Tour de Suisse 2014

[alexcta]

- Start in Bellinzona : http://www.ticinonews.ch/articolo.aspx?id=288875&rubrica=46063

 

[roundabout]

http://www.tourdesuisse.ch/de/news/...mit-erfreulicher-bilanz-und-etappenorte-2014/

14.06.2014 Bellinzona Bellinzona (Prolog)

15.06.2014 Bellinzona Sarnen

16.06.2014 Sarnen REGION ZÜRICH

17.06.2014 REGION ZÜRICH Ossingen

18.06.2014 Ossingen Büren a.d.Aare

19.06.2014 Büren a.d.Aare Delémont

20.06.2014 Worb Worb

21.06.2014 Delémont Verbier

22.06.2014 Martigny Saas-Fee

Mmm, not that great.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If Verbier comes after Col du Lein, however, I will retract many of my planned criticisms. I've been waiting for that for some time now.

 

[Netserk]

Hilly/technical prologue
Mountain stage (long run-in?)
Sagan
Sagan
Sagan
Sagan
ITT
Verbier MTF
Saas-Fee MTF

Something like that?

 

[Alpechraxler]

Col du Lein would be nice but isn't nescessary after Gurnigel, Jaun, Col du Pilon, Col de la Croix

Stage 2 looks nice because they have to climb eighter Gotthard, Susten, Brünig or Gotthard, Furka, Grimsel, Brünig or Nufenen, Grimsel, Brünig but ok Sagan will win it no doubt.

The last stage with the climb to Saas Fee is ok but the Valais is still like 150 km of flat roads.

Interesting could be stage 6 to Délemont there are some nice climbs in the jura.

 

[Netserk]

It seems certain that after next year's edition Sagan will be the rider with most stage victories in Tour de Suisse. At the age of 24

EDIT: Koblet and Kübler have the record with 11 stages. Cancellara has 10. Sagan 8.

 

[Alpechraxler]

My dream stage would be like this

with the Umbrail and its gravel roads

 

[alexcta]

Col du Lein would be nice but isn't nescessary after Gurnigel, Jaun, Col du Pilon, Col de la Croix

Stage 2 looks nice because they have to climb eighter Gotthard, Susten, Brünig or Gotthard, Furka, Grimsel, Brünig or Nufenen, Grimsel, Brünig but ok Sagan will win it no doubt.

The last stage with the climb to Saas Fee is ok but the Valais is still like 150 km of flat roads.

Interesting could be stage 6 to Délemont there are some nice climbs in the jura.

Martigny-Saas Fee : 97'6 KMS

 

[roundabout]

Stage 2 is a problem. There will be 2 (3) nice climbs, but they will be far from the finish and Brünig is still about 20km away from Sarnen.

Saas Fee is ok, but again, I can't really think of any climbs nearby. And it will be an elimination race until the turn at Saas-Grund.

Maybe it will mean that there will at least be Planches on the way to Verbier, but it will probably be crap climbs like Pillon and 40k of "flat" before Verbier.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Champex before Verbier perhaps? Easier side, mind.

Saas Fee isn't too bad, but the cat.1s nearby will be as far away as Anzère and Crans Montana. However, depending on road condition, Eischoll isn't too far away and would likely be a cat.2 (about 9km at just under 7%, but then there's a short descent, some false flat to Bürchten then the descent into Visp, then a few km flat before the start of Saas Fee). And even Eischoll's several km of flat from Sierre. They can make it hard in the early going, but no way do we see any meaningful action before Saas Fee.

 

[Netserk]

The worst thing about Saas Fee isn't the linking to prior climbs IMO, but the flat part near the top practically ensuring all action to happen in the last 2-3km.

 

[togo95]

The hardest option would certainly be Moosalp (18 km; 7,8%) which would top at around 33 km to the finish in Saas-Fee with no flat in between (except for Saas-Grund of course). That could create some nice racing on the last day.

 

[roundabout]

The Saastal is stunning though.

 

[Flamin]

Stage 1:

Stage 2:

Stage 3:

Stage 4:

 

[Flamin]

Stage 5:

Stage 6:

Stage 7:

 

[Flamin]

Stage 8:

Stage 9:

 

[del1962]

Not the flattest of time trials

 

[Netserk]

Over or under 3½ stage wins for Sagan?

 

[roundabout]

Champex before Verbier perhaps? Easier side, mind.

Saas Fee isn't too bad, but the cat.1s nearby will be as far away as Anzère and Crans Montana. However, depending on road condition, Eischoll isn't too far away and would likely be a cat.2 (about 9km at just under 7%, but then there's a short descent, some false flat to Bürchten then the descent into Visp, then a few km flat before the start of Saas Fee). And even Eischoll's several km of flat from Sierre. They can make it hard in the early going, but no way do we see any meaningful action before Saas Fee.

Congratulations on the Eischoll call.

Good stage 3, poor Delemont stage.

Rest about as expected with the exception of Eischoll. Way to skip Planches again.

 

[Flamin]

Over or under 3½ stage wins for Sagan?

Under. Stage 4 and 6.

 

[zlev11]

a shame that the Gotthardpass is so early in stage 2, probably too early to see it on the TV broadcast. one of my favorite climbs.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Sarnen: potential to be pretty good, but could be a Sagan stage. Hopefully the Sankt Gotthardpass (old road on the cobbles please) and Furkapass will be ridden hard so the bunch is small and tired legs mean some good action on Brünig.

Heiden: good potential for action on the final couple of climbs before the presumably puncheur type finish.

Delémont: I guess this will probably be one for the break. It has options, maybe some good descenders could attack, but otherwise it may be a bit disappointing. I like La Vue-des-Alpes, but it'll be meaningless.

Verbier: a pox on the route designer. No Lein, no Planches, not even Champex? Not even going to Martigny via Col des Mosses to give us at least some hope this won't be a final 2km job? Christ on a bike.

Saas-Fee: Well, in terms of climbs close to Saas-Fee they did as well as I could hope, but before that we could have at least had Ovronnaz or Crans-Montana or something to add some fatigue given the Verbier stage is weak.

 

[podunavac]

a shame that the Gotthardpass is so early in stage 2, probably too early to see it on the TV broadcast. one of my favorite climbs.

Exactly what has crossed my mind.
And it's fully cobbled side, if I've understood it right.
Nice route overall. Should provide interesting race.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Not sure.
CdD looks considerable better this time.
Details needed on some of the kickers at the end.
Stage 8 and 9 doesn't look good.

 

[BigMac]

Hard route. Again, lots of candidates for the win. Sprint stages should be better distributed. Two MTF's in a row is an absolute killer and I'm not sure I like it.

Hoping for a Verbier '12 Déjà vu.

Gotthard so early in the stage should also mean we won't have live images of it being climbed, which is a shame, not for the action but for the scenery. There's really nothing like a Swiss landscape.