Thoughts on Proposed Radio Ban?

[limerickman]

Is it usual to change a rule in the middle of a race?

I can't recall a rule being changed during a race.
maybe others here can?

The only amendments that I can recall to race conditions/rules is, for example, where bad weather requires a stage to be changed/shortened.
I could be wrong though.

 

[meehs]

Is it usual to change a rule in the middle of a race?

I don't think that the rule was going to be officially changed during the TdF. From what I understand, the rule change is under consideration and they were proposing sort of a "trial run" during a couple of stages of the TdF to see what kind of impact it would have on the race.

 

[DiabloScott]

if there was no radio communication between cars and riders, riders would have to make decisions themselves.

Decisions that would be based on either incomplete information or decisions that would be overly conservative - like not letting the break get too far ahead... I can't see how that makes things more interesting.

Also if there was no radio communication between cars and riders,
riders would have to assess the strength of the breakaway group themselves without relying on instant data from a team car.

There's some merit to this objection - having the DS's control who's allowed to be in the breakaway by immediately chasing down the dangerous ones is a little too controlling.

I think that this last point would be a big factor - in forcing riders to have to calculate more and remove their reliance on having to get advice from the team car.
And I think it would make the race a lot more interesting.

I think better information leads to better strategies and more interesting races. What do you really expect to happen with incomplete info? Remember when a big break got 30 minutes on the big guys? Did you think that was interesting? I thought it was stupid. Please describe a realistic scenario where not knowing what's going on creates better competition during the stage and results in a more deserving winner.

 

[vitamin s]

some of my favorite stages played out because of good tactics, which become a wash with radios.

charly mottet disposal of jean francois bernard on the flats a day after he took yellow probably wouldnt have played out that way if bernard was getting directions via radio. radios effectively eliminate lots of opportunities to race saavy riders.