http://www.ledauphine.com/sport/2012/09/24/gros-menu-sur-la-carte#jimage=3AAA5416-A44F-4BC5-BA10-C36C3FA88EB6

Translated loosely, up the Alpe, down the Alpe, round the Alpe and then back up it again.

Twice? EEEEK!

Looks like Ventoux is back as well.

Alpe (x2) & Ventoux?

“Murderers!!”

Nice retro-reference there! Except he said it on the Tourmalet. 🙂

Nice retro-reference there! Except he said it on the Tourmalet.

And wasn’t it ‘Assasins!’ ?

EDIT: Just realised I’ve never actually translated it. Murderers it is.

Well Im sure he would have said it again!

But are they serious?

Huge amounts of ouch..

Unfair, too hard.

I really do think the TdF ASO ought to stop this constant need to kill riders off. It spikes of a personal vendetta to me.

I’m all for hard riding, but making 4/5ths of the peloton suffer when there is no material gain for them is just cruel.

It’s about time we had a change of management in the ASO.

It’s the centenary year so there was always going to be some big mountains in there. Alpe D’Huez twice in an interesting one, I would have preferred a Col du Telegraph – Galibier – Alpe D’Huez day instead though.

if we can get Tourmalet or Col de l’Iseran in as well I will be a happy man.

Bertie to win then?

It means that there’s a good chance that several green jersey contenders (eg Cav!) could well get eliminated on the stage…

anything is possible to stop “le roast boeuf” winning again.

But usually when main contenders for green jersey etc fall out with the time limits on especially hard stages they just let them off with it don’t they(elimination I mean, not the time lost etc)?

Bertie to win then?

Assuming he’s fit, would be hard to look past him. Though it would be very interesting to see what a fit Froome/Wiggins combo could manage.

It means that there’s a good chance that several green jersey contenders (eg Cav!) could well get eliminated on the stage…

if enough of them are outside the time then they can let them continue as they have discretionary powers

Usually happens on one stage each year so as long as say 1/5- 1/3 of them ride together they will be safe unless they really take the piss [ stop at cafe and walk up for example

So GC to a climber who can not loose too much in a TT – Contador, cheeky each way on Pierre Rolland
Green to a sprinter who can still climb a bit – Sagen
KoM to a genuine, no frills mountain man – Scarponi? Maybe Valverde? Rolland if he is not in the GC hunt?

^^^^thats what I was trying to say Junkyard but I’m being heckled by a 1year old trying to slobber all over me…

Cycled up it four times on my holiday and don’t know what all the fuss is about. 😉

The penultimate stage is believed to be an uphill time trial to Semnoz.
Sounds like the Tour’s a Wiggo killer then.

Believe me contador and his trademark dancing on the pedals style will be licking his lips at the prospect of the sharp end of the race.

The penultimate stage is believed to be an uphill time trial to Semnoz

If that is true then it sounds like it’s been designed for Bertie. It would also sound like Wiggins wouldn’t defend his title and would give the lead man job to Froome.

The past two have been flatter than usual I think, that has played into Wiggins and baron greenbacks hands. It’s no surprise that this one is more mountainous. It will definitely make it hard for wiggins to defend his crown. But if the team ride like they did this year, just keep their own pace and not get into games with Bertie it is possible.

Contador likes to put in bursts to try and break his opponents, sky have got to resist his gameplan and stick to their own. I still think Contador will be favourite though.

How will Schleck do next year without big brother looking after him as well.

The penultimate stage is believed to be an uphill time trial to Semnoz

Surely that would suit Wiggins? His performance in other hill climb style TT’s has been very good. He’s better at doing hills that way, at a steady pace, rather than having to try and deal with attacks from folk.

Latest odds:
Alberto Contador 15/8
Chris Froome 4/1
Bradley Wiggins 6/1
Andy Schleck 11/1
Cadel Evans 33/1

The penultimate stage is believed to be an uphill time trial to Semnoz
Surely that would suit Wiggins? His performance in other hill climb style TT’s has been very good. He’s better at doing hills that way, at a steady pace, rather than having to try and deal with attacks from folk.

contador can do that too, and he’s far better on the proper hills

if it hilly surely froome is in with a shout brad should podium* though

* just fir the CPT 😉

Jeeze. Odds out already?

Ok, Bertie, only if he’s got Navarro with him for support ( haven’t seen the Saxo roster yet )

Hope this will be one of the Etape routes, that will be epic 😀

Why is twice up Alpe d’Huez too hard in a stage? Surely it’s not as tough as say a stage which follows the Marmotte route?

Last summer I swum 2,200m in a lake 12C, rode 60 miles over 2 mountain passes then up Alpe d’Huez, then once up there ran a half marathon. Admittedly I’ve not bothered doing a triathlon since and I was a lot slower than they’ll do in the TdF 😆

i don’t think it is _too_ hard, but it will be tough! the sarenne descent is really technical too, should be good.

Junky, I will now have to kill you to death!

Based on the route info so far, I can’t see further than Bertie much as that disappoints me. Of course, with all that’s coming out about Lance at the mo, who knows what or who else will get tied up in it. We can but hope 🙂

Unfair, too hard.

I really do think the TdF ASO ought to stop this constant need to kill riders off. It spikes of a personal vendetta to me.

Really? You obviously haven’t watched the Giro or the Vuelta as both are generally regarded as being harder than the TdF.

What is so hard about going up the Alpe twice anyway? It’s less than an hour climbing for them all, the Telegraph/Galibier is longer. Of course it depends what they put before it, but even if its something like the Croix der Fer it wouldn’t be too extreme.

The Alpe has a big reputation and its hard because everyone smashes themselves up their in pursuit of a good time, but actually its not that hard compared to several other big climbs.

As mtbmatt says the Alpe is not that hard, it takes the top guys just over 40 minutes. I climbed up Sarenne and down to Alpe d’Huez last summer and I would expect the road is going to be improved before next year but I did hear the same rumour at La Marmotte.

One of Bertie’s wingmen is going to be Nico Roche who has signed for Saxo Tinkoff.

as jeffcapeshop says,if they go down the Sarenne it’ll be intersting,they’re some huge waterbars to be filled in for a start.
Stage could start in the Maurienne valley over the Telegraph/Galabier or Glandon/Croix then the Alpe from Vaujauny/Oz Village,Sarenne then Alpe finish.I’d pay to see that.

I’d pay to see that.

And thats the beauty of Le Tour, all free!

Nah your right, I don’t watch the Giro nor the Vuelts 🙄

Think Sarenne is having a new surface.