Road Bike Racing - TDF Route Announcement

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Laggard
10-22-03, 08:16 AM
Finally, a thread that people will be interested in since the TDF appears to be the only game in town.

The 2004 route is being announced tomorrow. OLN is showing it on Thursday night along with commentary from Bob, Paul and Phil. Check your local listings.

brent_dube
10-22-03, 11:31 AM
I'm praying that next year's route will have tougher mountain stages... more mountaintop finishes... and longer stages, in comparison to this year.

When do they announce the Giro 2004 route?
Smoothie104
10-23-03, 06:28 AM
check out the route @ www.cyclingnews.com


I wont spoil it for you, but man oh man do i need to get to Alpe de' Huez

SamDaBikinMan
10-23-03, 06:36 AM
I say they do not release the route and keep it a complete secret until a week before the race. That way all the comments about specialized training on the tour route months before will be a non issue.

Every racer will have to show up in the best possible form without the benefit of knowing what they will be up against.
Walter
10-23-03, 10:05 AM
Competitively speaking that idea's not bad. Logistically impossible in all likelihood though. Towns bid to sponsor starts and finishes years in advance and significant road closures have to be planned.
Torn Victor
10-23-03, 10:33 AM
Alpe d'Huez is going to be a killer stage this year... but mark my words, Plateau de Beille will be the stage of the year.
Grampy™
10-23-03, 12:02 PM
L'Alpe d'Huez as an ITT??!?!!!?? I can't wait!!! I'll bet ya Lance is saying Oh la la! Be afraid Jan, be very afraid...... :D
bac
10-23-03, 12:26 PM
All I can say is "WOW"!!! This is going to be one crazy Tour. Nothing will be decided until very late in the race - they have made sure of that. Stage 16's ITT on L'Alpe d'Huez is going to be amazing!!!!! It will certainly shift the advantage toward the pure climbers.

I can't wait!!!!!
TriDevil
10-23-03, 02:22 PM
Could Heras be up for a stage win on l'alpe d'huez? After his phenomenal climb at the vuelta uphill TT I think that if johan lets him go heras could fly up to the podium for that stage.
lotek
10-23-03, 02:48 PM
This puts me in mind of this years Vuelta.
the last uphill time trial was won by one lance armstrong.
This year for L'Alpe d'Huez there will be no domestiques
to launch riders.
Look for good results by Simoni, every spanish rider in
the tour, jan and oh yeah Lance (if his rear brake doesn't stick the whole way up :lol: )
This will not be a tour decided by a team, but more
the individual. Couple that with the new tour selection
criteria and its gonna be interesting.
SamDaBikinMan
10-23-03, 06:39 PM
How about a ITT down L'Alpe d'Huez ? Now that would be interesting to watch.
bac
10-24-03, 08:36 AM
How about a ITT down L'Alpe d'Huez ? Now that would be interesting to watch.

Lance would just cheat and shortcut the switchbacks again. ;)
wabbit
10-24-03, 10:07 PM
I think the last mountain TT was Chamrousse, that was won by lance? I can see Jan also doing pretty well, he likes the mountain TT, also Tyler, and Moreau, and of course, always keep an eye on most of the Spaniards. NO ventoux, though! It sounds like it'll be tough one, and those stages in Belgium will be great, classic stages.