I've tried some stagemaking again, here's the first result:
Classique du Côte d'Azur
A fantasy hilly/flat classic along the coasts of the French Cote d'Azur/Provence.
Start is in Aix-en-Provence and the finish is in Frejus, not far from Nice. A few climbs in the beginning and middle section, but the real danger is the fact that most of the stage is along the Mediterrean coast, so a lot of cracks could appear in the peleton because of fierce winds.
I'm having a small trouble though, it seems to take very long to do Rebuild all cities (over 15 minutes). So no cities so far. if anyone knows a reason for this, please tell me
I also have a Paris-Nice variant all gpx'ed out, which I will probably work on next.
Edited by CasperVg on 19-07-2012 12:27
Try exporting the stage through "Multiple exports". It marks the time needed to load the stage and export the cities. Usually it takes about a minute to rebuild them with me, try to see how much time it takes for you
Btw: if you do the P-N variant, we'll have 5 variants for it and only one for all the other WT races (save for GTs)... people really seem to like the race Edited by lluuiiggii on 19-07-2012 15:09
Before I start actually creating them in-game, some input about the routes I designed would be appreciated. Mainly balance between ITT/mountains, # of flat stages, etc.
Paris-Nice:
Stage 1: Troyes - Dijon (166km, flat) https://ridewithgp...es/1444131
A start in the Champagne-region, a little unrealistic perhaps, but it allows integrating mountains earlier in the race. It's not a typical flat stage, as it will probably cater the strong Sagan-like spinters more.
Stage 2: Dijon - Cluny (183km, hilly) https://ridewithgp...es/1444132
A true hilly stage, with a downhill finish into Cluny after climbing the Col de la Bois Rampon, 5km at 5% average, with steep sections of 18%.
Stage 3: Lyon - Chambery/Col de la Vacherie (240km, mountain) https://ridewithgp...es/1444145
The first mountain stage of this Paris-Nice, with a total of 6 categorized climbs, including a MTF on top of the infamous Col de la Vacherie (16km, 7% average, 25.7% max), but also the Pointe de Faufriolet (11km, 7,6% avg, 27,7% max). This stage should cause some serious gaps among the contenders.
Stage 4: Grenoble ITT (39,1km, hilly) https://ridewithgp...es/1444148
No rest for the riders after yesterday's monstrous stage, but a 39km hilly time trial. This should give the rouleurs that lost time yesterday a possibility to get some time back.
Stage 5: Grenoble - St. Jean de Maurienne/Col des Têtes (145km, mountain) https://ridewithgp...es/1444158
The stage might be short, but it's definately not easy. Luckily for the sprinters there are two stages catered for them coming up in the following days. Today the riders have the pass over Combe du Goutail, the Galibier, Col de Charroute (10km 7,4% avg, 21% max), followed by a short descent and then a final ascent of the Col des Têtes (3km, 10% avg, 26% max)
Stage 6: Briancon - Aix-en-Provence (240km, downhill/flat) https://ridewithgp...es/1444161
Finally an easier day for the riders. The stage is downhill all the way to the finish. One for the sprinters.
Stage 7: Aix-en-Provence - Frejus (240km, flat/along-the-coast) https://ridewithgp...es/1444166
This stage starts with a few hills, but should eventually end with a mass sprint. The GC-riders should make sure not to lose time when the peleton is riding along the Mediterrean coast as strong winds could cause cracks and make them lose a lot of time.
Stage 8: Nice MTT (13.7km, mountain) https://ridewithgp...es/1444192
Starting on the famous Promenade des Anglais, this mountain time trial goes over the Col de Villefrance and finishes on the Col de Quatre Chemins. A chance for really strong GC-riders that have both climbing and TT abilities.
Eneco Tour:
Stage 1: Middelburg TTT (6,9km, flat) https://ridewithgp...es/1449693
A small stage to warm up the legs. Strong teams with a lot of rouleurs should be able to take a few seconds from the rest here. At just short of 7km though, time differences won't be big and definately not descisive.
Stage 2: Middelburg - Eindhoven (171km, flat) https://ridewithgp...es/1449700
This will definately end in a bunch sprint, as the elevation never goes above 40m (ah, one has to love the Dutch geography ) The winning sprinter will probably take the leaders' jersey with bonus seconds here.
Stage 3: Eindhoven - Liege/Côte de St. Nicolas (224km, hilly with finish on slope) https://ridewithgp...es/1449925
A long stage with a fairly hard finish. A selection of climbs from the famous Ardennes classics will be ridden. Before a tough finish on the Côte de St. Nicolas in Liège, the riders will also face the Cauberg for the first time. They better take note, as this climb will feature more prominently later on in the Eneco Tour.
Stage 4: Seraing - Ettelbruck(LUX) (220km, hilly) https://ridewithgp...es/1449823
Also a long stage, but unlike yesterday it's tough from beginning to end. Less known climbs today, but some are definately leg-breakers as well.
Stage 5: Charleroi - La Louvière ITT (17.9km, flat) https://ridewithgp...es/1449836
The poor rouleurs that lost time in the previous stages will be happy with this one. This stage should enable them to take back some lost time, without making it a "take the time trial, take the stage race" kind of race.
Stage 6: Ninove - Roosendaal (110km, flat) https://ridewithgp...es/1449847
We enter the Netherlands again, and what better way to promote it than with a boring flat stage? Another chance for the sprinters here, as the route from East-Flanders through Antwerp into Roosendaal is almost pancake-flat.
Stage 7: Turnhout - Valkenburg/Cauberg (193km, hilly with sloped finish) https://ridewithgp...es/1449891
The first hundred k's are flat, but then the gruesome and cruel windy, curvy, steep roads around Dutch Limburg come in. Amongst those are Vrakelberg, Keutenberg, Eyzerbosweg and more, but the riders will have to keep some energy for the final ascent up the Cauberg, where this Eneco Tour will finish.
So yeah, feel free to let me know if you find these stage races too hard/easy, unbalanced, unrealistic, or something like that.
Very interesting routes Eneco looks great with some famous hills. It will be an interesting fight between punchers and TTers. (maybe a little longer TT would make it even more close?)
Only seen P-N so far. First, too much TT kms. If there's going a nice MTT, I'd say have a prologue and that's all for TT (prologue + MTT). A 40 km ITT? Waaay to much. Second, a bit too hard. I think the 2nd stage could be a flat one, and one of two flat be a hilly one (thus totaling 2 flat stages), and no "mountain" stages (big mountains), P-N usually go with the bigger hills, not really mountains
