they don't need to be any good at sprinting at all

You get exactly the same time for finishing 80th as finishing 8th, as long as the field finish in a pack. (As they do in most stages.) So the yellow jersey has nothing to do with sprinting at all.

They do have to be good in the mountains, but they don't usually win the King of the Mountains. That's because they're (again) different competitions, really.

Thing is, to win the yellow jersey you basically have to win big - ie open up big gaps on the rest of the field - in a few stages - maybe 2 or 3 over the entire Tour. These are usually mountain stages, because those are the tough ones where if you can get away from the field, you can break them and beat them by a few minutes - enough to win you the yellow jersey.

Whereas the King of the Mountains is won by doing well in a load of climbs - oin a mountiain stage there'll be a handful of them. You get points for winning each climb. So the King of the Mountains goes to hte most consistent climber over the whole Tour.

Winning each climbing takes a lot out of you, so you can't really focus on that *and* on winning the yellow jersey. To win the yellow, you spend most of the Tour, sitting safely in the pack, making sure no-one finishes miles ahead of you, waiting for your one or two moments in the entire tour to attack the rest of the pack.

Posted By: Tricky Hawes on July 18th 2008 at 17:49:53

Message Thread

Unbelievable. Cavendish wins his *4th* stage of the Tour (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 16:45:36
- maybe he goes to a Morrocan guy I know of called Chemical Ali, (Other Sports) - NCFC4life, Jul 18, 16:51:43
- Yes, but he's still at the back of the race (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jul 18, 16:47:50
  - not sure if you're taking the piss or not, but in case not.... (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 16:53:14
    - Is he doing the Olympics? (n/m) (Other Sports) - Small, Jul 18, 16:54:10
      - I heard a fascinating intereview (Other Sports) - camcan, Jul 18, 16:57:39
      - Yep (Other Sports) - King, Jul 18, 16:57:18
      - Yes. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 16:56:49
- Indeed - well done Cavendish's chemist (n/m) (Other Sports) - The Judge, Jul 18, 16:47:07
  - Lovely old cynicism (n/m) (Other Sports) - King, Jul 18, 16:58:26
- What drugs is he using? Could do with some for the upcoming football season. (Other Sports) - meggers, Jul 18, 16:47:05
  - you want them (Other Sports) - camcan, Jul 18, 16:47:53
    - Hmm, either really. (n/m) (Other Sports) - meggers, Jul 18, 16:49:04
- Is he now up to about 130th? (n/m) (Other Sports) - duke of york, Jul 18, 16:46:39
  - ^^^ doesn't know anything about cycling ^^^^^ (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 16:48:50
    - but that's what seems so futile to me (Other Sports) - camcan, Jul 18, 16:49:48
      - that's exactly it (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 16:56:06
        
        I can see that it's very good - but what does he get (Other Sports) - duke of york, Jul 18, 16:58:43
        
        Loads of cash, for one thing (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 17:02:23
        
        Why don't they split it up into a series of different races then? (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jul 18, 17:15:08
        
        (by the way - they do. They're called stages (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 17:22:47
        
        Funny that (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jul 18, 17:26:24
        
        would be better if they were called tourettes (n/m) (Other Sports) - camcan, Jul 18, 17:23:31
        
        ha ha. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 17:24:18
        
        no, it's not like that at all (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 17:21:36
        
        OK (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jul 18, 17:27:16
        
        It is *very* weird, compared to just about any other sporting event (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 17:33:55
        
        So tell me about the guys who actually win the Tour (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jul 18, 17:42:52
        
        they don't need to be any good at sprinting at all (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 17:49:53
        
        Cor (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jul 18, 17:55:46
        
        Never have, but would like to one day (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 18:00:55
        
        Fair enough! (n/m) (Other Sports) - duke of york, Jul 18, 17:06:04
        
        just imagine if you got points in football for each half (Other Sports) - camcan, Jul 18, 16:59:46
      - I agree - can't really see the point (Other Sports) - duke of york, Jul 18, 16:52:10
        
        Me neither (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jul 18, 16:52:52
        
        Isn't that what most British tennis players do anyway? (n/m) (Other Sports) - CB41, Jul 18, 16:54:58
        
        Yeah, but it's not hailed as a triumph (n/m) (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jul 18, 17:16:21
        
        tennis and cycling are a bit shit though, unless you cycle to work, (Other Sports) - NCFC4life, Jul 18, 16:54:22
        
        it's official (Other Sports) - camcan, Jul 18, 16:54:17
        
        it's official (Other Sports) - camcan, Jul 18, 16:54:16
        
        gosh (Other Sports) - camcan, Jul 18, 16:55:10

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