TdF.....final day.....is there an etiquette ?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
Can eg Cavendish make an attempt at a stage win or is it more or less over ?
Do all the riders allow the overall winner to cross the line first ?
 

TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
It's still a sprint for the stage win. Cavendish has won the final stage 4 times in all, and I wouldn't bet against him doing it again. Obviously the yellow Jersey is done and dusted now.
 
OP
OP
Dave7

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
It's still a sprint for the stage win. Cavendish has won the final stage 4 times in all, and I wouldn't bet against him doing it again. Obviously the yellow Jersey is done and dusted now.
Do I then understand correctly that, if he wins the last day's stage he breaks Eddy 'whatsits'** record ?
**don't know how To spell Merx.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
One point to make... the jersey winners only win them if they actually finish the race. If Pog got knocked off and broke a collarbone then he would have to get back on and ride one-handed to the finish!

It would obviously be a travesty for Pog to lose the race if he couldn't finish in that kind of scenario. I'm not sure if it has ever happened?
 
Can eg Cavendish make an attempt at a stage win or is it more or less over ?
Do all the riders allow the overall winner to cross the line first ?
The actual race at the final stage is near the end which is 8 laps around Champs-Élysées circuit and for sprinters. The GC contenders hold their positions.

Below is an excellent 2014 article on TDF etiquette. And they are in direct contradiction to the rules. Among the famous example is Australian Cadel Evans who was 57 seconds behind Alberto Contador in 2007 and 58 seconds behind Carlos Sastre in 2008 but did not overtake either in the final stage. Evans is known for his speed. Evans took another 2 year to get his prize in 2011. Its history is littered with such examples.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/tdf-final-day-is-there-an-etiquette.277437/

Nothing can be done if an etiquette is broken as it is not in the rule book.
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
The '89 edition is probably the only year that the Yellow Jersey changed hands on the last day and that was the time trial stage on the last day when Greg Lemond won, beating Laurent Fignon by 7 seconds or so.
 

Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
Thanks.
What do you mean by "the circuit" ?
Seven or eight laps of the Champs Elysees when they get to Paris.

Incidently Sharky,the 1968 edition also finished with a time trial where Jan Jansens overtook Herman Van Springle to win the overall.

As for etiquette, Bernard Hinault once poo pooed that idea and said he had every intention of launching an attack if he could gain the time he needed.
 
Last edited:

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
It's also traditional for the stage to be slow and leisurely until they reach the circuit, before that the leader's team will form up across the front of the peleton for a team picture, they'll have a glass of champagne, riders from other teams will ride alongside the leader and congratulate him, it's all very civilised and sedate.
Once in Paris and the start of racing proper, the leader will try to keep in visual distance of the front, but will stay well out of trouble. He'll usually come in maybe half a minute to a minute behind the stage winner, often in formation with his team.
 
Last edited:
Can eg Cavendish make an attempt at a stage win or is it more or less over ?
Do all the riders allow the overall winner to cross the line first ?
17,000 posts over 10 years on here and you don't know this stuff ?
What have you been discussing ?
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
There's an interesting GCN video (yes really, I did type that!) on the subject here.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv_01k9S7rY


To sum up the video's conclusions: The reason for the tradition of not attacking the yellow jersey is that there was a period 1987-2003 when the yellow jersey leader was so far ahead on stage 21 that no attack was possible. So nobody tried and riders started messing around and the "tradition" was born. BUT if the yellow jersey gap happened to be very small when we got to stage 21 would the "gentlemen's agreement" still apply? Who knows.

Really stage 21 is just like most sprint stages. It's hard/impossible to make any difference to the GC standings on a flat stage (unless there are crosswinds) so nobody tries. The sprinters' teams keep any breakaways in check (most of the time) to ensure a bunch sprint finish. On stage 21 there's the added disincentive that the GC gaps are usually big enough to make attacks even more futile.

The only difference is the champagne and photo ops on stage 21, where on a normal sprint stage the GC riders are just rolling along protected by the peloton. (Until Geraint Thomas falls off that is)
 
Top Bottom