Tour de France

[MarkM]

Ok I know its all over and Lance Armstrong won but even when it was going on something was bothering me. If you took all the "Time Bonus's" out Did Lance actually win? I don't follow the Tour but surely this system was not always the same way...I mean a race is a race you all start at the same time first over the line wins...sorry for the rambling but if you understand what I mean do any statistic freaks have the answer as to who won the Tour?

[-Carnifex-]

The way they do it (I think) is that they start everyone at the same time in each leg, but in the last leg they use the time bonus rather than just having people start at different times.

[magman007]

yes lance did actually win, i thought the same as you, but after reading "its not about the bike, my journy back to life" by lance armstrong, it explains it all in there, carniflex is right

[MarkM]

MMMM still think actual road times for each leg and each person need to be looked at, as I remember one leg where Armstrong got the bonus but Ulrich was like 15 secs or something like that behind in the pack and 'cos of the bonus's Armstrong pulled further than 15 secs ahead, the times are approximate but the concept is what I am talking about. World Rallye is fairer as you can see the time differences and as they are all starting at 2 minute intervals you can see the gains and there are no bonus's for finishing first. OK other than the time trials in the Tour all the riders start at the same time....still to be conviced as to the "real" result of the Tour. I wish I could ride a bike as fast as Armstrong did, one ball or not but just it still seems "off" in the terms of times.

[GT]

Mark do you expect them to run the whole race and whoever finishes first wins?

I think it is a pretty fair system.

[MarkM]

HHAHHAHHAHAHAHA no I think that would be a little bit of a stretch to try and do that. I mean that if you and I was racing and I finish leg 1 ahead of you and am first across the line in the whole field then I am in the lead but only by the amount of time you finish behind me by perhaps 30 seconds not say 1 minute time bonus plus the time you were slower than me as is the current system. This current system means that I can finish up behind you by 30 secs on the next leg and still be in front where in reality we are level.

[-Carnifex-]

Originally posted by MarkM
MMMM still think actual road times for each leg and each person need to be looked at, as I remember one leg where Armstrong got the bonus but Ulrich was like 15 secs or something like that behind in the pack and 'cos of the bonus's Armstrong pulled further than 15 secs ahead, the times are approximate but the concept is what I am talking about. World Rallye is fairer as you can see the time differences and as they are all starting at 2 minute intervals you can see the gains and there are no bonus's for finishing first. OK other than the time trials in the Tour all the riders start at the same time....still to be conviced as to the "real" result of the Tour. I wish I could ride a bike as fast as Armstrong did, one ball or not but just it still seems "off" in the terms of times.