When we decided to design our december tour we had for first to decide the location.
We wanted something undiscovered, wild, in contact with nature and, obviously, with a good climate.
After days of searching we find it....
INDONESIA!
But Indonesia is so big, it has more than 15000 islands (ok many of them are just little and without paved roads) and the selection was too tough, so you are not going to see a Tour of Indonesia. We reduced the choice to the 5 biggest island, Giava, Sumatra, Kalimantan, New Guinea and Sulawesi.
After a survey to all the Indonesian Population we had a winner between all these islands.
Kalimantan and Sulawesi had an incredible head to head but in the end...
...
SULAWESI ...
So i am glad to present you the
Tour Of Sulawesi
Tour Of Sulawesi
Ok now i will spend some words both on the island and on the race.
ABOUT THE ISLAND - The island has a good climate, about 25/30 degrees, but it's the rainy season, so expect the usual showers of these places. We hope that rain won't cause serious problem to the route. The route, yes, actually Indonesia has no street view so we managed to go to the biggest roads there but there can be some mistakes, the organization will correct them / or fix the street and will provide some changements if needed.
We will race mostly in the nature, only villages around, so your riders should be ready to face all the problems that going through a forest include. About the name of the stages, in most cases are just random, as in a space of 1km there could be 10/20 different villages it's not easy to understand exactly what will be the starting/finishing place but the roadmap is precise so you'll never get lost.
ABOUT THE RACE - At the beginning we started by making a much rational race, after that we moved to something much more "crazy", if this will be the time of Sulawesi let's make it epic!
But the starting "rational" scheme is still conserved in the kind of the stages, well-balanced, 14stages in 14days:
4 Flat Stages
4 Mid-Mountain Stages
4 Mountain Stage
1 ITT
1 TTT
The tour overall looks good for Huber kind of riders, but everyone can get his stage win, and his chance for a revenge. There are 7 days - rest day - 7 days, we like simmetry!
Now let's present the tour, every stage will be commented by the creator Любомир Крылов
THE TOUR
Stage 1a
We start from Bitung on North Sulawesi, classified as a flat stage it can give some problems to sprinter teams. We didn't want to start with a simple flat stage, but with something challenging. After 21km there is already the first gpm, a cat 3 with siebable kms. After this the stage continues to be flat but with some short hills and sieb kms, the last one is placed at 16km to the end where there is the last gpm of the day. Some classics or 6x mountain sprinters can bring the peloton to a reduced ms, sprinters will have a hard chase in the back.
Overall Info:
3 CAT GPM KM 21: +1 +3 +5 +5 +4 +6 +2 +2 +2 +7
4 CAT GPM KM 103: +7
4 CAT GPM KM 139: +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4, no sieb km!
4 CAT GPM KM 166: +1 +1 +6
Length: 182km, min-tact from km 164
Stage 1b
We arrived the day before to Manado (one of the biggest cities of Sulawesi), and here the gc will be more clear. A 42km long team time trial, almost all flat, a good occasion also to weaken all teams. Different strategies possible and a big advice... don't spend all, from tomorrow the road starts to go up!
Overall Info:
Almost all flat, max up 3%, one km at -7%.
Length: 42km, min-tact from km 1
Stage 2
Today stage is a big occasion for classic riders! We just go back on our steps, from Manado to Bitung to Tondano where we go on the coast of the Lake Tondano (Danau Tondano). There is a circuit in the middle part, very long circuit, that doesn't give some flat km, it will be always up and down. The only flat part will be the end (7km of 0 flat). The stage is very long (but not the longest one!), 226km, at the end will be quite difficult to control so i expect attacks and counter-attacks of small groups, and why not maybe an escape?
Overall Info:
2 CAT GPM KM 75 and 173: +1 +4 +3 +4 +2 +1 +9 +6 +1 +5 +2
1 CAT GPM KM 217: +2 +4 +3 +5 +2 +8 +9 +5 +1 +3 +5 +4
Length: 226km, min-tact from km 197
Stage 3
Climbers.... warm up! It's your day.
Downhill again to Manado! and after we go up again, for a flat part at about 800m from sea level. From the km 81 where is placed the 4th cat GPM we go down through a long downhill, to reach the lowest part of the stage at km 133 (where is placed the IS). Then the roads go up again, first a 3rd Cat GPM, then down and up again for the finish. Trying an attack on the Cat3 GPM seems too hard, while some classics may try to get some advantage in the flat part between the two gpm.
After the stage the riders will do the downhill that will lead them to Sampaka village.
Overall Info:
4 CAT GPM KM 81: +1 +1 +1 +4 +2 0 +6
3 CAT GPM KM 163: +6 +6 +5 -1 +1 +6
1 CAT GPM KM 197: +3 +3 0 +1 +2 +2 +3 +5 +4 +5 +6 +8 +5 +8 +6 +6
Length: 197km, min-tact from km 180
Stage 4
Welcome to the roller coaster... the entrance is free but the exit is not guaranteed!
Really long race, 246km, we took inspiration from the classics as Amstel or LBL.
The result was a flat race, with some steep km and the final it's thrilling. It is declared a mid-mountain stage but the final may be open also for a climber. The final is +2 +13 +9 +4 -1 +2 -13 -14 +2, we think that the -1/+2 may be fatal for climbers, the good day for a strong classic?
Overall Info:
4 CAT GPM KM 27: +10
3 CAT GPM KM 103: +1 +1 +6 +8
3 CAT GPM KM 176: +6 +7
3 CAT GPM KM 241: +2 +13 +9 +4
Length: 246km, min-tact from km 226
Stage 5
The longest stage. I will be honest, at the beginning the stage was planned with some dirty roads and cobble kms.... but then someone from France steal our idea so we moved to a classic for sprinters. 260km are really long, in 2 days about 500km, will be difficult to control all especially in big fields, but sprinters have to take this chance!
The hill at the middle of the stage is not too difficult but will give another hit to the energies of riders. Probably some riders under reg from the previous day will pray for the stage ending.
Overall Info:
3 CAT GPM KM 126: +3 +11 +6 +3 +1 +1 +2 +1 +4
Length: 261km, min-tact from km 251
Stage 6
After breaking the legs of all riders for 2 days, the final day before the rest will be another mountain stage. The climbers will have to give all they had because of the rest day, and maybe it's already time for some long attacks. The stage is short, we cross the mountains of the North Sulawesi to reach Palu, and after move to the center to the final climb. The last climb is not so difficult but has two steep kms that will make the difference. After the stage we go back to Palu and have some rest.
Overall Info:
2 CAT GPM KM 27: +1 +1 +3 +5 +6 +10 +8 +7 +9 +11 +5 +5 +4 +5 +4
3 CAT GPM KM 111: +2 +3 +7 +7 +8 +5 +3 +7 +5 +3 0 +7 +5
3 CAT GPM KM 144: +1 +1 +1 +1 +2 +1 +2 +2 +5 +7 +8 +14
1 CAT GPM KM 163: +2 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +5 +4 +4 +10 +15 +4
Length: 163km, min-tact from km 133
-----------------------
REST DAY: We take our deserved rest day, the first week has already splitted the gc and caused many troubles to helpers for their length. A new week more difficult is coming anyway
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Stage 7
We start the week with another difficult and long stage. It is exactly the opposite of stage 1, if in stage 1 it will be mostly flat with a sieb km at the end, here it will be mostly siebable but with 50km flat at the end. Controlling the group for classics for 50km seems to hard, probably today will be the day of 6x sprinters with a strong team, or an escape.
Overall Info:
3 CAT GPM KM 70: +4 +9 +3 +8 +3 +3 +2 +4 +1 +9
4 CAT GPM KM 118: +1 +5 +3 +4 +5 +5 +3
2 CAT GPM KM 144: +2 +4 +4 +2 +8 +4 +2 +7 +8 +7 +7 +6 +4 +1 +1 +5 +2
Length: 241km, min-tact from km 226
Stage 8
Time trialist it's your day! 44km, the gc will open the gaps again. Will be a nice battle between pure tt men and hubers, but always look at your reg and your energies, the first may spend 100% the second not so sure.
Overall Info:
Length: 44km, min-tact from km 1
Stage 9
Welcome to the Castle! Yes looks like a castle till the 3 Cat GPM. Anyway, good day for classics, and steep kms. Difficult and technical downhill too... if it rains hard there could be some downhill sieb?
Overall Info:
2 CAT GPM KM 97: +3 +6 +7 +4 +3 +7 +3 +5 +9 +5 +3 +9 0 +6 +6 +2 +5 0 +3
3 CAT GPM KM 143: +14 +9 +8 +2
3 CAT GPM KM 158: +14 +10 +4 0 +4 +9
Length: 175km, min-tact from km 133
Stage 10
Long but flat, another good chance for sprinters and for climbers to rest a bit before the next 2 stages. We start from Palopo and we arrive to Pare- Pare. Coast to Coast!
Overall Info:
Length: 228km, min-tact from km 218
Stage 11
Hubers defending, climbers attacking. This is the key of this and the next stage. At km25 the IS may be wanted by green jersey contenders then we go up to Buluduo where siebs are possible. The final is open for some attacks before the end which is very tough, good for pure climbers. It will be difficult to see an early attack, spending too many energies here could be fatal tomorrow.
Overall Info:
2 CAT GPM KM 87: +1 +3 +1 +3 +4 +7 +3 +4 +7 +11 +5 +3 +3 +5
3 CAT GPM KM 168: +4 +6 +2 +2 +4 0
1 CAT GPM KM 158: +2 +10 +7 +8 +12
Length: 188km, min-tact from km 162
Stage 12
Risk or Lose! The last long stage, long mountain stage! Long attacks are possible, as tomorrow in a flat stage you won't have many chances. Starting from Makassar we go through a really long climb and we stay on the left side of Tanete, the middle part is just hilly up and down, then the end, long but not so difficult for climbers, but it arrives after 200km of big climbs!
Overall Info:
1 CAT GPM KM 58: +3 +7 +6 +3 +5 +5 +7 +5 +5 +9 +5 +3 +1 +5 +5 +6 +3 +3 +7 +4 +6 +6 +4 +4 0
3 CAT GPM KM 141: +3 +3 +5 +10
1 CAT GPM KM 221: +4 +5 +6 +9 +5 +7 +3 +6 +2 +6 +9 +8 +8 +7 +9
Length: 221km, min-tact from km 204
Stage 13
Last stage, the parade for the winners. Short stage, things will become serious when we will arrive to Makassar for the big ms ending! Good luck Sprinters!
Overall Info:
Length: 131km, min-tact from km 116
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Hope you enjoyed the tour, at the entrance will be now served snack and champagne! Have fun!
Also, it's highly possible to see a sprinter's tour in parallel of this December's tour in the calendar. Only few sprinter teams will choose to ride Dec Tour, but here they will be able to score in 3 stages minimum, not a lot, but enough to attract them I guess, especially if they also bring 1 or 2 classic to have fun in many other stages !
114 km Flat Stage mintact start at km 110 
