Rider substitutions in stage races

[Lurkerman]

Unzué floated the idea that we could try and allow rider substitutions in the grand tours. Do you like this idea? And, more interestingly, how could it be implemented? Since clearly there are some nonsensical ways that one could try to do this.

 

[Lurkerman]

These are my best suggestions for a substitution format:

• Of course, a rider ‘A’ can abandon the race during or after a stage. On the next stage, the team can then line up a new rider ‘B’ who replaces ‘A’.
  
  
• There are no rules about what is a valid reason for substituting ‘B’ for ‘A’ - it could for tactical reasons, or due to ‘A’ crashing out, OTL’ing, etc.
  
  
• If a rider has abandoned the race, he can’t re-enter the race. So Visma can wait until the first mountain stage before they substitute Kuss into the race. However, if they also want Kuss on the next mountain stage, he has to also ride all the stages that are in-between the two.
  
  
• If a rider did not start stage 1 but was only later substituted into the race, he’s a pure domestique. He has no time in GC, can’t win a stage, and can’t score KOM points, UCI points, etc. So, for example, the winner of a stage is the first rider to cross the finish line who has been in the race since stage 1, no matter how many pure domestiques cross the line before him.
  
  
• We need to make sure that pure domestiques are recognizable on TV. My suggestion is that whilst each wears his normal team jersey, they are all forced to wear the same, unmistakably ugly helmet. Their back numbers can also be a different, ugly color.

In short, you need to know who your captains are, so you can line them up on day one. But they can then have different sets of domestiques throughout the race.

I think that the most interesting thing about this format would be that it could allow the races to experiment with team sizes. It has been speculated if smaller teams, of for example 5 riders only, could lead to more open racing. One rejoinder is that the smaller the teams, the more critical abandons become. This should make up for at least some of that. I, for one, would find it fun enough to see four daisy-fresh domestiques try and drag their knackered teammate, who has raced since the beginning, around in the third week to try and secure his KOM jersey or something.

 

[hrotha]

Races don't need fresher domestiques. It's a bad idea and Unzué pees in baptismal fonts

 

[yaco]

Have been a big advocate for one rider substitution ( injury ) for the first nine stages. There is nothing more frustrating that a rider goes out in stage one or two, especially if its caused by spectators. Read Umi Umi case.

 

[CyclistAbi]

No.

 

[scribers]

This would feel perfectly normal if this had always been the rule

 

[nightowl]

This is a bad idea that would only give richer teams an even bigger advantage than they already have by being able to substitute in domestiques whenever they want. That and it completely negates the main challenge of a grand tour which is holding your form (as an individual and as a team) over 3 weeks.

 

[yaco]

No.

What. You bang on about Safety and yet you want injured riders to continue ina GT.