Stage 1 Time Trials

[hayneplane]

Seeing the way the opening stage of the Giro played out made me once again ponder whether we can or even should seek to create more equitable situations by mitigating against changing weather conditions.

One possible way to do this might be for teams to have to nominate their lead GC rider so that these riders all go off at the back end in one block so conditions are relatively similar.

The same could also be done with teams nominating their lead TTer so the biggest stage contenders all have the same conditions.

Others will feel that it is a part of the game for teams to be able to read the advance forecasts and place their riders according to their own risk assessment of the optimum time to go on course.

 

[Forever The Best]

I think it is a part of the game for teams to be reading the weather.

 

[Red Rick]

The solution is to make them start all at the same time.

 

[Leinster]

The solution is to make them start all at the same time.

A 400m wide, 2km long paved area, divide into 2m wide lanes, with each "lane" having the same net elevation change.

 

[Red Rick]

A 400m wide, 2km long paved area, divide into 2m wide lanes, with each "lane" having the same net elevation change.

But can we ensure wind and other circumstances are perfectly equal?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

We already do mitigate against changing conditions by allowing teams to choose where in the lineup their riders go, so the teams will naturally look to give the most preferential conditions to their team leaders, rather than an arbitrary system of "riders proceed in reverse order of amount of UCI points" or something similar. If conditions aren't expected to change considerably, they will typically put the leaders at the end in order to maximise course info from teammates, splits and knowledge of what other rivals have done, but sometimes if the weather is changing they have to take that into effect. Sometimes people will be happy to gamble on the weather and it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Take, for example, the 2010 Tour when Sky decided to put Wiggins up the order, then the anticipated rain was earlier than expected and it dried out, meaning he got the worst of conditions. Startlist races are not uncommon when you look at time trial formats in things like XC skiing or biathlon. They can be disappointing, sure, but reading the conditions is a crucial element of race strategy and a team that does a better job of that and puts their leader in a position to profit should not be penalised.

 

[tobydawq]

Just do it on Zwift.