Wondering Why

rkreuser - 2009-07-10 4:06 AM It's all about options.

If 6 guys go up the road, one from each team (for arguments' sake), and none are GC contenders, the team with the people in the break win on several fronts:

- Your team might win the stage. You have a 1/6 probability, which is much better than the regular odds in a sprint finish.

- Your sponsor gets leader coverage, and for teams without strong climbers or sprinters, they need to get TV time somehow,

- You can score points for several other prestigeous competitions  - KOM points for being 1-2-3+  over climbs, Sprinter points for being 1-2-3+ for a sprint, and score points in the most aggressive rider competition

- You can keep OTHER teams from scoring points by getting them first....for instance, todays stage there was a KOM contender in the break...he wanted the KOM points. His teammate (in the peleton) had the KOM jersey, but not by much, and wanted to keep it.  So the KOM's jersey wearer's teammate nipped top points.

- You make money for your team...first at a sprint or KOM point gets you prime monies, today it was 800 euros. Doesn't seem like much, but it is for many teams.

- It keeps you out of accident trouble, as a team. If the peleton wipes out, you've still got a guy up the road, and lastly,

- For the teams with the GC contenders, it gives you many more choices as to how to spend your energy. If, for instance, Astana has a guy in the break, but Columbia doesn't, they can choose to spend their energy how they want. They can lead, and reel their own guy in (which rarely happens), or they can wait for another (presumably weaker) team to chase, making them spend more energy and pull the Astana boys along, etc.