Hmmm, two long ITT's, one after two late mountain-top finishes. My initial thought is this course favors Ullrich. I suspect Leipheimer is pretty happy, too. CSC loses the most with the TTT getting axed.

The early ITT will encourage attacks in the first two mountain stages as the GC contenders will be looking to make up some lost time. Could be fun!

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Jim Manton / ERO Sports

Pretty boring route if you ask me. One hard stage in the Pyrenees, two hard stages in the Alps and the rest is either rolling or flat. borring. Plus then two ITTs of 50k+. Sounds like a perfect Tour for big Jan! He must be very pleased today.

Ah man, look at the course! those stupid french want to make sure that this time Lance doesn't win! ;-)

Hilarious! ;-)

It's about time they give the TTT a rest. It's fine every few years but I think it's a little unfair to the good riders who aren't on one of the 2 or 3 big powerful teams to have it every year.

2006's route would have suited Lance much more than 2005's. I found 2005's route kind of boring, not many Mt. top finishes.

Day 10 is harder than it looks. sure not a mountain finish, but a hard stage with pretty steep climbs...last two at 7.5% (more than the Alpe d'Huez).
Same thing for day 17...a hard day...5 days of high mountains, 3 of them really hard, plus 2 a bit easier but hard nonetheless, 5 days of 'moyenne montagne'....
it's VERY standard...

This course has Ullrich written all over it; the ITT's will determine the winner in 06!

Dave in VA

No Lance. No TTT. Yawn.

THIS IS GAY!





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Tri-ing

the killing fields around bourg d'oisan are going to be 3 days of mayhem that I'd love to be there for... There are some chances there to do sufficient damage that it would take an extraordinary TT to change the result.

the pyrenean stages don't really get me going as much... no real back breakers though stage 11 could be interesting if big names get in trouble early. stage 10 only two climbs and a long downhill to the finish.

does anyone know what stage l'etape de tour will be?

Did any of you read about the French comments and tone of race presentation?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/...05/oct05/oct27news3b

I bet Lance protests and does not enter.

you beat me... I was about to paste them

"On the 24th of July we turned the page on a long, very long chapter in the history of the Tour de France. And one month later, current events made it clear to us that it was just as well that this was so."

It could only be a reference to seven-time Tour winner Armstrong, and the subsequent doping allegations published in the ASO-owned L'Equipe newspaper that came out one month later

l'etape is apparenty stage 15 - gap to d'huez... that is just insane... izoard, lautaret, d'huez... a good one to walk at the finish

I hope Lance gets pissed and goes for #8. On the other hand, that would only help the French make money on the event, so there is always the Giro!

Cheers

This is really disgusting, Armstrong SHOULD press charges against L'Equipe. I think the causal fan believes he doped, this is not the way you treat a 7-time champion who has been tested clean every single time.

Dave in VA

Wow. Getting rid of the Team Time Trial is a big disappointment. I thought it was a big crowd pleaser. Maybe the Zabriskie affair had someting to do with it.

That's a shame though, it was such a visually sensational event: All those TT bikes in a row at impossible speeds. There was so much tension too- with the incredible speed and the riders so close. Lots of drama.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I'm with you on this Tom. I love the TTT. It is always one of stages that I look forward to most. The team work involved and watching all those guys on the rivet is exciting.

I think all they had to do to avoid what happened to David Z. last year was to put the stage a little later in the Tour as opposed to so early. That way there is less of a chance for the person in the Yellow jersey to lose it as that person will be more (assumption) established in the lead. So say Basso has the lead going into the TTT with a a few stages still to go he is less likely to lose much of/or any time to Jan as there is a limit on how much a team can lose, especially since it will usually be pretty close between T-Mob and CSC. Also, if it is later in the race David Z. wouldn't have the Yellow jersey, Basso would (obviously using CSC as an example).

Do you think they said this to try to bring more press coverage? Hoping that Lance will be pissed enough to make a big stink.

I just don't get it. He is a seven time winner. He got the US to pay attention to your silly race.

Well whatever, I'll still be glued to the TV come July if OLN televises the Tour.

They are still having the tour without Lance?

The argument against having the TTT later is that if a team has lost a number of riders earlier in the Tour, they are screwed. Like what if they don't have five riders left? Or only six, versus teams that have all nine? A major disadvantage. Of course, that may provide incentive for the sprinters to stick around after the mountains...

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Well stated Ken. It is a disadvantage if a team has lost riders by that point.

I do like the thought of it putting more pressure on teams to make sure that everyone of their riders sticks it out until at least the TTT though. I wonder how those last few sprint stages would end up as well if the sprinters are spent by then. Maybe more of a chance for the attackers to make an early break and keep it away all stage.

I am a huge Lance/TeamDisco fan, but I never really warmed up to the idea of a TTT. Sure, it makes for good tv (a bit like Nascar---fun, fast, and full of crashes!).

But I always thought the TTT was a bit unfair.

i thought it was a funny read... even us aussies can't stir up the seppos as well as the french can do it. it takes a french man to have the sense of humour to say in public what people believe in private, but yet remain gutless enough to do it when the guy is not there to defend himself.

I don't think the french do it for publicity, whether they need more of that or not... I think the context there is very different from elsewhere. The article in L'Equipe was celebrated by most of the french people I know. every french person i have spoken to who knows about armstrong also 'knows' that he was doping, just the same as many people in the US and elswewhere 'know' that he didn't. comments like those above and articles like the one in l'equipe can then be made in a much more 'matter of fact' fashion. The french also have a real pride in their race that seems to be insulted by the victories of someone they believe is a cheat, doubly hard to swallow when their own riders are doing so poorly in it.

I would have preferred it if the organisers had just moved on, forgotten armstrong altogether and look forward to the 2006 race, which they would have done if they really did want to 'turn the page'. personally, i found the announcement of the stages themselves more intersting

btw... do they still call it il Giro in the US? A friend of mine was over there earlier in the year and mentioned he saw promotions for la vuelta as 'the tour de france - spanish edition" ...