Timing chips

[veganrob]

I mentioned this in another thread. How about timing chips. no more "same time". I believe it would make for more interesting racing. Just think, the contenders will have to keep a constant watch on each other. It will encourage breakaways they will have to monitor, not just for sprinters but for GC.
I don't think we will see 100+ riders sprinting for it at the end all the time, though we do see that sometimes anyway. Riders will have to be aware all the time.
More contenders, more breakaways, more interesting. What do you think?

 

[ingsve]

I mentioned this in another thread. How about timing chips. no more "same time". I believe it would make for more interesting racing. Just think, the contenders will have to keep a constant watch on each other. It will encourage breakaways they will have to monitor, not just for sprinters but for GC.
I don't think we will see 100+ riders sprinting for it at the end all the time, though we do see that sometimes anyway. Riders will have to be aware all the time.
More contenders, more breakaways, more interesting. What do you think?

Stupid idea. The reason a bunch gets the same time is so that there isn't total chaos at the finish because everyone wants to be right at the top of the peloton not to lose time. One of the most crash inducing things in cycling is when non-sprinters try to mix it up in the sprint and a thing like this would amplify that a million times.

 

[veganrob]

I don't think non sprinters would be trying to get too involved with that. Remember, they don't want to get in an accident either. I don't think the final sprint will change much. It is during earlier portions of race that will change.

 

[ingsve]

I don't think non sprinters would be trying to get too involved with that. Remember, they don't want to get in an accident either. I don't think the final sprint will change much. It is during earlier portions of race that will change.

We already have a problem with it today with riders trying to be far up just to avoid getting a small time loss if there is a split in the peloton in the end. When the whole bunch finishes together you can have a difference of 15 seconds or even more between the winner and the last guy in the peloton and you can't afford to lose even 10 seconds per stage in a GT by being too far down in the finish if they did use individual timing.

 

[woodie]

I don't think non sprinters would be trying to get too involved with that. Remember, they don't want to get in an accident either. I don't think the final sprint will change much. It is during earlier portions of race that will change.

So your telling me that the GC contenders, whose whole livelihood depends on winning races, wouldn't try to mix it up with the sprinters if there was a chance of getting an edge over their competitors?? This is a stupid idea, all it would do is cause accidents and injuries. The same time rule was brought in for a very good reason.

Get rid of the same time rule on hill/mountain top finishes but not flat stages

 

[jaylew]

From the other thread:

I think the same time thing is needed for most flat stage but anything that finishes on a hill, yeah make them fight for every second, even bring back bonus seconds so they don't gift stages.

I'm all for this.

 

[brianf7]

All that would happen is that team managers will tell the sprinters to stay out the way so only the GC contenders will be alowed to sprint.
How many accidents do we see with riders trying to sprint for 11th place. when you hit the 1 km to go its best to just sit up and let the sprinters kill them selves if they want to. That is their job what they are paid big $$$ for.

 

[Astana1]

Timing chips and road furniture. No thanks. This cycling not motor racing. I like time bonuses for the top finishers.

 

[forty four]

I mentioned this in another thread. How about timing chips. no more "same time". I believe it would make for more interesting racing. Just think, the contenders will have to keep a constant watch on each other. It will encourage breakaways they will have to monitor, not just for sprinters but for GC.
I don't think we will see 100+ riders sprinting for it at the end all the time, though we do see that sometimes anyway. Riders will have to be aware all the time.
More contenders, more breakaways, more interesting. What do you think?

if you like blood and broken bones otherwise not good at all.

 

[Anonymous]

Stupid idea. The reason a bunch gets the same time is so that there isn't total chaos at the finish because everyone wants to be right at the top of the peloton not to lose time. One of the most crash inducing things in cycling is when non-sprinters try to mix it up in the sprint and a thing like this would amplify that a million times.

Ditto. There is a reason the bunch all get the same time and it is precisely for those reasons.

Idiotic idea. Would cause complete chaos at the end of stages. (aand would also lead to potentially underhand tactics, team with rider 2 or 3 seconds off the gc could just jam up the middle of the peloton.

 

[kurtinsc]

I'm not in favor of timing chips.

But I am in favor of bonus seconds... in fact more then we're used to seeing.

I want to see the top 10 all get bonus time... something like 25, 20, 16, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1.

If you have someone like Valverde who can fight for top 10 finishes in flat stages... he should get some time from that. There should be incentive to avoid gifting a stage or to fight for 5th in a 20 man group behind a 4 man break.

Hanging on shouldn't be good enough... winning should count more.