Tour de France Tour de France 2026 route rumours

[Cookster15]

Thanks. Sorry I am late to this discussion but those earlier climbs of Aspin and Tourmalet are hard but don't look hard enough for Pogacar to cause carnage on Gavarnie? Gavarnie is only 3.7% and weaker climbers can hold on in the draft? Will require UAE to destroy everyone on Tourmalet I suppose.

 

[Netserk]

Will require UAE to destroy everyone on Tourmalet I suppose.

Indeed.

It will be ridden harder and be more selective than the previous time on that side of Tourmalet:

 

[hayneplane]

It’s not like they know the route of the Giro. Hard to make such a decision then. I would think Lipowitz rides TDF anyway, maybe another GT too

Doubtful for the latter given how done in he looked in his post tour racing this year despite not doing any more than a standard pre tour buildup of Paris-Nice, Itzulia and Dauphine. He only did 52 race days and still wrapped up in mid September with a brace of DNFs in Canada.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I don't think anyone was ever suggesting Remco will rival Pogacar climbing? I was simply pointing out based upon his PdB performance that Remco is a better climber than some seem to portray here. But as 2024 PdB proved he only suffers by comparison to Pogacar. But so does everyone - even Contador, Armstrong and Pantani.

Most here believe he is a world class climber but during 3 weeks, he already showed he is not very reliable.

 

[hayneplane]

Thanks. Sorry I am late to this discussion but those earlier climbs of Aspin and Tourmalet are hard but don't look hard enough for Pogacar to cause carnage on Gavarnie? Gavarnie is only 3.7% and weaker climbers can hold on in the draft? Will require UAE to destroy everyone on Tourmalet I suppose.

I would have thought that any real gaps are based on Pogacar being solo at least 3-4km from the summit of the Tourmalet as otherwise the final climb is going to at motorbike pace Cipressa style and hard to drop everyone.

 

[AlpRaid]

...mythical climbers like LA and Contador.

freakin' hysterical.

have not laughed like this for quite a while.

 

[Peyroteo94]

I would have thought that any real gaps are based on Pogacar being solo at least 3-4km from the summit of the Tourmalet as otherwise the final climb is going to at motorbike pace Cipressa style and hard to drop everyone.

It's the first mountain stage, UAE will put such a strong pace that Pogacar will probably be 1'30" - 2' ahead before the top of Tourmalet. I will be shocked if there is someone not named Vingegaard under 2' of Pogacar in the end.

 

[AlpRaid]

...achieving ridiculous VAM.

ridiculous (noun)
Synonym: absurd

you got that right.

 

[houtdffan]

I don't think anyone was ever suggesting Remco will rival Pogacar climbing? I was simply pointing out based upon his PdB performance that Remco is a better climber than some seem to portray here. But as 2024 PdB proved he only suffers by comparison to Pogacar. But so does everyone - even Contador, Armstrong and Pantani.

Only on the CN forum can someone who smashes a Pantani record, as Remco did on PDB, be called a bad climber

 

[Berniece]

Doubtful for the latter given how done in he looked in his post tour racing this year despite not doing any more than a standard pre tour buildup of Paris-Nice, Itzulia and Dauphine. He only did 52 race days and still wrapped up in mid September with a brace of DNFs in Canada.

I think that has more to do with mental fatigue than physical

 

[Lorzenz08]

Only on the CN forum can someone who smashes a Pantani record, as Remco did on PDB, be called a bad climber

Because we are talking about beating Pogacar and Vingegaard.

In current state of affairs, Remco has no chance no matter how much ITT there could be. He needs to be way better in the mountains.

Pantani lost 7:39 minutes to Ulrich in the ITT and still won the TdF by 3:21minutes.

 

[Monsi]

Because we are talking about beating Pogacar and Vingegaard.

In current state of affairs, Remco has no chance no matter how much ITT there could be. He needs to be way better in the mountains.

Pantani lost 7:39 minutes to Ulrich in the ITT and still won the TdF by 3:21minutes.

But to me, that does not mean he's a bad climber. He is a good climber. He just so happened to ride in the same era as two of the greatest climbers in history.

 

[HashRouge]

On a slightly different note: we had a great time at the Tour this year and have opted to go again next year. We are going to see stage 6 (Aspin-Tourmalet-Gavarnie), and then finish our trip with stages 15 (Solaison) and 16 (TT). I know everyone hates TTs on the TV, but they're great for in person viewing as you get to appreciate and cheer on individual riders. Accommodation for the stages is booked, which is always the most stressful bit!

 

[Ulle97]

Complaints about the route have kinda dried up. I think there is a resignation that no matter what route we get, Pog will still win.

I think supporters would actually prefer a less hard route, with more ITTs. It is really the only feasible way in which things might be close.

 

[Peyroteo94]

Complaints about the route have kinda dried up. I think there is a resignation that no matter what route we get, Pog will still win.

I think supporters would actually prefer a less hard route, with more ITTs. It is really the only feasible way in which things might be close.

Pogacar in a proper mountain stage (like stage 6) will gain 3' on Remco. There is really no easy route able to give other riders a realistic chance.
2009 TdF had such a terrible route (very easy) but still had one proper mountain stage.
2012 TdF had 3 proper mountain stages, specially the stage that ended on Peyragudes.
Every Tour has at least one hard mountain stage and in this type of stages, Pogacar can gain significant time on Remco. Others don't even matter since Pogacar is a better TT rider.

 

[HashRouge]

Complaints about the route have kinda dried up. I think there is a resignation that no matter what route we get, Pog will still win.

I think supporters would actually prefer a less hard route, with more ITTs. It is really the only feasible way in which things might be close.

To be honest I don't mind the route at all. I would have quite liked another (flat) TT, but I also think this route is built more to give Vingegaard a shot than Remco. He lost more time to Pog than expected on the flat TT this year, but he's also the only rider who comes anywhere close to Pog's climbing level. So this sort of course, with limited flat TT kilometres and the hardest climbing stages right at the end, seems designed to keep Vingegaard as close as possible for as long as possible. Of course, it's entirely possible that Pogacar takes enough time before the final week for it not to matter, but in theory this could set up an exciting conclusion to the race.

 

[red_flanders]

Can we discuss how this will all affect Remco?

 

[houtdffan]

Pogacar in a proper mountain stage (like stage 6) will gain 3' on Remco. There is really no easy route able to give other riders a realistic chance.
2009 TdF had such a terrible route (very easy) but still had one proper mountain stage.
2012 TdF had 3 proper mountain stages, specially the stage that ended on Peyragudes.
Every Tour has at least one hard mountain stage and in this type of stages, Pogacar can gain significant time on Remco. Others don't even matter since Pogacar is a better TT rider.

2012 is the perfect TDF route for today's peloton.

It didn't work in 2012 due to the sky train and a lack of Contador to blow up the train

 

[Peyroteo94]

2012 is the perfect TDF route for today's peloton.

It didn't work in 2012 due to the sky train and a lack of Contador to blow up the train

If we had the 2012 TdF as the 2026 TdF, the gap between Pogacar and his only rival (Vingegaard) would increase even more.
Of course Remco would be third and closer to Pogacar compared to 2024.

 

[OlavEH]

I wonder when (or if) we'll see the Tougnete side to Meribel finished and a Tougnete-Loze double. Preferably with a finish at the altiport in Courchevel.

Otherwise, I would have liked to see ASO make better use of the northern part of the French Alps. Like north of Albertville and the Tarentaise valley. Solaison is a good MTF, but I would rather have like to see something like a Les Gets finish after Joux Plane and 3-4 more climbs. Or a proper medium mountain stage ending somewhere like Megeve, Annecy, Albertville, etc.

 

[Netserk]

I wonder when (or if) we'll see the Tougnete side to Meribel finished and a Tougnete-Loze double. Preferably with a finish at the altiport in Courchevel.

Otherwise, I would have liked to see ASO make better use of the northern part of the French Alps. Like north of Albertville and the Tarentaise valley. Solaison is a good MTF, but I would rather have like to see something like a Les Gets finish after Joux Plane and 3-4 more climbs. Or a proper medium mountain stage ending somewhere like Megeve, Annecy, Albertville, etc.

They should use Domancy in 2027 (in a way different to the WC).

Passy > Combloux

131.8 km, +3503 m. Bike ride in Passy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

ridewithgps.com

 

[maynerdw]

I wonder when (or if) we'll see the Tougnete side to Meribel finished and a Tougnete-Loze double. Preferably with a finish at the altiport in Courchevel.

Otherwise, I would have liked to see ASO make better use of the northern part of the French Alps. Like north of Albertville and the Tarentaise valley. Solaison is a good MTF, but I would rather have like to see something like a Les Gets finish after Joux Plane and 3-4 more climbs. Or a proper medium mountain stage ending somewhere like Megeve, Annecy, Albertville, etc.

Looks like Meribel–Tougnete route hasn’t progressed in the past years.
If that is done, I doubt Tougnete–Loze will happen due to logistics difficulty.

 

[OlavEH]

If that is done, I doubt Tougnete–Loze will happen due to logistics difficulty.

How is that? Too narrow to cross with the caravan?

 

[OlavEH]

They should use Domancy in 2027 (in a way different to the WC).

Passy > Combloux

131.8 km, +3503 m. Bike ride in Passy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

ridewithgps.com

I was thinking something like Cordon - Domancy - Cote des Amerands and the continue from the top of Amerands to Megeve. And preceeded by climbs like Croix de Fry, Mont Saxonnex and Romme.

 

[Netserk]

I was thinking something like Cordon - Domancy - Cote des Amerands and the continue from the top of Amerands to Megeve. And preceeded by climbs like Croix de Fry, Mont Saxonnex and Romme.

You cannot climb Domancy like that and connect to Amerands. And Romme would have to be from the "wrong" side.