2014 Tour de France

Captain Havoc

The route is to be announced tomorrow (I think) but velopeloton has published a leak of the route. The cobbles will make it interesting and it could be potentially lost if there's a crash or a mechanical. The TT on the last day before Paris could also bring it down to the wire. More here

Captain Havoc

I tell porkies, the announcement is today and live on letour.fr from 10h30.

ZiabR

Looks great, cant wait for this!

ROK ON

The missus has friends who live near Carcassone - must plant a suggestion re holidays next year.

AnotherView

Froome is not liking the cobbles......can be dangerous especially if you are not used to them

TT on 2nd last day looks like it will decide all......

Not sure if the Irish lads riding Tour if they are going for the Giro but Hautacam could be good for D Martin

mossym

nice overview on velonation

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/15684/More-mountains-and-fewer-time-trials-for-the-Tour-de-France-in-2014.aspx

velopeloton

The 3 stages in the Pyrénées all look good for Dan. Voeckler will be going for a hattrick in Luchon.
Stage 17 has no flat between the climbs so hopefully there will be some attacks from far out.
Cobbles should not trouble the irish boys too much.

mossym

stage 18

velopeloton

mossym wrote: »

stage 18

No. That's Stelvio Pass in Italy.

mossym

velopeloton wrote: »

No. That's Stelvio Pass in Italy.

apologies, linked to wrong picture, now corrected..:)

velopeloton

Hautacam 3km from the summit, looking down on Argeles.

ROK ON

Of all the climbs that I have done in France the Huaracam is by far the toughest.
Tourmalet is long but the gradient is relative stable, same with Apin, Peyresourde, Paliheres. Portet Aspet is very steep but short.

Hautacam - the gradient changes continually and I couldn't get any sort of tempo going. Also the bells on the cows and goats - drove me absolutely bananas - it was as if they were taunting me.

It is a prettier climb than the Tourmalet IMHO and the descent is lovely.
Irish corner for 2014.

on_the_nickel

ROK ON wrote: »

Of all the climbs that I have done in France the Huaracam is by far the toughest.
Tourmalet is long but the gradient is relative stable, same with Apin, Peyresourde, Paliheres. Portet Aspet is very steep but short.

Hautacam - the gradient changes continually and I couldn't get any sort of tempo going. Also the bells on the cows and goats - drove me absolutely bananas - it was as if they were taunting me.

It is a prettier climb than the Tourmalet IMHO and the descent is lovely.
Irish corner for 2014.

Totally agree. We stayed in Argeles in September and did Luz Ardiden, Aubisque, Tourmalet (both sides) and the Hautacam was the toughest climb of the lot.

Luz Ardiden is a really lovely climb, I really got into it and found a rhythm, steady (high) HR all the way, and then pushed in last 2 km, was really happy with my climb.

The Hautacam is roughly the same distance and average gradient (7% over 15km) so I kind of assumed it would be similar, but it is not. Very rampy as you say, I found it really hard to settle into and when you see a km sign saying 10%, with the first 300m almost flat, you're just waiting for the inevitable out of the saddle torture - with the fecking bells in the background.

velopeloton

What's wrong with the bells? I love the bells.

on_the_nickel

velopeloton wrote: »

What's wrong with the bells? I love the bells.

I didn't mind them at the top, I must admit. Half way up, they were laughing at my slowness.

laraghrider

How long before Sky and Chris Froome put forward a motion that each rider should be able to miss one stage over the course of the tour without it affecting their timings?

at1withmyself

Tourmalet & Hautacam for the L'etape next year

Lusk_Doyle

laraghrider wrote: »

How long before Sky and Chris Froome put forward a motion that each rider should be able to miss one stage over the course of the tour without it affecting their timings?

About forever.

2smiggy

Wiggins looks set to miss the Tour !! Sky seem like they do not want to pick him.

I know they want Froome to win it again, but they/he must be fairly worried about Wiggins to not follow team policy to not want to pick him.

link

check_six

2smiggy wrote: »

Wiggins looks set to miss the Tour !! Sky seem like they do not want to pick him.

I know they want Froome to win it again, but they/he must be fairly worried about Wiggins to not follow team policy to not want to pick him.

link

Bit of dramatic infighting in the Sky team with a prospect of interesting racing? No?

Ok, wake me up at the end of July, cause I ain't gonna miss anything good!

laraghrider

I'm gutted that Wiggo will not be at the tour. I was looking forward to a good Ullrich -v- Riis in fight.

dragratchet

froome holds all the cards with sky this year and has made it clear he wants porte not wiggo... considering the material in his book detailing his conflict with wiggo, he might have had an inkling then that he wouldnt have to line out with him for the tour

ednwireland

laraghrider wrote: »

I'm gutted that Wiggo will not be at the tour. I was looking forward to a good Ullrich -v- Riis in fight.

6 mountain stages and 5 uphill finishes anyone think wiggo had a chance of being up there ?

godtabh

The options for next year are interesting for Wiggins. Orica appear to be it at the moment.

Sky dont want him it would seem

As regards his TdF selection he seems to have a good attitude with regard to his role if he was selected. MOre than could be said for Froome in Wiggins year. If you take what Wiggins says at face value surely he would be on the team as a super domestic. Porte had a few wobbles last year. Wiggins could balance that out

barrabus

Froome doesnt do it for me .

an incident on the cobbles delaying him significantly would bring a smile to my face

spyderski

What are the chances of Wiggo getting an early release from his contract and riding the Tour with OGE this year?? Now that I would like to see.....

paddy no 11

What are Dans chances of making the starting line?

godtabh

spyderski wrote: »

What are the chances of Wiggo getting an early release from his contract and riding the Tour with OGE this year?? Now that I would like to see.....

The two teams seem to get on great but I cant see that happening

retalivity

with the tour starting in Yorkshire it is very surprising that wiggins will not be selected, if even for pure promotional reasons. This looks like a 70% froome/30% Brailsford decision

laraghrider

ednwireland wrote: »

6 mountain stages and 5 uphill finishes anyone think wiggo had a chance of being up there ?

Absolutely not but it could have made for epic tv

check_six

retalivity wrote: »

with the tour starting in Yorkshire it is very surprising that wiggins will not be selected, if even for pure promotional reasons. This looks like a 70% froome/30% Brailsford decision

Isn't the Yorkshire start a kind of tribute to Wiggins win? Maybe I'm mis-remembering. Seems very strange that he's not in the start list in that case.