3rd stage concern

[[email protected]]

I have been looking at the TDF route for stage 3.Looks as if the
peloton will go thru Trois Ponts Belgium and then direction of
Stavelot.The past two summers I have spent time cycling in this area
and the roadway between Trois Ponts and Stavelot is in VERY bad
condition.I was last on this road in May and unless there has been last
minute repairs this section of the stage will be tricky.

[psycholist]

I'd bet that if you went there today, you'd find the pavement as smooth as a
baby's bottom!

--
Bob C.

"Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I have been looking at the TDF route for stage 3.Looks as if the
> peloton will go thru Trois Ponts Belgium and then direction of
> Stavelot.The past two summers I have spent time cycling in this area
> and the roadway between Trois Ponts and Stavelot is in VERY bad
> condition.I was last on this road in May and unless there has been last
> minute repairs this section of the stage will be tricky.
>

[[email protected]]

psycholist wrote:
> I'd bet that if you went there today, you'd find the pavement as smooth as a
> baby's bottom!


I certainly hope that is the case.Leaving Trois Ponts direction of
Stavelot there is signage indicating the roadway is a mess.The riders
catch a break when they leave Malcomchamps and ride into Spa.There is a
very long downhill stretch here.I road that stretchgoing from Spa to
Malcomchamp last year in a driving summer thunderstorm at night loaded
with touring gear.I thought the hill would never end.It is gonna be fun
to watch this stage and see some of the areas I have road in the last
couple years.

[routebear]

Too bad, glass is a lot smoother.

"psycholist" > wrote in message
...
> I'd bet that if you went there today, you'd find the pavement as smooth as
a
> baby's bottom!
>
> --
> Bob C.
>
> "Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding that it hurts."
> T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> >I have been looking at the TDF route for stage 3.Looks as if the
> > peloton will go thru Trois Ponts Belgium and then direction of
> > Stavelot.The past two summers I have spent time cycling in this area
> > and the roadway between Trois Ponts and Stavelot is in VERY bad
> > condition.I was last on this road in May and unless there has been last
> > minute repairs this section of the stage will be tricky.
> >
>
>

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>I have been looking at the TDF route for stage 3.Looks as if the
> peloton will go thru Trois Ponts Belgium and then direction of
> Stavelot.The past two summers I have spent time cycling in this area
> and the roadway between Trois Ponts and Stavelot is in VERY bad
> condition.I was last on this road in May and unless there has been last
> minute repairs this section of the stage will be tricky.

The TdF is *not* the Giro, where roads in the "raw" are seen as a legitimate
part of the challenge. At the TdF, virtually any road with less-than-great
pavement gets resurfaced; at least it's been that way the past six years
I've been there. It wouldn't surprise me if promising great road surfaces
werea required part of the bidding package cities and regions put forth.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[Carl Sundquist]

"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in message
.com...

> The TdF is *not* the Giro, where roads in the "raw" are seen as a
> legitimate part of the challenge. At the TdF, virtually any road with
> less-than-great pavement gets resurfaced; at least it's been that way the
> past six years I've been there. It wouldn't surprise me if promising great
> road surfaces werea required part of the bidding package cities and
> regions put forth.
>

Was it '05 or '04 where the Tour purposely went over cobbles in Northern
France?

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

>> The TdF is *not* the Giro, where roads in the "raw" are seen as a
>> legitimate part of the challenge. At the TdF, virtually any road with
>> less-than-great pavement gets resurfaced; at least it's been that way the
>> past six years I've been there. It wouldn't surprise me if promising
>> great road surfaces werea required part of the bidding package cities and
>> regions put forth.
>>
>
> Was it '05 or '04 where the Tour purposely went over cobbles in Northern
> France?

Right, I remember that, people were pretty concerned. But of course that was
intentional, an attempt to put something a bit different into the race.
After all the complaints, I don't think it likely to happen again.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

[Mike Owens]

"Mike Jacoubowsky" > wrote in message
.com...
>>> The TdF is *not* the Giro, where roads in the "raw" are seen as a
>>> legitimate part of the challenge. At the TdF, virtually any road with
>>> less-than-great pavement gets resurfaced; at least it's been that way
>>> the past six years I've been there. It wouldn't surprise me if promising
>>> great road surfaces werea required part of the bidding package cities
>>> and regions put forth.
>>>
>>
>> Was it '05 or '04 where the Tour purposely went over cobbles in Northern
>> France?
>
> Right, I remember that, people were pretty concerned. But of course that
> was intentional, an attempt to put something a bit different into the
> race. After all the complaints, I don't think it likely to happen again.
>
I don't remember that many complaints. They used two relatively short and
good quality sections (Gruson and ???). USPS seemed to like it and thrive.
Mayo crashed on asphalt on the kilometers preceeding Gruson because everyone
wanted to be near the front as if it was really P-R.
-Mike