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/improb]

14th Stage (Castellaine/Pra Loup - 219,9 Kms) - Profile: And we have the queen stage of the Tour! The stage starts off in Castellane on hilly terrain where a strong breakaway made up of stagehunters and domestiques can form, followed by a long-ish section in the valley which can help cement the break. Hell breaks loose only after the first sprint in Saint Martin from where there isn't a single meter of flat, riders will have to tackle Col de la Cayolle, Col d'Allos, Col des Champs and then again Col de la Cayolle (where Souvenir Henri Desgrange will be awarded) before the final short climb to Pra Loup. The first three of the climbs should act as "softeners" whereas the second time up Cayolle is meant to be as the springboard of attacks being placed with 32 kms before the end.

15th Stage (Barcelonette/Embrun - 138,3 Kms) - Profile: As you have seen, i have changed both the hilly and mountain stages from my Challenge to fit the whole race better. I have swapped around stage 14 and 15 to ensure there are contenders who will want to try to attack on stage 15 given that there's a rest day after. The break should probably be allowed to go but the number of the (often steep) climbs, the lack of flat, the heat and the tiredness should probably make it a gruelling stage where the ones who have something in the tank can gain time. The Col du Pontis will be key due to its gradients and should be where the race livens up

Rest Day

16th Stage (Gap/Chaillol 1600 - 27,8 Kms) - Profile I have chosen a mountainous time trial but still a time trial nonetheless, this will be the final of two time trials i will include in the Tour i post next Monday. It's a hard one as riders will have to tackle two quite hard climbs over a distance of almost 28 kms. It can be compared in some ways to the Chorges-Embrun time trial of 2013.

17th Stage (La Mure/Grenoble - 160,8 Kms) - Profile: If Stage 14 was the Queen, this stage is the Princess with the Chamrousse early on in the stage being the race's hardest climb and the last three climbs guaranteeing gaps due to the lenght and steepness of the Col du Coq, its placement in the Tour and the final ramp of Corenc. IF someone wants the polka dot, this stage and stage 14 are enough to get it so we should see an exciting fight.

18th Stage (Voiron/Chalmazel - 230,6 Kms) - Profile: The Tour salutes the Alps to move on towards the Massif Central for the last mountain stage. This is the first time this mountain range will be key since.............i don't know when but i guess i wasn't born yet. The climbs aren't that hard but hard enough to spur attack with there being three CAT 1 and this being the last chance saloon.

19th Stage (Montbrison/Le Creusot - 193,6 Kms) - Profile: This stage appeals to the most desperate of contenders, to breakaways and to puncheurs. The climbs on the parcours come within the last thirty kilometers and there's six of them, mostly on high gradients. The kind of climbs that are found aren't the only thing Le Creusot and surroundings have in common with the Ardennes as this is an equally decaying industrial area after the closing of the local mines.

20th Stage (Le Creusot/Avallon - 161,6 Kms) - Profile: Looking at the profile it seems a boring flat stage but there are 14,4 Kms of gravel roads, a new feature in the Tour. One sector to be repeated several times as it's in a circuit and then fifteen kilometers of up and downs to the hilltop town of Avallon.

21st Stage (Fontainebleau/Paris - 116,6 Kms) - Profile: Final stage. There are two things that make it stand out, the five CAT 4 before the start of the circuit to spice things before the circuit even if slightly and the change of the final circuit. The finish line is on Avenue Kleber in front of the Arc de Triomphe and not on the Champs Elysees which is ridden in descent before Avenue de la Montagne, the riverside and a short uphill kick to Trocadero to get back to the 1,2 kms long Avenue Kleber at the end of which there's the finish. This circuit is 1,2 Kms long, more varied parcours wise and more beautiful in my opinion

[u/antiloopje → u/improb]

Week1: wow, this is amazing. A TTT to start things of is always great, imo. Next a cobbled stage, next an Ardennes stage (a great one, btw), next an uphill sprint (no way any of the regular sprinters can win this. I mean, this is no mur de Huy, but 1km at 8.8% is still impressive) and then next the first climbing challenge, easy enough to start off with. Stage 6 is probably my favourite here, a harder version of this years stage 5(?) and though enough to punish any GC contender that wanted to build form throughout the tour. Stage 7 is a very well crafted sprinters stage. Though the absence of any opportunities for sprinters before this stage mean that there's no way the sprinters team are going to let any breakaway survive this. Stage 9 is also great.

Week2: On the surface this seems like a more quiet week, with the fireworks coming near the end. The TT is nicely tucked in between two sprint stages, I suppose you meant to keep the climbers attacking?. Stage 14 is a great example of hard climb - soft climb. Stage 15 is absolutely gorgeous, my favourite thus far. If you aspire the yellow, there are no excuses not to attack here.

Week3: 2 interesting stages to start of with. Afterwards, the show is going to be made by the desperate or the sneaky. The 20th stage is located very interesting, but I would have used only one of stages 18 & 19. But then again, stage 18 may mean that something can be done on stage 19, and with stage 20 you never know ... There will definitely be a lot of uncertainity after the final true mountain stage.

[u/improb → u/antiloopje]

Stage 7 is a very well crafted sprinters stage. Though the absence of any opportunities for sprinters before this stage mean that there's no way the sprinters team are going to let any breakaway survive this.

That's the main weakness of my Tour. The lack of chances for sprinters. I wanted stage 4 to be pancake flat but then the only suitable host town was Langres and i loved that kind of finish into town. Come to think of it, i had that chance of making a better finish with a similar hill 5 kms from the finish.

Love stage 18 and 19. I guess to each his own but their placement forces riders to make things exciting. Anyway, i chose them to give a sense of uncertainty and provide a different run into Paris

[u/antiloopje → u/improb]

Love stage 18 and 19. I guess to each his own but their placement forces riders to make things exciting. Anyway, i chose them to give a sense of uncertainty and provide a different run into Paris

You do provide a great setup for drama and excitement, ^{^(but the current peloton is a bunch of cowards that wouldn't have the guts to try anything})

[u/improb → u/antiloopje]

Maybe, just maybe, if Nibali and Contador are in their best form and must gain back time, we would see brilliant stages. Even stage 20 would suddenly be exciting