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Tour de France 2025 route rumours and announcements

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I think they should ease off on the big mountains next year.

X2 50k time trials. None of this 20-30k horsesh**.

A few mountain stages finishing on the likes of Sestrieres, Orcieres, Pra Loup, Cauterets, Markstein etc would actually keep the race a bit closer and not be over by week 2.
I have a feeling this route model was swept under the carpet due to 2 reasons.
1. It heavily stinks the era that ASO dilligently try to erase from history.
2. Long TT's are not welcomed by TV and business interests.
It's been 17 years since 2 50+K TTs were held and that can not be accidental.
 
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What do you predict will be the main GC stages next year???

Personally, I think we'll see two TTs. Although the distances will both be under 35k.

We'll have an uphill finish on Mur de Bretagne. Usually this climb creates 5-10sec gaps between the top 15 riders.

It appears Superbagneres is going to be in the Pyrenees. It has been used with the Aspin and Tourmalet previously.

I've got no rumours for the Alps. I'd say we'll see some return of the Northern Alps, Jura/Vosges as they were totally ommited this year.
 
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What do you predict will be the main GC stages next year???

Personally, I think we'll see two TTs. Although the distances will both be under 35k.

We'll have an uphill finish on Mur de Bretagne. Usually this climb creates 5-10sec gaps between the top 15 riders.

It appears Superbagneres is going to be in the Pyrenees. It has been used with the Aspin and Tourmalet previously.

I've got no rumours for the Alps. I'd say we'll see some return of the Northern Alps, Jura/Vosges as they were totally ommited this year.
Personally, i think doing 2 TTs only make sense if one of them is flat TT of 50/60 km and the other one is a real Mountain TT like Alpe d'huez 2004, not this BS they did yesterday and on the TT last year of Coumbloux.


There is also the rumour of Mont ventoux, plus the rumours of Colle delle finestre,
superbagneres,alpe d'huez and mur de bretagne next year.

I don't believe in all of this rumours. I can't see a Tour France where they will go through Colle Finestre, Granon, Ventoux, Alpe d'huez in the same year.
 
I have a feeling this route model was swept under the carpet due to 2 reasons.
1. It heavily stinks the era that ASO dilligently try to erase from history.
2. Long TT's are not welcomed by TV and business interests.
It's been 17 years since 2 50+K TTs were held and that can not be accidental.
It's really only #2.

It's not like they've avoided climbs that were still glowing from the 90s either.
 
Please.

You obviously never watched a long itt. If you did, you would understand gaps increase expoenetially beyond 40 km. Just like the workd itt or 2015 giro

Unfortunately, I have watched many long ITT's. In some cases ,the gaps will increase exponentially, but the reality is that the best ITTer's win most of the GC's which is proven over history. Remco will not take 9 minutes on Pog in two long ITT's. It' s like you live in a time warp.
 
Unfortunately, I have watched many long ITT's. In some cases ,the gaps will increase exponentially, but the reality is that the best ITTer's win most of the GC's which is proven over history. Remco will not take 9 minutes on Pog in two long ITT's. It' s like you live in a time warp.

of course he's not taking 9 minutes. He probably takes 2-3 in a 60km ITT as the WTT showed (those were the general gaps between contador and the rest, except for Landa, in the 2015 giro ITT)
 
of course he's not taking 9 minutes. He probably takes 2-3 in a 60km ITT as the WTT showed (those were the general gaps between contador and the rest, except for Landa, in the 2015 giro ITT)

Pogacar is a different beast in GTs TT compared to WC (due to way higher form) and this Giro and Tour showed it. Evenepoel gained 12 seconds in a 25 km TT so what makes you think he would gain 2-3 minutes in a TT over twice longer? Pogacar's power curve in longer efforts isn't declining quickly and his long climbing performances prove it.
 
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Pogacar is a different beast in GTs TT compared to WC (due to way higher form) and this Giro and Tour showed it. Evenepoel gained 12 seconds in a 25 km TT so what makes you think he would gain 2-3 minutes in a TT over twice longer? Pogacar's power curve in longer efforts isn't declining quickly and his long climbing performances prove it.

As I documented before, the gaps grow exponentially especially after 40km

One CANNOT extrapolate a 25km ITT to a 55km ITT

We just haven't seen a proper GT ITT since 2015 because race directors think a GT is the world climber's championships
 
As I documented before, the gaps grow exponentially especially after 40km

One CANNOT extrapolate a 25km ITT to a 55km ITT

We just haven't seen a proper GT ITT since 2015 because race directors think a GT is the world climber's championships

Can you elaborate on the exponential growth? Is it some rule? Yes, it sometimes happened in the past especially between strong time trialists and pure climbers, especially if the latter pushed too hard in the first part. But Pogacar is one of the best time-trialists in the world (at least during GTs) and has an awesome power curve. I think we can agree that Remco would put more time into Pogacar (per km) in a dead flat TT than he did during this Tour but courses vary. On a rollling 50-52 kph course Pogacar is a monster already (not much weaker than Remco). Add more hills or some mountain and he's the best there is.
 
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Can you elaborate on the exponential growth? Is it some rule? Yes, it sometimes happened in the past especially between strong time trialists and pure climbers, especially if the latter pushed too hard in the first part. But Pogacar is one of the best time-trialists in the world (at least during GTs) and has an awesome power curve. I think we can agree that Remco would put more time into Pogacar (per km) in a dead flat TT than he did during this Tour but courses vary. On a rollling 50-52 kph course Pogacar is a monster already (not much weaker than Remco). Add more hills or some mountain and he's the best there is.
Check the 2003 TT between Armstrong and Ullrich to Cap Decouverte.

First time check they were even.
Then the gap went to 40secs at the next time check.
And 1min 36sec at the finish.

There's a clear example. If a rider is feeling weak, a 20km TT will not be enough to highlight this.

I think the opportunities to create a route that will not suit Pogacar are minimal. People are looking to the long TTs as a potential area where one GC contender (Remco) has a genuine chance of putting a good gap into him.

I don't know if we'll ever see Vingo able to challenge him in the mountains again??
 
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Can you elaborate on the exponential growth? Is it some rule? Yes, it sometimes happened in the past especially between strong time trialists and pure climbers, especially if the latter pushed too hard in the first part. But Pogacar is one of the best time-trialists in the world (at least during GTs) and has an awesome power curve. I think we can agree that Remco would put more time into Pogacar (per km) in a dead flat TT than he did during this Tour but courses vary. On a rollling 50-52 kph course Pogacar is a monster already (not much weaker than Remco). Add more hills or some mountain and he's the best there is.

In a hilly or MTT, yes, the advantage may go back to Pog, as it showed Sunday.

I was talking about a pure flat ITT over an extended distance
 
Check the 2003 TT between Armstrong and Ullrich to Cap Decouverte.

First time check they were even.
Then the gap went to 40secs at the next time check.
And 1min 36sec at the finish.

There's a clear example. If a rider is feeling weak, a 20km TT will not be enough to highlight this.

I think the opportunities to create a route that will not suit Pogacar are minimal. People are looking to the long TTs as a potential area where one GC contender (Remco) has a genuine chance of putting a good gap into him.

I don't know if we'll ever see Vingo able to challenge him in the mountains again??

Perfect example. Or Indurain in 1992 or 1995
 
i think 80-100k of ITT would only help the race at this point. the time has never been better to have two long ITT again because it would bring a third rider into contention for the overall win. everyone else is already too far back anyway.

Just need to have real mountain stages. Hell, I'd like a return of the prologue and 2 very long ITTs with a extra long TTT. 2-3 really burtal mountain stages balances that out. See 2007

A good balanced route, not one favoring the better climber in Pog/Vingo or the better TTer in Remco. Give a balanced route and let the best rider win
 
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