New guy question-what is the purpose of a time trial?

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Over the course of a multi-day race, I do not understand why the insert the time trial component. I am not objecting to them, I just don't understand their purpose. I know they say it is the rider against the clock, but the whole race is that way, really. I'm just trying to figure out the logic behind it.

I did a search, but could not find anything.

A TT is the "race of truth" - no drafting, no teammates - everybody goes flat out and the faster guys on the day gain time while the slower guys lose time. Thus a strong TT can consolidate efforts on the RR stages, or make up for a time loss on a Rr stage, but a weak TT can lead to a rider tumbling down the classification.

if you want to do well in stage races you have to be able to TT.

It is definitely not like the other stages in a RR simply because you cannot draft in a peloton during a TT. This makes a dramatic difference; sometimes a climber makes a great time trialist (Lance); or, even a sprinter may occasionally be a good time trialist (Thor Hushovd, over a short course is good); however, a time trialist is usually a specialist -- a man who may get dropped on a long climb, or left behind in a sprint, but who excels at putting out a huge wattage over a long period of time. Therefore, both because it exposes riders who sometimes rely on strong teammates, or tactics, and because it caters to a certain class of rider, it is always included in a serious stage race.

It's also because otherwise once one rider has a reasonable lead in the overall classification, he might choose simply to shadow his nearest rivals to stop them taking it all back at once. That doesn't make for good racing. the TT component at least allows the possibility of an outstanding individual ride bringing another rider into contention. It's also TV- and spectator-friendly, and that's a big factor. Also, because they're relatively short and take place in a relatively confined area, they're the equivalent of a rest day for many of the logistical and support staff, giving a chance to catch up on maintenance, repairs, paperwork, laundry - all the unglamorous stuff that goes on behind the scenes to keep the show on the road.

I think you're forgetting two things;

ONE-TT teaches you all about pain management.

TWO-The bicycle industry secretly funds all TT just so everyone on the forum wants to go out and buy special TT equipment. I know for a fact that the secret marketing plan strategy has worked!!!

Most stages of a race finish in bunch sprints. The race needs to seperate the riders by adding a time trial so that they all have individual times. Of course, in a grand tour there is a lot of seperation due to time bonues and days in the mountains. But for the races that most riders generally do in the U.S. etc, on non-selective courses, the TT is often the only element that will make the difference.

ONE-TT teaches you all about pain management.


And boredom management...
I used to get so bored in TTs that I used to jack it in half way through my club's ten-miler, chat to the turn marshal, hurl abuse/encouragement at the other competitors, then ride home with the marshal so at least I got the chance to sprint for a few village signs and relieve the tedium. My stepfather used to d0 12-hour TTs in the sixties, which must have been mind-numbingly boring, but I suppose there wasn't a lot else to do in those days!

Man, if you are getting bored in a TT, you aren't going hard enough!

Man, if you are getting bored in a TT, you aren't going hard enough!

Yeah, I could never work up the motivation. I mean, it's not like it's a proper race, is it... :-)

Over the course of a multi-day race, I do not understand why the insert the time trial component. I am not objecting to them, I just don't understand their purpose. I know they say it is the rider against the clock, but the whole race is that way, really. I'm just trying to figure out the logic behind it.

I did a search, but could not find anything.

Different races emphasize different riders' strengths and abilities. The 3 main disciplines are Climbing, Sprinting, and Time Trialing. While road racing and especially criteriums emphasize going hard, recovering, then going hard again, and doing so repeatedly until the surges and accelerations cause weaker riders to crack, Time Trials emphasize steady power. They are usually less technical races, as well. So bike-handling skills and cornering are not nearly as important.

I know a guy who can't corner worth a damn, and who has great difficulty with repeatedly accelerating to chase breaks or whatever, but he has a huge engine and can hold a very high effort for a long time. TTs are perfect for him. That huge engine doesn't help him nearly as much in a RR because when he tries to go off the front, the rest of the peleton can work together to bring him back. Guys like him need their day to shine, just like anybody else.

Bob

Different races emphasize different riders' strengths and abilities. The 3 main disciplines are Climbing, Sprinting, and Time Trialing. While road racing and especially criteriums emphasize going hard, recovering, then going hard again, and doing so repeatedly until the surges and accelerations cause weaker riders to crack, Time Trials emphasize steady power. They are usually less technical races, as well. So bike-handling skills and cornering are not nearly as important.

I know a guy who can't corner worth a damn, and who has great difficulty with repeatedly accelerating to chase breaks or whatever, but he has a huge engine and can hold a very high effort for a long time. TTs are perfect for him. That huge engine doesn't help him nearly as much in a RR because when he tries to go off the front, the rest of the peleton can work together to bring him back. Guys like him need their day to shine, just like anybody else.

Bob

Beautifully explained, if I may say so...

It's just another way to race your bicycle. Don't worry about it. Pretend it's not there. Don't tune in on the itt day. I don't.