Tour 2006 route

Ewoud Dronkert said:

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

Bob Schwartz said:

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

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.

I am most interested to see the performances of Valverde, Cunego and
Azevedo.

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Bob Schwartz said:

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.

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.

jc said:

Quoted message said:

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.

Quoted message said:

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

Ewoud Dronkert said:

jc said:

Quoted message said:

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.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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?

jc said:

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 said:

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Bob Schwartz said:

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

Ewoud Dronkert said:

jc said:

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.

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.

jc said:

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

Bob Schwartz said:

jc said:

Ewoud Dronkert said:

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

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.

jc said:

Quoted message said:

On the steep side:

Haha!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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

Ewoud Dronkert said:

jc said:

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 said:

jc said:

Quoted message said:

On the steep side:

Haha!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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

Ok, I'll say it first.
I'm a dumbass.
I wondered what all the pretty colors meant.
D'oh.

Ewoud Dronkert said:

jc said:

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.

I'm so glad Stuey's got a ride. Any news on Matthew White?

Jan

Bob Schwartz said:

Ewoud Dronkert said:

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

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 said:

Ewoud Dronkert said:

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.

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 [censored].

Bob Schwartz

Bob Schwartz said:

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

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

Quoted message said:

It's an Ullrich fest.

--
E. Dronkert

why, he's an old donkey...

Laz