Tour De France Dream Stage Structure

[Magnus]

I do agree that the Vosges, Jura and Massif central areas should be used more. Maybe Col Du Laffey could be used in a mountain stage sometime. I also like the idea of Mont Faron.

I think they've made good use of Vosges, Jura and Massif Central in recent years.
This year they have two stages in Jura and one in Vosges. They also had La Croix Neuve (Montée Jalabert) and Station Rousses in 2010 and the Colmar stage in 2009.

 

[Siriuscat]

We drastically need more mountain stages like this......

Moutier to La Flaine

Notre dame du pre 10Km @7.5% (Thanks Magnus)
Cormet de Roseland 20.32Km @6%
Col des Saises 14.98km @6.4%
Col des Aravis 11.5km @5%
Col de la Colombiere 19.5@5.7%
Col de Pierre Carree/La Flaine 21.1@8.4%

Good early climb with sensible middle mountains then a couple of humdingers to finish

 

[Magnus]

Notre dame du pre 20.7Km @6.5% (this looks a bit suspect but it's what Climbbybike has, only looks about 5 or 6Km)

It's more like 10 km @ 7.5% (using bikeroutetoaster)

 

[Siriuscat]

It's more like 10 km @ 7.5% (using bikeroutetoaster)

Cheers Magnus....another site bookmarked

 

[Magnus]

Cheers Magnus....another site bookmarked

You're welcome. It's definitely my favorite route-planning tool due too the ease of use and accuracy of the height gains. It lacks the height-profile/map-location interaction that some planners do but it's pretty much a non-issue for me as I mainly use it to measure altitude gains and length of routes that I plan based on Michelin maps (anybody who knows a site with bikeroutetoaster functionality and viamichelin.fr-style background maps?).

 

[OlavEH]

I definitely agree that the "classic TDF-climbs" like Tourmalet, Aspin, Aubisque, Peyresourde, Alpe d'Huez, Galibier, Glandon/Croix de Fer are overused, and that the ASO should try to include at least one stage each year with lesser known climbs.

As for the stage structure I would like to see maximum 8 flat stages that could possibly end in a mass sprint. This is less than they usually use, 9-11 according to Steephill.tv's overview of the stages.

Add 3 ITT/TTT, either two ITT and one TTT, or two ITT and one prologue, that leaves 10 stages for hilly/medium mouintain/high mountain stages.

There should at least one, preferrably two hilly stages with a short uphill finish suited for riders like Gilbert. These stages shoud be in the first half of the Tour.This was great in the 2011 Tour with the Mont des Alouttes and the Mur de Bretagne.

3-4 medium mountain stages with at least one uphill finish at one of these stages. Using the mountains in the Juras, Vosges and Massif Central are perfect for these kind of stages. Stage finishes in Mende, Super Besse, Les Rousses and Belles Filles are good examples in the last years.

Minimum 5 high mouintain stages. Of these there should be at least 3 high mountain uphill finishes. And they should try to use other climbs than the usual suspects in the Alps and Pyrenees. In 2010 we had 2xTourmalet, in 2011 2xGalibier and there is rumoured that Alpe d'Huez will appear two times in 2013. Not very innovativ route creation of CP and the ASO.

I would like to see some of the following stages in the next Tours:

- A Pyenee stage with stage finish at Pla d'Adet, similar to the 2005 stage.

- A stage finsish in Avoriaz after climbing Col du Joux Plane.

- A MTF or a downhill finish at either Mont du Chat or Col du Grand Colombier. This year's stage at Colombier is a waste with a much easier climb after the Grand Colombier and downhill finish from this.

- A stage in the border region to Spain with climbs like Bagargui, Arnosteguy and a MTF to Port de Larrau or Erroymendi.

- A stage in the Southern Alps, example including Allos, Champs and Cayolle with a MTF either at Allos or Cayolle if this is possible.

The are surely more options too, that are more exciting than finishing at Alpe d'Huez after scaling Galibier or Ardiden after climbing Tourmalet.

 

[greenedge]

What about Courcheval as a climb???

 

[McLovin]

What about Courcheval as a climb???

Only a 1st cat climb. There are a lot of HC in that area, including the 36 kms Val Thorens (2340m), only used once.

 

[greenedge]

Ok, thx for that.

 

[gregrowlerson]

What about Courcheval as a climb???

It's almost identical statistically to La Toussiere. Around 18kms@about 6% or just over.

 

[gregrowlerson]

My guess for the high mountains in 2013:

Pyrenees highlighted by MTF stage with Tourmalet-Hautacam.
Also a stage to Pau that probably isn’t very exciting.

Alps will include the double act of the Alp du’Huez as we already know.
Downhill finish into Le Grand Bornard.
Finish in Briacon after Telegraphe-Galibier.

There will be a finish on Mont Venteoux.

I feel that there will be a MTT (or at least a small hilltop one) – Venteoux perhaps.


Therefore my hopes for 2014, considering that the Pyrenees will be highlighted again:

Joux-Plane with finish in Morzine (doesn’t a finish in Avoriaz make it easier?).
MTF on Col du Granon or Mont du Chat.

Pla d’Adet MTF.
Port de Larrau MTF.
Descent finish after ascending steep sides of Mente and d’Aspet.

 

[roundabout]

More imagination, please.

Say a finish in Les Saisies only climbing via Bisanne (or even a finish at Bisanne 1500), finish in Chambery after Mont du Chat and Epine, finish in Annemasse after Saleve.

Further south if going counterclockwise do a mountain/medium mountain stage to Menton with Porte, Braus, Castillon and Madone or a going clockwise a 200km or so stage from Barcelonnette to Menton over Cayolle, Valberg, Couillole, Saint-Martin, Porte, Braus and Castillon.

Venture west of the Marie-Blanque in the Pyrenees.

 

[airstream]

I would just take the 2007 parcours and replace the Tignes stage by some with MTF on Alpe-d'Huez and leave all the rest without changes. So in fact the dream structure was already used.

 

[McLovin]

There is one climb near Marie Blanque, Issarbe. It has 18.2 at 5,8%, but the last 10 km are at 9%. A monster one. I don't know if it has been used. Like I said, it can be used with Marie Blanque or PSM.