I was wondering if people would be interested in a GT around Benelux, France etc. it would be something like 7 Cobbled stages 5 Hill stages 5 flat stages 1 mountain stage and 3 Time trials (TTT, prologue and ITT). It would be made up of races I've made and will make as well as stages I find. I will update it here, but this is just starting right now to gauge interest.
Also, if anybody is interested in helping, even for just one stage, shoot me a PM or post in the thread.
I've probably forgotten a lot of details, will mention them when I remember. Edited by trekbmc on 30-06-2016 21:45
The tour begins in Aalst, which is just 20km from Brussels. The race follows the Dender river and the flat course suits the real time trial specialists, allowing the strongest rider to power into the prestigious green jersey. There is an intermediate time check halfway through in Oudegem (not shown on profile?)
The race begins in Aalst, crossing the Dender twice in the town before quickly leaving.
The intermediate sprint takes place in Oudegem, which is considered part of Dendermonde, roughly hallway through the race.
The riders make their way through the beautiful countryside, although they will have no time to look at the scenery.
The race finishes in Dendermonde, near the Dender river.
This is my first stage that I've posted and I'm pretty happy with it. Although there will likely be problems, I'm open to any sort of criticism, suggestions, etc. so I can improve. It would be great to receive some sort of constructive feedback.
Also just wondering on opinions here, firstly, what do people think for a name, I'm going with Benelux tour for now, although the race will likely go to France (mostly North Eastern), a similar amount to the Netherlands or Luxembourg, (also could visit Germany, Switzerland or Italy) so the name doesn't really fit.
Also, what about leaders jerseys, I'm currently thinking green for GC, although the tour de France already has green for sprints, so maybe a different colour, for other jerseys I don't mind if other races have them, but any suggestions?
I'm also planning the full route now, I already have a pretty good idea of where it's going but if anybody wants to see certain stages, or certain places such as cities, hills, cobbled sectors, etc. just tell me and/or give me a GPX file for a stage and I'll try to include it.
I'm open to suggestions on all these points as well as anything else. I'm really trying to keep it accessible to the forum as I make it and if anybody wants to help, etc. contact me, although just posting in the thread will make it faster.
Also, does anybody know if it's possible to edit how mountain, sprint points and time bonuses are given out?
For example the race will have one mountain stage, the problem is that with lots of category 2.3 and 4 climbs during the race but only hors/category 1 climbs during the stage (it won't be made too hard though, probably with only one serious climb) a rider could take a massive advantage in the KOM classification, when really I want it to only be a few more points for the climbs on this stage.
I could give the climbs lower classifications, but I just want to know if there is a way to do this first?
Great work, but if anybody but Geraint Thomas wins this....
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trekbmc wrote:
Also, does anybody know if it's possible to edit how mountain, sprint points and time bonuses are given out?
For example the race will have one mountain stage, the problem is that with lots of category 2.3 and 4 climbs during the race but only hors/category 1 climbs during the stage (it won't be made too hard though, probably with only one serious climb) a rider could take a massive advantage in the KOM classification, when really I want it to only be a few more points for the climbs on this stage.
I could give the climbs lower classifications, but I just want to know if there is a way to do this first?
Thanks
You'd have to create a separate xml classification file for it, Clamel is the expert on it so try messaging him.
And you could still use Green but make it a different shade of Green to what the Tour uses by making it either a Liquigas style light green or a Credit Agricole style Dark Green.
If you want distinct Jersey's you should probably use colours that aren't used normally like Purple or maybe use some sort of pattern on the Jersey's, be it stripes, hoops or maybe have a Big White Cross on the front and back of the leaders jersey.
Thanks everybody for the comments Stage 2 is almost ready to be posted, although I won't promise when.
I've also worked out a rough plan for the route, mostly the first week I want to keep it flexible, so it may change, but pretty much, it starts near Brussels, but the next few stages take it down the Luxembourg, Germany and France to Strasbourg (involving a few long transitions), by then we are about 4-5 stages in, it then tackles La planche des belle filles. Before a longish transition and the next stage takes it to Luxembourg city, with the next stage finishing in the French Ardennes. By then we are about at the end of the first week, by then we have had a TT, a TTT, 3 flat stages and 2 hill stages, roughly. The second week mostly tackles the cobbles, although at the end it comes through the Netherlands before the third begins in the Ardennes before coming back for a final few cobbled stages.
Again this route is really rough and most of it is subject to change, I just really want to have a good idea of where this is going and how to include everything, but if anybody else has a suggestion, PM me or post in the thread. As I said, I want to keep it open to people's opinions.
@jandal: Cancellara could give a challenge.
@Paul and Sammy (jerseys): Thanks for the suggestions I really like Pauls colour suggestions, but I want them to be very distinct, which makes orange a very good colour choice. With the other ones I can use interesting designs as well as all the colours.
@Sammy: Thanks, I'll message him.
@Ollfardh: Thanks, that would be really helpful if you can. Especially around cobbled sectors.
The first road stage is a flat route through Belgium from Dendermonde to Peer. The race enters the Netherlands for a few kilometres, enough so to contest the intermediate sprint in Weert. This stage also will matter in terms of the general classification, a sprinter could use the time bonuses to spend a day in the leaders jersey, or sprinters who can ride cobblestones but struggle on the hills will need them to make up lost time on the uphill stages.
The race sets off from Dendermonde.
Like the time trial, the riders spend much of the stage riding through the fields of the Belgian countryside, although the riders may have some more time to enjoy it today.
The riders traverse the beautiful town of Lier.
The riders enter the outskirts of Geel, about 100km to go from here.
The small entry into the Netherlands visits Weert for the intermediate sprint point, we may not see the Netherlands again for quite a few stages (no interest from the peloton because the stage is set as WC).
Stage 2! I was hoping to post yesterday but time constraints and a couple of mistakes in the stage (a weird roundabout at the finish and the merge finish line thing mostly held me up a bit.
Also, thanks to anybody who posts, especially if you give some feedback or suggestions, it's very motivating/helpful if you do.
Just to let people know, because of school during the week everything will slow down a little, as well as the state championships this weekend, I may only be able to post one stage during the week.
Edited by trekbmc on 26-07-2015 08:28
Well, I tested your stage 2 and as you mentioned the roundabouts is a problem. I still think some are way too big. Perhaps you fix that. Have a go at pimping the countryside up a bit.
Problem with using 100% auto-cities/villages are that a flat stage like this gets very boring. And lets face it... This is Belgium. I haven't seen a road from one village to another with NO houses or farms between them. You got plenty of fields, but where are some nice extra IB houses. That IMHO will really put this on another level.
Lets click on F7, and you would see a 100% empty countryside. I promise you that putting some houses (at crossroads, in a little grove) close to roads, and even some distances from the roads would improve the feeling IMHO.
An easy thing to see is that using auto-cities creates a very unnatural start and ending of such a thing. Have you seen any city or village with that clean-cut starts and ends ? Put some houses along the roads prior and after villages to brake this up.
I know it takes up very much time and can be overdone.
You could have inspirations and ideas from guys at pcmfrance like Grebiere, Leon40 to mention some. They are not using any autobuild and have posted some outstanding zcts areas of ex. Luxembourg that you might use, if you get your race down to that area.
I do believe they are posted on pcmdaily,
but if not https://pcmfrance....amp;t=2414
Do have a look how they build up cities and scenery.
Thanks a lot for the feedback, I'll go back to the stage and use some IB houses, as it doesn't look that realistic. Especially seeing how good it can look.
Also, I'll definetly use those zcts files for the few stages in Luxembourg
Here is the Benelux GT I had in mind, but never got to the point of finding a stage maker for it. Feel free to use anything of it
Brussel - Brussel (12km prologue - slightly hilly)
Brussel - Namur (160km - hilly with Citadel finish)
Namur - Geraardsbergen (180km - hilly at the start, later some cobbled climbs, finish on the Muur)
Geraardsbergen - Roubaix (220km - cobbled sections with finish on the Velodrome)
Roubaix - Dunkerque (180km - cobbled sections but normal last 20km)
Dunquerque - Knokke (120km - windy and slight uphill sprint)
Knokke - Den Haag (220km - windy)
Amsterdam - Arnhem (180km - flat)
Arnhem - Leeuwarden (230km - flat)
REST
Harlingen - Den Oever (48km TTT over the Afsluitdijk - windy)
Hoorn - Amersfoort (150km - flat)
Amersfoort - Valkenburg (240km - a few hills in the end and Cauberg 1K before the finish)
Valkenburg - Koln (190km - hilly but flat last 20km)
Koln - Liege (220km - very hilly final and Saint Nicholas finish)
Liege - La Redoute (32km TT with uphill finish)
REST
Antwerpen - Brugge (180km - flat but windy)
Brugge - Ronse (260km - lots of cobbled hills and Oude Kwaremont 5k before the finish)
Ronse - Oudenaarde (41km TT with lots of cobbles)
Oudenaarde - Huy (240km (early cobbles, then hills and Mur de Huy finish)
Huy - Diekirch (210km - hilly but flat finish)
Luxembourg - Luxembourg (120km - slightly hilly criterium)
Thanks a lot , won't use any in the first week as that's already planned out, but a lot of the hilly and cobbled stages will be very good for the second and third weeks. Although some are very long for a GT, I may end up using the same idea for a few but just starting from a different place to be a bit closer, while having the same main idea and finish, but thanks a lot.
As for current stages, didn't have much time tonight, so I haven't got much done, but will hopefully fix stage 2 tomorrow. Then hopefully stage 3 before the end of the week as I will have very little time on the weekend and have to go away for most the week after.
It would be nice to see the stages get harder and longer as the race progresses, A big thing about the classics is that you need the stamina, and that by the end even a normal hill feels a challenge.
IMO increasing the length and difficulty of the stages in the second week and even more so in the third week would help emphasise that and would put more of an onus on the riders to pay attention at all times.
It should feel like 1 weak day where you miss a crucial split or are struggling to keep up could cost you everything which to me is what this type of racing is all about.
Also I think it would reflect the fact that the calendar starts off with the easier classics and builds up to the really long tough ones if the race did the same with it's stages starting easier and building up the difficulty as it goes on.
Cancellara could give a challenge. 
