```python
from typing import List

def route_stops(route: str) -> List[str]:
    """
    Breaks a route written as stop names joined by greater-than signs into the stops themselves,
    trimming any spaces around each one.
    
    Parameters:
    route (str): A string representing the route, with stop names separated by '>' and possibly spaces.
    
    Returns:
    List[str]: A list of stop names.
    """
    return route.split('>')

def route_hops(route: str) -> int:
    """
    Counts the journeys between stops, one fewer than the stops, and none at all for a blank route.
    
    Parameters:
    route (str): A string representing the route, with stop names separated by '>' and possibly spaces.
    
    Returns:
    int: The number of journeys between stops.
    """
    return len(route_stops(route)) - 1 if route else 0
```