Ask H - Issue 1 (A Sampler)
[Thanks to Ashanka for the following transcript. It is lifted from the conversation I had with her. This is meant to be a sampler to explain the format of the 'Ask H' section I intend to write. Not as comprehensive as (hopefully) I can be. FYI]
Q: I need someone to explain tour de france to me, how come Lance Armstrong wins it despite winning just a stage?
A: Well because it's about time. If you were to keep coming in 10th but only 10 seconds behind the leader each time, but there's a different winner each time, overall you'd gain time. This is owing to the fact that he's strong everywhere. The other thing is - people in a bunch get the same time. So if a bunch of people finish together - first to 20th, they all get the same time. The winner gets more points though. This helps in the points classification (for which they have the green jersey)... but it's all kinda academic. The time is the real McCoy. So, the yellow jersey is for the guy with the fastest time. The green jersey is points leader, the polka dotted jersey is the climbing stages leader and the white jersey is the rookie leader.
Q: So how does a team help or what role does a team play?
A: Well, a team can do many things. One is set the pace. The other is tire out breakaways...if someone threatens to breakaway and build a big lead, they send someone from the team to chase him down and keep the points away from that guy....but mostly to tire him out (in the battle) so they can reel him in collectively. All the while, they are shielding the leader (Lance Armstrong for Postal and then Discovery) from crashes... so nobody deliberately or otherwise, crashes into him and takes him out. They also keep him from the vagaries of nature, so if there's strong headwind, he'll draft behind a teammate who will take all that wind head on.
Q: I need someone to explain tour de france to me, how come Lance Armstrong wins it despite winning just a stage?
A: Well because it's about time. If you were to keep coming in 10th but only 10 seconds behind the leader each time, but there's a different winner each time, overall you'd gain time. This is owing to the fact that he's strong everywhere. The other thing is - people in a bunch get the same time. So if a bunch of people finish together - first to 20th, they all get the same time. The winner gets more points though. This helps in the points classification (for which they have the green jersey)... but it's all kinda academic. The time is the real McCoy. So, the yellow jersey is for the guy with the fastest time. The green jersey is points leader, the polka dotted jersey is the climbing stages leader and the white jersey is the rookie leader.
Q: So how does a team help or what role does a team play?
A: Well, a team can do many things. One is set the pace. The other is tire out breakaways...if someone threatens to breakaway and build a big lead, they send someone from the team to chase him down and keep the points away from that guy....but mostly to tire him out (in the battle) so they can reel him in collectively. All the while, they are shielding the leader (Lance Armstrong for Postal and then Discovery) from crashes... so nobody deliberately or otherwise, crashes into him and takes him out. They also keep him from the vagaries of nature, so if there's strong headwind, he'll draft behind a teammate who will take all that wind head on.
posted by Harish at 09:11
5 Comments:
How about an H-1 B sampler now?! :D
Could you give me some dope on jazz please? I know zilch about it, and would like to know more. Also please put in the names of about 5 albums (your suggestion) which will be a good start to knowing jazz.
hey!! aren't you suppossed to take my perm. before you filch it? :P
anyways, thanks for elucidating the tour de france.
and FIY, you didn't mention my other query, "whats with the tight pants in american sports?"
H of Ask H is supposed to stick around and answer, hello?! YooHoo? Aunt H?!
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