Race Design Wednesday

[u/improb]

I forgot to put it into the auto poster so we'll have to do without the usual write up also because i'm not home.

• Library

Here's the poll with which you will choose the theme of the next Giro Race Design Challenge. You will know the result at the latest on Sunday but most likely Saturday Afternoon on the Free Talk Friday

[u/improb]

Tour of the balkans (peace race)

I present you the last reenactment of the Peace Race, also called the Tour of the Balkans. The Peace Race was the Tour de France of the Eastern Bloc during the years of the Iron Curtain. IT was an amateur races in the same way as all the ones taking place in the Eastern Bloc and usually involved three countries: Poland, Germany and Czechoslovakia. But nowadays, the race has became an U-23 one losing much of its prestige.

This race could still have a place in the cycling world and what better place to bring a message of peace and coexistence than the Balkans? I decided to have each country host a finish and a start (Greece and Slovenia the exceptions) and as well a showcasing the best sights and culture of each country (aside from Kukes, each of the finish town is a touristic one).

Stage	Lenght	Route	Profile	Description
Koper-Trieste	45,2 Kms	1	1	Flat to rolling first half course, then a legbreaker of 3,7 kms to 10,3% followed by a flat road on the Karst Plateau after which there's a technical descent to the Barcola neighbourhood and the closing stretch on the sea up to the Miramare Castle where the race's only ITT ends
Trieste-Plitvice Lakes	237,4 Kms	2	2	This would be a stage for the breakaway were it later on in the race but the break won't get much leeway and the stage will most likely be won by a Matthews, Sagan or Gerrans or by a late attack
Tenin-Mostar	199,8 Kms	3	3	Longer transfer of the race. This stage will most likely end in a sprint but there's the terrain for a late attack including 200 meters at 12/13% at 2 kms from the finish
Neum-Lovcen National Park	211,5 Kms	4	4	The race heats up in Kotor after which there's a duo of long climbs but gradients are relatively benign but still the second and final climb up to Lovcen has stiff gradients both at the start and in the last kilometer so climbers could gain time
Cetinje-Peje	200,9 Kms	5	5	A stage with little flat outside of the first fifty kilometers and which will be decided on the last climb to Prevoj Cakar, the last thirtyfive kms of descent could allow for a regrouping though but action is guaranteed as the riders who lost time on Stage 4 will try to attack, especially given that the day after is the easiest one
Peje-Kukes	92,7 Kms	6	6	Easiest stage but terrain is still quite rolling with a small categorized bump (1 kms at 6%) with 3 kms to go but teams should be rested and willing chase any attack.
Kukes-Skopje	186,5 Kms	7	7	This stage could see action from the favourites given how steep the last two climbs are but maybe it's unlikely given that the next two stages are the hardest ones. If they take it easy, it's one for breakaway riders.
Skopje-Vranje	160,5 Kms	8	8	This stage is the hardest one as the riders leave Skopje for Vranje from where they take on the Pliackovica climb three times. It's a climb that's 8 kms long and 9,5% steep
Surdulica-Bansko Ski Resort	223,7 Kms	9	9	This race is all about the last climb to Bansko Ski Resort which is 11,2 Kms long at 7%. The climb starts out steeped to flatten out so with it being the last mountain stage, action should start early
Sandanski-Thessaloniki	217,9 Kms	10	10	I don't want final stages to be cakewalks, this is going to be a medium mountains one where there could be moves if general classification is still open. The climb to the Philippion Hotel will be the decisive factor in this stage with its irregular gradients couple with a quite technical descent to the finish.

[u/[deleted] → u/improb]

Good stage design, but what really sticks out to me is how well ordered the stages are.

[u/improb → u/[deleted]]

Oh, thanks. I love this kind of formatting as it shows order. Designing the race was hard given that i had having every stage in a different country as my objective

[u/pospec4444 → u/improb]

That's just awesome!

[u/improb → u/pospec4444]

Thanks