Okay, I've tried to work it out but gave up when my head began to hurt.
I understand it's a team event. So the likes of Cavendish needs his team to drag him along. Is that because slipstreaming reduces the effort to such an extent?
It's a team event but (like today) there are three riders who've broken away. They appear to be helping each other.
A 'group' gets the same time as each other when they cross the line? Is that right? So you can finish about 40 seconds after the first person in the group and you get the same time?
So you've got 'specialists' like Cavendish and the mountain climbers etc. So someone like Cavendish can have a fantastic tour without winning it. So who does win it? Someone who is 'average' at lots of things?
It's a beautiful advert for France and the aerial shots, especially as they go around both sides of roundabouts look superb but its all very odd!