Tour De France Route 2011

[tdfChamp]

I feel a little disappointed by today's stage and tbh I think the tour organisers have missed an opportunity for spicing up the race.

Not having a back to back high mountain finish means that the main contenders really have a day off as i dont think that any of them will be racing up the aubisque as it is too far from the finish.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying I don't like these types of stages just would have preferred to see them switched around.

 

[bicing]

I think the racing of this TD Fhas been fantastic and it is due to the stages and the route. I give a big chapeau to the ASO for the way they prepared the route. So far it has been designed to half-suit different categories of riders, whch has in turn encouraged the riders and teams to be more aggressive and strategic. Looking at what's to come, it should be a great GC battle because it doesn't rely on the one or two MTFs at the end or a TT.

 

[tdfChamp]

I think the racing of this TD Fhas been fantastic and it is due to the stages and the route. I give a big chapeau to the ASO for the way they prepared the route. So far it has been designed to half-suit different categories of riders, whch has in turn encouraged the riders and teams to be more aggressive and strategic. Looking at what's to come, it should be a great GC battle because it doesn't rely on the one or two MTFs at the end or a TT.

Does that include all of narrow roads that have been included that have caused so many crashes in this years tour as well?

 

[guncha]

Does that include all of narrow roads that have been included that have caused so many crashes in this years tour as well?

When roads are wide then everyone says that Giro is better because it rides through more narrow roads...
Real contenders which abandoned were Wiggins and VDB. All the others (Vino, Horner, Brajkovic etc.) didn't have top 6 finish in TDF or top 3 in other GTs in last 2 -3 years. They had outside chance at best.

 

[Finn84]

Is 2006 the last time we have had back-to-back MTF? Alpe d'Huez and La Toussuire, the latter one where we saw Landis cracking.

 

[guncha]

Is 2006 the last time we have had back-to-back MTF? Alpe d'Huez and La Toussuire, the latter one where we saw Landis cracking.

You are right unless last year's 2nd cat. finish at Rousses in 2010 day before Avoriaz is not classified as MTF.
The route of 2006 was not the best one though. First week was almost flat - just one stage had small climb before the finish, no uphill finishes in medium mountains, one GC stage in Pyrenees and 3 GC stages in Alpes in final week. However, all four GC mountain stages were really hard.

 

[guncha]

IMO, 2009 was last crappy TDF route (it had three high mountain stages in which climbs were too far from finish to contest GC; no GC stages were between stage 7 and stage 15; nothing serious in medium mountains; MTF stages had almost no serious cols apart final climb).

This route is fantastic. First week had TTT, 4 stages for sprinters, 4 uphill finishes in flat or medium mountains. Everyone, including GC guys, had their chance to get their stages, GC seconds etc. MTF stages are really hard with multiple 1st cat. and H.C. climbs.

They could have reached Massif Central earlier (if they didn't go to north after Bretagne); they could have one instead of two transitional stages between Massif Central and Pyrenees. If it was so riders would have reached Pyrenees earlier and with more transitional stages between Alpes and Pyrenees they still could have designed similar third week. When Giro has first high mountain stage in second week nobody criticizes them, everyone talks about toughness of 2nd and 3rd week only.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

This year's route has been ridiculous. No proper hard stages until nearly the 3rd weekend - and a flat stage on the weekend too. We've had two really good stages in a row now, and hopefully we can keep that momentum.

Not every stage needs to be GC-relevant, but I would have liked something GC-relevant other than a TTT in the first 12 days of the race. Instead all I get is crashes.

They're going to have to go great guns from here on in, otherwise the Vuelta could easily be the most exciting GT of the year just by existing.

 

[Escarabajo]

This year's route has been ridiculous. No proper hard stages until nearly the 3rd weekend - and a flat stage on the weekend too. We've had two really good stages in a row now, and hopefully we can keep that momentum.

Not every stage needs to be GC-relevant, but I would have liked something GC-relevant other than a TTT in the first 12 days of the race. Instead all I get is crashes.

They're going to have to go great guns from here on in, otherwise the Vuelta could easily be the most exciting GT of the year just by existing.

+1.

Ok I found my answer.

And why waste Col d'Aubisque like that.

 

[Angliru]

I feel a little disappointed by today's stage and tbh I think the tour organisers have missed an opportunity for spicing up the race.

Not having a back to back high mountain finish means that the main contenders really have a day off as i dont think that any of them will be racing up the aubisque as it is too far from the finish.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying I don't like these types of stages just would have preferred to see them switched around.

This isn't the Giro. Having back-to-back mountain finishes just means that the first of those stages will be taken with the 2nd looming heavily in the rider's minds, meaning no action will likely occur until that 2nd stage. Plus that just isn't how the Tour sets up its routes, especially for the first real mtf of this year's event after almost 2 weeks! Lots of hills yes but 13 days till the first real mtf?

 

[Angliru]

It was all a conspiracy by ASO to insure Contador didn't win and pay him back for "tarnishing" their hallowed event. By anticipating Contador being cleared they created a route backloaded with mtf's knowing that he would be doing the Giro (with Tour invite uncertain), be fatigued and then clear him to ride know that by week 3, he would be dead-legged as would his team, thus clearing the way for their chosen one to sail into Paris victorious.

 

[Thomsena]

This year's route has been ridiculous. No proper hard stages until nearly the 3rd weekend - and a flat stage on the weekend too. We've had two really good stages in a row now, and hopefully we can keep that momentum.

Not every stage needs to be GC-relevant, but I would have liked something GC-relevant other than a TTT in the first 12 days of the race. Instead all I get is crashes.

They're going to have to go great guns from here on in, otherwise the Vuelta could easily be the most exciting GT of the year just by existing.

Oh my..

No hard stages? Every day in the first week we heard how the riders complained about how smashed they were. Because of the many hilly stages many have been able to get the yellow - including sprinters - the fights for positions in the peloton have never been bigger, harder and more importantly great to look at as spectator. These 'fights' have also caused a lot crashes - god bless them all and we don't want anyone hurt - but they have spiced the flat stages up a bit. 3-4 of the flat stages were even right at the ocean (imagine if crosswinds had been present - what a race we would have seen!!)

We've also had one the most beautiful disciplines in the sport - TTT. Which is by the way said the be the one of - if not thé hardest - things to do in the sport of cycling. There have been stages for every kind of rider in the peloton. Sprinters, puncheurs, climbers, fighters and tempo specialist - what more can you ask for?! The other years, when they placed a mountain stage in the first week, we had to look at 5-6 dead plain stages for the sprinters which were horribly boring. We have been able to see one of the most promising, elegant riders in the sport, Gilbert, unfold himself in his favorite terrain. We have seen Cavendish fight extra hard to get his wins because of small, hilly finishes yet we have also seen him winning on the flat finishes.

- And we aren't even in the alpes yet.

Don't get the Vuelta thing that you say either btw..

+1.

Ok I found my answer.

And why waste Col d'Aubisque like that.

We have just witnessed one of the best stages so far?!..

 

[Peccio89]

I guess the route is not that bad but however not having time bonuses, and giving so few points to easy categorized mountain has made the first week less entertaining than it could have been.
However no matter how hard they try The Giro first week is always more interesting than the Tour first one.

 

[Escarabajo]

...



We have just witnessed one of the best stages so far?!..

I really hate having to wait so long for the mountains. Even if they put small bumps on the stage endings to spice up the race. It does not make up for the high mountains. And certainly does not make up for elimination of so many GC riders. Is not the main reason but one of the good reasons for the crashes. Since the last change of Director of the Tour I have been deceptioned with the route designs. My wife is surprised why I am not watching that much Tour cycling anymore.

This is my opinion. I hope I can change it next year.

 

[Thomsena]

I really hate having to wait so long for the mountains. Even if they put small bumps on the stage endings to spice up the race. It does not make up for the high mountains. And certainly does not make up for elimination of so many GC riders. Is not the main reason but one of the good reasons for the crashes. Since the last change of Director of the Tour I have been deceptioned with the route designs. My wife is surprised why I am not watching that much Tour cycling anymore.

This is my opinion. I hope I can change it next year.

Sorry, but cycling is more than climbing up mountains. It really is.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Oh my..

No hard stages? Every day in the first week we heard how the riders complained about how smashed they were. Because of the many hilly stages many have been able to get the yellow - including sprinters - the fights for positions in the peloton have never been bigger, harder and more importantly great to look at as spectator. These 'fights' have also caused a lot crashes - god bless them all and we don't want anyone hurt - but they have spiced the flat stages up a bit.

They may have spiced up the flat stages a bit, but the decimation of the GC field then ruins the rest of the race. I'd like my flat stages to be less boring, you know that. But I'd rather have exciting stages and a few dull flat stages, than liven up some flat stages so they're "mostly dull but with a couple of crashes" and then not get the excitement elsewhere.

3-4 of the flat stages were even right at the ocean (imagine if crosswinds had been present - what a race we would have seen!!)

But we didn't. So it's all well rating it on what could have been, but sadly it wasn't.

We've also had one the most beautiful disciplines in the sport - TTT. Which is by the way said the be the one of - if not thé hardest - things to do in the sport of cycling. There have been stages for every kind of rider in the peloton. Sprinters, puncheurs, climbers, fighters and tempo specialist - what more can you ask for?! The other years, when they placed a mountain stage in the first week, we had to look at 5-6 dead plain stages for the sprinters which were horribly boring.

The TTT is boring and has no place in the sport. And yes, I believe that when they put it in the Giro too. Keep the Team Pursuit to the track, when the Team gets the prize. In an individual race it skews results out too much.

And what more could I ask for... at what point until Luz Ardiden was there a stage for the climbers? Don't pretend that Super Besse or Mur-de-Brétagne are stages for the pure climbers. Maybe if they had all the same stages but in a different order we'd have a much better race. Again, a stage doesn't have to be GC-relevant to be exciting (think Costa's holding off the péloton), but there should be more than one (1) GC-relevant stage in the first 11! And what was that stage? The TTT! Also, if the GC status quo was established earlier maybe we wouldn't have lost half the péloton to crashes.

We still have to look at 5-6 sprinters' stages which are horrifically boring. We've had 3 so far, and we're going to get at least 2 more. And you know what's worst? In a race which has three mountain stages and an intermediate stage to come... what do we get at the weekend? A complete fricking joke of a pancake-flat sprinters' stage. The parcours of this race might be pretty good, but the pacing is downright disgusting.

We have been able to see one of the most promising, elegant riders in the sport, Gilbert, unfold himself in his favorite terrain. We have seen Cavendish fight extra hard to get his wins because of small, hilly finishes yet we have also seen him winning on the flat finishes.

- And we aren't even in the alpes yet.

And when it's predictable and the guys that were supposed to win always win, it's not as exciting as it should be. Just like Contador at the Giro.

Don't get the Vuelta thing that you say either btw..

Because the Giro had next to no GC competition because Contador was so much better than everyone else it was a joke.

Because the Tour has next to no GC competition cos everybody's crashed out and the race organisers have decided to artificially engineer a week 3 showdown by ensuring that nothing of GC relevance happens in the first 2 weeks unless someone falls over.

So the Vuelta just needs to be mediocre to be the best GT of the year. And given that it's put 45km of flat after the last big climb of the race, it looks like mediocrity is its aim. This year has been pretty crap when it comes to major races tbh.

We have just witnessed one of the best stages so far?!..

Yes we have. The race is on the up. It needs to continue with this momentum to make it hard for the Vuelta to cruise to victory in the "most exciting GT" competition.

Finally, the Tour is hotting up. Sadly, it took about 2 weeks, which several contenders didn't last out, to reach even lukewarm temperature.

 

[Thomsena]

You, my friend, are not a fan of cycling so I wont even bother.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Philippe Gilbert is in the top 10 of a Grand Tour after two weeks. And he hasn't REALLY shown any more in the mountains than he had before.

Some of the stages as standalone races have been pretty good. But as constituent elements of a Grand Tour? Nothing has been selective except crashes. That may be fine at Paris-Roubaix. It's part of what you know you're letting yourself in for. But for nothing to be selective until week 3, that's just leaving it all too long.

This is supposed to be a 3-week festival of our sport, not 2 weeks of entertainment for the ghouls that like to see injuries and blood interspersed with a few km of excitement here and there, then a week's festival.

 

[Parrulo]

You, my friend, are not a fan of cycling so I wont even bother.

you my friend, don't know what you are saying


libertine is absolutely right. its pathetic that we have to wait 2 weeks for the first GC relevant stage, and that is highly responsible for the amount of nervous and crashes in the peloton

 

[dgodave]

you my friend, don't know what you are saying


libertine is absolutely right. its pathetic that we have to wait 2 weeks for the first GC relevant stage, and that is highly responsible for the amount of nervous and crashes in the peloton

Thats a pretty good point.
.
But then again, look how people moan in boredom when a rider gets a significant GC lead early on.
.

 

[Angliru]

Sorry, but cycling is more than climbing up mountains. It really is.

In my world it's like this:

75% Climbing up mountains
20% Climbing up steep hills
5% Sprints, cobbled classics

but that's just my world.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Thats a pretty good point.
.
But then again, look how people moan in boredom when a rider gets a significant GC lead early on.
.

Yea, that's the problem really, finding a balance.

At this race, no one rider has shown anything out of the ordinary, so there would have been no harm whatsoever in having a bit of a GC shakeup earlier. Maybe replacing the TTT with an ITT of 25-30km like Cholet in '08, and doing the harder Super-Besse climb (again like '08) - though the stage to Super-Besse is one of the few things I've liked in this race. That would make the riders less nervy because the GC battle lines are drawn, and we'd lose fewer contenders to injury.

However, if you make the parcours too tricky and one rider is the strongest, you end up with something like the Giro, which was rendered dull by the stage winners essentially being whoever Contador picked.

However, races like the 2008 and 2010 Tours weren't marred by half the GC field having to abandon, and 2010 had scrawny Spaniards riding over Paris-Roubaix cobbles!

I didn't see too much wrong with the first week, though I'd have had an ITT instead of the TTT as previously mentioned. I would certainly have started the GC proceedings with a mountain stage at the end of the first week though. Make it interesting - with this race essentially the GC candidates can all peak at the same time, because there's only one relevant part of the race. Make it so that guys peaking late can lose time that they need to catch up later. Make it so that guys peaking early in the race can make some meaningful gains so they aren't inevitably swamped in week 3 when they're dropping form again.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

In my world it's like this:

75% Climbing up mountains
20% Climbing up steep hills
5% Sprints, cobbled classics

but that's just my world.

What about descending down mountains? I love a good descent.

 

[Thomsena]

Waw, I really think I should appreciate myself a bit more when I'm - as it looks like - the only one here who can see the great things in this sport even when it's not mountainous.

Well, I guess I shouldn't care that much anyway. I've had a cracker so far. Too bad for you. I hope the 2012 edition has 21 flat stages - just for you, Libertine.

The TTT is boring and has no place in the sport.

****ing hell, that's one to remember..

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I can see plenty of great things in the sport when it isn't mountainous. I just don't think two weeks of crashing is a great thing.

And that quote? Feel free to cut out and keep it. I'm not embarrassed by that statement. TTTs belong on the track. I stand by it.