Originally Posted by
Howzit
Yes, you misinterpreted the rule.
The main point I was making is that if the main field finish together, they are all given the same time. On flat stages, it is usually likely that the field finishes together, so in most cases, flat stages dont affect GC times, or at least, GC contenders dont look at flat stages as "a day to challenge" each other.
The whole 3 second thing was just a detailed part of how the field is given the same time on a flat stage. And its not if they finish with 3km of each other, what I meant was, if the field was within 3km to the finish THEN the rule is in effect. If the bunch splits up 10km to go, they are given separate times.
If half the bunch goes the wrong way around a turn or something with 2km to go (its within 3km to the finish), they are given the same time as the main group that went the right way. Like others have chimed in, if something happens to delay someone with 3km to go, they are given the same time as the bunch.
So stage 3 was still crucial, because there were 2 bunches, that would get two separate times at the finish. So Cantador lost time in the second group, to Lance who was in the first.
incorrect. The 3k to go rule only applies to riders who crash or maybe have a mechanical (not sure about that). If the group splits anywhere short of the finish line because a gap opens up, then the two groups are given separate times. It is not uncommon for a sprint to cause a split in the bunch in the last half km and a handful of seconds to be lost. Now if a group is split because of a crash, then they are given the same time. If someone (or a group) goes around a turn the wrong way, then they are SOL.
Really, the rule is there only for crashes. I'm not even sure it applies to mechanicals. It's Europe too, so some of this is left up to the judge's discretion (as opposed to the US where the rulebook has to cover each and every permutation).
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