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Race Routes 2010
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| ember |
Posted on 14-10-2009 22:16
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I'm disapointed, the route looks very boring. 3 mountaintop finishes and 1 timetrial, and that's about it. And when you then hear that the cobbles are going to make this Tour a great, though and whatsoever.....but what has cobbles to do in a Grand Tour where the only thing it can do is that GC-favourites looses time on flat stages?
And why not try to make a great mountainweek in the Alps followed by a great mountainweek in the Pyrenees? I feel that Prudhomme and the race organizers are afraid to do some great mountainstages early, because "we want the Tour to be exciting to the very end." I'm so sick of listening to that, it doesn't make sense that the great overall-stages are in the last week and there is only 3 of them.
But of course, I'm looking forward to watch the TdF, that's always great, but I think it could definately have been greater if they had made a more challenging course for the overall contenders.... |
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| Cremalex |
Posted on 15-10-2009 00:35
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Ember is very important that climbers start the mountain stages with as much lost time as posible. Why?? Because if people like Contador or Andy need to recover time they will have to attack from long distance and not only in the last 3 kms of the top mountain finishes. That's why this stage near Arenberg is completely necessary.
Do you remember Chiapucci's big break on road to Sestriere? He had to recover a very big loss with Indurain.
A GT always needs stages that make climbers lose as much time as possible. If all the riders reach the mountain stages with nearly same time, it will be difficult to see someone attacking. Not having TT before mountain, only cobbles will make climbers lose time. |
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| TerpSpeed |
Posted on 15-10-2009 05:15
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issoisso wrote:
Ste117 wrote:
Tbh I prefer no time trails.
My head would explode again if it hadn't already
You've somehow managed to cheat reality enough to still converse with your head in a million pieces; why stop now? 
re: the course, meh. Not unexpected.
For anyone who enjoys laughing at the America media, however, read this article and see how many completely risible statements you can find. It's also what serves for ESPN's attempt at covering the "Astana waste" and "Vandenbroucke dies" stories.
https://sports.esp...id=4559133
gogogo!
Edited by TerpSpeed on 15-10-2009 05:17
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| chrica04 |
Posted on 15-10-2009 05:31
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Sastre says this tour is great for climbers......uhh |
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| maynard |
Posted on 15-10-2009 07:32
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Cremalex wrote:
Ember is very important that climbers start the mountain stages with as much lost time as posible. Why?? Because if people like Contador or Andy need to recover time they will have to attack from long distance and not only in the last 3 kms of the top mountain finishes. That's why this stage near Arenberg is completely necessary.
Do you remember Chiapucci's big break on road to Sestriere? He had to recover a very big loss with Indurain.
A GT always needs stages that make climbers lose as much time as possible. If all the riders reach the mountain stages with nearly same time, it will be difficult to see someone attacking. Not having TT before mountain, only cobbles will make climbers lose time.
What about the 'medium mountain' stage to station rousses? Isn't that a 4th mountain top finish? the official announcement states 6 high mountain stages with 3 finishes 'on top' (morzine arvorias, ax 3 domaines and tourmalet). This is prud'hommes comment on stage 7 finish:
Medium mountains - A sporting perspective
The comment of Christian Prudhomme
This is a major first for Tournus and Les Rousses that have never before played host to the Tour. After a forty kilometre flat ride, the going gets tough with an unrelenting and rising succession of mountain climbs, and notably the ascension of the southern slopes of La Croix de la Serra (1,049 m). A final 14 kilometre climb will lead to the summit finish in Les Rousses.
The route is still a mixed bag though. It seems a lot tougher than last year, the 3 alp stages are actually tough, and 3 of the 4 pyrenees stages should give the climbers chances for creating time gaps. Too bad contador is also one of the best time trialists of the bunch...
Wiggins probably won't do as good as last year, with both the Saint Jean stage and the pyrenees stages too 'up and down' for him |
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| Cremalex |
Posted on 15-10-2009 20:06
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Les Rousses is a very good medium mountain stage but it would be difficult to see time gaps between Tour contenders. It reminds me a lot to SuperBesse stage on 2008. Les Rousses is a long climb but with an average slope below 5%. If a breakaway doesn't reach the final kms, the great favourite to win this stage is Alejandro Valverde. |
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| ember |
Posted on 15-10-2009 20:19
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Cremalex wrote:
Ember is very important that climbers start the mountain stages with as much lost time as posible. Why?? Because if people like Contador or Andy need to recover time they will have to attack from long distance and not only in the last 3 kms of the top mountain finishes. That's why this stage near Arenberg is completely necessary.
Do you remember Chiapucci's big break on road to Sestriere? He had to recover a very big loss with Indurain.
A GT always needs stages that make climbers lose as much time as possible. If all the riders reach the mountain stages with nearly same time, it will be difficult to see someone attacking. Not having TT before mountain, only cobbles will make climbers lose time.
First of all, I do like cobbles, but not in a Grand Tour, in my opinion it has nothing to do here. And it's not only that the climbers/GC-riders can loose time, there is a major risk that one or two of them are going to crash badly or something like that and maybe has to pull out of the Tour, or is damaged seriously so he can't do his max the rest of the Tour. I do definately want that to happen, and of course Prudhomme don't want it too, but he is making the conditions good to let something like that happend.
I have to say that I prefer that it is the "overall-stages" that is going to decide a Tour de France, not a cobble-stage... |
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| Cremalex |
Posted on 15-10-2009 21:13
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Is not the first time Tour uses cobbles in its route. In fact, years ago it was usual to have stages like that. If you don´t want to get hurt riding after Boonen, Hoste, Flecha or Cancellara, go slower.
Is the same as in downhilling. If you don´t want to crash persecuting Samuel, well, you know, go slower. Well, this year Tour will have two fast and quite dangerous downhills: Madeleine and Balés. Be careful because someone can fall in some of them, will you like they will be taken away??
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| ember |
Posted on 15-10-2009 21:20
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That is not whhat I'm saying, I'm saying that I think it is wrong that cobblestones might affect the race and the results for the overall riders in a Tour de France. I think it has absolutely nothing to do in a TdF. Cobblestone and cobbleraces are part of the classics, not the Grand Tours, and I think it should stay that way. The cobbles are nice to watch, but I mean that they shall not effect the overall standings in a Grand Tour.
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| ursul |
Posted on 15-10-2009 21:22
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And next summer, we will learn that Cancellara will be the leader of Saxo bank for tdf.
When Nothing goes rigth, go left...
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| doddy13 |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:04
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To quote a DS "The tour won't be won on the cobbles, but it can be lost there"
There's no point slapping a schleck - Sean Kelly on "Who needs a slap"
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| Cremalex |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:12
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And I say, as same as in a dangerous donwhill, if you don´t want to fall in cobbles do not risk. This may suppose you lose time, but it's up to you to follow the rythm of the "cobble beasts". You know the risks, it's up to you to face it or not.
What happen if some of the favourites falls down downhilling Bales? It's part of cycling, as same as punctures (ask Evans if he lost his options to win last Vuelta because of a puncture) and of course cobbles. They are part of cycling, and they always produce great races and plenty of fun for the spectators and that was one of the things this year's tour has missed, FUN.
Anyway, in that stage we are not talking about Arenberg, neither Mons en Pevele, neither Carrefour de l'Arbre. We are talking about 3 stars cobbled tracks, not the harder 5 stars.
And why is not fair cobbles could affect the Tour? Because nowadays contenders are not familiar with those roads?? I think Tour de France has to give opportunities to all kind of riders. Cavendish has them, climbers have them, croners have them,... why cobbled oriented riders can't have their own opportunity??
Edited by Cremalex on 15-10-2009 22:19
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| ursul |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:14
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of course, it will not be won there, you have not to be einstein to understand it!
When Nothing goes rigth, go left...
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| Johan92 |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:14
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I think cobbles is great. It's a extra, but important moment in the race.
www.pcmnorge.no
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| doddy13 |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:15
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ursul wrote:
of course, it will not be won there, you have not to be einstein to understand it!
I think the idea was to draw more attention to the second part of the sentence, but read the first bit and comment.
The Tour can be lost of the cobbles, sure it's not a 5* section, but still a crash can happen.
There's no point slapping a schleck - Sean Kelly on "Who needs a slap"
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| Cremalex |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:22
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doddy13 wrote:
ursul wrote:
of course, it will not be won there, you have not to be einstein to understand it!
I think the idea was to draw more attention to the second part of the sentence, but read the first bit and comment.
The Tour can be lost of the cobbles, sure it's not a 5* section, but still a crash can happen.
A crash can happen in any place. Is a risk that this sport includes. Cobbles are risky, downhilling is risky, rain is risky, wind is risky, well, better stay at home and don't start the Tour.
Remember Liege massive crash in La Vuelta, it was in a big wide well paved avenue. May that stage has to be cancelled?
Edited by Cremalex on 15-10-2009 22:27
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| ursul |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:27
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look, there is only one...
When Nothing goes rigth, go left...
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| kumazan |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:30
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I can't see anything bad in having a cobbled stage in the Tour, on the contrary. I've always wondered why they didn't include cobbles in the GT, or when they did (like in this year's Vuelta) it was only a little section with absolutely no influence whatsoever in the final result of the stage, let alone the GC.
Sure that the usual GC contenders aren't used to cobbles, but would we complain if the ENECO Tour decided to include a great mountain (imagine that Belgium buys a mountain then  ) in the race? Well, the GC contenders in the ENECO Tour aren't used to great mountains so... |
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| Stijn_vranken |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:32
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ursul wrote:
And next summer, we will learn that Cancellara will be the leader of Saxo bank for tdf.
I find it hard to believe that Cancellara will ever be a Team Leader in a GT. His climbing abilities are just not good enough. Some TT's/cobbles won't make up his losses in the mountains
Johan92 wrote:
I think cobbles is great. It's a extra, but important moment in the race.
A tour de france should contain everytime france has got offer : pyrenees, alps , central massif ,etc. Cobbles too are part of that. A cobbled race ( a mini Paris -roubaix with still lots of cobbles) the stage before Paris would make the race more interesting
prevent hangovers --> stay drunk
pozzato, basically the most stupid cyclist around
RIP WW. Gone but not forgotten
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| ursul |
Posted on 15-10-2009 22:57
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Stijn_vranken wrote:
ursul wrote:
And next summer, we will learn that Cancellara will be the leader of Saxo bank for tdf.
I find it hard to believe that Cancellara will ever be a Team Leader in a GT. His climbing abilities are just not good enough. Some TT's/cobbles won't make up his losses in the mountains
it's a joke
When Nothing goes rigth, go left...
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