TDF - 16 seconds on GC

[gymbob]

Hi

I was thinking about who will win the tour, and it occured to me that if the end result is that armstrong has a lead of less than 16 seconds over ullrich then this will be purely down to his stage win time bonus (Armstrong got 20s and Ullrich got 4s - 16s difference)

how unfair would that be!! after 3,400 kilometers of racing the tour would be won as a result of a bloody time bonus on a mountain stage - which really shouldnt have time bonuses anyway (i mean these were originally for making the opening stages of the tour more interesting, and you dont get time bonuses for timetrials which would have tipped the balance since ullrich has already won a timetrial)

i guess at the end of the day both ullrich and armstrong are subject to the same rules but it just doesnt seem right

Martin

 

[Feanor]

Don't the time bonuses open up the door for some more interesting and exciting competition? Its not like its no big deal to power ahead and grab the bonus if you needed it...

When Lance powered ahead of Ullrich in the last stage he was not only looking for extending the time difference, but he was also wanting the extra 20 second bonus for finishing first (otherwise he never would have thought about dropping Chavanel; who put up an incredible effort in his early breakaway)

The bonuses add more possibility for strategies and strategies that might fail... Lance might have just as easily gone off like a rocket to try and get the bonus, and then cracked, leaving him vulnerable to a long counterattack by Jan...

Time bonuses are like extra credit on a test... If everyone answered the same number of questions on a test, who would complain if you could get extra credit for answering 10 more questions within the same time limit?

I think the bonuses are deserved when they are achieved and add the chance for some great excitement

Have a good one!

Feanor

 

[claggy]

i agree as long as they dont lead to negative racing ie people trying to keep it together for a sprint , keep the bonuses in. ulrichs group also closed alot in the final kilometer on armstrong simply because of the fact they were sprinting it out for the bonuses, perhaps if there hadnt been that incentive armstrong would have gained more time.

dont forget that armstrong was also going away before he crashed , the resulting chase and then having to re attack must have also cost him alot more thab 16 seconds.