My next proposal for Luques is still a bit of a mystery, but will be soon.
Some stuff:
23h. For the long Sunday races=22h
RVV: 9-14-17-20-22
PR as it is now
Amstel 10-13-17-20-22
LBL: 10-15-18-20-22...
Unless we won't to go to 4 editions, but haven't had any feedback on that yet, Bear is for it, the rest doesn't care. But since the protest for the 4 Lombardia proposals were bigger than for 5 in April so far, I'll stick with 5.
What I don't especially like is: No 21, which is a stronger time than both 22 and 23 really... But ok, with 20-22 should be ok.
For the shorter Wednesday races, sorry, 23 stays. it's not like it's the worst time, regularly empty races. And not too long ago we had regular demands for late races. Either they all stopped or all got old... or they just don't post anymore, but as long as 23 manages to have an acceptable number of teams... no reason to cut it. See the point with the long Monuments, 22 it is, but for 200 km races? Works.
Scheldeprijs the one that will lose 23, but still don't see how. 22 seems logic, but somehow it's a lose lose. Pais Vasco 21 Schelde 252 unhappy people. Opposite, unhappy people. Both at 22? Why give the time that is actually rather weaker this month both? Will ask Big Donkey who is much more intelligent than Robyklebt for advice.
Then:
We do have a problem. All real races cancelled, and those that aren't yet will be soon. So far so good, but la flamme rouge then takes them out of the race calendar immediately it seems. I'm sure they are somewhere on that site, but haven't been able to find them yet (haven't spent much time looking for them yet, won't today either) So:
Anybody knows where to find cancelled races on la flamme rouge?
Anyway, did a fast check for the races still in yesterday.
PR seemed the same? No guarantee (counts for everything)
LBL too?
Fleche seemed somehow slightly different, number of km different, but finish (last 60+km) the same
Brabant and Schelde the same as Fleche, possible there were changes early, but finish the same.
Somehow don't remember Amstel, maybe was already cancelled...
RVV checked that before, 1 change, Eikenberg in, if I remember where exactly should be no problem to update.
So those races could be put on with last years profiles, no problem. Do we want that? Or do we want to wait for a possible "spring classics" season in summer or autumn? And the Giro for May is the same question. Do we ride the original dates? Or hope for a real edition later in the year? For me personally, (so not as Luques' calendar slave) really both ok, keep going simpler, but if we want reality ok ok, why not. But would like some sort of consistency, not ride the April classics, but postpone the Giro, something like that.
Minor 1 day races. IMO here clear that we ride. They won't be ridden later very most likely. Cancelled for good. So just ride them now. And with the 2019 route, unless somebody finds the hidden flamme rouge vault, then can be updated to the planned 2020 routes, but low priority.
Stage races: 2, Pais Vasco and Alps are designed, so no problem.
The rest: While I have no problem with 2019 routes for 1 day races, I do have one with that for stage races. So either 2020 editions or cut my proposal.
Sicilia:
https://ilgirodisicilia.it/tappa-1/
My problem here is it doesn't show me anything, links taken out. Unless it's my computer that is having fun with me.
If we find the vault... good, if not, don't see how it can be ridden.
Romandie: We definitely need the vault. Those guys were always bad with putting usable stuff up early... and in the 5 seconds I spent on their site as expected couldn't find anything useful.
https://www.tourderomandie.ch/
Turkey? Sure, if we had 150 active managers per day. We don't, so forget Turkey. Those that don't want to ride PR just take the day off.. or ride as outsiders. We really don't need Turkey. Actually putting in Turkey only hurts the game.
Yorkshire? Again, see no point in having it parallel to Romandie. Number of players. Now, if we can't find that flamme rouge vault, THEN this here should be ridden. Link with planimetry, so can be designed. Well, they might take it off later...
https://letour.yorkshire.com/the-latest ... announced/
But parallel to Romandie? Pointless. Instead of it=good.
Alps: For me 3 editions is enough. It has some WT team starting usually, but far from all. Counted 5 last year. 9 the year before, 7 2016. No guarantee I counted right. IMO with our numbers, even if they might be increasing thanks to the virus, that's not enough to add a 4th one. And possibly take away one edition for the more important FW.
Times? 7 hours 7 hours break, well, it's 8 hours for Sicilia in case you haven't noticed. So important notice to Hansa. It's not ONLY about what fits you, the calendar has to have some sort of balance overall. Of course people should say what fits them, but keep in mind the overall balance too. The balance here is minor tours, Sicilia+Alps, offered at different times. 2 evening editions is fix, then 1 afternoon and early evening. And then either 2 mornings, or 1 morning one late evening, 23. 2 mornings seems better in the current anti 23 climate
For me flipping Sicilia times with Alp times works too, why wouldn't it... Just that together ,there should be 2 evening editions, 21/22 ideally. 1 each afternoon and early evening, 2 morning. So 10-18-22 for one, 9-14-21 for the other, why not. Or some other combination, while keeping in mind that the more important parallel races take precedence. If somebody comes up with a decent proposal, good! In the meantime, would flipping it be better?