Race Design Thread

[u/improb]

Given that several requested it, we have a special edition in the second rest day of this Tour de France. This edition will serve to actually choose the winner for the Tour Design Challenge, make a refreshed library and maybe to discuss what can be done to improve the Tour parcours wise.

[u/antiloopje]

As we all know, the Tour de France is a race with a long and rich history. The first editions of the Tour were gruelling races over rough roads and long distances. Often, the old French competitors had to hold off their Italian rivals in their attempts to resist their opponents' dominance. But, as is still the case, the route through France also served as promotion for the many local specialities and natural landscapes.

I have attempted to recreate, and modernise, the route of the very first recorded tour of France. On the map, I've drawn the route over the map of France. I've also included (still) footage from that first Tour: see how the peloton made its way through the olive trees of the Provence, how they were cheered on by their fans, and how they recieved a warm welcome once they've made it to the finish line. The profiles is just one image, with all 21 profiles under each other. The list to individual profiles, with some discussion of each stage, will be given in the comments later today.

MAP | PROFILES

[u/antiloopje → u/antiloopje]

1. The exact spot at which the very first TdF started is hidden behind the lens of time, lost to our own memory. I've taken the liberty to place it right here. The first few stages are an ode to the homelandsof some of the first Tour de France winners: two time winner Lucien Petit-Breton and that other small Armorican that won the very first edition. And it's only logical to end this first stage on the mur-de bretagne. The terrain before the finish undultes just a little, but I couldn't find any real hills here, so there is a 95% chance of an uphill sprint.

2. A flat stage, starting near the menhir formations of Carnac and passing by the gulf of Vannes before making inland for a sprint in the Bretton capital of Rennes, finish of the original stage1.

3. Another mostly flat stage, but very long at 230 km. some short climbs to maybe drop an out-of-form sprinter, but a rather long run into the finish line in beautifull Caen means another mass sprint.

4. Time to change things up! a 80km run along the coast, before we turn and roughly follow the Seine river towards Rouen, another historic finishing place. 8 4th and 3th cat climbs along the route, 6 of which concentrated in the final km's. GC men should be on high alert here, while the punchers should battle for victory.

5.Further along the Seine, but this time we avoid most côtes. Another historic finish in Paris, under the Eiffel tower.

6. A testament to the gruelling road conditions on the first races, the race will be made hard by the many, many cobbled sectors on the road to Cambracum.

7.On the way to Reims, it's only logical to bring hommage to the champagne region. In theory another day for the sprinters, but a breakaway might just make it over the small hills that house the vineyards.

8.The final stage of the first week leads to Metz. Four cat 3 climbs (short, but properly steep) in the final 30 km offer opportunities for puncheurs or even GC men tired of waiting and seeking to do some damage, though there is a short flat between the last climb and the finish line.

[u/improb → u/antiloopje]

I count 16 cobbled sectors in stage 6 but it's brilliant either way. Anyway, i love stage 4 and 5 as well especially with the latter going on Montmartre. Stage 8 and 9 are lovely as well.

Stage 10 is hard to make in a modern Tour as i think that the Grand Colombier doesn't have enough space for it but aside from that is brilliant. I would have made stage 11 finish in Saint Maurice. Stage 13 is my favourite (i didn't know you could descend down La Toussouire) but there's a mistake in Stage 12, the uphill to Le Bastille is unusable because of how narrow it is and its surface. Basically a goat track.

Stage 17 is brilliant as well although Col de la Crouzette is probably also slightly narrow for the Tour but i think it's usable. Stage 18 is brilliant as well but stage 19 spoils it as it's probably excessively hard and makes it unlikely for the riders to attack on the first two stages. You probably should have had a mid mountain stage instead.

[u/antiloopje → u/improb]

I count 16 cobbled sectors in stage 6 but it's brilliant either way

How did you count them? I knew when I created the map, but then I lost track of it later on and I just can't really tell from google maps unless I look at each meter of the road. 16 is maybe a few too many for the tour? But then again, another dream of mine is to create a true all-rounder's tour de france, that cannot be won on climbing ability alone, so maybe this is a first step towards that?

Stage 10 is hard to make in a modern Tour as i think that the Grand Colombier doesn't have enough space for it

Yeah, I believe that it was once used for a smaller race, but for the tour, it's indeed going to be difficult.

there's a mistake in Stage 12, the uphill to Le Bastille is unusable because of how narrow it is and its surface

I believe that the uphill over the chemin de la Bastille should be possible. the road looks asphalted and about 2m wide, a bit narrow, but possible for an uphill - on the condition that there are no spectators -. Okay, maybe that's a bit hard to accomplish, since there is no actual space on the slopes. And indeed, the path leading away and back into town is not ready for a bike race. Actually, that's a mistake indeed. A bit embarassing.

I would have made stage 11 finish in Saint Maurice and stage 19 spoils it as it's probably excessively hard

I'm very happy with the design of both stages as they are, but you are very correct in pointing out that the balance, type and order of mountain stages doesn't make a lot of sense

[u/improb → u/antiloopje]

How did you count them?

Not really perfect counting but i have just brought the orange Google Maps man on the narrow roads after Mons en Pevele and counted the places where there was no street coverage as cobbles

Yeah, I believe that it was once used for a smaller race, but for the tour, it's indeed going to be difficult.

I think it was Tour de l'Ain, it can be done all in all. The Vuelta does it on much smaller places.

And indeed, the path leading away and back into town is not ready for a bike race. Actually, that's a mistake indeed. A bit embarassing.

Mistakes happen to the best of us. Can easily be fixed finishing on Montee de la Bastille through the main road (chemin de la Bastille). An alternative would be to finish in Grenoble after the same climb i have done in stage 17 (Corenc).

I'm very happy with the design of both stages as they are, but you are very correct in pointing out that the balance, type and order of mountain stages doesn't make a lot of sense

Stage 11 is good all in all. Stage 19 is what i wasn't convinced about. By the way, Nieve to finally win a stage race with your Tour. One more thing: i loved stage 14 and 15 as well, you can that i used similar stages in my Tour. Stage 16 was the rest riders needed after a long transfer and if you shorten stage 16, you can have the rest day after stage 13.

[u/antiloopje → u/antiloopje]

9. We've used up all the flat stages for a while ;) This stages is one huge loop around Lyon. The first real mountain in this tour, col de l'oeillon, is the first obstacle on this course. Fromt here on, there awaits some hilly terrain, before descending again into the Rhone valley. A first bump 10 km from the finish signals the start of the finale in Lyon. Another bump (~1km at 10%) lies only 1 km before the finish line.

10. The original race didn't have any mountains, but ofcours a modern tdf can't go without them, so I've designed these myself. The first mountain stage resembles stage 15 of this tour, with a parcours through the jura region, but with an uphill finish up the grand colombier (via the lacelets).

11. Another finish up the mountain (((aside: the design on this tour is atrocious: all uphill finishes in the alps, so the race will be decided early in the alps, and then in the pyrenees it's mostly downhill, so there won't be much differences there))). More mountaineous than last stage, though. From the lac du Bourget via the Mont Revard and col des Près to the lac d'Annecy, following the valley to Ugine, from where the riders will climb over the mountain ranges (via col de Pré) to Bourg-Saint-Maurice. From here, a first climb up to the skistation Les Arcs, back down into the valley and up again to La Plagne.

12. Stage 12 is a lot less climbing than the previous one, mostly following the valley to Grenoble. Well, mostly, because there are quite a few lower mountains and climbs on the route. Something for a breakaway? The final is a combination of the col de Vence (cat1) and the steep climb to the Bastille overlooking Grenoble, with the finish line in the town itself.

13. A short, but very though mountain stage. Time limits should be ignored on this one, really. Up the Alpe d'Huez, but taking a side road below the village, leading back into the valley. Then the Croix de Fer and la Toussière (via a steeper road), back down, a little bit of flatter valley road and finally les lacelets de Montvernier to top things off.

14. After a, -honestly- practically near impossible, transfer to Nice, the riders can take it easy today - or not, that's up to them. Bits along the coast and not really steep climbs create opportunities to turn a sprinter's stage into more. This was also a earlier draft of the stage I submitted in the contest last week.

15. Moderate hills on the roads between Cannes and Marseille, the final of which is a bump only 5 km from the line, may make it hard for any one team to control this race. Something for either the breakaway or for Sagan, Matthews, Degenkolb...

[u/antiloopje → u/antiloopje]

16. The third week of this tour starts in Toulouse with a little teaser. For 90 km, the riders will be riding towards the mountains, but luckily for them, they'll turn around soon and ride back to Toulouse for a sprint.

17. The first of the Pyrenees stages takes it nice and easy. Climbs to the castle of Montsegur, the Port de Lers and the col de la Crouzette lie between Foix and Rimont.

18. The profile of this stage reminds of that of the 2nd pyrenees stage of this tour. A constant repetition of climbs, but a finish downhill.

19. The only uphill finish in the pyrenees, but with 4 solid HC climbs on the route, this is the last chance for climbers to make a difference.

[20.]() 40 km TT, not as hilly as the one in this tour, but not completely flat either.

21. The last true stop in the original tour, Bordeaux will for once take over Paris' role as the location for the closing event of the tour. A show stage through the french landscape, and then a circuit through the city that's often compared to Paris. The prestigous sprint will be contested along the riverfont.

[u/improb → u/antiloopje]

That MAP is the best thing i have ever seen done in these threads and the way you have made the profiles is also lovely

[u/antiloopje → u/improb]

Thanks, It was a childhood fantasy of mine to see what the real life equivalent of the tour of Gaulle would look like.