2004 TdF route prediction

start in Liege, 2 other stages in Wallonia, Wasquehal, TTT (why more important than else?), then
Normandy and Brittanny 2 stops each, transfer to Limoges , some Massif Central bits, ITT, then the
usual Pyrenees and Alps menu with Ventoux in between , thats it

"Van Hoorebeeck Bart" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message news:
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

start in Liege, 2 other stages in Wallonia, Wasquehal, TTT (why more

important

Quoted message said:

than else?), then Normandy and Brittanny 2 stops each, transfer to Limoges

,

Quoted message said:

some Massif Central bits, ITT, then the usual Pyrenees and Alps menu with Ventoux in between ,
thats it

Huh? The course doesn't get announced until the end of October.

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Van Hoorebeeck Bart" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans

le

Quoted message said:

message news: [email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

start in Liege, 2 other stages in Wallonia, Wasquehal, TTT (why more

important

Quoted message said:

than else?), then Normandy and Brittanny 2 stops each, transfer to

Limoges

Quoted message said:

,

Quoted message said:

some Massif Central bits, ITT, then the usual Pyrenees and Alps menu

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ventoux in between , thats it

Huh? The course doesn't get announced until the end of October.

It is usually leaked out before the official presentation.

Quoted message said:

Huh? The course doesn't get announced until the end of October.

Bart is one of Le Tour's route beta testers.

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Van Hoorebeeck Bart" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans

le

Quoted message said:

message news: [email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

start in Liege, 2 other stages in Wallonia, Wasquehal, TTT (why more

important

Quoted message said:

than else?), then Normandy and Brittanny 2 stops each, transfer to

Limoges

Quoted message said:

,

Quoted message said:

some Massif Central bits, ITT, then the usual Pyrenees and Alps menu

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ventoux in between , thats it

Huh? The course doesn't get announced until the end of October.

"Nick Burns" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message news:
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Van Hoorebeeck Bart" <[email hidden]> a écrit

dans

Quoted message said:

le

Quoted message said:

message news: [email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

start in Liege, 2 other stages in Wallonia, Wasquehal, TTT (why more

important

Quoted message said:

than else?), then Normandy and Brittanny 2 stops each, transfer to

Limoges

Quoted message said:

,

Quoted message said:

some Massif Central bits, ITT, then the usual Pyrenees and Alps menu

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ventoux in between , thats it

Huh? The course doesn't get announced until the end of October.

It is usually leaked out before the official presentation.

I didn't know it was leaked already. I didn't see it in the French papers. Well, I guess I was right
about the Ventoux anyway 🙂

trg said:

I have a premonition that Mt Ventoux will be in it again and will be placed so that LA will have
to once again let the stage win go to someone else in order to win the GC.

BTW, does anyone else think that the most important of all stages will be the TTT?

procycling.comnews main.aspOpen ↗

Robert Chung said:

trg said:

I have a premonition that Mt Ventoux will be in it again and will be placed so that LA will have
to once again let the stage win go to someone else in order to win the GC.

BTW, does anyone else think that the most important of all stages will be the TTT?

procycling.comnews main.aspOpen ↗

I wonder how accurate this is, coming from a Spanish website. Especially when they say things like

"Even further into the future, Quebec is being mentioned as a possible host region for the start of
the 2004 Tour, but it is more likely that a French city will get the nod. Strasbourg has expressed
an interest and could well gain that honour in 2005. Followed by London in 2006? "

What year were they talking about for Quebec? 2004 is in Belgium, Odd years always start in France,
so that's 2005.

"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

procycling.comnews main.aspOpen ↗

I wonder how accurate this is, coming from a Spanish website. Especially when they say things like

And I wonder how accurate the translation is, coming from an American website. URL for the source is
todociclismo.comnoticia.aspOpen ↗

(Lang-Google it if you are linguistically impaired)

Jenko

--
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"CTRDY01" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de
"]news:[email hidden]...

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Quoted message said:

I wonder how accurate this is, coming from a Spanish website. Especially when they say
things like

It's rather accurate until the Mountain stages. The Pyrenees will only

have 2

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stages (not at least). The Alps won't have much more; 1 stage going in - 1 through and 1 out...
going into the Jura. The final timie trial is not in

Dijon

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(but close!). Mt Ventoux on the 20th.

Where did you get your info? The original article said that Ventoux is before the Aps, but if it's
on the 20th, that's after the Alps. Personally, I think that would be a more dramatic place for it,
especially given Armstrong's past confrontations with it, but I don't see how it could fit there.

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"CTRDY01" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Where did you get your info? The original article said that Ventoux is before the Aps, but if
it's on the 20th, that's after the Alps.

Personally,

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Quoted message said:

I think that would be a more dramatic place for it, especially given Armstrong's past
confrontations with it, but I don't see how it could fit there.

I just know.... But the Tour is going counter closckwise this year, so the Mt Ventoux

could not

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be before the Alps (well it could, but that would certainly be a scrwed up itinerary!)

Lance has actually requested personally to Leblanc that Mt Ventoux be

included.

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He's always said he wants to win a Stage on Mt Ventoux... I can't imagine

he

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won't go for it.

I'm sure he'd like a win there, but not enough to put #6 in jeopardy. USPS will not let a GC threat
get in a break. But I don't see them seriously chasing a non-gc break. The sprinter teams won't
chase. Unless there'a a serious KOM competition among non-gc contenders going on (unlikely at such a
late date), or there's a 4+ minute gap between LA and his closest rival (also unlikely given the
strength of T-Mobil) I see another Virenque 2002 type break taking the stage win. Of course anything
can happen on the Ventoux...

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trg said:

Of course anything can happen on the Ventoux...

Including Eros Poli, biggest guy in the peleton, winning. That was pretty incredible.... all the way
up and down the other side wondering "will he? won't he?".

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"CTRDY01" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

But the Tour is going counter closckwise this year, so the Mt Ventoux

could not

Quoted message said:

be before the Alps (well it could, but that would certainly be a scrwed up itinerary!)

Counterclockwise, Ventoux does come before the alps.

Alexander

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"Alexander Lackner" <[email hidden]> skrev i melding
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"CTRDY01" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

But the Tour is going counter closckwise this year, so the Mt Ventoux

could not

Quoted message said:

be before the Alps (well it could, but that would certainly be a scrwed up itinerary!)

Counterclockwise, Ventoux does come before the alps.

The Mont Ventoux *is* part of the Alps...geologically at least.

--
Roy Ellefsen

"Alexander Lackner" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"CTRDY01" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

But the Tour is going counter closckwise this year, so the Mt Ventoux

could not

Quoted message said:

be before the Alps (well it could, but that would certainly be a scrwed

up

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

itinerary!)

Counterclockwise, Ventoux does come before the alps.

Alexander

The tour starts on the 3rd. If, as he says Ventoux is on the Tuesday the 20th , then that would be
AFTER both the Pyrenees AND the Alps. Throw in a rest day, 2 flat stages, and the last ITT on Sat,
and finish on Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised if Leblanc put the Ventoux after the two mountain
phases. With any luck it will still be close after the 19th and the Ventoux will be the climb that
determines if LA wins a 6th.

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"trg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have a premonition that Mt Ventoux will be in it again and will be placed so that LA will have
to once again let the stage win go to someone else in order to win the GC.

I read about Ventoux for 2004 on/around Oct. 1.

Quoted message said:

BTW, does anyone else think that the most important of all stages will be the TTT?

It'll be one of the top 3 most important stages for sure.

-Ken

trg said:

Robert Chung said:

trg said:

I have a premonition that Mt Ventoux will be in it again and will be placed so that LA will have
to once again let the stage win go to someone else in order to win the GC.

BTW, does anyone else think that the most important of all stages will be the TTT?

procycling.comnews main.aspOpen ↗

I wonder how accurate this is, coming from a Spanish website. Especially when they say things like

"Even further into the future, Quebec is being mentioned as a possible host region for the start
of the 2004 Tour, but it is more likely that a French city will get the nod. Strasbourg has
expressed an interest and could well gain that honour in 2005. Followed by London in 2006? "

What year were they talking about for Quebec? 2004 is in Belgium, Odd years always start in
France, so that's 2005.

I think Quebec is and should remain a dream, for it would be a logistical nightmare, not just
hauling all the riders and eq onto planes, flying (no more Concorde!) 10+ hours to Europe and
not totally

FWIW NYC believes they have a shot at a start, too.

Foo.

"Richard Adams" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I think Quebec is and should remain a dream, for it would be a logistical nightmare, not just
hauling all the riders and eq onto planes, flying (no more Concorde!) 10+ hours to Europe and
not totally

Quoted message said:

Quebec is a lot closer to Paris than SF.

According to the Air Canada website, you can leave Montreal at 7:30 pm and arrive at 8:15 am the
next day. That is less than 13 hours, minus 6 hours for the time change, for an actual flight time
of less than 7 hours. It would be about the same for Quebec City. If there was a chartered flight,
they might make it even faster.

As for jet lag, starting the stages at 9 am would be equivalent to starting at 3 pm in France.

However, I do agree with a lot of other stuff you wrote.

Carl Sundquist said:

"Richard Adams" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I think Quebec is and should remain a dream, for it would be a logistical nightmare, not just
hauling all the riders and eq onto planes, flying (no more Concorde!) 10+ hours to Europe and
not totally

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quebec is a lot closer to Paris than SF.

According to the Air Canada website, you can leave Montreal at 7:30 pm and arrive at 8:15 am the
next day. That is less than 13 hours, minus 6 hours for the time change, for an actual flight time
of less than 7 hours. It would be about the same for Quebec City. If there was a chartered flight,
they might make it even faster.

As for jet lag, starting the stages at 9 am would be equivalent to starting at 3 pm in France.

However, I do agree with a lot of other stuff you wrote.

Have never flown through Quebec city, but suspect it's not an airport which services the big pond
jumpers, they'd probably have to go through Montreal, so possibly add that in.

San Fran is closer to Paris than you think. They fly over the pole. When I flew to London from
Montreal, and back to Minneapolis-St. Paul, we crossed the upper parts of Greenland.

Still, the jetlag, logistics of hauling all those bikes, riders, teams _and_ having team cars, etc.
in both places, well who's going to pay for that? Canada? ... Maybe then the rest of Canada will say
'Bon chance!' and dump Quebec.

"Richard Adams" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

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Have never flown through Quebec city, but suspect it's not an airport which services the big pond
jumpers, they'd probably have to go through Montreal, so possibly add that in.

Chartering a plane would solve that easily. Why not a stage from Quebec to Montreal and then off
to Europe?

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San Fran is closer to Paris than you think. They fly over the pole.

SF is on the opposite longitude of Kazakhstan and Iran. Not even close to Paris.

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When I flew to London from Montreal, and back to Minneapolis-St. Paul, we crossed the upper parts
of Greenland.

Of which most isn't that close to the North Pole. Greenland is longer (top to bottom) than from
Maine to Miami (FL for Racer X's sake)

Get a globe. Measure the distance. Montreal to Paris
http://www.indo.com/cgi-bin/dist/place1=@174000/place2=@174039 is slightly more than Montreal to SF
http://www.indo.com/cgi-bin/dist/place1=@174000/place2=@18093 . SF to Paris?
http://www.indo.com/cgi-bin/dist/place1=@174039/place2=@18093 . Not even close.

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Still, the jetlag, logistics of hauling all those bikes, riders, teams _and_ having team cars,
etc. in both places, well who's going to pay for that? Canada? ... Maybe then the rest of Canada
will say 'Bon chance!' and dump Quebec.

It's not as if they haven't been trying already, much to the dismay of the Quebecers who
aren't Peppers.