2009 Tour de France Stage 1. 15km TT Saturday 4th July Monaco > Monaco

15km TT

Let the bitching begin.

http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/COURSE...part_2009.html

__________________
Find your ideal riding partner. Anywhere in the world!!!

lol

The weather forecast is fine, with clouds and possible showers. Chance of rain 0-70%. Winds EWNS @ 5-10 mph.

__________________

Schumacher for the win (if he hasn't been busted by then)

Some tight hairpins and lots of corners. Will probably suit a smaller TT specialist.
I may wait a day or two before I make a decision.

__________________
Find your ideal riding partner. Anywhere in the world!!!

There goes Millar's chances. Scratch Tommy D. also--if he manages to make the Tour de France team.

Too bad the Chicken won't be racing. That could have been gold. Gold, Jerry, gold.

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Is it the Monaco Grand Prix circuit?

__________________

No. My first thought was that it would be pretty cool to use the circuit, but it is way too short.

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Parts of it. from letour.fr linked in the OP:

The riders will set off at one minute intervals over the first hectometres of the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. After 150 metres on the flat, they will attack a long climb up to km 7,200. With an initial uphill slope of 500 metres at approximately 6% then 200 metres of flat at the passage in front of the casino. The Formula 1 circuit will then be abandoned for a steeper section which will culminate, at km 1,250, in a passage at 10%, followed by a succession of slight inclines on boulevard Princesse Charlotte and boulevard Jardin Exotique before leaving Monaco at km 3,200 to join the second highest cliff road (the Moyenne Corniche). At Km 7,200, on the Moyenne Corniche, the race route reaches its highest point (207 metres) before a long downhill slope with a U-turn in Roquebrune which will take the riders back to Monaco on flat ground until the Saint-Roman crossroads. We are at km 11,500. Another downhill section to a hairpin bend facing the sea and the riders will be on a final stretch of 2,5 kilometres of flat ground bordering the Mediterranean and the Grimaldi Forum where the organisation HQ and the press centre will be set up.

At the Portier crossroads, at km 13,800, the riders will return to the course of the Grand Prix circuit. At km 14, there will be a tunnel for 110 metres then the quai des États-Unis to return to the harbour and the finishing line situated route de la piscine, close to the Rainier III Water Sports Stadium.”

Okay my predictions for a top four are:

1. Cancellara
2. Landis
3. Vinokourov
4. Schumacher

__________________

Yeah, i think the circuit only goes from roughly the Palais at the bottom of the map to just past the Casino - the really slow hairpin bend in the race is the one roughly level with the Monte-Carlo on the map just above the red triangle.

I had wondered if they might have tried some sort of crit around the F1 or other course though.

Isn't Rasmussen racing with a Monaco license? Does he have a condo in the city? He could watch the race from his window.

ETA: I just realized that a start in Monaco would probably mean another not quite traditional course for the Tour de France. The first sprint stages would be in the southern heat. Then, since it most likely will go clockwise, you'd hit the Pyrenees pretty early on. The Alps on the other hand will be late with a lot of transitional stages in the second week in the north? In any way, it would be weird.

ETA II: I read that Prudhomme has applications for the 'Grand Depart' from places in Canada, Japan, Estonia, Qatar, and Hungary. What was the farthest start so far? Ireland? Berlin? I don't remember. Is any of that realistic?

Michael Schumacher, Ralf has too much bulk to push up that climb.

__________________

[QUOTE=Cobblestones]

ETA: I just realized that a start in Monaco would probably mean another not quite traditional course for the Tour de France. The first sprint stages would be in the southern heat. Then, since it most likely will go clockwise, you'd hit the Pyrenees pretty early on. The Alps on the other hand will be late with a lot of transitional stages in the second week in the north? In any way, it would be weird.

[QUOTE]

The other option is that they go up north-westwards and then come back to the Alps followed by the Pyrenees.

Don't they alternate the order of the Alps and the Pyrenees from year to year? So next year... they'll attack the Alps first, then the Pyrenees?

__________________