PULLING THE STRINGS

Tour de France chiefs’ bid to ban power meters is the latest blind alley in the pursuit of ‘unpredictability’ , writes John Whitney

As is now custom, the Tour de France route presentation was less about a grand reveal of the latest parcours than it was for race organisers ASO to pontificate on how cycling should be.

It’s been a theme of recent years that by the time assorted dignitaries congregate in Paris, the route is largely known. Velowire. com does such a rigorous job in analysing regional media for news that the jigsaw has already been pieced together. It renders the presentation itself more ceremonial than surprising, so it often ends up taking a backseat to the political machinations of ASO.

As Cyclingnews.com reported, race director Christian Prudhomme finished “by delivering something akin to a brief state of the union address,” talking about ASO’s concerns. This year his theme was power meters. Prudhomme also supported grand tour teams reducing in number by one, from nine to eight, in 2018, and going back further, to 2009, to limit the use of race radios. At the presentation he reaffirmed his goal to see power meters banned, saying they “annihilate the glorious uncertainty of sport.”

The mood among the peloton appeared to be that such a move wouldn’t achieve the stated aims. That was the view of Team Sky sports director Nicolas Portal, who thinks riders know their bodies well enough not to need them anyway. The counter to that would be that if they were so ineffective, why use them in the first place? Their effectiveness probably lies somewhere in the middle, but it’s hard to imagine they are such a great shackle on the race’s entertainment.

The elephant in the room is that this isn’t so much a problem for cycling, but a problem for the Tour de France. The truth is that the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España have both had more exciting races in the past decade or more than the Tour with the rules as they are. Banning this and banning that probably won’t change much. The truth is that the Tour is a victim of its own success. As the biggest race in the sport, teams arrive with their most powerful units in peak form. Unlike, say, the Vuelta, nobody arrives at the Tour hoping to get second bite at the cherry. This is their endgame. Suffocating racing ensues where everyone is at their best level and margins are miniscule.

Prudhomme can strip riders of power meters and radios, and introduce gravel, grid starts and ultra-short stages, but it has the feel of chasing rainbows. Some of these things will work, some of the time.

Perhaps it’s best to stop relentlessly chasing this quest for constant entertainment with gimmicks and artifice and accept the Tour for what it’s long been: a fascinating slow burn illuminated by moments of drama. Otherwise, where does it end? Maybe with the route presentation ditched entirely and each stage revealed to teams every morning. Come to think of it, that sounds a lot of fun...

The truth is that the Tour de France is really a victim of its own success