Tour de France Tour de France 2026 route rumours

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ashhutch1997

ashhutch1997

May 27, 2022
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Netserk said:
Pailhères can be used as a MTF if climbed from Ax-les-Thermes and with the finish ~700 m from the top. The road is very narrow on the other side of the climb only from the Mijanès ski station to the top (last 6 km).
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I think they could finish at the summit if they really wanted to, given that they were able to finish up Puy du Dome. A MTF from Ax les thermes wouldn't be great as it would have to be preceded by a large amount of valley roads.
I'm not bothered about a Pailhères MTF anyway, the Pailhères/Ax 3 Domaines works fine.
 
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Red Rick

Red Rick

Feb 20, 2012
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Netserk said:
Pailhères can be used as a MTF if climbed from Ax-les-Thermes and with the finish ~700 m from the top. The road is very narrow on the other side of the climb only from the Mijanès ski station to the top (last 6 km).

For the Tour, the only realistic uses of the climb are as either a pass when coming from Usson-les-Bains or as an uphill finish from Ax-les-Thermes. I doubt if there ever would be a bid for a downhill finish. The viable alternatives to past uses would be to climb Chioula or Envalira/Puymorens afterwards, but such uses seem a bit far-fetched unless the former is before a finish on Plateau de Beille. A Quillan finish is maybe a bit too creative, and Camurac (ski station) too small for the Tour.

Route d'Occitanie could have a finish at Camurac, and probably also at the Mijanès ski station. Maybe the very narrow Pradel could be in play there, and then you could combine that with Montsugra/Sept Frères too. If you can descend Pradel, then you can also descend Pailhères towards Mijanès, and can then do so towards Les Angles, Quillan or Prades.
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Ofcourse downhill after Pailheres. Like I don't even think Tourmalet descent finish has even happened.

I mostly wanna see it raced for all the marbles, and I think it's not hard enough for the HC-cat1 format cause then you just won't get attacks on it it's just 20 man pace line.
 
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Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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Red Rick said:
Ofcourse downhill after Pailheres. Like I don't even think Tourmalet descent finish has even happened.

I mostly wanna see it raced for all the marbles, and I think it's not hard enough for the HC-cat1 format cause then you just won't get attacks on it it's just 20 man pace line.
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Back in 1965 you had a downhill finish to Bagnères-de-Bigorre. And the next day one to Ax-les-Thermes!

EDIT: More recently, the Tour has featured this absolute masterpiece:

Cud4rWO.gif
 
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Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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"The battle on the Tour in 2026 will begin with the 50th team time-trial in its history, a custom borrowed from the Vuelta but a first for the Tour, this time adding a subtlety experimented since 2023 on Paris-Nice. On the collective race against the clock, individual times will be taken into account, meaning the battle between the favourites will begin on the very first day of the race."

As expected, and given that, it's the best opening weekend we could realistically hope for. Very pleased with these stages.
 
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H

houtdffan

Jul 20, 2019
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Netserk said:
"The battle on the Tour in 2026 will begin with the 50th team time-trial in its history, a custom borrowed from the Vuelta but a first for the Tour, this time adding a subtlety experimented since 2023 on Paris-Nice. On the collective race against the clock, individual times will be taken into account, meaning the battle between the favourites will begin on the very first day of the race."
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so, Remco can drop his team again and not be penalized for it
 
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Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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Granollers is only ~180 km away from Les Angles if they go over Toses, so stage 3 could be a medium mountain stage.
 
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Devil's Elbow

Devil's Elbow

Sep 20, 2017
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You just know the sole ITT of the race is going to be short enough that this really needed to be an ITT and not a TTT. Setting aside all the issues that come with the TTT in the first place.

On the plus side, stage 2 is much better than I'd expected. It's the same steep ramp up Montjuïc that they use in Catalunya, only they actually start at the bottom of the hill this time rather than the (easier) two-stepped approach used there. And three ascents is definitely a nice surprise.

Stage 3 starting from Granollers probably means no Andorra, or at least not on stage 3. La Molina or somewhere else in the Cerdanyá (on either side of the border) would be possible, but it would probably be better if they had a sprint stage to somewhere like Perpignan there and then a more legit Pyrenean stage the day after.
 
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Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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Devil's Elbow said:
Stage 3 starting from Granollers probably means no Andorra, or at least not on stage 3. La Molina or somewhere else in the Cerdanyá (on either side of the border) would be possible, but it would probably be better if they had a sprint stage to somewhere like Perpignan there and then a more legit Pyrenean stage the day after.
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It has pretty much been confirmed to finish in France.
 
YavorD

YavorD

Jul 8, 2017
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I won't be surprised if we see soft Pyrenees or no Pyrenees in week one and return there for the 3rd week.
Surely it will be time for them to do Alps-Pyrenees Tour?
 
ashhutch1997

ashhutch1997

May 27, 2022
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Devil's Elbow said:
You just know the sole ITT of the race is going to be short enough that this really needed to be an ITT and not a TTT. Setting aside all the issues that come with the TTT in the first place.

On the plus side, stage 2 is much better than I'd expected. It's the same steep ramp up Montjuïc that they use in Catalunya, only they actually start at the bottom of the hill this time rather than the (easier) two-stepped approach used there. And three ascents is definitely a nice surprise.

Stage 3 starting from Granollers probably means no Andorra, or at least not on stage 3. La Molina or somewhere else in the Cerdanyá (on either side of the border) would be possible, but it would probably be better if they had a sprint stage to somewhere like Perpignan there and then a more legit Pyrenean stage the day after.
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Stage to Perpignan then Port de Pailhères and Ax 3 Domaines the following day would make it a nice first few days.
But stage 1 would be so much better as an ITT.
 
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tobydawq

tobydawq

Nov 16, 2013
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If they're going to have a TTT, have it like this. With the correct format and two hills.

It would have been even better if the first hill was a little earlier to really make it a tactical pickle for the teams, though.
 
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Peyroteo94

Peyroteo94

Mar 20, 2022
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KZD said:
I wonder if that TTT is going to be like the Paris Nice ones with the individual times counting, for me that would be a good thing.

Stage 2 is a nice hilly stage and I wouldn't be surprised if stage 3 already features proper mountains in the Pyrenees.
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It will be.
 
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Rob5091

Rob5091

Apr 8, 2023
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So it's Paris-Nice rules for the TTT, which means an ITT for the favourites with drafting, if I'm not mistaken.
 
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