Le Tour, Le Route...

[Brandenburger Toro]

Ventoux on the last Saturday!

[The Purple Cow]

Le Tour, Le Route...

The strangest tour route in history. No North France, no West France, no Bordeau.

Sprinters might just as well tale a three week vacation, there's nothing for them here.

[ursus arctos]

Le Tour, Le Route...

What odds can I get that Lance won't be on the line in Monte Carlo?

We might just go to that stage. It's a long, but not impossible, day trip from here.

[Brandenburger Toro]

Le Tour, Le Route...

I'm seriously thinking the same thing. I can base in Nice, and... drive for ages

Still, Ventoux! Finally!

[Guest]

Le Tour, Le Route...

I think this is great for a number of reasons. The TT around Lake Annecy and of course Mont Ventoux on the last bloody day. I think it's fantstic.

[anton pulisov]

Le Tour, Le Route...

Lance won't br in it for the GC, he's still pissed off that he let Pantani win on Ventoux in 2000. In fact, it wouldn't suprise me if that was his entire motivation for coming out of retirement.

[The Purple Cow]

Le Tour, Le Route...

"In fact, it wouldn't suprise me if that was his entire motivation for coming out of retirement."

No the motivation is raising his profile for an impending run for the governership of Texas, and eventually U.S. President - details on the 'Drugs in Cycling' thread.

[Jorge Porbillas]

Le Tour, Le Route...

I'm seriously considering a trip to the Ventoux stage - anyone fancy an OTF Peletonathon?

[Brandenburger Toro]

Le Tour, Le Route...

I was going to say, it looks as though there might be three of us, but I now realise I misread ursus' post.

I'm certainly thinking of it, jorge, I'll probably drive from Nice if I do.

[ursus arctos]

Le Tour, Le Route...

You did misread my original post (we were thinking of the Monaco Prologue), but your and Jorge's interest has made me begin thinking about whether Ventoux would be possible.

I presume that the Germans won't come in numbers in this year, but that there will be just as many Dutch and Flemish obsessives as always. Spending the night on the mountain is likely to be an absolute necessity.

Unfortunately, I'm not even sure we will still be in Europe that late in the race, as we may have begun our annual pilgrimage to California.

BTW, anyone want to comment on Basso's 3d place in the Japan Cup, which Cunego won? Evidently, he both looked and felt very good.

[Brandenburger Toro]

Le Tour, Le Route...

Cunego seems to like it out there, doesn't he?

Hmm. I think I have to suck it up and come down for penalty and repentance. He got banned, he did two years - likely the highest-earning of his career - out, he's entitled to be there whether or not I enjoy seeing him.

[ursus arctos]

Le Tour, Le Route...

Agree with that.

It will be interesting to see what the reaction of the tifosi is this spring. Basso really disappointed a lot of people, but he's been pretty exemplary in exile.

[anton pulisov]

Le Tour, Le Route...

he both looked and felt very good

I'll take your word for it.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Le Tour, Le Route...

Before you all get too carried away, they are taking the mincers way up the Ventoux, via Sault. It's the tourist's route, the third, less publicised route. It's not to be sniffed at, but any proper Maillot Jaune worth his, erm, Sault, should be able to control things on the way up. The bit up from Chalet Renard is never where the difference is made on the Ventoux.

Still, it should all be a photegenic marvel.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Le Tour, Le Route...

Sorry, I take it all back. I've just looked a bit closer and their doing Sault - Bedoin - Sommet.

Now that is a bastard.

It might mean all the real climbers keeping the powder dry to the last day, possiblty to the detriment of the rest of the tour.

I shouldn't imagine old Bernard and the Bretons will be that happy with this route, or the Flems.

[The Purple Cow]

Le Tour, Le Route...

Two of my brothers are doing L'Etape de Tour in 2009, which will be Stage 20: Montélimar - Mont Ventoux, 167km.

Tim's done Mont Ventoux before, but not having just ridden 146km, so it'll be interesting to see what time he does the 21k of the climb in this time. He was just over the hour last time, if I remember correctly. He's much fitter now than he was then though, or so he claims.

Mat has lived in the States for years, so he's never done one of the great Tour climbs before.

Their day will be about 4 days before the real thing, so we might make a family thing out of it and hang round the area for a few days, to catch the Tour proper.