Tour 2006 route
Ewoud Dronkert
--
E. Dronkert
Bob Schwartz
> It's an Ullrich fest.
>
- The TTT is gone.
- 115km of ITT, up from 74km this year.
- Three mountain top finishes, same as this year.
- Five total mountain stages, down from seven this year.
- Alpe d'Huez is back.
Stage 11 looks interesting. Five climbs and the worst
of the bunch, the Tourmalet, is up first. From the
profile it looks like the finish in Val d'Aran is very
long and gradual. A good finish for a guy like Ullrich.
Bob Schwartz
Ewoud Dronkert
> profile it looks like the finish in Val d'Aran is very
> long and gradual. A good finish for a guy like Ullrich.
http://www.salite.ch/beret.htm
--
E. Dronkert
Tom Kunich
performances but I doubt it. Basso isn't standing still and my guess is
that Jan will be less motivated to train since he won't be riding
against Lance.
I am most interested to see the performances of Valverde, Cunego and
Azevedo.
jc
I'm completely incompetent with anything resembling math.
Agreed, though, that the ASO seems to have given Ullrich a nice gift
with this one. 110+ km against the watch? It doesn't get much better
than that for him.
If attacking-Basso (as opposed to wheel-sucking indecisive Basso) shows
up and Ullrich doesn't get one of his flu things during the first week
in Belgium, this one could turn out to be pretty entertaining.
Ewoud Dronkert
>> http://www.salite.ch/beret.htm
>
> Uh, pardon my dumbassedness, but is that steep or gradual?
Gradual! Less steep than Les Deux Alpes. 5, Maybe 6% is about the limit
for big ring climbing.
> 110+ km against the watch? It doesn't get much better
> than that for [Ullrich].
Also, no TTT against a super-motivated CSC.
--
E. Dronkert
jc
> jc wrote:
>
>>>http://www.salite.ch/beret.htm
>>
>>Uh, pardon my dumbassedness, but is that steep or gradual?
>
>
> Gradual! Less steep than Les Deux Alpes. 5, Maybe 6% is about the limit
> for big ring climbing.
Gotcha. LOL, I'm numerically hopeless.
But less steep than les Duex Alpes is not so steep at all.
>
>>110+ km against the watch? It doesn't get much better
>>than that for [Ullrich].
>
>
> Also, no TTT against a super-motivated CSC.
>
Riis had to have been grinding his teeth at the no go on the TTT.
He spent quite a few euros picking up talent for that one.
Not that any of that talent will go to waste, of course, since someone
has to pedal on the front. Why not a few prologue winners?
Ewoud Dronkert
> Riis had to have been grinding his teeth at the no go on the TTT.
> He spent quite a few euros picking up talent for that one.
> Not that any of that talent will go to waste, of course, since someone
> has to pedal on the front. Why not a few prologue winners?
Funny you should say that, maybe Stuey will have a go at it; he's riding
for CSC next season. Although I think he has lost the sharp edge needed
for a prologue win.
--
E. Dronkert
jc
He does seem to be going the classics/breakaway guy direction as opposed
to playing the speed demon. What was it two years ago in the Tour he
won a stage off a break? Damn, he played the tactics beautifully that
day. I was glad to see Riis sign him on.
That's looking like one stacked roster there at CSC.
Bob Schwartz
> Ewoud Dronkert wrote:
>
>> Bob Schwartz wrote:
>>
>>> profile it looks like the finish in Val d'Aran is very
>>> long and gradual. A good finish for a guy like Ullrich.
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.salite.ch/beret.htm
>>
> Uh, pardon my dumbassedness, but is that steep or gradual?
> I'm completely incompetent with anything resembling math.
For comparision:
Alpe d'Huez: http://www.salite.ch/huez1.htm
The Joux-Plane: http://www.salite.ch/joux4.htm
On the steep side:
The Mortirolo: http://www.salite.ch/mortirol1.htm
The Angliru: http://www.salite.ch/angliru.htm
Bob Schwartz
jc
Perfecto.
I'm not smart enough to look at the pictures and figure out the percent
gradient. I might have been smart enough to google up a comparison. ;-)
Thanks!
jen -- who should be writing footnotes, but would rather play with the
internet.
Ewoud Dronkert
> I was glad to see Riis sign him on.
Ah I see, it's on Dailypeloton already. Thought I had a scoop (in
English).
--
E. Dronkert
jc
> jc wrote:
>
>>I was glad to see Riis sign him on.
>
>
> Ah I see, it's on Dailypeloton already. Thought I had a scoop (in
> English).
>
The CSC website had it too, I'm afraid.
Better luck next time ;-)
Ewoud Dronkert
>> On the steep side:
Haha!
>> The Mortirolo: http://www.salite.ch/mortirol1.htm
>> The Angliru: http://www.salite.ch/angliru.htm
>
> I'm not smart enough to look at the pictures and figure out the percent
> gradient.
Inscribed at the bottom of each kilometre-column! Also colour-coded:
green - "flat"
blue - gradual
yellow - rather steep
red - insane
--
E. Dronkert
jc
Ok, I'll say it first.
I'm a dumbass.
I wondered what all the pretty colors meant.
D'oh.
Jan
I'm so glad Stuey's got a ride. Any news on Matthew White?
Jan
Marlene Blanshay
I thought they'd do the Ventoux this year, but I guess not...however,
there's plenty of other good stuff like the Izoard, the Tourmalet and
the horrible Joux Plane...
Bob Schwartz
Hey, I just realized they're going over the Croix de Fer
again. It's been a long time for the Croix de Fer. And
the Col du Mollard. I'm happy to see it. Scary, narrow
roads. Crowd control could be a bitch.
Bob Schwartz
Ewoud Dronkert
> Hey, I just realized they're going over the Croix de Fer
> again. It's been a long time for the Croix de Fer.
Actually, they're taking the Glandon from the north, little bump to the left
that is de Croix de Fer, and down (back north) to the valley of the
Maurienne.
--
E. Dronkert
Laz
"Ewoud Dronkert" <firs...@lastname.net.invalid> wrote in message
news:pra2m1p769bq5ds45...@4ax.com...
> It's an Ullrich fest.
>
> --
> E. Dronkert
why, he's an old donkey...
Laz
Laz
"Tom Kunich" <cycl...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1130446724.7...@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Jan just may make up for his losses in the hills with good TT
> performances but I doubt it. Basso isn't standing still and my guess is
> that Jan will be less motivated to train since he won't be riding
> against Lance.
>
just a job
Michael Press
Bob Schwartz <bob.sc...@REMOVEsbcglobal.net> wrote:
The team time trial is a great event, and great
television. Why diminish the variety and spectacle by
removing it?
--
Michael Press
Ewoud Dronkert
> The team time trial is a great event, and great television.
Yeah, that's what Tim TheLoony wrote on CN, too. He even called it
"popular". Is it?! I for one am glad it's gone.
--
E. Dronkert
h squared
i liked watching it, but i always felt uneasy about if it was maybe
deciding the entire race. not sure how i feel about it all together.
h
Curtis L. Russell
<firs...@lastname.net.invalid> wrote:
>Yeah, that's what Tim TheLoony wrote on CN, too. He even called it
>"popular". Is it?! I for one am glad it's gone.
The annual nod to those fixated on synchronicity. If OLN had showed
more TTTs, we probably wouldn't have the stupid overprice spinner hub
caps on all the SUVs around here. Now we have virtual synchronicity on
every street corner...
Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...
Bob Schwartz
I don't know about it being great television. It's a subtle event,
you need more than the time splits to understand the finer points.
I've always felt the TTT was about balance in team selection.
It gives you a reason to select guys like Ekimov over mountain
goats. So in a sense this fits with the reduced emphasis on the
mountains.
Bob Schwartz
B. Lafferty
"Bob Schwartz" <bob.sc...@REMOVEsbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:11m4dfn...@news.supernews.com...
> Ewoud Dronkert wrote:
>> Michael Press wrote:
>>
>>>The team time trial is a great event, and great television.
>>
>>
>> Yeah, that's what Tim TheLoony wrote on CN, too. He even called it
>> "popular". Is it?! I for one am glad it's gone.
>>
>
> I don't know about it being great television. It's a subtle event,
> you need more than the time splits to understand the finer points.
I'd like to see it kept in with the proviso that they do it with standard
road bikes and save the tt machines for the individual time trials.
jc
I haven't seen anything yet.
CSC has to be close on the roster limit, so I'm not sure there is space
left for him there. Maybe somewhere like FDJ...
jc
Well, I can't say I'll miss it. I'd much rather watch a road stage,
even if it follows the doomed break-bunch sprint pattern. I guess I've
never really liked what the TTT does to the GC either, it seems to kill
the suspense a bit early in the game for my liking. At least one GC
hopeful always loses ridiculous amounts of time and puts himself out of
the game.
I'd like to see Ivan Basso take Ullrich's lunch money, so from that
perspective I'm sorry to see the TTT a no-show, since it favors CSC.
But otherwise, I'm not really a fan of the thing.
k.papai
standard
B.L.
I second that proviso. It always seemed to me a bit artifical using
super hi-tech TT bikes in the 9-man TTT.
Oh well, I'll miss the TTT (but NOT its super artifical and PC rules
where team weakness is not penalized).
-Ken
B. Lafferty
"k.papai" <kenp...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1130514899....@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
I agree that the handicap rules were bad. Every team knows what to expect.
Pick your Tour riders accordingly.
b...@mambo.ucolick.org
> Ewoud Dronkert wrote:
> > Michael Press wrote:
> >
> >>The team time trial is a great event, and great television.
> >
> > Yeah, that's what Tim TheLoony wrote on CN, too. He even called it
> > "popular". Is it?! I for one am glad it's gone.
>
> I don't know about it being great television. It's a subtle event,
> you need more than the time splits to understand the finer points.
For an experienced cyclist or fan, yes. But even the inexperienced
can appreciate the TTT pacing and flow (I almost said
"synchronization.") It also gives a demonstration of working
pacelines that is a lot easier to see for the novice than in a
typical road stage. Changbang, of all people, gave a good argument
for this a few years ago.
Also, in most TTTs there's at least one major fiasco. That's
usually good TV.
I agree that it sometimes reduces the GC suspense. But the TTT
comes and goes. This time it's been around since 2000, it'll
probably come back. Variety in the course is good.
I miss having a stage in the Massif Central, those are often
chaotic enough to make things interesting.
> I've always felt the TTT was about balance in team selection.
> It gives you a reason to select guys like Ekimov over mountain
> goats. So in a sense this fits with the reduced emphasis on the
> mountains.
Yes, though if a team is going to contend for the overall or
defend a GC lead it needs a few big motors for the flat, even
without the TTT.
Michael Press
Bob Schwartz <bob.sc...@REMOVEsbcglobal.net> wrote:
Yes, it is subtle, yet we can see the subtleties. Who's
pulling? How are they managing the pace line. Ragged?
Smooth transitions? Who's fading? Who is the rabbit? How
will they get the right combination to the finish? I love
it.
Some teams have used double pace lines; not practiced, or
not clear on the concept.
--
Michael Press
The rest of the world.
Kyle Legate
>
>
> Some teams have used double pace lines; not practiced, or
> not clear on the concept.
>
Or using the better technique given the conditions.
Kenny
> He does seem to be going the classics/breakaway guy direction as opposed
> to playing the speed demon. What was it two years ago in the Tour he
> won a stage off a break? Damn, he played the tactics beautifully that
> day. I was glad to see Riis sign him on.
>
But Riis lost Gerdemann. That might be a big loss for the future
(domestique in a near future, leader in a far future). While O'grady
isn't no real contender for the green, he's unable to win a mass sprint
and he never lives up at the expectations for the classics. I surely
know where to put my money on.
Kenny