2009 Tour de France route - Page 4

The more I look at this route the less I like it. It starts to remind me crappy routes of recent Vueltas. For instance, the trademark of the most recent Vuelta was that they had Angliru but apart from that mountaintop finishes of 1st or 2nd cat difficulty without any other hard climbs.
Mont Ventoux is the only highest category climb in stages which are designed for GC battles! Finish at Les Arcs were a must at this tour after two Bernards!
The route of Tour de France 2009- the worst GT route ever?

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Why am I still a fan of dopers sport?

I still think it has been designed to give more of a chance (and more confidence) to the breakaway (French) riders. And because the main mountains are so far from the finishes any breakaway (French) rider that gains time in a break is more likely to be able to hold onto that time through the mountains that follow. I think this is a good thing and I'm looking forward to it. I think throwing in an excess of hard mountain stages (and summit finishes) would only have played into the hands of Astana and I think ASO knew that when they devised this route.

There's a damn good reason that Contador won the Vuelta on time bonuses... the route just wasn't selective enough for him to get serious time on his opponents. People only really dropped down the standings when they cocked up like Valverde. So unless we get some radically aggressive tactics in this years Tour it's going to suck balls. Really they should let me design the route, oh yes, then we'd have some really interesting stages.

Edit: Les Arcs or La Plagne after the two Bernards would have been totally awesome.

I agree that a finish at Les Arcs would have been way cool. I think, however, that stage 17 will produce some serious time-gaps. It's not a mountain-top finish, but the two finishing climbs are steep and close to the end.

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Danger is my life.
-- Flyer's.Finale!

The route was chosen to open the race, more contenders can win and doping will be a less factor.
Harder the route is or with many final climbs, the most doped riders are promoted!

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6 +2 (according Ashenden) samples with EPO should have banned Lance Armstrong to start next TDF !

Dopers dope to win. They don't dope because the race is hard. Crappy route only takes away the excitement from the race.
One day racer who would, for instance, won a stage to Trabes will not become a contender because of that...

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Why am I still a fan of dopers sport?

The comparison of GC mountain stages (with at least one H.C. per stage or the set of at least two 1st cat climbs near finish) over the last years:

2009: Mont Ventoux (H.C.)
Four cat 1 or cat 2 climbs + Colombiere (1st)

2008: Tourmalet (H.C.)+Hautacam (H.C.)
Agnel (H.C.)+Nevoso(1st)
Lombarde(H.C.)+ Bonette(H.C.)
Galibier (H.C.)+Croix de Fer(H.C.)+Alpe d'Huez(H.C.)

2007: Roseland (1st)+Hauteville(1st)+Tignes(1st)
Iseran (H.C.)+Galibier(H.C.)+arrival at sharp hill
Pailheres(H.C.)+Plateu de Beille(H.C.)
Three 1st or 2nd cat climbs+Bales(H.C.)+Peyresourde(1st)
Larrau(H.C.)+Pierre-Saint-Martin(1st)+Marie-Blanque(1st)+Abisque(H.C.)

2006: Tourmalet(H.C.)+Aspin(1st)+Peyresourde(1st)+Potillon(1st)+Beret(1st)
Izoard(H.C.)+Alpe d'Huez(H.C.)
Galibier(H.C.)+Croix de Fer(H.C.)+La Toussuire(1st)
Three 1st or 2nd cat climbs+Joux Plane(H.C.)

2005: Roseland(1st)+Courchavel(1st)
Pailheres(H.C.)+Bonascre(1st)
Five 1st or 2nd cat climbs+Pla d'Adet (H.C.)
This tour also finished at sharp climb of Mende and had a boring stage with Madeleine (H.C.) and Galibier (H.C.).

2004: Aspin(1st)+La Mongie(1st)
Four 1st or 2nd cat climbs+Plateu de Beille(H.C.)
Alpe d'Huez (H.C.)
Glandon(1st)+Madeleine(H.C.)+two 1st or 2nd cat climbs+Croix-Fry(1st)

2003: Galibier(H.C.)+Alpe d'Huez(H.C.)
Pailheres(H.C.)+Bonascre(1st)
Four 1st or 2nd cat climbs + Peyresourde(1st)
Aspin(1st)+Tourmalet(H.C.)+Ardiden(H.C.)

2002: Aubisque (H.C.)+La Mongie(1st)
Four 1st or 2nd cat climbs+Plateu de Beille(H.C.)
Mont Ventoux (H.C.)
Galibier (H.C.)+Madeleine(H.C.)+La Plagne(H.C.)

I might continue like that forever but I couldn't find such a dull GC stages for the last 25 TDFs.

P.S. I've finished my post with the route of 2002 when Mont Ventoux was used for the last time. It think the comparison of those two routes shows why the route of 2009 is crap...

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Why am I still a fan of dopers sport?

Have to agree with this. A harder route doesn't mean more dopers, it just means the time differences between the dopers and the non-dopers are larger (makes targeted testing easier ). Take Basso's Giro win for example, lots of dope, big time gaps. Had it been an easier race he still would have won, just by less.

Hard routes lead to epic racing and more people cracking which as a rather sadistic fan I enjoy. Not that I wouldn't go out there and ride the route myself but I just don't have the money.

Cut the crap with that "crappy route" ****.
This kind of route should provoke tactical race and some surprises. There's not much opportunities to make the difference so every opportunity must be taken. Also, GC contenders will have to be very cautious and on top of their form through entire race.
And again, route itself doesn't make race exciting... There wasn't much excitement in Basso's Giro victory in 2006 and the route was exceptional.

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I'll disagree with that because of the example of Sastre. In final week of Vuelta 2007 he was better than Menchov but the climbs were quite easy. Therefore, I think Menchov wasn't seriously tested in Vuelta 2007. In Tour 2008 it was different and perhaps Evans were the champion if some of hard climbs were absent... I believe that the route should have certain level of difficulty to ensure exciting racing...

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Why am I still a fan of dopers sport?

i just hope that some of the "plain" stages have difficult finishes wich will stop bunch sprints and perhaps open a few time gaps, we no barcelona has a finish like this, any more? im not impressed with the route so far, but if they can make more exciting finishes

If Andy Schleck continues to progress then this may be a good course for him? Low time trial miles anyway, and his CSC team should do well in the team time trial. Team to watch in that could be Garmin who may want to repeat their Giro TTT win - with Wiggins, Millar, vandevelde, Zabriskie they should do a good time and any of these could take yellow afterwards. I bet they are aleady scoping the route out and doing some calculations

All stages along Mediterranee would be windy, so the race would be hard, everyone would want to have their leader in front to avoid to lost time in breakaway.
Until the end of Pyrenees, it will be difficult for everyone.
Issoudun, Saint Fargeau, Vittel and Besançon would be the other stages for sprinters.

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6 +2 (according Ashenden) samples with EPO should have banned Lance Armstrong to start next TDF !

You might be disappointed because according to Velonews (see link below) Barcelona finish will the only finish of such type. It says final climb will be 1,7km long. Maybe someone has information of the percentage of this climb?
http://www.velonews.com/article/8450...-team-strength

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Why am I still a fan of dopers sport?

I agree with this completely.