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Gipfelstuermer wrote:Lately had a discussion:

"Ok, after designing the Campeonato... should I really invest the effort to design a December Tour?"
- "Well, C4F desperately needs a fantastic December Tour. Just look at the bullshit others are presenting"
"Yes, yes, but will people vote for a second tour of mine?"
- "Mimimi. Get rich or die trying, Gipfel."
"But there are no ideas. I put everything into Andes."
- "South America?"
"No. I mean, I put everything into Andes."
- "Latin America?"
"We have that every year again. Boring."
- "Africa?"
"Too complicated. Much research needed. Don't have that much time."
- "Australia?"
"Pah, each December the same stuff"
- "So what now?"
"Not sure. What do you think of .... ?"
- "Of what?"
"SPIH?"
- "SPIH !"
"SPIH !!!"
- "SPIH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

....
....
....

- "Ehm, Roby is going to kill you."
"Fuck it."
- "You sure? Many people have trouble with him."
"Okok, let's name it SPIH Nostalgia to give him comfort."
- "Yes. And give him some copyright."
"Alright, alright, everything for the Donkey."

So, after the most famous December Tour - SPIH 09 - I proudly present SPIH 17. We will hop over 13 islands over 13 days. It will be 1 ITT, 3 Flat Islands, 5 Hilly Islands and 4 Mountain/HC Islands. In total 1,880km and 19,830 meters to climb.

SPIH2017.png

Stage 1 - Huahine Nui (ITT) - 26km - 290hm - 26min
We start with a hilly individual time trial, which will be important for the favos because the south pacific does not provide for super long mountain finishes. But actually only the first half is hilly (between -11% and +9%) and then it gets flat (between -1% and +1%).


Stage 2 - Raiatea (Hilly) - 125km - 840hm - 71min
Typical island stage. Mostly flat with a few hills. Last hill is +6, +8 at km 118. Ideal for a hill sprint or an attack.


Stage 3 - Tahiti (Hilly) - 179km - 1460hm - 105min
Already a first test for the favos mountain skills. Belvedere de Taravao is 3, 7, 7, 4, 6, 11, 7. But with 20km to the finish line a hill sprint is most likely.


Stage 4 - Niue (Flat) - 102km - 290hm - 63min
Really flat but as it is a super short stage and ends with a -4% km, some action is possible.


Stage 5 - Upolu (Hilly) - 137km - 1620hm - 98min
Now it gets really hilly with Mount Fiamoe. However, the last sieb-km is km81, so this might actually become a mass sprint.


Stage 6 - Savaii (Hilly) - 193km - 1250hm - 104min
Mostly a flat stage but the last km could provide some attack. The last hill is +3, +5, +3, +2, +3


Stage 7 - Tongatapu (Flat) - 120km - 160hm - 71min
Simple short flat stage on Tongatapu. Action is guaranteed because a rest day follows, but should be quite easy for the sprint teams.


****************************************************************
REST DAY
****************************************************************

Stage 8 - Vanua Levu (Mountain) - 203km - 3220hm - 119min
Week 1 was rather flat, but now the action begins with lots of hills and sieb-km. The short mountain arrival is a +3, +3, -1, +6, +1, +8, +6


Stage 9 - Viti Levu (Mountain) - 136km - 2720hm - 88min
Monasavu goes up to +17%, so this is going to hurt. However, we have 30km from the mountain top to the finish line. Those 30km are hilly, including some sieb-km >6%. But again you need a very strong team to gain time here.


Stage 10 - New Caledonia (Mountain) - 219km - 3860hm - 140min
New Caledonia provides the most mouintaneous stage with 3860hm to climb. The final in Poro is 6, 8, 7, 7, 9, 9, -6 , -9, -7, -9, -11, -7, 0, 0, 0, -1. This stage should go to a climber.


Stage 11 - Malaita (Hilly) - 128km - 1650hm - 128min
This short hilly stage includes only a few sieb-km, the last one is at km112. So the question is hill sprint or mass sprint. Or an escape after 3 Mountain stages?


Stage 12 - Guadalcanal (Flat) - 170km - 720hm - 170min
Before the final stage, riders can regenerate on this flat stage, which should be safe for sprinters.


Stage 13 - Bougainville Island (Mountain) - 141km - 1750hm - 87min
The last stage has the one and only HC-Mountain, which might bring the final decision. Pangunga provides 3, 6, 4, 7, 8, 11, 11, 15, 17, 12. With 20 km to the finish line it is not easy for the climbers, but this should give some time to them. The last 5km are 0, 12, -2, -1, -2.

Robyklebt wrote:2007 for the first edition of the December Tour vote, RKL designed a fantastic Tour of Ethopia. That incredibly didn't win the vote, we went to the Balkans instead. Bojan Krizaj then won that December Tour I think.
Anyway, what better country to make a 2017 proposal than Ethiopia? None, so here is the

Tour of Ethiopia

First, some general information:

-No intermediate sprints, the Ethiopian cycling federation demands that their youth become climbers, by adding intermediate sprints they feel we might mislead their youngsters and have them rethink their career goals. So only GPMs for this December Tour.
- 9 riders
- At least 30 km minute tact
- No pavé. Even if parts of the stages are on dirt road. Most of it is paved, but not all.

But let's start with the stages! Since I'm too stupid (and lazy) to find a cool site like Gipfel to post a nice overview map..... if he tells me how I might try that too, and add it later.

Stage 1: We start with a long TTT. Since 2017 hasn't really seen many TTTs, time to offer something for TTT teams. 52 km, at the start a climb, slightly hilly for another 10 km, then mostly flat, and the last 20 km downhill. It will be a very important day for the GC, while you most likely won't be able to win the Tour here, you can definetly lose it. The team will need to have a bit of all, some mountain for the start an especially downhill for the long end. The danger is dropping riders in the early climb and then in the long downhill.

We start in Harar. A historical city, according to UNESCO the fourth holy city of Islam, with 110 mosques. And people feed hyenas.
The finish is Dire Dawa. It was founded only in 1902, since it was regarded as too expensive to lay the railway up to Harar, so a railway station was built here, and in the end the city grew out of it.


Harar, where the race starts: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 186913.jpg
Here the downhill starts: Title of this picture in google earth: Donkeys on the way to Dire Dawa. Still the full team as you can see.

Dire Dawa: Some other team training.http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 192451.jpg



http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_01

Stage 2:From Dire Dawa to Mieso, 156 km, slight up and down at times, but no steep hill, highest incline 4%. So normally an easy sprint, if the sprinter teams are fit from the TTT at least. Mieso is a pretty nondescript town with roughly 10'000 inhabitants. Started off as a railway station too.
Erer, : http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 042068.jpg



http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_02

Stage 3: Mieso to Awash, 80 km away, but we take a detour over the mountains. So 176 kmThe hardest climb is the second one, that finishes in the village of Arba Reketi. In the others there's only 1 km at 6% or more. So while this is a middle mountain stage, it's certainly not a very difficult one. And with last siebable km at 123, the sprinters have a chance to fight for the victory again. Basically a question of how many are there, how much they are ready to invest, since the next stage will be a sprint stage again.

View from Asebe Teferi: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 869425.jpg
Gelemso: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 611444.jpg
Awash, the train station on the old original line: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 754675.jpg


http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_03

Stage 4

Another flat stage. 194 km from Awash to Assela. We stop at the bottom of the town, otherwise it would have finished with a 6... Like this no 6+% km in the whole stage, but a series of 5, 4 of them in a row, from km 164. Which could put some sprinters into trouble, low mountain and or low flat could prove deadly, since we can expect many classics or climbers in the race, that could try to drop some sprinters.

After 30 km today we reach Metehara, and more importantly Lake Basaka. It's a growing saline lake. The original road is already submerged, a new road further around the lake has been built. And according to Wikipedia it is expected that in 20-30 years the city of Metehara will have to move.
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 626798.jpg
We then pass Adama, the second biggest city of Ethiopia, but don't go into the city.
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 880176.jpg
The end will be in Assela, the hometown of Haile Gebreselassie! Although he probably comes from the surroundings, Assela itself has 100'000 inhabitants.
Street in Assela, but we finish before this climb. http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 787238.jpg

http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_04

Stage 5

The first mountain stage, it's long, but normally easy to control for the climbers. A cat 2 early, short but rather steep, followed by a longer, but not as steep cat 2, then it's basically flat before the final downhill down to the Shebelle river. Followed by the steep last climb, which is in 2 parts, the last part 10 km is steep.
The start is in Bekoji, the hometown of Kenenisa Bekele, and actually a lot of the ethiopian long distance runners are from around there. The finish in some town that happens to be at the top of the Shebelle River canyon.

Bekoji: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 380388.jpg
REgion around Bekoji, but some km south of it, we won't actually pass here http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 951429.jpg
The canyon we'll pass at the end of the stage: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 599920.jpg


http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_05


Stage 6:

The next mountain stage. Short and sweet. Or sweaty? Another one climb stage, but in a way it's 2 climbs. First we reach the Sanetti Plateau, a 15 km climb, the middle part the hardest. But then on the plateau itself, there are 16 flattish km, between +4 and -4, before we turn right to climb the fourth highest mountain of Ethiopia and highest peak of the Bale mountains, Tullu Dimtu. Seems to be the third highest road in Africa too. So with the long ride on the plateau, it offers different options for climbers, go early? Wait for super classics?

On the Sanetti plateau:
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 616489.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 701669.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 666055.jpg
Tullu Dimtu: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 051452.jpg


http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_06

Stage 7:

The third mountain stage in a row. First we climb the Bale mountains again, this time from the other side, partly through the wild Harenna forest up to ca 2500, after that the landscape becomes more barren. After crossing the Sanetti plateau, the long downhill, a flat part, followed by 2 rather shortish and not too steep climbs, followed by the final downhill. A stage that could very well be won by superclassics too, since the 2 final climbs aren't really difficult. Coming back seems possible, anticipating too. But of course the climbers have their chances too, a lot depends on what the managers want.
The start is in Dola Mena, the finish in Washa, there's nothing to say about either place.

Harenna Forest:
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 379581.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 787976.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 616507.jpg

Some more Sanetti plateau

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 673859.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 925142.jpg
As you can see the road on top seems to be paved, the one from the south, that we climb today isn't, that's still a dirt road, the one from the north should be paved nowadays. (No guarantee, if necessary RKL will pave it just for the race, like he did with the dirt road to Tullu Dimtu and some other roads in Ethiopia.

Dinsho, the center for toursim in the Bale mountain regions. Lots of trekking etc starts from here:
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 691026.jpg
Road towards the last pass http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 962574.jpg



http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_07

After this stage will have the rest day, but no transfer, since Washa is so small that we are not sure there are any hotels the teams will transfer to Adaba the same evening, since that's only around 20km away, shouldn't be a problem

Stage 8:
After first 3 hard stages, then the rest day, the sprinters will be back at the front. An rather easy stage, we pass through the Great Rift valley basically. The only problem could again be a 5+5 combination at the GPM at km 178. The 6-7 combination at the first GP in Aje shouldn't really bother the sprinters too much, too far from the finish line.

Outside Adaba: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 319281.jpg
Near Aje: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 627631.jpg
Shone: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 889311.jpg



http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_08


Stage 9:
The ITT. 39 km, mostly flat, a light climb, up to 4 followed by a light downhill up to -5 in the second part. Clearly one of the decisive stages of the Tour.
We start in Shone, where we arrived the day before, and there is not more to mention about it even one day later. Sodo on the other hand is a city of 76'000 inhabitants. Or 109'00. Or 153'000. Depending on which language you check on Wikipedia. My guess is the middle number probably seems about right.

Sodo, overview: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 216017.jpg
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 215989.jpg


http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_09

Stage 10

Stage 10 is the 4th, but already last HC stage. And the one with the most altitude difference. 3690 meters. The climbing starts once we cross the Omo river. The first climb is the hardest of the day. But after that there are not many flat km, only 3 "0", but of course more flatish kms. Since this should be the last chance for climbers, we can hopefully expect lots of action during this stage.
The arrival is in Chida, again, nothing really exiting to write about it.

Omo River. They are building a dam around there, so soon the road will pass somewhere else I guess. Hopefully not yet.
http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 212437.jpg
Near the top of the cat 1 climb: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 664706.jpg
Close to Chida, but not that close either... http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 212396.jpg


http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_10

Stage 11:

Stage 11 is a middle mountain stage, we haven't really had many until now. Stage 3 could be one, but more likely a sprint of some sort, either hill sprinters or all sprinters. Stage 7 could be one too, but again, could be for climbers as well. This one here is too easy for climbers, but with 2 late 6, at the 2 GPM, to hard for pure sprinters. Hill sprinters or classics sprinters or an escape looks likely. The start of the stage is hard, as you can see from the profile, followed by a long flat part, and the 2 GPMs in the end.

Jimma http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 151059.jpg
Near the finish: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 488030.jpg
Welkita: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 416789.jpg


http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_11

Stage 12:

Another middle mountain stage. Similar to stage 11 in that the start is the hardest. But this time the flat part in the middle is less flat, and much shorter. The final climb to Jejeba is easy, only 2 km at 6%, the rest flatter, which normally should guarantee the win of a classic rider.

Road near the start: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 488028.jpg
After the last climb: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 879121.jpg



http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_12

Stage 13:



The final stage, the 4th official, possibly the 5 stage for sprinters. We start in Tulu Bolo, so a short transfer before the stage, then go to Addis Abeba, where we have 5 flat laps.

Tulu Bolo http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 805654.jpg
Approaching Addis Abeba: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 804838.jpg
Approaching the finish: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 520118.jpg
Near the finish (might be just after the finish): http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 189975.jpg
Finish around here: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/phot ... 444775.jpg

http://www.radsportfreaks.de/radsport/p ... n=eth17_13

So, to finish the presentation:
1 TTT
1 ITT
4 HC stages, 3 mountain top arrivals
3 middle mountain stages (but one to me looks good for sprint too)
4 flat stages

In theory there's something for everybody, in practice as usual with Big Donkey designs the classics might not really have that many chances for stage wins.
For the GC, you need TT, mountain, reg, downhill. Not necessarily in that order. And not all for the winning rider, a lot of it can be outsourced to teammates. The favorite, usually RKL designs are for a fight Huber vs climbers, this time I think a strong Habermacher, a classic with TT, has good chances too. With the right team.
The Donkey btw is not fully convinced of this design either, last real GC stage 10? (OK, stage 12 can be interpreted as one too in a way). Twice the same thing for sprints, 5+5 vs 5+5+5+5... once ok, twice 2 much of the same. Mountain stages ok, even if one kind of sucks, one is kind of boring.. .bah.

Robyklebt wrote:SPIH!

SPIH Nostalgia the winner.
Congrats to Gipfelstürmer.
As the winner he can chose one time where it will be offered!

Robyklebt wrote:How to decide which Tour?
- Take the second placed?
- A vote between the second and third placed tour in the first round?

CircleCycle wrote:Actually I don't care. Just do what you want. Maybe Gipfelstuermer wants to design a new tour for january?

Alkworld wrote:Actually my opinion wasn't a strong one, it was just a PRO argument, just said it might make sense to vote again. The CONTRA arguments were also reasonable. I'd be fine either way.

Yamaka Corse wrote:

Alkworld wrote:Actually my opinion wasn't a strong one, it was just a PRO argument, just said it might make sense to vote again. The CONTRA arguments were also reasonable. I'd be fine either way.

It still a good argument btw, maybe next year we can make the last round with 4 tours in a case like this where 4 tours are pretty close