Tour de France

[CGM]

Maybe there should be more involved in winning the tour than just time. Maybe winning a stage should count for more in the overall standings. Then you would see more action.

There used to be time bonuses for winning stages, and this is still a main feature in a number of other stage races. However, this does not necessarily lead to more action, as the riders will still try to optimize the chances of a stage win by 'wasting' as little energy throughout the stage as possible.

I do agree that it should be back though, as no one likes those Armstrong/LeMond types who win the overall race without winning any individual stages

Those interested in learning more about the tour may btw do themselves a favor by tuning in today. After 2 relatively boring weeks, they hit the Swiss Alps today, and while the stage profile isn't *that* enticing, the uphill finish should be interesting. Other than that, the last week certainly looks exciting. I would recomment totally new fans of the sport to tune in next saturday, around 25km from the finish, if only to see one of the most storied climbs in cycling history in Mont Ventoux decide the final outcome of the race.

Cool, I think we both want more "action" but maybe it's unreasonable to expect in this type of long term event. Anyways, my original point was to counter your remark that an event without teams would lead to less action, more hanging with the pack and conserving energy. I don't see how teams really improve that aspect, if you explained that then I didn't really follow your reasoning. I'm a big fan of individual excellence, I admire guys that can stand above the pack, that's what makles it interesting for me. Anyways, it's a good sport, but it's a different type of tactics, less jaw dropping in your face action, the superiority of a team is not always apparent during the race. MAybe that's just the nature of a multi day event