Does Lance Rock Or What?

There were a few cyclists at the IHS seminar at Bryn Mawr, and a few others following the Tour, so I did a good job of keeping up with the news through Friday. With the move (and the absence of DSL as of yet in the new home) I missed Lance’s outstanding sprint finish in Stage 15 yesterday to take the yellow jersey, and today’s victory in the time trial on L’Alpe d’Huez. 15.5 kilometers, 21 hairpin turns, in just under 40 minutes. My legs ache just thinking about it.

Now that I’ve been reunited with my bikes, I have to get back in the groove!

BTW, I think there’s an interesting social science research project in analyzing the strategies that the cycling teams use in the Tour. Take the set of rules: different stages, individual time trials, team time trials, different types of winning jerseys (overall, sprint, best under 25, etc.). Take the fact that they ride as a team, with riders each having a specific role. How do you determine strategy in such a complex environment? How do you choose your team and compensate them to induce optimal performance? How would that team dynamic differ if the rules were different?