Today's stage (spoiler)

[RC Vikings]

Originally Posted by bYuPride

will someone please explain the green jersey and the yellow jersey. and the boonen fella came in 2nd at yesterdays stage to steegman but both on the same team, but there is some controversy to this? was it boonens right to take the go ahead?

A person wins green points for high finishes. This will be won by a sprinter who can rack up early points on the flats and still make it over the mountains. Cipollini may have been the greatest sprinter of this generation but he could never make it over the mountains. The yellow goes to the person with the best overall time.

Steegman was the lead out for Boonen. Typically they will peal off with around 500 meters to go and let their fastest sprinter go for the win. By not letting Boonen win it may have taken valuable points from him that we will need to win the green jersey.

It is truly a thing of beauty to watch a team lead their sprinter to the line. I can't even imagine the rush they must feel as they are barreling down the road doing 40 mph trying to cross the line first.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by RC Vikings

A person wins green points for high finishes. This will be won by a sprinter who can rack up early points on the flats and still make it over the mountains. Cipollini may have been the greatest sprinter of this generation but he could never make it over the mountains. The yellow goes to the person with the best overall time.

Steegman was the lead out for Boonen. Typically they will peal off with around 500 meters to go and let their fastest sprinter go for the win. By not letting Boonen win it may have taken valuable points from him that we will need to win the green jersey.

Plsu Steegman was hired specificaly to lead out Boonen. last year he was doing the same for McEwen. Steegman and Boonen are both Belgian, but Steegman is supposed to be the sidekick and Boonen is the superstar. SO this stage finsihes in Belgium and the crowd wants Boonen to win, and Boonen wants to win, and Steegman wants (and is being paid to help) boonen to win and they get to the line and Steegman's lead otu is so good that Boonen can't get past him. Boonen so expected to win that even though Steegman was clearly across first, Boonen puts his arm up in a victory salute and then it hits him consciously that he was second, and to Steegman and he is probably a little annoyed, and all the little kids with boonen jerseys are a bit deflated but,. at least, a Belgian still won so it wasnt' so bad and, on overall points, Boonen took green, so not all was lost. It would sort of be like if a 'rabbit' in a track meet set a blistering pace and then, on the bell lap, instead of peeling off he just kept going and beat the field.

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by creekster

It would sort of be like if a 'rabbit' in a track meet set a blistering pace and then, on the bell lap, instead of peeling off he just kept going and beat the field.

Anyone remember Ed Eyestone doing that in the LA marathon in the early 90's?