Tour de France winners medal?

the_bing

Obviously, 2012 was the year of the Wiggins.

But a question has arisen in my office from NCTs (non-cycling-types).

Do the rest of team Sky (froome, cav, physio etc) get recognition for Wiggins winning the Tour? I've tried to find out on Net but can't find nowt. I'm pretty sure they get a share of prize money, but do they get a team winners medal or something?

The NCTs are saying that the Tour is a rubbish race cos only one person gets all the glory when a team is there to get the winner to the Champs-elysee...

Any answers?

lc1981

This year there was a team classification, I seem to remember, but that isn't necessarily the team of the winner of the general classification. I doubt that the teammates of the GC winner get anything, other than a share of the winnings.

lc1981

Apparently the team classification has existed since 1930: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_classification_in_the_Tour_de_France. It was just more prominent in 2012 as they made the leaders wear yellow helmets.

rolf_f

You could argue more convincingly that Formula 1 is a rubbish sport as it is a team sport where the team are barely allowed to play any team tactics at all nowadays. The second driver can do little more than take points off other drivers.

The team do share in the winnings and their salaries reflect their performance. But plenty of riders in a team are there to play the supporting roll which could be done by any pro rider. You might as well say the Tour is crap because the mechanics don't get the same recognition as Wiggins and Cavendish (who of course gets recognition for winning stages) etc.

CiB

Probably best to point out that it's quite a complex sport and if they can't be bothered to understand the minutiae of it they'd be better of watching the darts on tv instead.

See how that goes.

Pross

At least people are starting to realise that it is a strange sport in that a team work for an individual's glory. Ultimately they are paid to do that and know this when they sign a contract, the top doms can earn decent money by specialising in the role (someone like Renshaw might be worth more to a team as Cav's lead out man than he is as a bit part first choice sprinter for another team and Rogers / Porte etc. were probably picking up more money as Wiggo's support than they would have as another team's 'man for the top 10'). The shared prize money is a recognition from a team leader or even a race winner who isn't a leader that they need the support of not just their team mates but the soigneurs and mechanics etc. My club mate was working as a part-time mechanic on the Endura team in Europe last season and picked up a few quid bonus thanks to the successes of (mainly) JTL.

lotus49

Rolf F wrote:

You could argue more convincingly that Formula 1 is a rubbish sport as it is a team sport where the team are barely allowed to play any team tactics at all nowadays. The second driver can do little more than take points off other drivers.

Team orders (which had a long history in F1) were pointlessly banned between 2003 and 2010 but since the 2011 season, that ban has been lifted and now drivers are allowed to support their fellow driver in any way that does not breach the other rules.

southdownswolf

lotus49 wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

You could argue more convincingly that Formula 1 is a rubbish sport as it is a team sport where the team are barely allowed to play any team tactics at all nowadays. The second driver can do little more than take points off other drivers.

Team orders (which had a long history in F1) were pointlessly banned between 2003 and 2010 but since the 2011 season, that ban has been lifted and now drivers are allowed to support their fellow driver in any way that does not breach the other rules.

And I'd still rather watch paint dry than watch F1....

alanparsons

the_bing wrote:

Obviously, 2012 was the year of the Wiggins.

But a question has arisen in my office from NCTs (non-cycling-types).

Do the rest of team Sky (froome, cav, physio etc) get recognition for Wiggins winning the Tour? I've tried to find out on Net but can't find nowt. I'm pretty sure they get a share of prize money, but do they get a team winners medal or something?

The NCTs are saying that the Tour is a rubbish race cos only one person gets all the glory when a team is there to get the winner to the Champs-elysee...

Any answers?

In the past (until 1990) the TdF winner has recieved a mix of cash, property,cars and works of art as prizes.
Since 1990 the prize is cash. 2013 prize money herehttp://www.letour.com/le-tour/2013/us/sporting-stakes-rules.html
I have read somewhere that historicly the TdF winner gives his winnings (450,000euro) to the rest of the team to share. (Riders, mechanics, drivers......etc)
This is because the individual winner will earn considerably more in the year to follow from endorsements, sponsorship and apperances.

greasedscotsman

alanparsons wrote:

In the past (until 1990) the TdF winner has recieved a mix of cash, property,cars and works of art as prizes.

And their own weight in coffee!

Careca

Which is unfair on the climbers as they no doubt weigh the least!

Monty Dog

General convention is that the winner's prize money and all other prize monies are shared between the team riders. The winner probably makes enough in endorsements / appearance fees to more than adequately compensate.
I imagine that teams like Sky have 'win bonuses' for team staff too.

secretsqirrel

lc1981 wrote:

This year there was a team classification, I seem to remember, but that isn't necessarily the team of the winner of the general classification. I doubt that the teammates of the GC winner get anything, other than a share of the winnings.

FWIW, Radioshack won the Team Classification in 2012.