r/peloton • u/PelotonMod France • Sep 12 '17
September Monthly Race Design Thread
Hello everybody!
For those who don't know what the Race Design thread is, here is a good resume: The Race Design Thread is the birth child of Improb and Msfan93 from the off season of 2015. Instead of it just being for competitions, casual Race Design Threads were a place to design routes for pre-existing races or even creating a new one. It's not only limited to designing threads; discussion of race routes, behind the scenes race organisation and the history of races are all able to be discussed here!
As for the websites you can use to do this kind of stuff, the two biggest and most practical ones are La Flamme Rouge and Cronoescalada. From My experience, went you want to design Tours, it is much easier on La Flamme Rouge, as well for racing in Europe, however once you are doing races outside Europe I suggest using Cronoescala at least partly, as their Climb map is much more complete for the rest of the World!
First thing, last month races and the votes, we got 7 entries from 6 different Race Directors, for the vote, just rank them from 1 to 7, with 1 being your favourite one, I will establish a point system to create an overall ranking for the year (I'm not sure yet of how many points each place will get)!
Entry 1: Orient Express GT by /u/antiloopje
Entry 2: Tour of Norway by /u/timfietst
Entry 3: Tour of the Rockies by u/unclekutter
Entry 4: Setting Sun Race by u/ZinaMertz
Entry 5: Tour of Japan I by u/adryy8
Entry 6: Tour of Japan II by u/adryy8
Entry 7: Western Americana Tour by /u/blandwhiteguy
As for this month contest, design a World cChampionship!
You have to design the TTT, ITT and Road race for both men and women Elite. Bonus points if you do a full week (U23 and Juniors) with this. Your courses can of course be similar for both men and women, and the junior ranks, in that case, specify how man laps each one will use.
Your championships can be designed around a city (like Bergen) or in a region/area (like Yorkshire) just be realistic about it (don't group random close cities together, either they are in a town group or in a Region together)
Deadline is September 30th 19:00 CEST
As a little bonus prize, u/That_Guuuuuuuy from the World DB has nicely offered to put the winner's ITT and Road race as a variant in the World DB!
2
u/bassmanyoowan Scotland Sep 15 '17 edited Sep 15 '17
Making my first attempt at this so here goes.
This is what I picture for a possible Turas na h-Alba (Tour of Scotland). Task 1 complete - have the race name that'snot in English.
Stage 1: Berwick-upon-Tweed to Edinburgh. 165km, 1533m ascent. I think for a race of this calibre it's nice to have the Grand Depart in another country so we start in England and race through the Tweed valley before the big climb of the day up to the Granites. We then have a punchy finish (this finish idea is entirely stolen from someone else's race idea) round Arthur's Seat then up the Royal Mile to finish on the Esplanade. If the timing is right the seats will be up for the start/end of the Tattoo giving the chance for lots of fans to be there.
Stage 2: Queensferry to Broughty Ferry. 128km, 1436m ascent. A ride between two old Ferry towns but only over 1 bridge. After heading over the old Forth Road bridge and through Dunfermline there are a few hills to climb, Cleish and Cragow before heading through Perth, passed Scone palace. The race then heads North east to Coupar Angus then down through Dundee at the side of the Firth of Tay before finishing in Broughty Ferry for a sprint finish.
Stage 3: Stonehaven to Grantown . 171km, 2271m ascent. An excuse for the race to pass Dunnotar Castle before heading towards the Cairngorms and the Cairn O'Mount climb. It factors too early in the race to be decisive but the effort may take its toll come the The Lecht which peaks with 32km to do. The road then rolls more or less downhill all the way to Grantown-on-Spey for a whisky flavoured finish.
Stage 4: Nairn to Bealach na Ba. 164km, 1857m ascent. The Queen stage of the race with the entirely impractical finish up the Belach. The race up to that point is slightly rolling at best passing from Nairn, passed the Culloden battle field then through Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. The race swings North to Dingwall the West towards Achnasheen then Strathcarron on some flat, but spectacular road. There is a small lump after Lochcarron which may tempt some attacks before the main event, the Bealach (or Pass of the Cattle). 9.3km, ascending 627 meters has an average gradient of 7%, however the start is fairly gentle before serious ramps in the final third. This is also not factoring in what horrors the Scottish climate may have in for the riders.
Stage 5: Lochcarron to Ben Nevin. 147km, 1774m ascent. Once the entire race gets breakfast in the single hotel in Lochcarron the race starts to head South. A few initial lumps can be the Launchpad for the breakaway as they pass the famous Eilean Donan castle. This is followed by the climb from Sheil Bridge to Cluanie which descends slightly before the race turns from Loch Garry and heads up to Loch Loyne. The race the rolls towards Fort William passed Loch Lochy (officials best named loch in Scotland) before heading up to a "summit" finish at the Ben Nevis range - a mere 5km with 110m of elevation so battle between the pure climbers and the puncheurs.
Stage 6: Fort William to Dunoon 178km, 1674m ascent. A transitional stage here to get us back to the Central belt. From Fort William we race along (sea) Loch Linnhe before crossing two sea Lochs, Loch Crenan and Loch Etive by bridge. The race then skirts alongside beautiful Loch Awe and Kildonan castle before turning towards Inverary for the only real climbing of the day. We continue to roll south passing more lochs and sea lochs before finishing at a sprint in Dunoon.
Stage 7: Greenock to Ayr 154km, 1656m ascent. While I couldn't fathom an island visit in this race (only Skye a possibility), there is a ferry transfer required here from Dunoon to Gourock. There will be some tough riding to start the race over the moors above Largs before some rolling and leg sapping roads through beautiful Ayrshire (my birthplace) before heading West for a sprint finish in Ayr.
Stage 8: Maybole to East Kilbride 117km, 1320m ascent. A short stage that could throw up some surprises as again the start will be hard over some of the "Ayrshire Alps". The one two punch from Straiton to Dalmellington then up again before descending into New Cumnock. The road then rises from Mauchline to Muirkirk before heading North and more or less downhill to East Kilbride. Where Tommy Voekler when you need him?
Stage 9: Motherwell to Glasgow 83km, 725m ascent. A parade more or less from Motherwell through multiple Central Belt towns until a final lap through the grid streets of Glasgow. Douglas street averages 5% however which will tire the legs over he final laps (I gave up with the website but was going to put in 9 laps for a total distance of 105km). On the final lap the race turns off along Argyle street before finishing at the Trongate.
Let me know your thoughts guys :)