jcza Posted October 22, 2014 Share Interesting... no ITT? Only the short prologue. There will be 6 mountain top finishes....apparently Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez-O Posted October 22, 2014 Share I'm seriously considering going to the Alps for a few days on the 2015 tour... Anyone else keen? Nibali and Frosty 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 22, 2014 Share From cyclingnews... Team to target stage wins and possibly Green Jersey The battle for Tour de France wildcard places will hot up next week when the official 2015 race route will be presented in Paris and Brian Smith will be eager to make a case for MTN – Qhubeka’s inclusion when he meets ASO representatives. To bolster their chances of selection, the South African team has signed a number of high profile riders from the WorldTour ranks, with Edvald Boasson Hagen, Steve Cummings, Theo Bos and Tyler Farrar among the new recruits. Having made the team’s Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta, the Tour de France is the next objective, and Smith believes that the squad will bring a rich blend of talent and excitement, as well as their unique story. While nothing can be taken for granted in terms of ASO’s wildcard selection – which is likely to be made in the spring of next year – MTN’s chances look very promising. There are currently only 17 WorldTour teams for 2015, therefore creating five wildcards, instead of the typical four. “We’re not going to take anything for granted when it comes to the Tour de France wildcards with ASO. I don’t know what they’re going to do with the fact that there are probably going to be 17 WorldTour teams. I think it means that they’ll have to look at five spaces. Cofidis will I’m sure be there, Bretagne, IAM, Bora, who rode well this year, and are key for German cycling, are all in the mix as well,” Brian Smith told Cyclingnews. Much could hinge on MTN’s meeting with ASO, where they will present their image, ethos and plans for next year, along with a potential line up for the race. “We’re going to tell ASO this but we’re not looking at the GC at this stage. I’d like to think that the Green Jersey is an option to target but we’ll certainly be riding for stage wins. We could bring the first African team to the Tour de France and from that the minimum would be to win a stage,” Smith added. “We then have the African climbers in the team and we want to give them the opportunity to really show what they can do in the mountains. I believe in the riders we have and the talent. We can light up stages of the Tour and we bring this incredible story to the Tour. We’re putting African kids on bikes and being at the Tour de France would help that immeasurably.” One potential idea that Smith will showcase to ASO involves the French media visiting Africa with the planned aim of publishing the race to a wider audience. It’s hoped that this will inspire more African children to take up cycling. For Smith, the team is about results and performance as it is about Qhubeka’s work and legacy. “We can make history with the team and riders we have if we’re at the Tour de France. You have to remember that there’s also a large percentage of French speaking Africans. They don’t have access to the Tour de France so we’re going to present to ASO a few ideas, for instance a French radio station going to Africa and bringing the race to that African community.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 22, 2014 Share I'm looking forward to this, as I've made a number of changes to the scoring system for the fantasy competition, to make it more rewarding for picked riders in the break, successful breakaways that stay away, and more... 5 minutes to the start Sani 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mon-goose Posted October 22, 2014 Share alp duheuz on the second last day could be interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 22, 2014 Share Tour de France 2015 to break UCI rules with mid-race team time trial Cycling’s governing body, the UCI, however, says in regulation 2.6.003 that “Team time trial stages shall take place during the first third of the race.” It means that for a Grand Tour the event must occur in the first seven days of the 21-day event. Team time trials are usually in the first four days of Grand Tours to avoid the risk of teams lacking numbers due to abandons. The Giro d’Italia starts on day one with a team time trial to Sanremo in 2015. The 2015 Tour starts in The Netherlands and runs through Belgium before reaching France’s north coast. The route could potentially create plenty of opportunities for cyclists to crash on technical roads that often feature cross-winds. ASO may have a deal with the UCI so that it allows the team time trial to run in the second week. The race is due to travel from Vannes to Plumelec in the country’s northwest and take in the Côte de Cadoudal climb. Vannes Mayor David Robo, according to Le Télégramme, said in public meeting, “Vannes will indeed be the start city of a team time trial, on Sunday 12 July 2015.” The Tour de France last ran a team time trial two years ago, in 2013, in Nice. Orica-GreenEDGE set the fastest time with an average speed of 57.841kph. This event appears regularly in stage races, but not in the Olympics or Worlds. In the World Championships, it was a four-man amateur event over 100 kilometres from 1962 to 1994. Italy and the Soviet Union collected the most medals, Great Britain zero. In the Olympics, it ran from 1912 until 1992. Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/tour-de-france/team-time-trial-upset-tour-de-france-gc-battle-140773#rKUVS5IbFQf9yH2g.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 22, 2014 Share Interesting... 5 worthy climbs ignored by the Tour de France http://www.podiumcafe.com/2014/10/21/7026311/five-worthy-climbs-ignored-by-the-tour-de-france Edited October 22, 2014 by geraldm24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 22, 2014 Share Day 20, the penultimate day - the (in)famous Alpe de Huez climbhttp://www.thelocal.fr/userdata/images/article/w468/ab12dc7f7e70c4dabbf11689a7e692818019a9ca901834e74310e009ac5eaa9d.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcza Posted October 22, 2014 Share I like the route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 22, 2014 Share Heard something about bonus - wasn't sure if it's time or points (green). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcza Posted October 22, 2014 Share New points scale for the points jersey competition, tilts more to sprinters who win the flat stages Time bonuses will be 10-6-4 seconds for first three riders and only during the first week Frosty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcza Posted October 22, 2014 Share Day 20 - Galibier then Alp D'Huez. ScottCM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcza Posted October 22, 2014 Share From Froomes website The 2015 edition has little opportunity for riders to make significant gains on their rivals in time trials with a time trial stage one of only 13.7km and a team time trial of 28km on stage nine. This is notably less than in recent editions of the Tour de France. Froome's participation in the 2015 Tour de France is not certain, as he explains: "The team and I will have to give it some careful consideration before we make any commitments to which of the grand tours I will compete in. I see myself as quite a balanced GC rider and the Giro with it's inclusion of a long TT of 60km and tough uphill finishes will make it a well balanced race which suits me well. If I did the Giro I may also be able to get myself back to top shape for the Vuelta and go there with a realistic chance of aiming for the win"."In the past I've only targeted one grand tour each season but it could be a good opportunity for me to focus seriously on two. It's still early days though and we'll have to sit down and put our heads together as a team to work out what 2015 is going to look like for us." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottCM Posted October 22, 2014 Share I personally am happy about the lack of TT as this will force the guys to attack and slug it out on the road like its suppose to be. (A Fit uninjured Andy Schleck would have loved next years Tour ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottCM Posted October 22, 2014 Share I'm seriously considering going to the Alps for a few days on the 2015 tour... Anyone else keen? Enjoy bud, one day i shall join you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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