Time Bonuses - Better Without Them?

[Polka Dot Punter]

Personally, I think the tour would be more interesting with them. Giving some of the sprinters a chance of the Yellow is always something I find interesting and could add an extra dimension early on. Also, with the TTT so decisive early on, it could offer an extra incentive to some of the riders who would otherwise be a bit too far behind.

 

[Anonymous]

i miss them personally.. but only on the flat stages.. none o f this silly bonuses on hills like the giro

 

[BroDeal]

It is more interesting for the GC in the mountains. During the Giro we saw Di Luca trying to eek out enough seconds from such bonuses to overcome his deficit from the long time trial. It did not work, but it was a heck of a lot more exciting than watching a Evans or Leecheimer be content to follow wheels all the way across the line.

 

[egtalbot]

I love the bonuses as a fan, both in the mountains and the flat stages. But I can't help thinking that in previous years the bonuses have contributed to crashes in the first week. I'd be curious what the riders think. Hard to say what the best balance is.

 

[richwagmn]

Personally, I think the tour would be more interesting with them. Giving some of the sprinters a chance of the Yellow is always something I find interesting and could add an extra dimension early on. Also, with the TTT so decisive early on, it could offer an extra incentive to some of the riders who would otherwise be a bit too far behind.

Makes the race more interesting for me. Especially on the mountain stages. Makes placing actually mean something though I don't think the bonuses should be huge.

 

[dgodave]

It is more interesting for the GC in the mountains. During the Giro we saw Di Luca trying to eek out enough seconds from such bonuses to overcome his deficit from the long time trial. It did not work, but it was a heck of a lot more exciting than watching a Evans or Leecheimer be content to follow wheels all the way across the line.

Amen. They keep the door open, if only just a crack.
.

 

[Epicycle]

It depends who is behind. I like not having them in this Tour because Contador has been very adept at using them in the past.

 

[Anonymous]

It is more interesting for the GC in the mountains. During the Giro we saw Di Luca trying to eek out enough seconds from such bonuses to overcome his deficit from the long time trial. It did not work, but it was a heck of a lot more exciting than watching a Evans or Leecheimer be content to follow wheels all the way across the line.

I think that if we have what we saw in the Giro this year (groups of climbers finishing together), then it is a better system. It might be the only thing that would bring Cadel or LL off the wheel in front of them..... (Sorry, but I always have to take a dig at Cadel, LL was just collateral damage).

I like them because it does cause a little more excitement at the end of the stage as evidenced by the Giro. Imagine it this year without them.

 

[advils]

I think the main reason they have done away with time bonuses is to prevent a situation where a rider is disqualified or expelled from the tour later in the race or after the tour. That rider might have claimed time bonuses before being kicked out.
Should those bonus seconds be recalculated excluding the later expelled rider? I think this was close to being an issue with Rasmussen's departure. I don't think the organizers want to have to deal with the difficulty or scandal of having the placings decided by reevaluated time bonuses.

With no time bonuses, they simply remove a rider and everyone moves up a place. The organizers are likely just covering their rear ends.

Personally I like the short prologue and sprinters fighting for yellow in the first week.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I think we'll all be wishing they'd kept them, by this time tomorrow.

 

[franciep10]

I think the main reason they have done away with time bonuses is to prevent a situation where a rider is disqualified or expelled from the tour later in the race or after the tour. That rider might have claimed time bonuses before being kicked out.
Should those bonus seconds be recalculated excluding the later expelled rider? I think this was close to being an issue with Rasmussen's departure. I don't think the organizers want to have to deal with the difficulty or scandal of having the placings decided by reevaluated time bonuses.

With no time bonuses, they simply remove a rider and everyone moves up a place. The organizers are likely just covering their rear ends.

Personally I like the short prologue and sprinters fighting for yellow in the first week.

What are you talking about, any the reason they were removed is so riders had to gain time on the road not through bonuses. But I did like them, they added excitement.

 

[advils]

Say for example a rider takes a minute in bonuses, then later is disqualified from the race for say a doping or other sporting infraction. Should those bonus seconds then be recalculated and awarded retroactively to runners up on all of those stages? In fairness, they probably should. That could have a significant impact on the standings. What if the rider is not disqualified until after the race?

I think the organizers want to avoid that situation. That's all I'm saying, it's not too difficult to understand.

 

[Bainreese]

I guess I'm in the minority on this one. I prefer not having the bonuses.

I like it that each day the riders have to go out and try their best and whoever wins wins because of the actual time they put down on the road. The time bonuses diluted this.

Conversely, I am a fan of the TTT, which I think does give an unfair advantage in the way of a time bonus to a possible weaker rider that just happens to be on a strong team. But I like the TTT for different reasons and think its value exceeds that of the inidvidual time bonuses.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I like bonuses. they make a stage win more meaningful and rewarding.
Not that a stage win in the tour isn't special... just makes it a little more exciting for the GC men.

 

[mickkk]

I miss them. Its just a handbrake on creativity!

 

[Archibald]

sod them. you win with your own time, not with some made up time

whatever happened to winning on your own merits

 

[benpounder]

Personally, I think the tour would be more interesting with them.

Only if you are giving them out in the time trials as well...

I dont like them. The race winner should be determined on raw time, not gimmicks. As for the idea that it motivates a GC rider... well if they are not motivated enough by trying to win the race (beat their competitors) then they shouldn't be in the race anyway. And sprinters are not "race leaders", again, if they are not motivated enough to try and win the sprint, they why are they there?