1. Why do some of the podium finishers kiss the trophy girls 2 times on each cheek, some 3 times, and some get 4?

2. What is the cut-off, after the stage winner crosses the line, that everyone must finish in order to remain in the tour? I know it varies, but roughly.

3. How long after the winners cross the line do they present the awards? The reason I ask is because some of the guys are still in cycling shoes, and look they are having a hard time not falling on their a**.

4. When Lance chased down Simoni (I think it was Simoni), way back when, and "brought him back", how did that work? Why does someone have to come back into the pack if only one person is on his wheel?

1. You kiss the girls as many times as you can get away with.

2. Check here (http://www.active.com/cycling/tourdefrance/articles/Rules_to_Ride_by_at_the_Tour_de_France.htm)

3. Not sure about this but riders on the climbing stages are still crossing the line during the stage presentation.

4. I believe Filippo Simeoni was testifing against Michele Ferrari. Lance was working with Ferrari and considered him a friend. So on this day in the tour, Simeoni attacked with a group that did not threaten the GC. Lance attacked and went after the break and joined them spelling immediate doom for the break since the peloton would not let Lance gain anytime. Lance told the break if Simeoni stays then he stays. Simeoni reluctantly dropped back to the peloton....with Lance. The break then continued on with their move.

I might add that it was a sh#*head thing to do on Lance's part.

1. Why do some of the podium finishers kiss the trophy girls 2 times on each cheek, some 3 times, and some get 4?

2. What is the cut-off, after the stage winner crosses the line, that everyone must finish in order to remain in the tour? I know it varies, but roughly.

3. How long after the winners cross the line do they present the awards? The reason I ask is because some of the guys are still in cycling shoes, and look they are having a hard time not falling on their a**.

4. When Lance chased down Simoni (I think it was Simoni), way back when, and "brought him back", how did that work? Why does someone have to come back into the pack if only one person is on his wheel?

1. They are single/horny/spent a few weeks at sea.

2. Time + a certain percent. Say a mountain stage take 6 hours to complete for the finisher. The officials will tack on another 10% of that time to make the cut off. Anyone outside is screwed, although there have been exceptions to this rule. When Lucien Van Impe went off the front of the 1976 Tour, he ended up with a 42 minute gap on the second place rider. The race directors had no choice but to relax the cut off, otherwise only 52 riders would have been left in the race.

3. Presentations of the stage winner start 5 to 10 minutes after he crosses the line. If the leader's jerseys are a fair bit down the road, they will wait until they come in. If the gap is in the double digits, they'll just get it on with the stage winner immediately.

4. Simeoni would have had this guy sucking his wheel all the way to the line until the last 100 metres, where the dude would have stolen his stage in the sprint.

For the last time, it was not Simoni. It was Simeoni. D.S. Banana Tugger should know that. And the reason Lance chased him down was that there was no way the peloton was going to let Lance get away. Thus Lance effectively ruined any chance Simeoni had of getting away.

As far as the kissing goes, I once heard that the Italians do three kisses while the French usually do two. Not sure about the Germans, Spanish or Dutch.

Simeoni.

1. cheek kissing is done a different number of times in different parts of france, as well as different parts of europe. depends on your upbringing

2. the time cutoff depends on the type of stage it is (flat, medium hills, mountainous) and other factors. it gets so complicated i quit trying to figure it out

3. i don't know how long they wait to do the presentations

4. lance was also in a lawsuit with simeoni. he bridged up to the breakaway and let the group know he wasn't leaving unless simeoni did. my understanding is that the other members of the group begged simeoni to leave so they could have a chance at winning the stage. he and lance dropped back to the bunch

That's Mr. Italian Champion Filippo Simeoni to you.


http://images.gazzetta.it/Hermes%20Foto/2008/06/29/0K38EOFM--346x212.jpg

I don't know why this myth always gets repeated that Armstrong joined the break Simeoni was in. All Armstrong did was follow Simeoni's wheel. There was already a breakaway up the road, and Simeoni + Armstrong attacked to join it. What was odd was nobody followed them. Normally if the yellow jersey attacks, the peloton holds his wheel if they can. Armstrong figured the peloton would just stay on their wheel, which would have resulted in Simeoni simply leading the peloton in catching the breakaway... but they didn't follow, which made Armstrong look bad.

I guess since Armstrong had such a big lead, maybe the peloton would have ignored him if he stayed in the break, giving him an extra stage win ;)

which made Armstrong look bad.
lol. And the "zip the lips" gesture?

I don't know why this myth always gets repeated that Armstrong joined the break Simeoni was in. All Armstrong did was follow Simeoni's wheel. There was already a breakaway up the road, and Simeoni + Armstrong attacked to join it. What was odd was nobody followed them. Normally if the yellow jersey attacks, the peloton holds his wheel if they can. Armstrong figured the peloton would just stay on their wheel, which would have resulted in Simeoni simply leading the peloton in catching the breakaway... but they didn't follow, which made Armstrong look bad.

I guess since Armstrong had such a big lead, maybe the peloton would have ignored him if he stayed in the break, giving him an extra stage win ;)

You paint such an innocent picture. I suggest you catch up on some reading!

"Spaniard Vicente Garcia-Acosta (Illes Baleares) spoke to Armstrong, asking him to do the breakaway a favor and leave them to fight for the stage victory. Armstrong accepted, but only if Simeoni left the break as well. The break then asked Simeoni to leave, according to Sebastien Joly (Crédit Agricole), and the Italian had no choice but to forget his victory ambitions, and drop back to wait for the bunch."

http://www.velonews.com/article/6653

http://www.velonews.com/article/6647

as simeoni and armstrong rejoined the peloton, ekimov blew his nose in simeoni's general direction. i thought that was very cool. :thumb: