Neutral Zone
Lichtblick
Posts: 1,434
(Easy one, no doubt, hope some of you answer, thanks in advance.)
The Neutral Zone : why?
The only reason I can think of, is to warm the riders up. Or to a lesser degree, "show them off to the fans"?
What gets me about these Neutral Zones, is (a) the length of them - 8km or more; and (b) they don't count in the mileage total ridden! If they do 8 or 9 neutral kms per stage in the Giro/TdF/Vuelta, that adds up to an extra 190-odd kms. Good Grief that's longer than some stages!
Then there's other extra miles/kms getting down from mountain tops - like yesterday for instance. Those miles don't count either.
Seems v. odd.
The Neutral Zone : why?
The only reason I can think of, is to warm the riders up. Or to a lesser degree, "show them off to the fans"?
What gets me about these Neutral Zones, is (a) the length of them - 8km or more; and (b) they don't count in the mileage total ridden! If they do 8 or 9 neutral kms per stage in the Giro/TdF/Vuelta, that adds up to an extra 190-odd kms. Good Grief that's longer than some stages!
Then there's other extra miles/kms getting down from mountain tops - like yesterday for instance. Those miles don't count either.
Seems v. odd.
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Comments
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Lichtblick wrote:(Easy one, no doubt, hope some of you answer, thanks in advance.)
The Neutral Zone : why?
The only reason I can think of, is to warm the riders up. Or to a lesser degree, "show them off to the fans"?
What gets me about these Neutral Zones, is (a) the length of them - 8km or more; and (b) they don't count in the mileage total ridden! If they do 8 or 9 neutral kms per stage in the Giro/TdF/Vuelta, that adds up to an extra 190-odd kms. Good Grief that's longer than some stages!
Then there's other extra miles/kms getting down from mountain tops - like yesterday for instance. Those miles don't count either.
Seems v. odd.
More or less.
You want them to start in a pretty square in the centre of town so people can go watch them at the start in nice surroundings.
Often the route out isn't safe for racing, so they'll neutralise it.
It has in the past been used for ways to get around the maximum amount of KMs allowed in a GT (3,500km).
Also stops riders slamming it while others are still clipping in etc.
No-one wants to stand around on some awful A road heading out town.0 -
and also warms them up?
Thanks Rick, you're a star.0 -
Lichtblick wrote:and also warms them up?
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Probably. On days which riders know will be very feisty at the start it's not uncommon to see riders (secretly) warming up on rollers beforehand, so it can't be that much of a warm up.0 -
or not so secretly if you're Sky0
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Rick Chasey wrote:Lichtblick wrote:and also warms them up?
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Probably. On days which riders know will be very feisty at the start it's not uncommon to see riders (secretly) warming up on rollers beforehand, so it can't be that much of a warm up.
As someone on here noted - you know you're a professional when you're looking at 7 hours in the saddle over 5 Alps and you warm up for a hour on the rollers first.“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
TailWindHome wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Lichtblick wrote:and also warms them up?
.
Probably. On days which riders know will be very feisty at the start it's not uncommon to see riders (secretly) warming up on rollers beforehand, so it can't be that much of a warm up.
As someone on here noted - you know you're a professional when you're looking at 7 hours in the saddle over 5 Alps and you warm up for a hour on the rollers first.
Never mind another hour on the rollers to cool down after having tackled the 5 alps!
Add to that the mileage on a "rest day"0 -
I recall a neutralised zone during a race I participated in when in France, it was the most frenetic 6 miles I've riden, but then I'm sh!te.
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