Originally Posted by Enthalpic
+1 The difference between 1st and 2nd is usually far less than 1%
The TDF is about 80 hrs in the saddle.
80 hrs = 288000 sec
In the pro peloton, a difference of 30 sec would be considered significant.
30 sec / 288000 sec = 0.01 %
Thus, if you are a pro rider, you might worry about performance issues down to one hundredth of one percent. In that context, 3% is significant.
Edit: I'd like to know J-Lo's butt mass in grams.