutes into Remco in the last 10km of PdB this year, they'd probably have also waited for the following day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
No way a 100% fit Pog and Vingo loose a minute or more to Remco, I wouldn't be suprised if either Pog or Vinge beat Remco in a TDF ITT. They wouldn't need to go ballistic, Pog and Vingo both put minutes into Remco in the last 10km of PdB this year, they'd probably have also waited for the following day.


LMFAO!!!!!

Pog and Vingo beating Remco in a flat 50 km ITT early in the tour?

On what planet? Pog couldnt even beat Remco in a hilly 25km ITT early in the TDF
 
2009 had Le Grand Bornard, which will probably be better than any of the mountain stages next year, and 2012 had some punchy stages in the 1st week and an awesome stage to Porrentruy. And 2017 was terrible but had a brilliant stage in the Jura with the return of Mont du Chat.
Also in 2009, 12, and 17 there were good weekend stages, every weekend stage is looking like it'll be flat next year, IMO 25 is looking like the worst route I've seen, and I've been following cycling since the Armstrong years.
2009 was actively bad in literally every aspect other than the Grand Bornand stage. As bad as this route looks, that won’t apply here.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
They can't even use Superbagneres after Bales ffs. Is there gonna be a single mountain stage where the penultimate climb is even remotely as hard as the final one? Is there going to be even a single penultimate HC climb? It's not that Bales instead of Peyresourde drastically changes the route, but it's such an annoying little issue, especially if they climb Peyresourde on another stage as well. .
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Already need to make more popcorn! The annual "Bash The TDF Route" thread is always hands down one of the most entertaining of the year and the 2025 edition is looking to be an exceptional vintage.. We may need to call an intervention on this one, or at least have smelling salts ready or something! :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
LMFAO!!!!!

Pog and Vingo beating Remco in a flat 50 km ITT early in the tour?

On what planet? Pog couldnt even beat Remco in a hilly 25km ITT early in the TDF
Hilly? A 52,5 kph TT? It isn't a hilly TT just because it has a small hill there. But yeah, it is ridiculous to think Remco would lose time to Vingo/Pogi in a early flat TT. In a flat 50 km TT, both aliens would lose around 45s-75s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AmRacer
Hilly? A 52,5 kph TT? It isn't a hilly TT just because it has a small hill there. But yeah, it is ridiculous to think Remco would lose time to Vingo/Pogi in a early flat TT. In a flat 50 km TT, both aliens would lose around 45s-75s.
I wouldn't say it's ridiculous at all actually, Pogacar has won a flat ITT in the TDF. Seriously you can't underestimate Pogacar lol, you guys are acting like he's Andy Schleck.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Pog also put over a minute into Remco in the final ITT of this year's TDF...
Exactly. I can't see Pog and Vingo being too bothered about Remco gaining a bit of time in an early ITT, knowing he would be irrelevant in the overall after the mountains and later ITT. I can't understand how he is classed by some as one of the aliens when it comes to GT's. Great rider, but not quite there with the 2 aliens in GT's yet.