2011 TDF

[toolonglegs]

Go on I know you want to talk about it...an Alpe D'huez stage finish next year.I am thinking the Etape de Tour will go over the Galibier and finish on the Alpe D'huez climb...so I am already doing aiming for the Paris Roubaix cyclo-sportive...who's going to join me on the Etape de Tour?...plus maybe a week riding around the Alpes .
Book your tickets now!.

[Strawburger]

love to but i (we) can't afford le tour 3 years in a row! We have already lined up for 2012 & 100th le tour in 2013. Will you be hanging around for another couple of years???

It would be awesome to ride up Alpe D'Huez in front of 500,000 screaming fans! You know we are all jealous.

[toolonglegs]

I don't think there will be half a million on the Etape...be fun thou.It is usually on the first rest day so everyone following the tour will probably depending on the route will be in the Pyrenees.
I will be here next July...but after that I am not sure.I won't know if we are staying here a bit longer till early next year...and I won't know if I can actually get back on a bike for a month or more as well .

[toolonglegs]

PS...two individual TT's would be nice for next year ...that would turn things around!.

[daveywastaken]

the battle between Contador and Schleck will heat up. with another year under his belt Andy will b stronger and i bet he's on a TT bike as im typing.

i hope Cadel can hold it together and have a good year leading up to the TdF and make it a three way battle for the yellow, would b crazy to see 3 of em trying to drop each other! wonder if Cadel will do the Giro...

who else will b aiming for a podium spot next year?

is there a TTT planned?

[allanp]

2011 Route has been announced
http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/co ... en_hd.html
lot's of climbing should be a huge tour!

[toolonglegs]

A stage finish on top of the Galibier wow!.

[MichaelB]

Will be interestingto see what teams get invited with tghe remaining PT spots not yet assigned, and the very real possibility that Contadope will not be there.

The Petacchi doping allegations have also still yet to be decided - that's dragging out a bit

The changes to the Green & Polka dot jersey classifications will be interesting to see how that affects tactics

[lukas]

Looks like a great tour. The stage that finishes atop the Galibier looks monstrous. That'd be a great l'etape stage, but it starts in Italy.. not sure if they'd be keen on that?

Can't see the Alpe D'Huez stage the Etape stage as it's only 109km. When does it get announced?

I did the Pau-Tourmalet etape this year and while it was an awesome experience, there's no way I'd be going all that way, paying all that money, and sharing the road with 9,999 other cyclists, just to ride 109km, even if the Galibier and l'alpe were on the route. I'm hoping I'll be over there again for a couple of weeks next year, purely for riding this time.. not sure I'll do l'etape again though.

There's more Pyrenean action than I was expecting also. Luz Ardiden and Plateau de Beille summit finishes

I'm looking forward to this tour!

[toolonglegs]

No I would now be surprised if Alpe D'Huez is the Etape stage...it is usually the queen stage so may well be the stage finishing on Galibier...but logistically that will be a nightmare as they will have to let riders descend the same way after finishing.Suppose we will see soon.

[toolonglegs]

Deux Etape de Tour's annee prochain!... Mondane Alpe D'Huez on the 11th and Stage 9 on the 17th.
I have said yes for the Alpe D'Huez...a bit ambitous considering I can't ride at the mo!.
Lukas I never saw a write up on your Etape last year...how'd you go?...what was your time?.

[ft_critical]

Points for the intermediate and final sprint are equal. Not sure on Race Radios (not looking for a debate on it,) but assuming they are banned, then I think this will make for really interesting racing. e.g., the last poor sucker from the break gets rolled by the HTC train with 400m to go - this might not have to happen. Some breaks might succeed. Maybe the sprinter's teams will drive for the intermediate sprint so breaks get caught mid race and another break has to form. And with all that effort mid race on a Med Mountains stage, maybe the Peleton would get split and who knows what happens (not knowing what will happen would be great.)

Hope springs eternal.

[sogood]

The changed green jersey competition rules will be interesting. I'd think it'll make those long flat stages much more interesting to watch. Otherwise it's a yawn until the last 1min.

[Strawburger]

team time trial is back, a short 23kms all flat. individual riders times will be recorded, not the team time.

[lukas]

Lukas I never saw a write up on your Etape last year...how'd you go?...what was your time?.

Yeah I haven’t been around here much. Work has been insane since getting back to oz.

My time was about 10:10 ish from memory, which is well over an hour more than I was planning. I was going ok until the Gorge de Luz then I started hitting the wall hard. I took almost 3 hours up the Tourmalet. Helmet came off as I went over the timing mats in Luz. I just accepted my fate, slipped the R3 into the 34-25 and got to work. Pretty demoralising starting a HC climb knowing you’re already cooked. Everything past Bareges seems a bit like a dream.. all the people pouring water on me while the kilometers slowly ticked away. My garmin betrayed the signs every kilometer, as it rarely indicated the gradient that they did. It was always steeper. I stopped in Bareges for water and a coke, and from there I must have only been going about 8km/hr to the top. From the same barkeep I procured the coke, other etapers were ordering beers. Surely their day was done?! It certainly was a bonk of magnificent proportions on my part, however there were a lot of riders in a MUCH worse state than me. The broken littered the side of the road everywhere. Far out it’s a pretty brutal climb from that side, and it was so, so hot. It really was hell. The memories from that afternoon are burnt into my mind forever.

To put the bonk in perspective, a few days before l’etape I rode from Lourdes out to Luz and did the Tourmalet in 1:30. It’s not that hard to smash up a col if you’re fresh, and it’s the only one on the menu for the day, but piecing 3 together is all together something else.

Did some other great rides in the Pyrenees while over there. Aubisque from Laruns (that road between the Soulor and Aubisque is wonderful), Hautacam and some others I did last time. Never ended up getting to the alps which I’m bummed about, I was having too much fun in San Sebastian and Barcelona.

I’m a definite no for l’etape this year, having seen the 2 options. I’m thinking perhaps the Marmotte nestled in amongst 2-3 weeks of predomintely alpine riding.

Anyway, enough thread hijacking. Back to the tour talk.

[toolonglegs]

Jeez mate...that must have been bad!...starting a 3 hour climb at the 7 hour mark .
It took me 2h.33m to climb Ventoux and 7.45hrs all up the year before...I was flying till I started climbing Ventoux...but even thou I had two full 750ml bottles and there was only 13k's between water stops...sort of forgot that would be over an hour or more at 36 degrees and 8kmph...so I blew big time as well.
But I have booked a hotel for next year...online entry this year in france,I have climbed Galibier and Alpe D'huez in the same day before easy enough,but not from the north over Galibier so that should be a treat...if I can sort out my problems...haven't ridden properly for a LONG time.

[lukas]

Jeez mate...that must have been bad!...starting a 3 hour climb at the 7 hour mark .

Yeah it was pretty brutal. Just checked and my tourmalet time was 2:42.. ouch.

Looks like it's a bit cheaper/easier for Aussies to enter this year, by buying an entry direct through the organisers. Bikestyle tours must be spewing!