Tour De France...

Thanks. Hadn't thought that drafting would be a significant facor in this sport. To enjoy a sport you have to have at least some sense of stategy. Now, to figure why some soccer teams can always beat others. Yes, I'm a dumb Yank.

Originally posted by badmoon
I know that I'm quite naive about this sport, nut to me it seems an individual endeavor. Is the Team concept necessary? I mean couldn't one person just take off and win the Tour without it mattering what the team does? Does he have to stay in touch with the team by rule?

It's all because of wind-resistance -- when you move at speeds that cyclists travel at, it's a lot easier when you're riding behind other people -- they create what's called a "slip-stream". It's the same reason why geese fly in a "V-formation".

So when an individual goes out on his own, he has to do a lot more work to maintain the same speed as the main group (peloton). A group of people working together can thus go faster than an individual riding by himself - which is why riders benefit greatly from being part of a team.

One of the best (and most comical) illustrations of the slipstream is the match-sprint event in the olympics -- where two riders go head to head over a relatively short distance. If it was two runners, it would be a simple all-out footrace. But when it's cyclists, you end up with each one trying to ride as SLOW as possible in order to get the other one in front -- sometimes it seems like one or both is about to fall over -- and then waiting until very last part of the race, when the guy in back can use the slipstream to give him a rocket-boost past the guy in front to win the race.

-sprint event in the olympics --

Now that is a blast to watch.

Good illustration. I can start to see what that aspect is about.

Another great example of the slipstreaming effect was the final stage. The Columbia team had a line of riders right at the front. Each in turn put in the heavy lifting at the front, dropping off once they'd burnt themselves out, in order to deliver their top sprinter (Mark Cavendish) into the perfect position to go flat out right at the end.

Bunch sprints are usually really close. In Paris they did it so well that Cavendish won by miles.

Originally posted by mtthw
Another great example of the slipstreaming effect was the final stage. The Columbia team had a line of riders right at the front. Each in turn put in the heavy lifting at the front, dropping off once they'd burnt themselves out, in order to deliver their top sprinter (Mark Cavendish) into the perfect position to go flat out right at the end.

Bunch sprints are usually really close. In Paris they did it so well that Cavendish won by miles.

The thing that makes Cavendish almost impossible to beat in a flat sprint is that he can just get in the lead with 800m to go and outlast any challengers regardless of their slipstream advantages.

And yet, despite the fact that Cavendish is the best sprinter by a mile, Thor Hushovd ended up winning the green jersey. They don't call it the Tour de Sprint -- (although with sporting venues selling naming rights to the highest corporate bidder, it may well come to be called the Tour de Sprint or the Tour de Nokia or something equally vile)

Originally posted by mtthw
Another great example of the slipstreaming effect was the final stage. The Columbia team had a line of riders right at the front. Each in turn put in the heavy lifting at the front, dropping off once they'd burnt themselves out, in order to deliver their top sprinter (Mark Cavendish) into the perfect position to go flat out right at the end.

Bunch sprints are usually really close. In Paris they did it so well that Cavendish won by miles.

the last stage is an awful example...colombia were all over the place because of g-slipstream, to bad miller messed up and didn't take the inside line, after that the race was over.

his first four stages (5th to a lesser extent) were great examples however, can't beat the colombia train.

Originally posted by Melanerpes
The thing that makes Cavendish almost impossible to beat in a flat sprint is that he can just get in the lead with 800m to go and outlast any challengers regardless of their slipstream advantages.

And yet, despite the fact that Cavendish is the best sprinter by a mile, Thor Hushovd ended up winning the green jersey. They don't call it the Tour de Spr ...[text shortened]... t may well come to be called the Tour de Sprint or the Tour de Nokia or something equally vile)

hushovd win the green jersey because cav was deducted points at one of the sprints for 'dangerous riding'

very harsh i thought, but after that breakaway in the alps to pick up a couple of intermediate sprints i think thor deserved it. just

Originally posted by trev33
hushovd win the green jersey because cav was deducted points at one of the sprints for 'dangerous riding'

very harsh i thought, but after that breakaway in the alps to pick up a couple of intermediate sprints i think thor deserved it. just

yes -- I recall Cavendish was whining about the "green jersey being stained".

But it's interesting that the competition was set up so that the best pure sprinter wasn't necessarily going to win. Hushovd is one of the better downhill riders, and he was able to use this to grab 12 "free points" in that one stage.

Originally posted by Melanerpes
yes -- I recall Cavendish was whining about the "green jersey being stained".

But it's interesting that the competition was set up so that the best pure sprinter wasn't necessarily going to win. Hushovd is one of the better downhill riders, and he was able to use this to grab 12 "free points" in that one stage.

it was never a pure sprinters competition, more of an all rounder thing. they used to have a pure sprinters jersey years ago but scraped it (i didn't know that until this year actually) it was a really interesting sub-plot this year though.

that break really wan something special that hushovd pulled off. first he had a catch up with the breakaway then take over them, a lot of climbers btw, and stay away for 2 climbs. truly the feat of the tour.

Originally posted by trev33
the last stage is an awful example...colombia were all over the place because of g-slipstream, to bad miller messed up and didn't take the inside line, after that the race was over.

That made it more interesting, though. They didn't have it all their own way because Garmin tried to disrupt them. But the lines they picked round the final corners were spot on. It was so successful Cav's lead-out man held on for second - how often does that happen?

Originally posted by trev33
very harsh i thought, but after that breakaway in the alps to pick up a couple of intermediate sprints i think thor deserved it. just

Yes, that was a great response to Cavendish's comments.

Here's an interesting article that bodes well for the future:

"Wiggins says he's focused exclusively on the Tour for the next two seasons"

http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/96122/wiggins-says-he-s-focused-exclusively-on-the-tour-for-the

Originally posted by ThinkOfOne
Here's an interesting article that bodes well for the future:

"Wiggins says he's focused exclusively on the Tour for the next two seasons"

http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/96122/wiggins-says-he-s-focused-exclusively-on-the-tour-for-the

lots of interesting stuff to chew on -- is Contador ultimately going to surpass Lance's achievements? -- or will someone like Wiggins or one of the Schlecks prevail next year or the year after -- or will Lance show everyone he's still the best after a full year of uninterrupted training. And Leipheimer will be able to show what he never got the chance to show because of his broken wrist.

And you know that Cavendish wants that green Jersey

but please please -- nothing but clean test-tubes as far as the eye can see -- PLEASE!!!

Originally posted by Melanerpes
lots of interesting stuff to chew on -- is Contador ultimately going to surpass Lance's achievements? -- or will someone like Wiggins or one of the Schlecks prevail next year or the year after -- or will Lance show everyone he's still the best after a full year of uninterrupted training. And Leipheimer will be able to show what he never got the chance to ...[text shortened]... ey

but please please -- nothing but clean test-tubes as far as the eye can see -- PLEASE!!!

Here's some encouraging news regarding test-tubes.

"Wiggins releases blood profile"
http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/96239/wiggins-releases-blood-profile

I found this statement quite interesting:
"I know that some people think I'm on drugs. I know how the sport is," Wiggins told reporters early in the Tour. "The sport changed so much in the past three years. I was inspired by (teammate) Christian (Vande Velde)'s performance last year and maybe I realized that on this Tour you don't have to be on drugs to do well."

On one hand, it seems that Wiggins feels that the sport is clean enough to be clean and be highly competitive.

On the other, what implications might it have for the preceding era, particularly the Armstrong era?