Chapeau to a Mr Mike Warrington who emailed Eurosport having calculated the GC standings at the end of Stage 15 on the climb to Verbier. Nothing unusual in that, but he’d taken the time to remove the times allocated on the team time trial stage. The revised top 15 are in the list below. Now undoubtedly some of these riders in the table below would not have made some of the break away moves that got them here (because they’d hve been closed down) had they been higher up the GC, but this looks a whole lot healthier than the current GC stadings, and a lot more open. It’s better for sponsors and spectators alike, which means it must be better for the ASO and UCI.
1) Contador Astana
2) Le Mevel +00′23″ FDJ
3) Nocentini +00′42″ AG2R
4) Wiggins +01′28″ Garmin
5) Armstrong +01′37″ Astana
6) A Schelck +01′46″ Saxo Bank
7) Evans +01′51″ Silence lotto
8 ) Nibali +01′53″ Liquigas
9) Martin +02′08″ Columbia
10) Kloden +02′17″ Astana
11) Sastre +02′39″ Cervelo TT
12 F Schleck +02′45″ Saxo bank
13 Hincapie +03′06″ Columbia
14) Monfort +03′39″ Columbia
15) Vandevelde 03′41″ Garmin
I’m a big fan of the team time trial as a spectacle but it did kill this years race for a lot of riders. I’d prefer to see another mountain top finish in its place but if it remains the rules need to change so the losses aren’t as catastrophic for the teams who aren’t TT specialists.
