Early impressions of 2010 Tour de France route
Some quick thoughts about the route of the 2010 Tour de France, revealed Wednesday.
Chances are high one of these three favored riders will win the 2010 Tour. 2009 winner Alberto Contador of Spain, left, Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, center, and American seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong attend the presentation of the Tour de France 2010, in Paris, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
A shorter opening stage, an 8K prologue, gives riders such as Thor Hushovd or George Hincapie a better chance to take yellow. Still, Fabian Cancellara will be the favorite to be the first to don the maillot jaune.
The first three stages pay homage to the Classics, including sections used in Liege Bastogne Liege and some cobblestone sections on Stage 3. These stages can be the bane of the smaller climbers. Iban Mayo lost three or so minutes the last time the Tour route included pave and was out of contention before getting to the mountains. Guys like Tom Boonen are licking their chops, though, eager to make amends for his drug suspensions and a subpar 2009, in front of the Belgians.
No team time trial. That’s good news for Cadel Evans and Denis Menchov, who were eliminated from serious contention this year by poor team performances in the discipline. Bad news for Lance Armstrong and perhaps Bradley Wiggins. This year, Armstrong, Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer and the rest of the Astana boys were in the catbird’s seat after the TTT. They’d left everyone but the Garmin guys, Wiggins and Christian VandeVelde, far behind.
Just the prologue and one time trial. Again, this hurts Wiggins, perhaps even more than Armstrong, if this year was any indication. Armstrong lost more time to Contador in time trials than in the mountains.
Mountain stages: On paper, the Pyrenees in the third week look tougher than the Alps. Decisive climbs, including a finish on the Tourmalet, seem closer to the end of the stages than in 2009. These are the kind of stages where climbers can open gaps and not lose them on downhills.
The bottom line: Contador should be favored, unless he’s riding for a weakened Astana team. Fewer time trials and more long, final climbs make Andy Schleck a strong contender. If Armstrong wants to win an eighth title, he’ll have to focus on climbing, not time trialing.
The TTT is my favorite stage to watch. I wish it was in the Tour every year.
I agree with Darthrider that the TTT is great to watch; however, an individual wins the TdF. A bad showing by your team in the TTT and a great rider loses the GC. Attempts to limit the max time loss just never worked too well.
I am excited to see the route (clearly) especially since its in May. More room to roam in the late Spring.There will be 11km of cobblestones in the last 30km. There will be some damage.