Hacks from the kitchen

Optimized Tour de France TV-watching

Here are some quick geek tips to optimize your Tour de France TV-watching beyond what the broadcast offers.

One of the annoyances of std (Danish) tour coverage is that the reporters suck with numbers. The coverage has improved lately, adding actually knowledgeable former rider Rolf Sørensen to the reporting mix, but still - we don't get the numbers we deserve, so we simply have to make our own.
The first thing we need to do is do our own timing - and why not use this convenient javascript stop watch (or your watch or your cell phone). Secondly, and this is where the reporters really suck, we need proper numbers for how fast the riders are going. The most useful numbers are time/distance instead of the usual distance/time. These numbers are both easier to observe, using the stopwatch, and more meaningful: Tour math is mostly about how much time difference a rider or group of riders can make up during the remainder of a climb or a race.
Third, to make sense of these times we need some sensible ideas about how fast the racers are actually able to go in different terrain. Here are some pointers observed during this years tour:

• Peleton, chasing a group of riders for 30-40km: 50km/h


• Solitary rider, long break: 40-45km/h


• Sprint leadup - final 2 km: 55 km/h from -2 to -1 km and 65km/h for the last km


• Sprinter - (this is actually not so relevant to know up to 80km/h instantaneous speed during final burst


• Moderate climb (5% incline) 25km/h


• Steep climb (10% incline) 15km/h
- what's moderate or steep varies immensely among riders obviously, see below

Below I've compiled a convenient conversion table from km/h to minutes/distance for various speeds and distances. If we use that to evaluate the info above we can tell e.g. that the peleton can gain 5-20 seconds per km on a small group og a single rider on a break, unless this rider is a time trial specialist, so 4-5 min breaks 30km from the finish line are non-events. Danish television used to have a huge problem with bogus excitement about such breaks, but fortunately this has changed a lot.
We also learn why time/distance is so much more telling than distance/time. While a speed difference of 20km/h to 25km/h doesn't sound very dramatic a time loss of 30 seconds per km travelled sounds huge - especially at the bottom of a 15km hill. And these are exactly the kinds of differences that exist between good and great riders.

Geek-optimized tour watching involves timing the front groups as they pass landmarks and/or the official 20, 15, 10, 5 km gates, comparing these speeds to the incline exactly where they are. It then involves comparing time gains per minute to the peleton, figuring out from these numbers the speeds of the different formations on the road, figuring out time to the top, computing plausible total time gains losses. Checking relative performance along different parts of the route also. The many split times of the javascript stop watch are a great help here.

Mountain relevant speeds

km vs km/h	10	15	17	20	22	25	30	35	40
0.5	00:03:00	00:02:00	00:01:46	00:01:30	00:01:22	00:01:12	00:01:00	00:00:51	00:00:45
1	00:06:00	00:04:00	00:03:32	00:03:00	00:02:44	00:02:24	00:02:00	00:01:43	00:01:30
1.5	00:09:00	00:06:00	00:05:18	00:04:30	00:04:05	00:03:36	00:03:00	00:02:34	00:02:15
2	00:12:00	00:08:00	00:07:04	00:06:00	00:05:27	00:04:48	00:04:00	00:03:26	00:03:00
2.5	00:15:00	00:10:00	00:08:49	00:07:30	00:06:49	00:06:00	00:05:00	00:04:17	00:03:45
3	00:18:00	00:12:00	00:10:35	00:09:00	00:08:11	00:07:12	00:06:00	00:05:09	00:04:30
3.5	00:21:00	00:14:00	00:12:21	00:10:30	00:09:33	00:08:24	00:07:00	00:06:00	00:05:15
4	00:24:00	00:16:00	00:14:07	00:12:00	00:10:55	00:09:36	00:08:00	00:06:51	00:06:00
4.5	00:27:00	00:18:00	00:15:53	00:13:30	00:12:16	00:10:48	00:09:00	00:07:43	00:06:45
5	00:30:00	00:20:00	00:17:39	00:15:00	00:13:38	00:12:00	00:10:00	00:08:34	00:07:30
5.5	00:33:00	00:22:00	00:19:25	00:16:30	00:15:00	00:13:12	00:11:00	00:09:26	00:08:15
6	00:36:00	00:24:00	00:21:11	00:18:00	00:16:22	00:14:24	00:12:00	00:10:17	00:09:00
6.5	00:39:00	00:26:00	00:22:56	00:19:30	00:17:44	00:15:36	00:13:00	00:11:09	00:09:45
7	00:42:00	00:28:00	00:24:42	00:21:00	00:19:05	00:16:48	00:14:00	00:12:00	00:10:30
7.5	00:45:00	00:30:00	00:26:28	00:22:30	00:20:27	00:18:00	00:15:00	00:12:51	00:11:15
8	00:48:00	00:32:00	00:28:14	00:24:00	00:21:49	00:19:12	00:16:00	00:13:43	00:12:00
8.5	00:51:00	00:34:00	00:30:00	00:25:30	00:23:11	00:20:24	00:17:00	00:14:34	00:12:45
9	00:54:00	00:36:00	00:31:46	00:27:00	00:24:33	00:21:36	00:18:00	00:15:26	00:13:30
9.5	00:57:00	00:38:00	00:33:32	00:28:30	00:25:55	00:22:48	00:19:00	00:16:17	00:14:15
10	01:00:00	00:40:00	00:35:18	00:30:00	00:27:16	00:24:00	00:20:00	00:17:09	00:15:00
10.5	01:03:00	00:42:00	00:37:04	00:31:30	00:28:38	00:25:12	00:21:00	00:18:00	00:15:45
11	01:06:00	00:44:00	00:38:49	00:33:00	00:30:00	00:26:24	00:22:00	00:18:51	00:16:30
11.5	01:09:00	00:46:00	00:40:35	00:34:30	00:31:22	00:27:36	00:23:00	00:19:43	00:17:15
12	01:12:00	00:48:00	00:42:21	00:36:00	00:32:44	00:28:48	00:24:00	00:20:34	00:18:00
12.5	01:15:00	00:50:00	00:44:07	00:37:30	00:34:05	00:30:00	00:25:00	00:21:26	00:18:45
13	01:18:00	00:52:00	00:45:53	00:39:00	00:35:27	00:31:12	00:26:00	00:22:17	00:19:30
13.5	01:21:00	00:54:00	00:47:39	00:40:30	00:36:49	00:32:24	00:27:00	00:23:09	00:20:15
14	01:24:00	00:56:00	00:49:25	00:42:00	00:38:11	00:33:36	00:28:00	00:24:00	00:21:00
14.5	01:27:00	00:58:00	00:51:11	00:43:30	00:39:33	00:34:48	00:29:00	00:24:51	00:21:45
15	01:30:00	01:00:00	00:52:56	00:45:00	00:40:55	00:36:00	00:30:00	00:25:43	00:22:30
15.5	01:33:00	01:02:00	00:54:42	00:46:30	00:42:16	00:37:12	00:31:00	00:26:34	00:23:15
16	01:36:00	01:04:00	00:56:28	00:48:00	00:43:38	00:38:24	00:32:00	00:27:26	00:24:00
16.5	01:39:00	01:06:00	00:58:14	00:49:30	00:45:00	00:39:36	00:33:00	00:28:17	00:24:45
17	01:42:00	01:08:00	01:00:00	00:51:00	00:46:22	00:40:48	00:34:00	00:29:09	00:25:30
17.5	01:45:00	01:10:00	01:01:46	00:52:30	00:47:44	00:42:00	00:35:00	00:30:00	00:26:15
18	01:48:00	01:12:00	01:03:32	00:54:00	00:49:05	00:43:12	00:36:00	00:30:51	00:27:00
18.5	01:51:00	01:14:00	01:05:18	00:55:30	00:50:27	00:44:24	00:37:00	00:31:43	00:27:45
19	01:54:00	01:16:00	01:07:04	00:57:00	00:51:49	00:45:36	00:38:00	00:32:34	00:28:30
19.5	01:57:00	01:18:00	01:08:49	00:58:30	00:53:11	00:46:48	00:39:00	00:33:26	00:29:15
20	02:00:00	01:20:00	01:10:35	01:00:00	00:54:33	00:48:00	00:40:00	00:34:17	00:30:00

Flat road relevant speeds

km vs. km/h	40	45	50	55	60	65	70	80
0.5	00:00:45	00:00:40	00:00:36	00:00:33	00:00:30	00:00:28	00:00:26	00:00:23
1	00:01:30	00:01:20	00:01:12	00:01:05	00:01:00	00:00:55	00:00:51	00:00:45
1.5	00:02:15	00:02:00	00:01:48	00:01:38	00:01:30	00:01:23	00:01:17	00:01:08
2	00:03:00	00:02:40	00:02:24	00:02:11	00:02:00	00:01:51	00:01:43	00:01:30
2.5	00:03:45	00:03:20	00:03:00	00:02:44	00:02:30	00:02:18	00:02:09	00:01:53
3	00:04:30	00:04:00	00:03:36	00:03:16	00:03:00	00:02:46	00:02:34	00:02:15
3.5	00:05:15	00:04:40	00:04:12	00:03:49	00:03:30	00:03:14	00:03:00	00:02:38
4	00:06:00	00:05:20	00:04:48	00:04:22	00:04:00	00:03:42	00:03:26	00:03:00
4.5	00:06:45	00:06:00	00:05:24	00:04:55	00:04:30	00:04:09	00:03:51	00:03:23
5	00:07:30	00:06:40	00:06:00	00:05:27	00:05:00	00:04:37	00:04:17	00:03:45
5.5	00:08:15	00:07:20	00:06:36	00:06:00	00:05:30	00:05:05	00:04:43	00:04:08
6	00:09:00	00:08:00	00:07:12	00:06:33	00:06:00	00:05:32	00:05:09	00:04:30
6.5	00:09:45	00:08:40	00:07:48	00:07:05	00:06:30	00:06:00	00:05:34	00:04:53
7	00:10:30	00:09:20	00:08:24	00:07:38	00:07:00	00:06:28	00:06:00	00:05:15
7.5	00:11:15	00:10:00	00:09:00	00:08:11	00:07:30	00:06:55	00:06:26	00:05:38
8	00:12:00	00:10:40	00:09:36	00:08:44	00:08:00	00:07:23	00:06:51	00:06:00
8.5	00:12:45	00:11:20	00:10:12	00:09:16	00:08:30	00:07:51	00:07:17	00:06:23
9	00:13:30	00:12:00	00:10:48	00:09:49	00:09:00	00:08:18	00:07:43	00:06:45
9.5	00:14:15	00:12:40	00:11:24	00:10:22	00:09:30	00:08:46	00:08:09	00:07:08
10	00:15:00	00:13:20	00:12:00	00:10:55	00:10:00	00:09:14	00:08:34	00:07:30
10.5	00:15:45	00:14:00	00:12:36	00:11:27	00:10:30	00:09:42	00:09:00	00:07:53
11	00:16:30	00:14:40	00:13:12	00:12:00	00:11:00	00:10:09	00:09:26	00:08:15
11.5	00:17:15	00:15:20	00:13:48	00:12:33	00:11:30	00:10:37	00:09:51	00:08:38
12	00:18:00	00:16:00	00:14:24	00:13:05	00:12:00	00:11:05	00:10:17	00:09:00
12.5	00:18:45	00:16:40	00:15:00	00:13:38	00:12:30	00:11:32	00:10:43	00:09:23
13	00:19:30	00:17:20	00:15:36	00:14:11	00:13:00	00:12:00	00:11:09	00:09:45
13.5	00:20:15	00:18:00	00:16:12	00:14:44	00:13:30	00:12:28	00:11:34	00:10:08
14	00:21:00	00:18:40	00:16:48	00:15:16	00:14:00	00:12:55	00:12:00	00:10:30
14.5	00:21:45	00:19:20	00:17:24	00:15:49	00:14:30	00:13:23	00:12:26	00:10:53
15	00:22:30	00:20:00	00:18:00	00:16:22	00:15:00	00:13:51	00:12:51	00:11:15
15.5	00:23:15	00:20:40	00:18:36	00:16:55	00:15:30	00:14:18	00:13:17	00:11:38
16	00:24:00	00:21:20	00:19:12	00:17:27	00:16:00	00:14:46	00:13:43	00:12:00
16.5	00:24:45	00:22:00	00:19:48	00:18:00	00:16:30	00:15:14	00:14:09	00:12:23
17	00:25:30	00:22:40	00:20:24	00:18:33	00:17:00	00:15:42	00:14:34	00:12:45
17.5	00:26:15	00:23:20	00:21:00	00:19:05	00:17:30	00:16:09	00:15:00	00:13:08
18	00:27:00	00:24:00	00:21:36	00:19:38	00:18:00	00:16:37	00:15:26	00:13:30
18.5	00:27:45	00:24:40	00:22:12	00:20:11	00:18:30	00:17:05	00:15:51	00:13:53
19	00:28:30	00:25:20	00:22:48	00:20:44	00:19:00	00:17:32	00:16:17	00:14:15
19.5	00:29:15	00:26:00	00:23:24	00:21:16	00:19:30	00:18:00	00:16:43	00:14:38
20	00:30:00	00:26:40	00:24:00	00:21:49	00:20:00	00:18:28	00:17:09	00:15:00

Posted by Claus at July 14, 2007 7:29 PM