The preliminary Tour stage list is on Pez today. The rumors I had seen about the Tour actually going over the gravelled Col delle Finestre might actually be true. The stage list shows a start in Cuneo, Italy and finishing in Sestriere, Italy. The Finestre is not all that far from Sestriere. I could see the race running north from Cuneo up to the mountains, going over the Finestre and then dropping southwest with a smaller climb or two in between it and the stage finish atop Sestriere.
Then they show a start in Embrun and going to an unknown finish. My prediction: Go NE from Embrun over the Col d'Izoard, through Briancon, over the Lauteret/Galibier combo, onward to the Telegraphe and finishing in whatever town.
The next day is shown as a stage finish atop Alpe d'Huez. That makes sense. The Tour skipped that stage this year and it has become an almost traditional finish. My prediction: Start in the unknown town, and then climb the Col de Madeleine followed by the Glandon and then go along the valley before the climb up to Huez.
That would be two mountaintop finishes and three days and plenty of climbing. By my count, six HC climbs plus the Glandon at probably Cat 1, the Telegraphe would probably be a 3 in that direction. Plus whatever other smaller climbs be along the way.
Before the Alps though, the race passes through the Pyrenees. The first mountain looks to be from Toulouse to Bagneres di Bigorre. My prediction: South from Toulous toward the mountains and climb the Col de Port, Portet d'Aspet, Col de Peyresourde and Col d'Aspin before finishing in Bagneres. Bagneres is in the valley so mountain finish. Paul Sherwen will, however, be able to describe the stage profile as looking like an upside down saw.
The next stage is listed as Pau to Hautacam. Hautacam is a ski village so that means an uphill finish. Pau is not terribly far away, however. My first thought is going over the Aubisque to Hautacam but that would only be about 80km. My best guess is they will throw the Marie Blanque in front of the Aubisque and then finish at Hautacam. A longshot would be leaving Pau and going over the Col du Soulor, down to the town of Argeles near the base of Hautacam, then south to the Tourmalet and looping around past Bagneres again, over some small roads south of Lourdes and then down to Hautacam. I haven't figured miles on that loop. It might be too far. But, hey, thats why its a longshot guess.
The Lannemezan to Foix stage has my puzzled. Normally, I would put Portet d'Aspet, Port on that route but I used them already on the Bagneres stage. My guess: Start in Lannemezan and head to St. Girons, down the the Col de la Core, Col de Latrape, Col d'Agnes and then maybe a couple other smaller climbs on the way to Foix.
The more I look at the map, Col de Port may not be part of the Toulouse to Bagneres stage and instead be inserted after the Col de la Core, or the Col d'Agnes if it is included.
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Then they show a start in Embrun and going to an unknown finish. My prediction: Go NE from Embrun over the Col d'Izoard, through Briancon, over the Lauteret/Galibier combo, onward to the Telegraphe and finishing in whatever town.
The next day is shown as a stage finish atop Alpe d'Huez. That makes sense. The Tour skipped that stage this year and it has become an almost traditional finish. My prediction: Start in the unknown town, and then climb the Col de Madeleine followed by the Glandon and then go along the valley before the climb up to Huez.
That would be two mountaintop finishes and three days and plenty of climbing. By my count, six HC climbs plus the Glandon at probably Cat 1, the Telegraphe would probably be a 3 in that direction. Plus whatever other smaller climbs be along the way.
Before the Alps though, the race passes through the Pyrenees. The first mountain looks to be from Toulouse to Bagneres di Bigorre. My prediction: South from Toulous toward the mountains and climb the Col de Port, Portet d'Aspet, Col de Peyresourde and Col d'Aspin before finishing in Bagneres. Bagneres is in the valley so mountain finish. Paul Sherwen will, however, be able to describe the stage profile as looking like an upside down saw.
The next stage is listed as Pau to Hautacam. Hautacam is a ski village so that means an uphill finish. Pau is not terribly far away, however. My first thought is going over the Aubisque to Hautacam but that would only be about 80km. My best guess is they will throw the Marie Blanque in front of the Aubisque and then finish at Hautacam. A longshot would be leaving Pau and going over the Col du Soulor, down to the town of Argeles near the base of Hautacam, then south to the Tourmalet and looping around past Bagneres again, over some small roads south of Lourdes and then down to Hautacam. I haven't figured miles on that loop. It might be too far. But, hey, thats why its a longshot guess.
The Lannemezan to Foix stage has my puzzled. Normally, I would put Portet d'Aspet, Port on that route but I used them already on the Bagneres stage. My guess: Start in Lannemezan and head to St. Girons, down the the Col de la Core, Col de Latrape, Col d'Agnes and then maybe a couple other smaller climbs on the way to Foix.
The more I look at the map, Col de Port may not be part of the Toulouse to Bagneres stage and instead be inserted after the Col de la Core, or the Col d'Agnes if it is included.
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