The year is 1973.
Cycling has been gaining more and more attention worldwide.
Traditional countries such as Belgium, France, Italy and Spain are now competing with international talents from Colombia, The United States, Japan, Australia, New-Zealand and South Africa. More and more nations fill the peloton.
In 1960 there were but 9 different nationalities in the Tour de France.
In 1972 the diversity was already up to 21 different nationalities.
The world is changing.
But the rich history of the Tour de France is always there.
It is one of the oldest bike races in the world. The most prestigious.
Simply to compete in it, is a dream coming true for some.
Winning it, a once in a lifetime opportunity for just a select few.
The year is 1973.
The stage is set for the 60th Tour de France.
Who will write history in this legendary bike race?
Introduction
Retro: Tour de France 1973 is a small project, an experimental leftover from the CX:AND game. Let's call it expanded universe. The game follows the same rules as Cyclo-Cross: A New Dawn did. If you're unfamiliar with it, learn more here!
I've been away from PCM.Daily for a few months now. Everything's going great, but sometimes I still get this in my head. There's something leftover that I've always felt I wanted to do. This is me coming back to do it. Things settling down with my job and life now, I'm finally willing to make some time to come back and do this final "story". I need to get it out of my system!
Every stage will be reported and there will be time between stages to react in character (I will set up a seperate Game Thread as in CX:AND). You can be a cyclist, multiple cyclists, a team leader...
1973
I've chosen 1973 for several reasons. I won't list them all but racing style has something to do with it. Long-range attacks are less uncommon than today. GC contenders attacking 2 mountains from the finish are not that crazy. No Sky train.
Sprint stages are also different. No specialised sprint trains. Not even a guarantee at a sprint. And if it comes down to a sprint, it ain't always a group of +100 left.
To cut this short, more liberty in my writing to make the reports more dramatic and interesting instead of: Sky train until 1 km to go.
Tour de France Information
Stages: 21 Teams Contending: 20 Riders per Team: 7
Type of Rider:
Here you describe your rider in at least some sentences. Is he a GC contender with a good time trial? Is he a climber who loses minutes in the wind on the flat? Is he a sprint miracle? Is he a stage hunter? Is he a KoM specialist? Is he top 5 material who aims for the podium this year? Is he making a comeback? Is he a debutant at the Tour, the new French hope?
* optional
Nationalities: You are free to choose nationalities, just like in CX. But I prefer more riders from the traditional countries. Don't let it hold you back in your creativity, most bots will be traditional European, but it would feel strange to have the 1973 Tour with on the podium: 1. Andorra 2. Gabon 3. Venezuela.
Hope to find some middle ground with you on this
Backstory
Backstory is not yet definite until the game starts. Out of the sign-up sheets, I will decide some of the backstory (defending TDF champion, World Champion...) together with the players.
The more interest/players, the less high-profile bots.
The less interest/players, the more bots who will win stages, go for GC, green jersey...
I hope this epilogue-project of mine can be something big with all of your help!
Want to help?
I can also use some help with following things. Any help is appreciated:
- Making bot teams and riders after sign-ups to complete the 140 men peloton.
- Route. Making a route or picking an existing route. I need profiles at the very least. Maybe PCM profiles could work, a nice TDF variant. Custom made would be epic, though.
- Graphical. If someone wants to help out making some nice banners for race reports or something, contact me. If not, I'll do a minimal-design thing myself.
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave
This project definitely looks interesting. Not sure if I have the time to participate, I'll have to contemplate that. In any case the best of luck.
I guess you never know but I'm certainly not planning on spending any more time on my computer than I have to.
I decided I wanted to come back to do this but mostly because it's finite (21 reports - end). No matter how much fun I had on PCM.Daily over the years, I don't miss sitting behind that computer so much, believe me
Name: Matti Karhu
Nationality (region): Finland
Age: 32
Height: * 187cm
Weight: * 77kg
Specialty: ** Experience, Bad Conditions, Stamina
Weakness: ** Heat, Media, Punch
Biography: * Matti Karhu was born in Masku, Finland, a cross-country skier, he picked up cycling late at the age of 17 and continued skiing until he was 21 and made the switch to cycling with a small French team. Since then he has progressed into a classics force. More recently his '73 classics season was very strong, and after a broken finger kept him from his Vuelta plans, he's fresh and strong for the tour, believing he has a chance if he can make a difference on the flat roads and limit his losses in the mountains.
Type of Rider: Strongman, great in high winds, cobbles, time trials, but lacks the punch for hills and sprints, while in the mountains he's decently strong but no match for the pure climbers.
You might decide he's more suited as a domestique or not one of the top riders or whatever, if so I'll adjust the biography accordingly.
Also, do you have a planned location for the Grand Depart?
Name: Tobias Hammarling
Nationality (region): Sweden
Age: 29
Height: 179cm
Weight: 80
Specialty: Stamina, Fighting Spirit
Weakness: Sprint, Acceleration
Biography: Tobias has been quietly making his way as a pro-cyclist. He's been riding at a high level for 5 years, carving out a nice little space for himself. Never been a particularly big or prolific winner, Tobias has always been better as a serviceman for others. He can tug along a flat road for hours. He can raise up a climb for hours. Cobbles don't shake him, time trials won't brake him. And he's quick with a spanner or a spare wheel as well.
This do all ability and work hard attitude have kept him nicely in the money and in teams. A real assett for any team he's been on, and as such you can't completely count him out if he's in the finish.
Native to Stockholm, Tobias has three children. Aleksander is the eldest, Mikel in the middle and brand new-born Erik who is less than a month old!
Type of Rider: All-rounder. Good climber. Good pace setter. Good classics man. A rider who's almost seen it all and done it all over the years. Very much like a Hincapie, but more stage racery than classicsy. Can do whatever a leader needs, but give him a chance and he could hang on for his own hopes.
____________
I'll dig out my TDF Route Map book for some stage ideas, you know what i'm like with routes
Will add another rider for sure. Can come up with fillers at a later date if needed. There were three British stage wins in '73, could do with bettering that somehow
Also, do you have a planned location for the Grand Depart?
No but I have some preferences. I'm thinking either France itself, Netherlands or Great Britain.
France: Somewhere North or perhaps even Paris itself. Cobbled stage is almost a must, isn't it?
Netherlands: opportunities along the coast line for windy flat stages. Possibility to pass through Belgium and visit Ardennes or Flemish Ardennes. How about the Muur at the Tour, perhaps.
Great Britain: Plenty of interesting terrain there for 3-day opening.
I'll dig out my TDF Route Map book for some stage ideas, you know what i'm like with routes
Awesome to see this thread this evening Ian, excited for this and will definitely put in a few riders sometime
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
First guy here, someone who existed in my mind before now so came a bit easier. Will likely be 2nd best one but could be 1st seeing how things go.
Name: Gianni Caputta Nationality (region): Italy (Lombardia) Age: 25 Height: 168 Weight: 61kg Specialty: Born entertainer, very punchy Weakness: Big power, cobbles and time trials, impuslive Biography: Gianni was born in Iseo to loving parents and was the youngest of three children, with two older sisters. He was a cycling nut and was immediately caught by the romantic nature of the sport, his passion for it as a teen surpassed even that of his father, a fierce Coppi supporter who'd introduced young Gianni to the sport. He won some local races and was soon on the path to becoming a pro.
In his career so far he's shown his talent at the top level, with wins from flat days to the high mountains. He's won a few points and KoM jerseys but his lack of talent in the TT and his proneness to crappy days means the GC is a little out of his reach Reduced sprints from the pack or from a break are his usual method but with a good punch he can attack anywhere, and I mean anywhere - Caputta's not scared to gamble. Following on from that, most of all Gianni Caputta loves to entertain the crowds and it shines through - never giving up, always fighting for the win, climbing, sprinting, attacking - who likes a time triallist anyway, amiright?
Charming and cocky but just a big mummy's boy at heart - missing the ego to be too big for his boots but toes the line seemingly whenever he gets the chance, he's loved by the press but occasionally a teammate or boss disagrees. The people of Italy know he won't be their next big GC, classics or even sprint hope but they love the young lad all the same - the only was is up for Gianni Caputta, if he can keep his feet on the ground and dark side down.
This Tour de France his aims seem to be to take every stage as it goes, he's wona GT stage before (1972 Giro, stage 11, tactically winning from a break of nine) but he's a debutant at Le Grande Boucle and will have to stomach the pressure.
Type of Rider: All-arounder who's good from sprints (maybe not quite the pan-flat days) to the high mountains and everything in between, but not cobbles or time trials. A good combination classification rider almost, though probably not gonna get high enough on GC Big fighter as well with a big heart and a big punch.
Edited by jandal7 on 18-02-2017 04:48
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
As a route goes, the '73 wasn't a bad one. Depart in Netherlands then a few sprints going south. Tough runs across the Vosges and Jura. Long raids in the Alps for a few days. Realy quick jump across the south coast. Couple of sharp days in the Pyrenees. Bit of a rest before a decisive stage up the Puy de Dome. Of course this was in the days of A/B stage days, so there would be 27 stages not 21.
To cut the '73 route down to 21: Combine 1a with 1b, so straight from Scheveningen to Sint-Niklaas. Drop 2b, so just a TTT in Sint-Niklaas, picking up Roubaix on Stage 3. Drop 7a. Combine 12a and 12b into one road stage. Drop 16a and make the ITT longer. Drop 20a leaving a "traditional" Paris finish.
Would make a race more for climbers than TT'ers, but a long enough late ITT at Bordeaux will bring back some balance. Some mixed stages to suit breakaways and some long harsh mountains to compensate for "lack" of mtf's. Plus can you pass up a finish on the Puy de Dome so late on? Would be brilliant!
TheManxMissile wrote:
As a route goes, the '73 wasn't a bad one. Depart in Netherlands then a few sprints going south. Tough runs across the Vosges and Jura. Long raids in the Alps for a few days. Realy quick jump across the south coast. Couple of sharp days in the Pyrenees. Bit of a rest before a decisive stage up the Puy de Dome. Of course this was in the days of A/B stage days, so there would be 27 stages not 21.
To cut the '73 route down to 21: Combine 1a with 1b, so straight from Scheveningen to Sint-Niklaas. Drop 2b, so just a TTT in Sint-Niklaas, picking up Roubaix on Stage 3. Drop 7a. Combine 12a and 12b into one road stage. Drop 16a and make the ITT longer. Drop 20a leaving a "traditional" Paris finish.
Would make a race more for climbers than TT'ers, but a long enough late ITT at Bordeaux will bring back some balance. Some mixed stages to suit breakaways and some long harsh mountains to compensate for "lack" of mtf's. Plus can you pass up a finish on the Puy de Dome so late on? Would be brilliant!
Yes it does seem pretty great.
I'll try to find the race profiles somewhere and see if it can work.
Hell, even respecting the route and have 27 stages couldn't hurt, I guess.
Although I might have to do something about the time trials. Total km of time trial doesn't bother me but 3 individual time trials are just too many.
I hate trying to find old route profiles, it's why i like my map book because at least i can guess the route fairly well and put it into a gpx creator to get a rough idea.
TheManxMissile wrote:
I hate trying to find old route profiles, it's why i like my map book because at least i can guess the route fairly well and put it into a gpx creator to get a rough idea.
Perhaps profiles aren't entirely necessary if I can get my hands on the categorised climbs and villages the route passes.
I'm also eyeing the route of the TDF 2010.
Or creating a unique route. Which would be nice but more work, of course. With a good map of France it could be a fun job, though, too. I've got some books on cols in Alpes and Pyrenees from my holidays so I could use them for information.
Original route could be fun to create, may be able to help, may not but could put some input in
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Ian Butler wrote:
Or creating a unique route. Which would be nice but more work, of course.
Could keep some key points of the '73 route and make up some connecting stages.
Keep the start in Schevengien (spelt it wrong i bet ). Could do a hilly stage in Belgium from there. A more serious day in either Vosges or Jura. Keep the long Alpine raids in spirit but customise the routes somewhat. Keep the stage to Pyrenees-2000 then custom make 2 more Pyrenees days. Finish with a dash up Puy de Dome just before the finish in Paris. And just fill in the connections which is mostly sprints where the exact course isn't hugely important.
Name: Pierre Parenteau
Nationality (region): France (Corisca)
Age: 21
Height: 174
Weight: 66
Specialty: Climbing, Aggression, Descending
Weakness: Aggression (loses quickly temper), Cobbles, Cold
Biography: Pierre was born on a farm few kilometers from Lecci, Corisca. He had his first ride on a bike at the age of 5, where he immediately crashed into a tree. For some it could mean that they won't ride their bike in some time, but Pierre was a guy who never gave up. In the next few years he rode on his bike every single day.
Type of Rider: Fighter who excel in climbing and descending. Rides on emotions. Usually sets a high pace but cracks often. A "do or die" rider generally.
Name:Joshua Fornaroli
Nationality:/
Age:23
Height:170
Weight:68
Speciality:Climbing, Puncheur and Heat
Weakness:Flat, Cobbles and Colder climates
Biography:
Joshua Fornaroli was born in downtown Sydney to a cycling-loving family. He loved Australia due to the climate and hilly terrain, but soon found out the Australian racing scene was far too easy for him. Learning the popularity of the Tour de France and the more competition he would face, he went to Italy with his family at the age of 15. He also had some ancestry in Italy, hence his name. The climate didn't suit him perfectly and found himself riding even in snow, which he occasionally struggled in, but got more accustomed to it as he progressed. The racing was more enjoyable for young Joshua so he decided to stay which proved to be a great move. After an unbelievable 1969 season with his amateur team, which saw him win 6 races in the span of only a few months, he signed to a professional team.
His first season at this level saw Joshua be a domestique, but really struggled on the flats, during which he dropped out of races many times. In wind, he could hardly stay on his bike which made his director at the time say these remarks, "Joshua certainly has a lot of talent, but if he can't even make it to the mountains, what's the point?".
He switched teams in the 1971 season which saw him improve his results greatly. The flat terrain was still hurting him, but he climbed like a gem and won a few major races including a stage at the Criterium National de Route and in the leader's jersey, but dropped in the crosswinds the following day. At the end of the 1971 season he was given a new role as protected rider and had high hopes for the next year.
1972 came rolling around the corner and Joshua learnt his trade very well through this one. He went to his first GT, the Giro, where he was riding in 6th in the overall GC, but then a snowstorm hit and lost 30 minutes during that stage. He eventually came back to finish in 14th with the help of his team-mates. He accumulated many top 10's during this season, in where he rode well in Italy especially finishing 9th in Milan-Sanremo in an escape group of 15. At the end of the 1972 season he went back to Australia to see his extended family which gave him a massive boost of motivation for the next year.
Returning to Europe, the 1973 season, he had gotten far stronger and targeted the Tour de France. Riding the first few races, he was more protected in the peloton and did not drop in the flat very often anymore. He finished 6th in Milan-Sanremo this time as he tried a daring attack himself, but was caught 50m from the line, heartbreak. The ardennes season came in fast as he finished 7th in Amstel, but while being a favourite in the Fleche Wallonne,disaster struck, he crashed out in a huge tumble which quite possibly saw his season virtually over.
His re-habilation started early, he was encouraged by his team-mates and family to keep fighting and make the Tour somehow. This encouragement saw Joshua be strapped up, all bruised and battered, but still standing on the startline of the 1973 Tour de France. The seemingly impossible, was possible! Joshua was taught very early in his life to never give up and use that Aussie grit and determination. He dedicated this race to his parents.
What will the 1973 Tour de France lead to, for Joshua Fornaroli............
Name: Pascal Chardefaux
Nationality (region): Rhône - Alpes
Age: 23
Height: * 168cm
Weight: * 53kg
Specialty: ** Mountains, Knows the Alpes like the back of his hand, Technically Strong but lacks the Weight for a descent
Weakness: ** Lack of Weight for Non-Mountains, Lack of Experience
Biography: * Born in a cycling mad family in Quintal, Pascal Chardefaux followed in his brother's (and father's failed) footsteps into the cycling world, since the age of 10 trips to the peak of Semnoz were not uncommon and a few years later he took cycling up seriously, training with the Alpes on his doorstep, literally at the base of Semnoz.
He progressed quickly and in every race up the mountains he was unbeatable in his age provided he reached the climbs, but soon his competitors realised they could drop him before they got too the climbs and he stagnated.
Finally in the U23 field he was unknown enough to slip into a break, landing a queen stage win in a major race, stunning enough to get him into a team and finally in the TDF, with tentative hopes placed on him for a stage win or KOM jersey, despite an unpromising season start in a harsh pro field.
Type of Rider: Super-Light Climber but lacks the weight for flat roads, cobblestones, winds and the like, perfectly at home in the mountains though.
Finland
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
Italy (Lombardia)
France (Corisca)
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