I am not saying they have to do that route but can't see why they couldn't have gone down this mountain they are doing and then back up or to something else to make the stage longer and be more of a test.
Cycling thread
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Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
Because having some riders coming down whilst others are going up is a recipe for disaster. Also, the climb today is 33km long. Val Thorens will have paid in the order of €1m to host a stage finish, the hotels and everything will be booked for riders and race staff. If i'm dealing in pie in the sky, you could head north over the Grand Bernard and up to Annecy but we've no idea what those roads are like adn you can't organise a stage of the Tour in an afternoon.
This is only the second time in Tour history a stage has been shortened for adverse weather, I really don't see what they could do other than this.
I am sure but could be wrong, there was a stage over the past few years were they climbed a mountain, went down and came back up again. I am not saying they should sort it in an afternoon as that is impossible. They should have things in place before the tour in case this happens as it is meant to be the best tour in the world.
sbbefc
Player Valuation: £30m
Could they have not just started further down the road? Or Start at Albertville head in the opposite direction then loop back through Albertville up to Val Thorens? I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why they haven't done that. It's just a shame it's ended like this 
He really has animated the race. Chapeau that man.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
That's true. Aple D'Huez in 2013 (I think). But the difference there is they weren't descending the same road they road up so there was nearly 40km between the fisrt summit and the stage finish.
It is the best Tour in the world and certainly one of the best organised races, but if the one road available to the stage is rendered (literally overnight) inacessible, then sometimes you just have to hold your hands up. If I was a rider I would not want to race a stage that had been cobbled together at the last minute. You need a marshal on every junction to ensure road closures. Miss one and you end up with vehicles on the course and all the chaos that brings. Where do you put the sprints? The feed zones? Where does everybody sleep that night?
I really don't see (having seen the Tour from the inside a couple of times), what they could do differently. It sucks but sometimes bad stuff happens.
I know mate just proper sucks as it has been such a close tour and would have been great today with the original stage. Hopefully there may still be fireworks. Fingers crossed.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
Could they have not just started further down the road? Or Start at Albertville head in the opposite direction then loop back through Albertville up to Val Thorens? I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why they haven't done that. It's just a shame it's ended like this
Albertville doesn't really have a further down the road. It's at the top of a valley so it's the Cormet De Roseland or a motorway. There are some other mountain roads but you'd have to make a loop, recon it, plan it, put all the necessary infrastructure in place and communicate it in an afternoon,
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
I think if Alaphillippe can hold the wheels on what is not too savage a climb, Quickstep may go ballistic tomorrow. That I'd like to see.
spectateur
Player Valuation: £30m
This is very true. A couple of years ago, on my way to Italy I had planned to use the Cormet route to Bourg S. M. Called it off due to rain and low cloud level. Had to use the N90, just like the race today. That was the 1st week of July 2017.
Time for "alternative route" suggesters to study a map of the region.
Disgruntledgoat
Player Valuation: £50m
I'm planning to bikepack my way down the Grand Route Des Alpes in September, so hoping they've cleared it by then.
spectateur
Player Valuation: £30m
That was the Alpe d'Huez stage à few years ago. They did not descend on the same road as the climb.
Black Belt Jones
Player Valuation: £25m
I'm off to Bourg tomorrow camping for a couple of weeks - anyone had a dig at the Col D'Iseran? They went over it yesterday from the other side - bit of a monster, think it's best part of 2k ascent from Bourg.
I'll be bringing the mountain bikes, though, as the kids aren't old enough for Alpine roadying. So need to hire a road bike for the day.
I'll be bringing the mountain bikes, though, as the kids aren't old enough for Alpine roadying. So need to hire a road bike for the day.
lichfieldblue
Player Valuation: £500k
Absolutely pelting down here at the finish line. Could be interesting if this persists, which is the forecast.
Do the climb to Villard Notre Dame and if you have mountain bikes you can carry on around to the Col d'Ornon and back to Bourg. Lovely balcony road with some cracking tunnels.