Q's about Overall Team Competition

"L...

Quoted message said:

I've been watching the Tour de France coverage with interest
this year, but I'm not knowledgable about professional bicycle
racing. One topic I keep wondering about is what the race
would be like if there was an emphasis on the overall team
competition instead of the current situation where most treat
it as an irrelevant afterthought. So my questions are:

1) Are there any top level road races where the emphasis is on the
overall team competition?

No. Stage Racing's top prize is always, and will always be to the
best-placed GC guy.

Quoted message said:

2) Do you think the TdF would be more interesting if emphasis
shifted to the overall team competition (e.g. a sponsor or
organizer could provide a lot of prize money to the winners)?

No. It would not be that fun at all.
I've been following the Tour only since 1984 though.

-Ken

"Ken Papai" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:ZzxKc.109734$MB3.17441@attbi_s04...

Quoted message said:

"L...

Quoted message said:

I've been watching the Tour de France coverage with interest
this year, but I'm not knowledgable about professional bicycle
racing. One topic I keep wondering about is what the race
would be like if there was an emphasis on the overall team
competition instead of the current situation where most treat
it as an irrelevant afterthought. So my questions are:

1) Are there any top level road races where the emphasis is on the
overall team competition?

No. Stage Racing's top prize is always, and will always be to the
best-placed GC guy.

Quoted message said:

The Spanish teams hold high importance on the team GC.

Carl Sundquist said:

The Spanish teams hold high importance on the team GC.

CSC had winning the team GC as an explicit goal going into the Tour. With
Basso eyeing the podium and a number of injuries in the team, it's probably
no longer a big concern.

--
Stig Are M. Botterli
[email hidden]

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 11:17:40 -0500, Last2Know <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

1) Are there any top level road races where the emphasis is on the
overall team competition?

There are lowish level ones that are. The Empire State Games in New
York State each summer has this.

Quoted message said:

2) Do you think the TdF would be more interesting if emphasis
shifted to the overall team competition (e.g. a sponsor or
organizer could provide a lot of prize money to the winners)?

No.

JT

Last2Know <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I've been watching the Tour de France coverage with interest
this year, but I'm not knowledgable about professional bicycle
racing. One topic I keep wondering about is what the race
would be like if there was an emphasis on the overall team
competition instead of the current situation where most treat
it as an irrelevant afterthought. So my questions are:

1) Are there any top level road races where the emphasis is on the
overall team competition?

There are a handful of stand-alone TTT (team time trial) races, but
it's a very specialized event. The ones that happen in the Tour de
France and the Vuelta a Espana are much more prestigious, and the old
ONCE-Eroski team were known for being dominant in such stages.

There is no race where the only objective is team GC, however any
major stage race will have such a competition and lately Team CSC has
taken many prizes, including the team prize in last year's Tour de
France.

Quoted message said:

2) Do you think the TdF would be more interesting if emphasis
shifted to the overall team competition (e.g. a sponsor or
organizer could provide a lot of prize money to the winners)?

If you would like to watch a race where the team competition is hotly
desired and contested, come back in September for the Vuelta a Espana.
Yes, it is very exciting.

-Sonarrat.