I understand that the final ride into paris is always a joy ride celebration. Has anyone ever tried to make a move on the final day? Say a rider was only like 10 seconds out of yellow, why not go for it?
vinokurov
not a move for yellow but for the podium i believe
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so why is it so rare? if many of these riders value winning so much that they would blood dope or take other ergogenic aids, why not just bike hard on the last day?
I agree, the logic there is funny. They have enough class to not attack on the last day, but not enough to not cheat all the way up to it! Strange how people can rationalize one thing and not another.
so why is it so rare? if many of these riders value winning so much that they would blood dope or take other ergogenic aids, why not just bike hard on the last day?
Because you cant gain that much time…It just wont happen. Unless you were 1-2 secs difference, you cant make a time change difference. It’s why in sprint stages, the yellow jersey will usually stay on the same rider for a while. It’s not as easy as “attacking the peloton”. The whole 150 other riders, just will chase down that attack, and than get an ass chewing by several of the leaders. And if he attacks again, the chase will just not even let him get off the front.
Thats the biggest reason, you just can attack and gain the time needed. The yellow jersey team would just put on a chase and bring back the break, along wiht the other key GC teams who could have possible podium changes. So overall, it would be a futile and really stupid effort. Unless your less than 5 secs difference, an attack just wont make up the difference.
I understand that the final ride into paris is always a joy ride celebration. Has anyone ever tried to make a move on the final day? Say a rider was only like 10 seconds out of yellow, why not go for it?
Besides Lemond in '89? A bit different as that was an ITT.
The last stage is pretty much dead flat, so the sprinters’ teams cover pretty much everything once the circuits on the Champs hit. Combine that with the team of the yellow jersey chasing and there’s basically no chance. Cerimonial attacking is allowed; Lemond attacked once they hit the Champs in '91, but he was in 7th and it was just for show (he was allowed a lap or two then reintegrated). Attacking before the Champs is an ettiquite violation, and pretty much every team would lend a rider or two to chase. You can’t win a flat stage with the whole peloton against you.
Vino was the last GC guy to try something, but it was to get 3rd; not steal the yellow.
I think Bernard Hinault got in a breakaway one time on les Champs. Blew the field to pieces.
I don’t recall whether his was in yellow or not that year. I wouldn’t be surprised either way.
Man, the older I get, the cooler Hinault’s exploits are.
(edit: 1979 tour, with #2 Joop Zoetemelk: http://www.letour.fr/HISTO/us/TDF/1979/2400/etape.html
(edit#2: Paul Sherwen finished 81st that year @3:03:46)
I`m pretty sure that was one of the years that Hinault won. I used to hate Hinault with a passion (I started following cycling seriously as a kid in 1986, so I was looking through those glasses) but the more I learn about the man and his career, the more I like him. Toughest SOB to ever win the Tour (except Merckx, of course).
Has anyone ever tried to make a move on the final day?
Jean Robic.
I think Bernard Hinault got in a breakaway one time on les Champs. Blew the field to pieces.
Well, yes and no. Hinault had “gifted” a mountain stage to Sean Kelly earlier in the race and Kelly–who was still a sprinter at the time and had not taken up any sort of GC hopes–was conspicuously not in the mix on the final day. Deals are deals. Still, Hinault did some crazy stuff from time to time and remains the last Tour de France winner to win Paris-Roubaix. That makes him a stud in my book.
Chad