Tour de France 2010:Parcours,Rider's Opinions,an Interview with Andy Schleck and few pics:

Today there has been the presentation of the 2010 Tour de France parcours.Some riders were in Paris to watch it and between them there were Contador,Cavendish,Armstrong,Hushvod, Ivanov,Pozzato and Andy Schleck.

The Tour 2010 will start on the 3rd of July and end on the 25th of July.The race will start from Rotterdam,in Holland.The first stage will be an 8 kms TT suitable to time trialist specialists (*Fangirl's happy for Cancellara*).

The second stage will go from Rotterdam to Bruxelles and is going to suit sprinters.

During the third stage,the Bruxelles-Spa,the riders are going to ride on some streets that usually appear in the Liege-Bastogne-Liegi.However,the stage won't be very hard (or at least it won't be as hard as a Liege).

The 4th stage,surprise surprise,is the Wanze-Arenbergh and the cyclists will face 13 kms of cobblestones during it.As much as I could understood from the live broadcasting of the presentation,all the GC riders are pretty worried about this stage,since there may be some dangerous crashes.

The 5th stage will be the first one completely held in France,and will probably suit the sprinters,just like the 6th one.
The 7th stage will see the riders ending the race at the top of the Station des Rousses climb (14 kms of length).
Aslo the following stage,the Station des Rousses-Morzine-Avoriaz,will have an uphill finish.The riders in fact will have to face the col de la Ramaz (14 km-6,9%) and the Avoriaz (13,6 km-6,1%),a climb that will bring them at 1800 m over the sea level.After that stage the riders will have their first rest day.
On the 13th of July the cyclists will face the Morzine-Avoriaz-Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne stage,which will include the col du Colombiere (ah,sweet memories...),the Col des Aravis (7,6 km-5,9%),the Col des Saisies (14,4 km-5,1%) and the Col de la Madeleine (25,4 km-6,1%). Unfortunately there will be 35 kms between the last climb and the finish-line,so it won't be that easy to attack.
On the 14th of July there will be the Chambery-Gap stage,while the following stage will be held between Sisteron and Bourg les Valence.Then there will be the Bourg de Peage-Mende and the Rodez-Revel stages.
The 14th stage will be the Reve-Ax-3 Domains and will have an uphill finish.The riders in fact will face the Ax-3 Domains climb (7.9 km,8.3%) and the Port de Pallhères (15,1 km-8,1%).
The following day there will be another tough stage,the Pamiers-Bagneres de Luchon.The riders will climb the Col du Portet d'Aspet (5,8 km-6,8%),the Col des Ares (6,1 km-4,7%) and the Porte de Balès (19,2 km-6,2%) ,after the last climb,will have to ride for others 21 kms.
The following day the race will move from Bagneres de Luchon to Pau and the cyclists will have to face the Col de Peyresourde (11 km-7,4%),the Col d'Aspin (12,3 km-6,3%),the Col du Tourmalet (17,1 km-7,4%) and the Col d'Aubisque (5,4 km-6%).Anyway,the ones who will want to attack in that stage must keep in mind that there will be nearly 60 kms between the last climb and the finish-line.
On the 21st of July there will be the last rest day,while on the 22nd of July the riders will face a really tough race,the Pau-Col du Tourmalet.The climbs that the riders are going to face on that day are the Col de Marie-Blanque (9,5 km-7,5%),the Col du Soulor (22 km-4,9%) and the Col du Tourmalet (19 km-7,4%).
The penultimate stage will be a ITT of 51 kms from Bordeaux to Pauillac.The race will end on the 25th of July in Paris.

Me's pretty happy about the next Tour's parcours,since it seems harder than last year's one and it seems that there will be some interesting stages already during the first week.Talking about the climbs,I think that the Tourmalet stage will be very nice,even if I don't approve the fact that in some stages (for example the one with the Col d'Aubisque) the last climb and the finish-line are divided by lots of kms.There is just one individual TT (me's chering for the lack of TTT right now) and I hope it won't be a completely flat one.Considering that the parcours should suit them,let's hope that Andy and Frank Schleck will do great things on the French roads in 2010!

THE OPINION OF THE RIDERS:

Lance Armstrong:"This Tour excites me.I'm gonna need a strong team,that will be able to support me during the first week but also on the climbs.There won't be any TTT and the Arenbergh stage worries me a bit since I don't have a lot of experience in riding on cobblestones. The Tourmalet stage may result decisive in the end.I'll have new motivation and a new team next year and I'll go to the Tour to win it".

Contador instead said:"It's gonna be a Tour harder than 2009 one.There will be also a stage in which we'll have to ride over the cobblestones,but I have a bit of experience in riding on it and I think I won't have lots of problems.I'm just worried about the chance of crashing during that stage.I really like the Tourmalet stage,this year its role will be more important than the one it had this year.I'm optimist,I think I may be able to beat Armstrong and the other riders.And I know that my team will help me during the whole race".

Andy Schleck instead said: "The parcours is much harder than 2009 one.There will be a great finale,with the Tourmalet and the TT,but also the Arenbergh stage will be very tricky.I'll try to gain as much as possible on the climbs in order to defend myself in the TT.It's true,there is just one TT,but it's very long.Of course I will do my best to get ready for the race.I don't know all the climbs,but I'm going to check them before of the race.I go to France to win the Tour".

Bjarne Riis said:"Overall,I think that next year's route is very interesting.I am happy to see that the mountain stages seem harder and the mountains are positioned later on each stage so they can be used for attacks.Obviously,I would like to have a team time trial but it speaks to our favor that there is only one long time trial.Last but not least,we must be very careful and aware on stage three passing the cobblestones”.

INTERVIEW WITH ANDY:

Link:http://www.eurosport.fr/cyclisme/tour-de-france/2009/jespere-en-profiter_sto2092083/story.shtml

What do you think of 2010 parcours?

AS: The first stages look very tricky.We'll have to be very careful not to lose time.I think that the Alps will make a little selection and that it will be the Pyrenaes to decide who the strongest
rider is. ìThe TT is very long and will request freshness:you'll need to still have something to give on that day if you want to make a good time.I liked last year's parours,but I think this year's one will be harder.

Are you worried about the Arenbergh stage?

AS: One thing is sure: I'm not going to attack on the cobblestones.I think there will be a great bagarre to get the best places in the peloton before of the beginning of the cobblestones sectors.The only thing that may make that stage decisive for the rest of the Tour is the chance of crashing.And,to be honest,I wish that no one will fall on that day.

What do you think about the lack of a TTT in this year's parcours?
AS: I'm actually pretty satisfied.I'm not like Bjarne Riis,who loves TTT in a crazy way.If you have a strong team,you can gain time,but otherwise you can just lose it.This year some riders lost the Tour just because of the TTT.No,really,a TTT may be very exciting to see,but it causes too much stress and I'm happy about the fact that I'm not going to face it in 2010 Tour.
There are 4 mountain stages in a row during the last week of race.Will they be decisive?

AS: The winner of the Tour is usually decided during the 2nd and the 3rd week of race.This year everyone said that the Ventoux stage would have made a big selection,but I never believed this. I've always said that the name of the Tour winner would have been known before of the last stage.Next year instead things will be different,since the penultimate stage is a TT.

How will you train before of the Tour?
AS: I'll work more on the details and I'll try to improve in the TTs.I'll also go to see some of the mountain stages.Since the Tour is my main goal for 2010,I may start to go and see the climbs in the next few weeks.
Contador has said you're his most dangerous rival.Do you think that the next Tour will be a battle between you two?
AS: Contador is the favourite rider in my opinion,but I don't think the Tour will be a battle between us two.You mustn't underestimate the other riders.Armstrong was 3rd this year and will be stronger in 2010.Valverde,Wiggins,Nibali and Kreuziger want to win that race as well.My brother was very strong this year and in 2010 will be even more motivated than this year.We have 2 cards to play and I'll hope to get advantadge from this.