They give the group the same time so people won't start pushing in order to get a better place when they cross the finish line. There'd be 100x more crashes if that was the case.

That might be the case now (pushing around for every .01 sec.) I think you need to put yourself, not in the rider's position, but in the judge's place c. 1940. Imagine trying to fairly time these guys with just a stopwatch.



"Hé, vous savez ce que ... justes donnons leur à toute la même heure."

"Hey, you know what ... let's just give them all the same time."

---

"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

And then imagine that same group of guys "racing" to the line because the difference in time from the first person crossing the line to the 100th person could be quite significant. Like a previous poster said there would 100X more crashes because no one would want to be the last person in the group to cross. Then you would have more instances of crashing in the final kilometer and you have that rule that those who crash get the same time as the group. Are they just screwed then?

The mountains and the time trials give ample time to sort out the finishing times. Your friend has a problem understanding the race because he is thinking about it like a running race. This is entirely different. There are so many different things going on, the current rules allow each of the different types of cyclists to compete in the sub-categories somewhat independently. The overall finish order isn't the only race taking place over these three weeks. It's dangerous enough to have a bunch of sprinters jockeying for position at the end, it would be crazy to have all the GC guys mixing it up as well.

---

---------------------------------------------------------

"What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind and body can achieve; and those who stay will be champions."