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Tour de France 2018

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    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I had intended to watch it on eurosport this morning and I forgot :o


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    #3
    velo.2010
    Registered Users Posts: 3,010 ✭✭✭velo.2010


    Froome is the strongest grand tour rider, therefore its his to lose again in 2018.

    A route like this is an attempt by the organisers for him to lose it by not completing, or to put him several minutes behind after a calamity in the first week. I'd rather for someone to reach his level and beat him fair and square. Alternatively, an older Froome may not be as strong and it opens up the field a little.


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    #4
    death1234567
    Registered Users Posts: 3,333 ✭✭✭death1234567


    65km stage? Is it the tour or an A4 race?


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    #5
    at1withmyself
    Registered Users Posts: 2,535 ✭✭✭at1withmyself


    death1234567 wrote: »
    65km stage? Is it the tour or an A4 race?


    That will be the best stage, madness from the start and 3 climbs so should be fun!


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    #6
    Diarmuid
    Registered Users Posts: 3,981 ✭✭✭Diarmuid


    death1234567 wrote: »
    65km stage? Is it the tour or an A4 race?

    45k of which are climbs. Those shorter stages encourage much more attacking riding as opposed to a 180k mountain stage where all the action happens in the final 5k


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    #7
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Diarmuid wrote: »
    45k of which are climbs. Those shorter stages encourage much more attacking riding as opposed to a 180k mountain stage where all the action happens in the final 5k

    Indeed, sounds very similar to how they ran the first event in La Course for the women this year. Very entertaining race , and likely men get a stage like that next year after being trailed successfully on the women this year.


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    #8
    Darkglasses
    Registered Users Posts: 14,526 ✭✭✭✭Darkglasses


    I'm absolutely delighted with that stage, it's exactly what contemporary racing needs.


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    #9
    velo.2010
    Registered Users Posts: 3,010 ✭✭✭velo.2010


    About Frome. The only pattern of weakness I can discern with him relates to hard mountain stages immediately after a hard TT. Unfortunately, the ITT next year is the last true stage of the race.

    I think successive long, hard stages - while potentially boring - can lead to major time losses for a GC rider. Testing endurance and recovery is the point of GC after all. Bigger time gaps, created from real racing and not a puncture or crash on the cobbles, lead to better racing from guys who have had a bad day... a la Contador disrupting the Vuelta this year.

    Short stages lend themselves to explosive racing but results tells me that the time gaps created are not as big as some might expect between the big favourites. I'm guessing that's the point from the organisers view of things... keep it close for as long as possible.

    I think a lack of several mountain stages in a row lends to the problem too. We've seen it in recent years. Only two days in the Alps or Pyrenees. It gives someone like Froome, breathing room to recover and ultimately gain the time needed to win in the ITT. That was the case in this years Tour.

    In reality, I think the shorter stages are a function of the belief (of ASO and UCI) that longer, more mountainous Tours are likely to encourage doping among riders.


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    #10
    Heisenberg.
    Registered Users Posts: 7,541 ✭✭✭Heisenberg.


    This post has been deleted.


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    #11
    retalivity
    Registered Users Posts: 14,323 ✭✭✭✭retalivity


    Heisenberg. wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    going back 8=9 years now, but when i was at mont ventoux, there were cyclists cycling up it all morning before the race came thru. The police came thru at the head of the caravan clearing everyone off. Not sure if its changed much in the years since


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    #12
    fat bloke
    Registered Users Posts: 5,861 ✭✭✭fat bloke


    Heisenberg. wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    The bigger mountain stages can be closed to vehicular traffic from 8pm the night before but, within reason, cyclists /pedestrians are allowed up much closer to the caravan arrival.


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    #13
    BailMeOut
    Registered Users Posts: 2,985 ✭✭✭BailMeOut


    just realized I will be in Vendee from 8th July 2018 for two weeks so will definitely get to see some of it!


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    #14
    Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 5,699 ✭✭✭Brian


    death1234567 wrote: »
    65km stage? Is it the tour or an A4 race?
    at1withmyself wrote: »
    That will be the best stage, madness from the start and 3 climbs so should be fun!
    Diarmuid wrote: »
    45k of which are climbs. Those shorter stages encourage much more attacking riding as opposed to a 180k mountain stage where all the action happens in the final 5k



    http://road.cc/content/news/232569-video-crazy-mike-cotty-previews-next-years-short-brutal-tour-de-france-stage


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    #15
    2 Wheels Good
    Registered Users Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭2 Wheels Good


    Heisenberg. wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.
    We were on the Hautacam in 2014. Got 1/2 ways up for a morning spin before deciding to go back to the hotel for the lunch bag as it was already busy with walkers/bikes. Got up to the finish just before they closed the last 3km. We had to jump barriers and cross fields to get back to our planned spot just before the barriers. They weren't that strict below the barriers.
    Ended up cycling down with some of the pros after the stage.


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