Is it true that the result of first 3 riders from each team is added to get team time? If so, I don't understand why T-Mobile is ahead of USP? Here are the individual standings after stage 19:
1 001 ARMSTRONG Lance USA USP in 79h 27' 17" 2 017 KLÖDEN Andréas GER TMO at 06' 38" ... 4 011 ULLRICH Jan GER TMO at 09' 09" 5 002 AZEVEDO José POR USP at 14' 30" ... 19 009 RUBIERA José Luis ESP USP at 32' 50" ... 25 014 GUERINI Giuseppe ITA TMO at 46' 57"
Is it true that the result of first 3 riders from each team is added to get team time? If so, I don't understand why T-Mobile is ahead of USP? Here are the individual standings after stage 19:
1 001 ARMSTRONG Lance USA USP in 79h 27' 17" 2 017 KLÖDEN Andréas GER TMO at 06' 38" ... 4 011 ULLRICH Jan GER TMO at 09' 09" 5 002 AZEVEDO José POR USP at 14' 30" ... 19 009 RUBIERA José Luis ESP USP at 32' 50" ... 25 014 GUERINI Giuseppe ITA TMO at 46' 57"
Can someone explain? Thanks.
The teams classification is based on a day by day basis. Each day the times of the three best riders (in that stage) from each team are added together. Therefore a team may put different riders in breaks each day but still win the teams classification with no riders at the top of the GC.
Imagine having three riders in a break that gains 10 minute on the field. that would give them a half hour lead on the next team in teams standings. The next stage the same team may send 3 different riders up the road and gain another ten minutes each (ie half hour) giving the team a lead on the teams standings of 1 hour. The riders from the first stage may have actually lost time on the field (and GC) but this does not matter on the team standings because they are not top 3 for their team. The process may go on throughout the tour with the riders losing time on GC one day then the next day gaining time in the teams classification by breaking away. It is not as complex as it sounds (i have probably confused u more!) but it is simply a day by day competition with a total prize at the end.......something that USPS may have been slightly disadvantaged by with their relatve lack of riders in successful breakaways instead preferring to work for Lance.
I'll assume that the archaic Team Time Trial time loss rules hurt the USPS overall standing as well as Lance's. As a team they would be another minute closer to T-Mobile, but because of the rules, they only gained what? 20 sec?
I'll assume that the archaic Team Time Trial time loss rules hurt the USPS overall standing as well as Lance's. As a team they would be another minute closer to T-Mobile, but because of the rules, they only gained what? 20 sec?
Im quite sure that the TTT times stand as the actual time the team records and not the time awarded to the riders after the seeding. This gives USPS a couple of minutes in the teams award but obviously wasnt enough to overhaul the might of Ullrich/Kloden's T.Mobile team. I think the fact that a team works for Armstrong and doesnt really race for stage wins (apart from Lance himself) contributes to the fact that T.mobile beat the USPS in this classification. This is probably worth checking up on as i am not 100% on the ruling but from my interpretation that is how it stands. why is it so hard to believe that T.Mobile won this classification? They had a team that was second only to USPS in outright talent (in my opinion) but rode smarter when it came to the team classification.
