TdF '03 course announced
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cant believe its yet another poor route. good to see the alpe dhuez and luz ardiden stages and the new pyrenean finish.<br />its supposed to be the biggest race in the world why not try to make it a bit more challenging?
Make it more challenging?<br /><br />Only the top couple of hundred full time professional cyclists in the world even attempt this race and still tons of them drop out. This race is part of the reason for the drug culture that pervades the sport, the human body was never made for this sort of punishment and people have to resort to drugs to do this. If you think about the hardest races in the world of sport the TDF is right up there, I would thing that only the long solo yacht races and the more extreme eco challenges are tougher, and these are more specifically extreme endurance events than direct racing events (most of the competitors in these don't see their fellow competitors at any place other than the start and the finish)<br /><br />I wouldn't say it needs to be more challenging, rather I think it needs to be more competitive. Something other than hills needs to be developed to break up the bunches, either that or the size of the teams allowed should be made smaller, force it into a more individual race.<br /><br />Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, I just sit here from the position of a cyclist who is dreading their first double century, and these guys do fast double and triple centuries day after day for 3 weeks.
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[quote author=Rhodent link=board=17;threadid=2542;start=0#21931 date=1035874423]<br />I wouldn't say it needs to be more challenging, rather I think it needs to be more competitive. Something other than hills needs to be developed to break up the bunches, either that or the size of the teams allowed should be made smaller, force it into a more individual race.<br />[/quote]<br /><br />Smaller teams do leave more upto the individual. You can see the result in the Sun Tour here in Australia were teams only have 5 riders, one team cant control the race.<br /><br />Everyone also needs to remember the tdf isnt all cycling has, there are plenty of other races which are quite often better to watch.
the reason for the drug culture is money and performance.<br />if the tdf was only one day long and was only 50k there would still be a drugs problem. why do 100m sprinters need to take drugs eh?<br />im not saying the race needs to be longer (just look at how much better the vuelta is since they reduced the distances) but more challenging at the right times. ie more mountains or stages with more selective finishes where the big guns are going to be at the front ie like the ans stage in the giro last year.<br />i think the organisers do a bad job with the route there are a fair amout of mountains in this years race just at the wrong times.......ie the stage to bayonne what on earth is the point of that? just going to wear down the riders for no reason i think.<br />steve your right there is more to cycling than the tour i personally prefer the giro and the spring classics. but the tour is the biggest of the lot and should therefore create the biggest spectacle<br />i like the idea of smaller teams and it would be great to get rid of those radios.
also rohdent u mention about the numbers that drop out perhaps if there was a better selection policy this might be reduced :
Wow, some solid responses. I have to admit my idea that drugs are required because of how tought it is could be a little naive. I also get a little tired of the flat stages where everyone just sits there saying: But wait for the mountains, thats where the real racing starts. Problem is then it does seem like it becomes a simple case of who is the best climber and bugger the rest. Perhaps some more time trials and team time trials over longer distances might be good, gives people more chance of catching or losing time. There is no question in my mind that they need to do something to improve the competitiveness of the tour, and this would probably have a lot to do with taking out bunch tactics in some stages. Hmmmm, tough job being the organisers of these things imo, be nice to the poor old men clagadymuf <br /><br />
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They could always hand out EPO at the feed stations ;D that would even things up jk<br /><br />I doubt there is an easy solution.......because if there was it would be in place right now
agreed its not an easy job but id be willing to help out ;D<br />france possibly dosent have the best geography for the race but i think they could be a bit more imaginative with the routes <br />ie a stage into boulogne always finishes on the flat near the harbour, anyone who has been to boulogne knows that there is a steep hill just off the finish why not finish up there or put the hill in and then a small circuit. would be much more exciting.<br />at the end of the day as things stand lance is going to dominate whatever the route as hes the best climber and time trialist.<br />maybe they could put weights on him to slow him down ;D
Want a better race? I could do without Jeandelatour and with Cipo. By the way everyone could use drugs. Obviously the climbers can (Francisco Perez, Rumsas, simoni, pantani), but in other sports Track sprinters (ben johnson) have. I think it is quite possible that there are drugs that could make you sprint faster.
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