Professional Cycling For the Fans - I'm going to miss the Team Time Trial

I just love the grace and power of that event and I am going to miss it. There is nothing like a 9 man paceline letting it all hang out on the road at 60kph. I am watching my tape of last years Stage 4 TTT and I forget how great it is to watch.

Cheers,

Brian

2nd. TTTs are rad. BUT I think the three ITTs are a major adantage to Jan whichi is also rad. I am torn

But they are excluding the TTT only for this year right?

Yes they are...more's the pity :(

Prepare for a much less spectacular TDF in terms of both route and content. Look to the Giro for that...including a TTT in stage 5. ;)

But they are excluding the TTT only for this year right?

you won't know that until they announce the 2007 course in October.

The TTT was more interesting before the implication of the rule limiting the amount of time a team could loose, which I think was started in the 2004 TDF. I think TTTs should be a standard feature of the Grand Tours, since if three weeks of racing is meant to challenge every aspect of competative cycling, then this is a great opportunity to put a team to the test. Not that every team in a TTT can be the Disco boys (CSC got close last year), but with every team putting together thier best squads for the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta, this is the chance to see if those teams really are the best.

me to, its one of the highlights of the tour

The TTT was more interesting before the implication of the rule limiting the amount of time a team could loose, which I think was started in the 2004 TDF. I think TTTs should be a standard feature of the Grand Tours, since if three weeks of racing is meant to challenge every aspect of competative cycling, then this is a great opportunity to put a team to the test. Not that every team in a TTT can be the Disco boys (CSC got close last year), but with every team putting together thier best squads for the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta, this is the chance to see if those teams really are the best.

The TTT and other racing was better before the advent of the kind of profesionalism we see in sport today. At least once in Eddy's TDF wins there was a TTT that was something like 30 20 10 for bonus seconds for the first 3 teams. Thats all. I think there have been years where there was a TTT that did not count at all towards the GC. Yet teams raced hard. Now if there is not enough to gain teams do not put in any effort. Sad.

I really enjoy the TTT as well.

I, too, will miss the TTT. Pure coordination, power and speed! Hopefully it will return in 2007.

The Jan better be worried about "The Floyd!!!"

Crusher

Hopefully the TTT was replaced by an extra mountain stage instead of the standard flat filler that everyone soft pedals on.

they are exciting to watch

I am watching my tape of last years Stage 4 TTT and I forget how great it is to watch.
Brian
Tapes?!

the stage was even better to watch in person :D

I'll mourn for the TTTtoo. It added excitement to the tour.

I like the TTT as a testament to the ability of the "team" to work together.

Me too! Did you say there would be three ITT? What?

Wot? No TTT!?!?!? I agree that the scoring was kind of whacked, but it was the most exciting stage of the Tour last year (IMO).

Prepare for a much less spectacular TDF in terms of both route and content. Look to the Giro for that...including a TTT in stage 5. ;)

You got that right. The Giro will be the best GT of the year, much like last year. I'm pretty dissapointed by the fact that this years route is so obviously set up for Ullrich. CSC showed last year that they are best drilled team in the TTT and Basso is arguably a better climber than Jan. What makes a GT exciting is the drama. Mountain top finishes are dramatic, seeing 9 of best cyclists on the planet drill'n it at 40mph in perfect sycronizaton is dramatic. The only way this TdF will be dramatic is if Basso has vastly improved his TT'ing or Jan is his usual out of shape self at the start of the tour.

Late to the thread, but I'll miss it as well. It's such a graceful thing to watch.

i love watching the TTT, but i'm glad it's not in the tour this year. i think the stupid system they set up two years ago is a farce, but i can't think of a way to make it fair for everybody. an excellent rider shouldn't have his slim hopes dashed by a weak team. and if a good rider has a strong team and wins by 2 minutes, why should that get reduced to 30 seconds? if you know you're weak, it's an incentive to back off and just stay inside the time limit. i can't come up with a way to make it fair. so it shouldn't be in the tour. simple as that. if someone has a great idea to fix this, please post it. it's a thing of beauty to watch

I didn't know how much I liked watching the Tour de France until they took the TTT away. Now I'm upset. :(

I wish there were at least two TTT per Tour de France.

Top End Cycling is a business, just like any other highly advertised and big bucks sport.
In order to gain more money, they need more followers/viewers.
In order to gain more viewers, they need to promote the 'team' aspect to neophites who think it is just a big pack of individual cyclists.
TTT was probably the most obvious 'team' part of the tdf for people trying to figure out how it all works.

Extremly poor marketing decision I think in a year that may already get lower viewers due to Lance and his publicity no longer involved.

Its good that TTT is out. It favours rich teams too much. Rich deep teams already have good advantages in getting their riders placed, and don't need a bonus 2 minutes handed to them.