And another TdF question...

[justAl]

Do the roads have to meet a standard? Yesterday's stage had lovely smoooth tarmac.If a surface is too bad will the organisers go for a different route?

 

[rich p]

I believe thay do although that's probably not such a problem as it would be over here or in Poland, say.
New tarmac can be very slippery though so probably not ideal. I recall D Harman saying that it needs rubber to be laid down much like an F1 track before it's fully effective