2020 Tour de France

Matt

Route announced today.



Great initial analysis

https://www.velonews.com/2019/10/analysis/analysis-the-2020-tour-de-france-route-mimics-the-vuelta-a-espana_501692


http://inrng.com/2019/10/2020-tour-de-france-route/

bbculp

I think this looks awesome. Tailor made for Alaphillipe.

Rash

Definitely created to try to get a Frenchman on the top steps - perhaps Alaphillipe if he is willing to go all in for it and sacrifice the early season some. Bardet and Pinot are excited I am sure - especially the way Pinot was climbing this year (for a while).

They all have their fingers cross that Bernal goes to the Giro.

bbculp

Stage 17 is going to be lit.

Aaron Webstey

bbculp said:

Stage 17 is going to be lit.

As am I.

bbculp

I think this route brings Dan Martin into GC contention too. And that's kind of awesome.

Martin

bbculp said:

I think this route brings Dan Martin into GC contention too. And that's kind of awesome.

Do we even know what Dan Martin's team will look like yet? It's the ICA-Katusha frankenteam.

Stage 10 has 'trap' written all over it. Coastal, marshlands, crosswinds.

Stage 13 looks like a killer, and almost certainly one for the breakaway.

Stage 16 looks like a stage for Froome someone who can climb and TT, although The Cote de Revel actually hosts a triathlon so it can't be too hard a climb. Cols de Porte and de Nizier. Ouch.

I would be shocked if Stage 20 decided the race. The most exciting thing that day will be the chatter about who switched bikes at the bottom of the climb. Yawn.

Too bad about the Planche TT, though. That pretty much seals it for Bernal or Froomie. #sworry for those expecting a different outcome.

bbculp

Dan Martin doesn't need a team. Just bread, whisky, water, and maybe some drugs too.

Rash

Dan Martin is the best - at ill timed, explosive attacks in three week races that result in nothing. He is fun to watch though so I hope he is on form this coming year.

Also, I think Jumbo is in with a fighting chance if they send all their studs - they have a heck of a team if Roglic and Dumoulin are on form. More of a TT style of climbing, but very few riders would be able to yo-yo attack day after day on this course. Plus they could have Bennett and Kruijswijk chasing down attacks. With so few sprint stages, they could go all in and target the GC and let Groenewegan go to the Giro and Vuelta.

All that said, Eneos is still the team to beat (at every grand tour they target).

Martin

Jumbo with their A team (Kruijswijk, Roglic, Poomoulin and no sprinters on the team), if they follow team orders, would probably take two of the top five places. Ineos might take the other three. Round out the top 10 with Valverde, one of the French guys, and both Yates.

mbrekk44

It sounds like Alaphillipe is all in for the Olympics. Curious to see if he pulls out half way through. Yeah, I said pull out