Thor Hushovd in 2010
This year there is a significant change in the regulations for the points classification and the battle for the green jersey.
Instead of the traditional two or three intermediate sprints per stage where points have, in the past, been awarded to the first three riders over the line it’s now just one sprint per stage. And the allocation goes down to the 15th rider of the ‘prime’. Furthermore the points on offer are far more significant (20pts for first, 17 for second, 15 for third… etc) and there is also a new allotment for the finish of the stage – this depends on the categorization of each stage: high mountain, undulating, flat or time trial.
Unlike the other Grand Tours (Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España), which both assign an equal number of points no matter what the profile of a stage is like – thus opening up this points classification for riders of various abilities (climbers, opportunists or sprinters), the Tour de France historically aims to award sprinters with this classification. The winners of recent years reflects this approach: Erik Zabel won six times (from 1996 to 2001), Robbie McEwen has claimed six green jerseys (2002, 2004 and 2006), Baden Cooke took this prize in the Tour’s centenary edition (2003), Thor Hushovd (2005 and 2009), Tom Boonen (2007), Oscar Freire (2008) and Alessandro Petacchi (2010)… each are specialists in the sprint discipline.
Still, it seems incongruous that Mark Cavendish – the winner of 15 stages from the last three editions – has not claimed the green jersey in Paris. Given this, it’s been muted that the changes for 2011 are likely to suit him.
The new scale for the points classification at the finish is as follows:
‘Flat’ stages: first place takes 45 points, then 35, 30, 26, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2.
‘Medium Mountains’ (undulating): first place takes 30 points, then 25, 22, 19, 17, 15, 13, 11, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.
‘High Mountains’: first place takes 20, then 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.
‘Time Trials’: first place takes 20, then 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.
For sprinters the new rule is likely to mean that their teams will have to work for two big efforts in the same stage, instead of just the one for the finish. We can now expect to see considerable preparation as the peloton approaches the site for the intermediate sprint. Even if there is an escape group ahead, there are still valuable points on offer and this means lead-out trains will probably be sent forward to ensure that the sprint specialists have the best chance to claim the remaining points.
Realistically, two scenarios are possible: either the sprinters’ teams will aim to prevent any breakaway group forming prior to the intermediate sprints, or they will look to collect whatever remains should an escape be successful earlier in the day. For example, if there are three men ahead then Cavendish, Petacchi, Hushovd et al are going to battle hard to score the 13 points for fourth place rather than conserving the energy for the finish of the stage. In the last two years, Cavendish has been dominant at the finish, but he’s only claimed points at one intermediate sprint at the Tours of 2009 and 2010.
The new regulations mean that only one intermediate sprint effort will be necessary (instead of two or three, as has been the case until 2011). It promises to promote a different style of tactics that is likely to stop the procession to the finish by the sprinters as they’ve previously had the belief that it’s not possible to do a full sprint too often each day.
Many journalists are speculating if it’s possible for Thor Hushovd to win a third points classification title because he’s the kind of sprinter who is also able to chase a good result at intermediate primes, as he did with great success in 2009. But the world champion has explained his ambitions: “The green jersey is not my goal this year because I’ll lead out the sprints for Tyler Farrar.”
The Norwegian has admitted that he is no longer fast enough to compete on the flat with the likes of Cavendish and, therefore, Hushovd has stated that he’ll aim to win a stage that concludes with a short uphill before the finish line (Mont des Alouettes, Mur-de-Bretagne, Lisieux) as he did in the past (ie. St-Brieuc in 2008 and Barcelona in 2009). When it’s a finish for the pure sprinters, he will act as a helper for Farrar who, these days, is one of few with the speed to beat Cavendish – as he showed in last year’s Vuelta.
In reality, the change of the allocation of points for the finish in the first week rather favors a rider like Philippe Gilbert who, going on recent form, could win up to five stages over the first eight days and scrounge for points at intermediate sprints for the entirety of the three week contest.
On top of all this, it’s now also possible that the green jersey could be worn for several stages by an opportunist who collects both the intermediate sprint and finish points with a bold escape several times in the first week.
A ruling that was introduced last year remains but with the new configuration those who are close to elimination in the mountains could suffer the indignity of significant losses in the points classification. The rulebook states: “In the case where competitors finishing after the cut-off time are reinstated by the race officials’ committee, the equivalent of the points attributed to the winner of the stage concerned will be removed from the reinstated competitor’s score in the overall individual points standings, even if this leaves them with negative points.”
In other words, the Tour de France has increased the incentives for sprinters aiming for the green jersey that has been able to elude he who wins five or six stages in one edition. Now it’s more likely than ever that the points classification will be won by a pure sprinter.
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