Tour de France Tour de France 2026 route rumours

[Devil's Elbow]

I can't remember if there are any additional dangers to the Villard-Reculas road though

The Alpes Isère Tour used it last year (albeit in the opposite direction).

 

[Gigs_98]

Thinking a bit more about it, 2013 actually did it quite well. Have Alpe d'Huez as the first mountain stage in the alps, which is properly hard but also not a queen stage, then have the queen stage the next day. That way nobody really bothers about the fact that not too much happens before Alpe d'Huez, which is probably even what the organizers want, given it's supposed to be the main attraction of the stage. Of course in 2013 the queen stage ended up being a horrible disappointment but you could do a lot of great queen stages starting from the bottom of Alpe d'Huez.

 

[ChiefMasterPro]

About Alpe d'Huez: For potential good racing there are some requirements. Either:
- use it as a mountain stage, but not as the hardest stage in the alps
- Glandon or Galibier before the classic ascent. Although those climb combinations need at least one leg burner before (Grand Cucheron, Madeleine, Chaussy, Croix de Fer) and none of these work on a short stage (other combinations do)
- use an alternative ascent to Alpe d'Huez, potentially as a step cimb

 

[staubsauger]

Galibier-Alpe d'Huez simply is the same as Pailheres-Plateau de Beille

It's all about the big MTF. But with a demanding mountain beforehand to tax the legs and guarantee attacks & big gaps between the favorites on the final climb.

You just need to know what you want from this stage. If it's the 1st big mountain rendezvous between the big guns. It's all right

 

[E_F_]

Say what you will about Planche des Belles Filles. At least Gouvenou knows it doesn't make for a queen stage.

edit: Ironically the Alpe d'Huez might beneift from a gravel extention?

"""Super""" Alpe d'Huez

19.2 km, +1617 m. Bike ride in Le Bourg-d'Oisans, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

ridewithgps.com

 

[nightowl]

Say what you will about Planche des Belles Filles. At least Gouvenou knows it doesn't make for a queen stage.

Why would you tempt fate like that?

 

[ashhutch1997]

Say what you will about Planche des Belles Filles. At least Gouvenou knows it doesn't make for a queen stage.

edit: Ironically the Alpe d'Huez might beneift from a gravel extention?

"""Super""" Alpe d'Huez

19.2 km, +1617 m. Bike ride in Le Bourg-d'Oisans, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

ridewithgps.com

Unpopular opinion, I actually think Alpe d'Huez is a very good MTF, the steepest part of the climb is at the bottom. It encourages attacks from the start of the climb and it usually provides good racing, it just suffered from bad placement in 2018/ 22.
As a first stage of a mountain block it works very well, for example; 1997, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2013 all delivered.

 

[E_F_]

Unpopular opinion, I actually think Alpe d'Huez is a very good MTF, the steepest part of the climb is at the bottom. It encourages attacks from the start of the climb and it usually provides good racing, it just suffered from bad placement in 2018/ 22.
As a first stage of a mountain block it works very well, for example; 1997, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2013 all delivered.

For sure. It's a fine unipuerto - or MTF where you don't need to tune in before the bottom.

And you're right; I did kinda ruin it lmao

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Considering the whole peloton is now more "professional" with better bikes, nutrition, training and socks, let's make all the stages a minimum 175 km and scrap a rest day. Put the endurance back into a three week race.

YOu don't think there was endurance involved this year? The best rider in history, who gets better, the longer and harder it is, was absolutely fooked at the end of it. Why not just make it a race around the world, if you want endurance?

 

[QueenStagiaire]

YOu don't think there was endurance involved this year? The best rider in history, who gets better, the longer and harder it is, was absolutely fooked at the end of it. Why not just make it a race around the world, if you want endurance?

Because it‘s called the Tour de France.

 

[Red Rick]

YOu don't think there was endurance involved this year? The best rider in history, who gets better, the longer and harder it is, was absolutely fooked at the end of it. Why not just make it a race around the world, if you want endurance?

He was tired because of the high intensity. Intensity goes up when events get shorter. This was the shortest TdF ever.

 

[Rob5091]

YOu don't think there was endurance involved this year? The best rider in history, who gets better, the longer and harder it is, was absolutely fooked at the end of it. Why not just make it a race around the world, if you want endurance?

Pogacar said himself he was bored and wanted to do something else -
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-bored-heading-into-fourth-tour-de-france-win

https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/defense-isnt-fun-why-pogacar-was-bored-at-the-tour/
Matxin. "Perhaps the lack of competitiveness bored us all a bit."

Perhaps making it a bit harder would make it less boring for the GOAT?

 

[Valv.Piti]

No rest days are a terrible idea. I think stage length is fine as is right now, we have generally went away from these super short and pointless stages. I'd like one stage around 230-250 in the Massif Central or someother terrain thats hard to control and a +200 queen stage in the high mountains

 

[Red Rick]

Attrition is self limiting because intensity on long stages is limited by how long domestiques last. You put extra climbing in they're just gonna go slower.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I miss a good old 7 hours marathon. Something like Gardeccia 2011 or Aprica 2008.

 

[staubsauger]

I miss a good old 7 hours marathon. Something like Gardeccia 2011 or Aprica 1994.

Corrected it for ya! 🏴‍☠️

 

[houtdffan]

Say what you will about Planche des Belles Filles. At least Gouvenou knows it doesn't make for a queen stage.

edit: Ironically the Alpe d'Huez might beneift from a gravel extention?

"""Super""" Alpe d'Huez

19.2 km, +1617 m. Bike ride in Le Bourg-d'Oisans, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

ridewithgps.com

there are plenty of climbs above ADH. It's all a question of Gouvenou has a pair and will include them

 

[houtdffan]

No rest days are a terrible idea. I think stage length is fine as is right now, we have generally went away from these super short and pointless stages. I'd like one stage around 230-250 in the Massif Central or someother terrain thats hard to control and a +200 queen stage in the high mountains

agreed. a few more long mountain stages are fine. Maybe to change things up, make the 230-250km stage in the high mountains once year (could be in the Jura even)

Just as long as we also bring back the long ITT

 

[Red Rick]

Okay so what is the purpose of a super long stage, how should it fit into the race, what should happen and how do you not get that with a ~210 km stage like Lago di Cancano in 2020.

I really don't think the stages we're comparing things to would work out as great as they did in the current era.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Le Creusot and Le Lioran are recent examples. A GT should be varied, therefore it should also see stages where riders are riding their bikes for 5+ hours and those stages shouldn't be flat, but quite demanding. A small classic.

And 210 km is perfectly fine for a nice queen stage

 

[ashhutch1997]

I'd like one stage around 230-250 in the Massif Central or someother terrain thats hard to control

Or even a stage like the 249k one to Le Creusot in 2021.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

YOu don't think there was endurance involved this year? The best rider in history, who gets better, the longer and harder it is, was absolutely fooked at the end of it. Why not just make it a race around the world, if you want endurance?

TBF I think the Tour de France has not utilised the climbs around the Piton des Neiges to anything like their full potential. Nor La Soufrière or even a hilly stage around the steep roads of Papeete. Very disappointing.

 

[houtdffan]

TBF I think the Tour de France has not utilised the climbs around the Piton des Neiges to anything like their full potential. Nor La Soufrière or even a hilly stage around the steep roads of Papeete. Very disappointing.

are you suggesting the TDF to Tahiti?

I can see Martinique and Guadeloupe, or maybe even Mayotte (once it is rebuilt)

 

[Libertine Seguros]

are you suggesting the TDF to Tahiti?

I can see Martinique and Guadeloupe, or maybe even Mayotte (once it is rebuilt)

The discussion was, if it's meant to be a real endurance race why not race around the world, with the reply coming that it's meant to be the Tour de FRANCE - so I'm just having a little fun and games with the international spread of French territory. Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Nouvelle-Caledonie, Réunion, Mayotte, French Polynesia... you could cover a lot of the world in France.

 

[houtdffan]

The discussion was, if it's meant to be a real endurance race why not race around the world, with the reply coming that it's meant to be the Tour de FRANCE - so I'm just having a little fun and games with the international spread of French territory. Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Nouvelle-Caledonie, Réunion, Mayotte, French Polynesia... you could cover a lot of the world in France.

I think they actually could do a week 2 in the Caribbean. Could have a TT in French Guiana followed by a flat stage, a hilly stage in Martinique, maybe a second on St. Martin, followed by a high mountain stage on Gaudeloupe