Remarkably much riders finishing Tour de France

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The number of finishing riders in the last Tour de France editions:

2009: 156
2008: 145
2007: 141
2006: 139
2005: 155
2004: 147
2003: 147
2002: 153
2001: 144
2000: 127

2010: 171 (at the moment)

Does anybody know how this is possible?
Maybe should be moved to the clinic?

 

[theyoungest]

Strange, yes, as this seems to be the hardest edition in a while, and it started out with 70 riders crashing in the same stage. Maybe the fact that everyone suffers makes one's own suffering easier to bear?

 

[nia O'Malley]

I'd say more finish because they're not pumped full of crap that turns them inside out when they come off it.

 

[RedheadDane]

That's strange... considering the fact the in the first 3 or 4 stages 10 riders where already out... seems like the downfall has been limited...

Has there been anyone falling for the time-limit?

 

[hrotha]

Statistically meaningless.

 

[MacRoadie]

That's strange... considering the fact the in the first 3 or 4 stages 10 riders where already out... seems like the downfall has been limited...

Has there been anyone falling for the time-limit?

My question as well. Are we seeing fewer plow horses left behind by the thouroughbreds? Just look at Thor's position and how some of the bigger guys seem to be at least surviving this year in the mountains.

 

[nia O'Malley]

Eh, maybe they're going at human speed now too. What's the average speed this year?
Is it finally coming down?

 

[analo69]

Perhaps people are less doped this year compared to at least some of the previous.

When the stage winners are doped their finishing time is better thatn when they are not. And the time limit is calculated on behalf of the finish time.

The heavy guys in the grupetto will be slow no matter how fast the GC contenders finish, and more likely in this edition to finish within the time limit.

It is very difficult to compare avg speed because it depends so much on the parcours of the individual year.

So my guess would be less doping - leading to a more equal bunch of riders and fewer finishing outside the time limit.

EDIT: In some of the previous versions we have seen whole teams being pulled out of the race.

 

[maltiv]

Does anybody know how this is possible?
Maybe should be moved to the clinic?

Uhm, not really, more people finishing should be a sign that the peloton is cleaner, because the more doped the guys in the front are the harder it is to finish inside the time limit for the clean guys.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Uhm, not really, more people finishing should be a sign that the peloton is cleaner, because the more doped the guys in the front are the harder it is to finish inside the time limit for the clean guys.

That was what I meant.
Because it's cleaner (and that would be clinic talk).

 

[WinterRider]

This is a silly thread.

So last year 156 finished. Assuming all 171 make it to Paris its pretty much the same as last year since they started with an extra 18 riders this year (22 teams instead of 20). So 15 of the extra 18 made it all the way. Sounds about right to me.