"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Why are stages 17 & 18 not important?

While listening to the tour, it sounds like stages 17 and 18 are not expected to impact the race at all. What's the deal with that?

they're not important for the GC, but quite important for the sprinters. on flat stages, the sprinters want to keep the race together so they can have a go at the end. thus, less chance of a break going up the road. also, it's a bit easier to reel in a break on a flat stage, especially when a few teams have a reason to chase. since everyone who finishes in the peloton gets the same time, as long as the GC guys don't have some catastrophic problem, they'll get the same time as everyone else, so these stages generally won't matter to them a whole lot.

What they mean is that they will have little impact on the primary focus of everyone's attention, the general classification standings(who finishes first overall, second overall, etc..).

The next two stages will have an impact on who is determined to be the best overall sprinter as the sprints competition will be the main focus on these next two stages.

To go along with above it's unlikely that either LA or Ullrich can ride either off his wheel on a dead flat stage and would exhaust themselves trying. Therefore they'll ride with each other and wait for Sat. which WILL be important.

These stages are for breakaways and sprints like we saw today.

They are very important sprint point stages and perhaps team points lead.

It is next to impossible for a contender to escape on a flat route and hope to stay away. The breaks that succeed are usually riders that get no real attention due to low placement on GC.

Originally posted by gun-n-gal
While listening to the tour, it sounds like stages 17 and 18 are not expected to impact the race at all. What's the deal with that?

why didn't you ask the same question about stages 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6?

the strength required for climbs and the technical skill required for fast descents are really what stretch out the pack

Thanks for your responses, I kind of thought that was the reason. I know that on the final day the yellow jersey leads the peleton into Paris and then all he** breaks loose.

Originally posted by gun-n-gal
Thanks for your responses, I kind of thought that was the reason. I know that on the final day the yellow jersey leads the peleton into Paris and then all he** breaks loose.

Jan will be down a few seconds after the TT, but he will go on a breakaway in Paris, get the time bonuses, finish in the peleton, and win the TDF ;)

Originally posted by brent_dube
Jan will be down a few seconds after the TT, but he will go on a breakaway in Paris, get the time bonuses, finish in the peleton, and win the TDF ;)

And Lance will sit on his wheel, do no work, and sprint around him at the end.

:D

Originally posted by Laggard
And Lance will sit on his wheel, do no work, and sprint around him at the end.

:D

Do I hear an Amen!
:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Originally posted by SinGate
Do I hear an Amen!
:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:


"Praise the Lard!" (Ullrich)












Pot, Kettle, Black on my part though....

great pun!
But in Ullrich's defence, he is in great shape this year and has actually lost a lot of weight.
All I have to say is that this tour will go down as one for the ages! It has been amazing!