Why a "ceremonial" last stage

[SoNiK4]

Why don't the contenders keep duking it out until the final stage is over?

If you've got the yellow, shouldn't you have to defend it until the bitter end?

Personally I would love to see Andy and AC et al down to the wire for the finale.

Then, the winner can take his victory lap, unchallenged.

What say you?

 

[hrotha]

I say that a regular flat stage is bound to be more boring than the ceremonial final stage.

 

[sienna]

I'd like to see a small lead (<10 secs) contested.

 

[VeloGirl]

Why don't the contenders keep duking it out until the final stage is over?

If you've got the yellow, shouldn't you have to defend it until the bitter end?

Personally I would love to see Andy and AC et al down to the wire for the finale.

Then, the winner can take his victory lap, unchallenged.

What say you?

The sprinters teams will never let this happen - especially since the Green Jersey comp is so close.
HTC and Lampre will not let Contador and Schlecklet take the stage.

 

[khodder]

I'd like to see a small lead (<10 secs) contested.

For arguments sake. Lets say Andy finished with Alberto on the Chaingate stage. Then as happened neither is able to separate on the Toumalet. They then ride the exact same TT.

This tour would be tied on time...Imagine the case for it not being a ceremonial stage with the first two riders in the GC Tied on time.

 

[Ferminal]

I have problems with the final stage of a GT being a dead flat road stage, a procession for the GC riders.

 

[SoNiK4]

For arguments sake. Lets say Andy finished with Alberto on the Chaingate stage. Then as happened neither is able to separate on the Toumalet. They then ride the exact same TT.

This tour would be tied on time...Imagine the case for it not being a ceremonial stage with the first two riders in the GC Tied on time.

Yeah, that would be sweet!

 

[usedtobefast]

new guys...

 

[scribe]

Yeah, that would be sweet!

They are just gonna holds hands across the line, be it :02 or :40

 

[danyela]

For arguments sake. Lets say Andy finished with Alberto on the Chaingate stage. Then as happened neither is able to separate on the Toumalet. They then ride the exact same TT.

This tour would be tied on time...Imagine the case for it not being a ceremonial stage with the first two riders in the GC Tied on time.

That would be possibly the most epic final stage ever.

 

[Cerberus]

For arguments sake. Lets say Andy finished with Alberto on the Chaingate stage. Then as happened neither is able to separate on the Toumalet. They then ride the exact same TT.

This tour would be tied on time...Imagine the case for it not being a ceremonial stage with the first two riders in the GC Tied on time.

Well sure if the gap was less than a seconds. I actually don't think either Andy or Contador could take even 1/10 of a second on the last stage, the stage being as it is and them being the rider types they are, but they might try. 39 seconds however is just insurmountable and even trying is pointless..

 

[movingtarget]

Tradition. No more no less. It's really just a parade into the city and then they race a criterium. Nice pictures of Paris............

 

[Epicycle]

Remember Vino going for the intermediate sprint bonuses on the final stage to overtake Leipheimer on GC. He took enough time with those and the stage win to easily move ahead of Levi.

 

[nicholaaaas]

Remember Vino going for the intermediate sprint bonuses on the final stage to overtake Leipheimer on GC. He took enough time with those and the stage win to easily move ahead of Levi.

even if there were time bonuses and Andy won em all (including the "sprinters L'Alpe d'Huez") he would still lose

bet if he was in yellow you wouldn't mind seeing him riding along with a glass of champaign... but don't worry I guess the RIGHTFUL winner will share his

 

[The Hitch]

the problem with a ceremonial last day is that you dont get the big, he won the tour moment. Looking at the newspapers around the world, no one says contador is the tdf champion, some say hes on the brink, some have small articles about him wearing the yellow, but there is no big headline that contador won.

Come tomorow you will have the headlines, but by then everyone already knows contador has won.


Bring back the Paris ITT.

 

[DrC0721]

Bring back the Paris ITT.

100% Agree

 

[hrotha]

100% Agree

Disagree. Once the real stage begins it's one of the most entertaining stages in my opinion. An ITT would be the same today or yesterday.

 

[El Pistolero]

Organizing a Paris Time Trial on the last stage is logistically impossible now. Or practically impossible. You can't just shut off the whole city of Paris like that. It would require way too much money and organizing that it just isn't worth it. And I bet the Tour of 1989 leaves a bad taste for a lot of Frenchman.

You'll need a genius in logistics to plan something like that. Perhaps they should ask Hannibal Barca or Alexander the Great for help.