2013 Tour de France - The 100th edition.

Captain Havoc

With the current events in cycling, it's easy to forget that tomorrow is the announcement of next year's route. We already know what the first three stages are, with the Grand Départ taking place in Corsica on the 29th of June. The fourth stage brings the race back to the mainland with a team time trial in Nice. The race finishes in Paris on the 21st of July. There has been speculation already with the suggestion of the Alpe d'Huez being climbed twice on the same day. The climb on the Alpe d'Huez has also been suggested as the end point for the tour (I would very much doubt it though). Velopeloton has a suggested outline of the route on his website.

The announcement takes place tomorrow morning at 10h30 from the Palais des Congrès in Paris and will be broadcast on Eurosport and streamed online.

buffalo

I saw some speculation that the final stage will finish in the evening.

Captain Havoc

buffalo wrote: »

I saw some speculation that the final stage will finish in the evening.

Yeah, finish around 22h30 and have a fireworks display afterwards.

Buzwaldo

buffalo wrote: »

I saw some speculation that the final stage will finish in the evening.

Will they really be that slow with no PEDs?!!

buffalo

Chips Lovell

One for the climbers next year by the looks of it. Can't see Wiggins successfully defending his title.

Ranelite

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/double-mountain-climb-corsica-start-for-2013-tour-as-race-tries-to-move-beyond-armstrong/2012/10/24/6b28a3a8-1dbf-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html

PARIS (AP) - Cyclists in the 100th edition of the Tour de France will face an unprecedented double ascent of the iconic l'Alpe d'Huez as the race tries to move past the downfall of seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.

Fighter jets streaming red, white and blue smoke will fly above the riders as they start the 2013 Tour in Corsica on June 29, being visited by the race for the first time in its history. The 3,360-kilometer (2,088-mile) race ends three weeks later at night against the backdrop of a floodlit Arc de Triomphe in the City of Lights.

The presentation of next year's route for the storied race was clouded by concerns about doping after Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles following a U.S. doping probe. Cycling teams called Wednesday for an independent audit into the sport's fight against doping.

Lumen

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

One for the climbers next year by the looks of it. Can't see Wiggins successfully defending his title.

Wiggo is going for the Giro instead, leaving Froome to fail at winning the TdF.

Undercover Elephant

Ranelite wrote: »

Organizers made a decision to shorten the combined length of the race's two individual time trials in part as a response to the domination in this year's tour by champion Bradley Wiggins.

... because Wiggins winning was the worst thing to happen to the Tour in a generation??

lazycyclist

Any idea when they announce which stages will be used for the etape?

Seve OB

delighted they are going all the way around the Arc this time, that will look amazing

Captain Havoc

lazycyclist wrote: »

Any idea when they announce which stages will be used for the etape?

They already did, it's the stage that finished at Annecy-Semnoz.

2 Wheels Good

Route here, doesn't look too challenging
http://www.letapedutour.com/ET1/us/the-route.html

kilns

Alot of disappointed people if this is the Etape

Chips Lovell

Lumen wrote: »

Wiggo is going for the Giro instead, leaving Froome to fail at winning the TdF.

I know there was some speculation, but is that confirmed?

Lumen

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

I know there was some speculation, but is that confirmed?

http://www1.skysports.com/cycling/news/15264/8191067/Tour-de-France-champion-Bradley-Wiggins-to-focus-on-the-2013-Giro-d-Italia

Chips Lovell

Thanks. Missed that. Good call by Sky probably. I think this year's Tour is better suited to Froome than Wiggo.

lazycyclist

Yeah, that's disappointing about the etape. Wonder why they didn't go with the Gap - Alpe d'heuz stage?

Chips Lovell

Presume it may be because Col de Sarenne, down the other side of Alpe d'Huez is so narrow that it would be unsuitable for sending thousands of riders down.

seve65

lazycyclist wrote: »

Yeah, that's disappointing about the etape. Wonder why they didn't go with the Gap - Alpe d'heuz stage?

11k @8.3% on an uphill finish is not exactly a push over.


If you want more climbing then do this (so called toughest 1 day race in Europe)
http://blog.ardechoise.com/en/parcours/ardechoise-velo-marathon/

lazycyclist

seve65 wrote: »

11k @8.3% on an uphill finish is not exactly a push over.

Not underestimating it, but thought since the etape is generally an iconic stage, you could hardly have anything more iconic than twice up the alpe.

kilns

The Annecy stage is classed as a medium mountain stage, logistically it makes alot of sense but alot of potential entrants will not be pushed to do it as it just doesnt hold that appeal of being an iconic stage, especially when you have the Marmotte in the same region around the same time

Lusk Doyle

lazycyclist wrote: »

Not underestimating it, but thought since the etape is generally an iconic stage, you could hardly have anything more iconic than twice up the alpe.

Thrice!

Zzippy

Undercover Elephant wrote: »

... because Wiggins winning was the worst thing to happen to the Tour in a generation??

No, but the Sky Train and relative lack of mountains made for a boring Tour. In contrast to the Vuelta this year - lots of mountains, not so much TT, lots of attacks, great racing to watch. Cycling is also a spectator sport

Now if only they would ban power meters and team radios...

Jawgap

A film is planned to celebrate the 100th edition

Legends of the Tour

torturedsoul

i suppose they are madly editing out lance from that movie.

torturedsoul

hmmm I know wifey would prefer Paris on a july evening with fireworks but I am thinking if I can bait off on a "fishing trip" for that stage up Alpe d'heuz. cycling shorts, my new Cervelo and a fishing rod:-)

El Vino

kilns wrote: »

Alot of disappointed people if this is the Etape

One here, would find it hard to motivate myself to spend 6 months training +££££ for that

velo.2010

Col de Sarenne. Looks spectacular from the Google SV car!

http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=Col+de+Sarenne,+Clavans-en-Haut-Oisans,+France&hl=en&ll=45.079673,6.132174&spn=0.020334,0.061798&sll=45.127138,6.07913&sspn=0.040391,0.123596&oq=col+de+sar&t=h&hnear=Col+de+Sarenne&z=15&layer=c&cbll=45.079682,6.13229&panoid=vuAbG00xpRQd7bd9v57_Fg&cbp=12,31.92,,0,-3.58

Should be a mighty Tour.....

2 Wheels Good

lazycyclist wrote: »

Not underestimating it, but thought since the etape is generally an iconic stage, you could hardly have anything more iconic than twice up the alpe.

It's still nothing compared to the last couple of years, although maybe that's why they didn't choose the 2 biggies because of doing them so recently Ventoux ('09) and the Alpe ('11).

drogdub

Jawgap wrote: »

A film is planned to celebrate the 100th edition

Legends of the Tour

No Lemond or Fignon in trailer?

Seve OB

Just reading this form Wikipedia, I was wondering if perhaps Lance might want to tag along to next years E'Tape

2007
Greg LeMond rode this Etape along with his son, after being inspired by his son riding it previously. LeMond said "I had the time of my life", despite getting "650th place" and being "impressed that I even finished". "I decided that day that nobody's going to keep me from cycling, not Trek, not Armstrong, not Verbuggen, not anybody."

not McQuaid, not Kimmage, not the US anti doping shower, not UCI... not anybody

buffalo

Meanwhile, further down the line... http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling-britain-set-to-host-five-tour-stages-after-audacious-bid-3272012.html

Britain is set to host up to five stages of the Tour de France in either 2014 or 2015 after race organisers gave the green light to an audacious Scottish-led bid under which the race would begin in Edinburgh and take in parts of England and Wales as well.

Darkglasses

Right, I think I have a couch in Arles secured to sleep on for Stage 6...

CramCycle

buffalo wrote: »

Meanwhile, further down the line... http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling-britain-set-to-host-five-tour-stages-after-audacious-bid-3272012.html

Awesome, some great small climbs in Scotland and Wales.

MPFG

Thinking of going to Corsica for the first three stages .....maybe drive there

Morrisseeee

buffalo wrote: »

Meanwhile, further down the line... http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling-britain-set-to-host-five-tour-stages-after-audacious-bid-3272012.html

Yes that rumor is confirmed now, Britain will host 19 stages of the TDF in 2015 and the last stage will be in Paris.

The Tour of Britain will then start in Paris and after 5 stages will move back to Britain for the final few meaningless stages !

Seriously tho, 5 stages, that's alot

drogdub

Looks great. I always judge a TDF route by whether I will take a half day to watch any of the weekday stages. Last year there were none, next year Ventoux and Alpe D'Huez stages defo taking off. Can't wait

Lusk Doyle

BOYCOTT THE TOUR AND EVERY PRO EVENT!!!

Do like lemond says and make em feel it where it hurts. In the pocket. They don't respect you or I so don't idolize them.

buffalo

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/all-surviving-tour-de-france-finishers-to-be-invited-to-final-stage-in-2013

As part of celebrations to mark the 100th edition of the Tour de France, race organisers ASO are set to invite every rider who has ever finished the Tour to the final stage on the Champs-Élysées in 2013.

2,060 of the 8,339 riders to have finished the Tour are still living, and L’Équipe reports that it is hoped that at least a quarter of them will be able to make the journey to Paris next July, where they will be feted in a ceremony as the “Giants of the Tour.”

For some reason I automatically though, "argh, it's a trap!" Although I don't know why anyone would want all TdF finishers in one place... test them for doping?

irishbuzz