Surely Cavendish will be kicked out

I don't think the rules are clear cut actually.

Depends how many are with him I guess.

Around 80 riders. But actually it shouldn't really matter, but I don't think they will kick any out

Just heard. They've been given dispensation

20 pts deducted!!!!

By how much did they miss it? Unfortunately they don't will eliminate the whole group, they relied on it for sure, but what about a points deduction in the sprinters classement? Is it only possible for rule violations?

Wiil it affect the Green Jersey market?

20 pts not enough

Rojas Gil was not in the group

only Rojas benefiting

lazy feckers

Lazy Feckers is right, I could have done better on a Grifter!![;)][;)]

No bb66, only Rojas not benefitting. Would have been home and dry for green if the rules had been strictly applied. The race refs have always been pretty lenient on this front though.

Personally, I don't like the referees' use of discretion in this way, and I think the weirdly variable time limits are overly complicated, and open to the abuse we saw today. The system sucks and Rojas has been robbed.

Not pocket talking at all here, I don't bet on cycling, and I actually want Cav to win green.

I meant Rojas benefitting from points deduction, as I understand they won't throw out half the field there should be more penalizing deductions imo, depending on the time they fail the limit

if they then set tougher time limits the sprinters would really have to race to minimize points deductions, would give a new perspective to that competition favouring guys like Hushovd

Think they actually changed the competition specifically to help 'pure' sprinters like Cavendish vis-a-vis the more versatile types like Hushovd (after Hushovd's breakaway move in 2009).

There's been no abuse and no one has been robbed.

It's a sprinter's jersey, for anyone other than Cavendish to win it would be a travesty.

how much time was cav outside the limit please?

about 2 mins. i think the green jersey was better how it was before. the prize for sprinters like cav is winning stages. i feel he has enough prizes without the green jersey as well. imo the green jersey should be targetted at the all-rounder type like gilbert or hushovd

Bit of a flawed argument considering Gilbert and Hushovd have both won stages and wore the yellow jesey for numerous days.

Gilbert and Hushovd finished behind Cav (as did the world's two best time trialists, Cancellara and Martin) so that argument is a non-starter.

Would those of you in favour of the strict application of the rules have been in favour of the whole peleton being eliminated on the wet stage to Pontarlier a few years ago.  Only the 16-man break made it in the time limit and it was about 10 days into the tour.  The peleton sat up and gave them 30 mins+ as they were concerned about the bad weather and the next day's mountains.

    I wonder how enjoyable that would've been for the next 2 weeks.  Single figures finishers in Paris and everybody left could've been "allowed" a stage win

i laid cav for green jersey as i thought he'd struggle i was right but will now lose but i do understand you cant throw out 80 riders

History Maker, how do you think Cavendish "abused" the rules today?

@ Jontheman

the difference is on the cited stage were really unusual condition (weather), you can't use this excuse for today.

I think the original concept of the points jersey was for the best all rounder but in recent years it has been dominated by sprinters.

Exactly it's not a sprinters jersey but has turned into it somewhat.

20 points looks to be in line with the rules. Would be no need for this rule if everybody who finishes outside the cut-off time is thrown out the race.

1/7/2011
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.”

http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/COURSE/us/actus.html#zone169897

It's a sprinter's jersey

No, it's not. It's a points jersey.

I'm not a Cav fan...and yes..I would rather see the points competition reward a rider who didn't just show up for the last 150m of five/six stages towed by a magnificent team effort...but you can't dispute the fact that if Cav didn't win a ridiculously high percentage of all the stages HTC targets on his behalf...he wouldn't be anywhere in contention for the jersey.

Cav [& the HTC train] is a phenomenon with an incredible win percentage.

Besides...can anyone really make a case for Rojas to be the moral victor ? 

[Footage of Cav being towed by the team car up the Aubisque might do it]

maybe Cav only with a few riders missing the cut today[;)]

expect cav to be the subject of some very long bottle passing manoeuvures today!

Can I ask a stupid question please

Why isn't Cavendish quoted in the Stage winner market today

I know he should be roughly 1000000/1 but he should still be quoted, no?

There's almost 170 riders out there so not including the no-hopers makes the market page easier to navigate.

It does say though, "Non featured riders will be added to this market on request."

OK thanks

Leukermans 24' behind on the Galibier, there surely will be kicked out some today, Cav among them?

20 pts deducted again, this time Rojas as well, but not Gilbert

deduction should be 45 pts (pts for winner on a flat stage)

Looks like the organisers have made a rod for their own backs by not kicking anyone out,now you'll just get a massive grupetto miles behind safe in the knowledge they will stay in as today.

Quite GPT.

The abuse that I was referring to was not that by Cavendish, who probably really did get up as quickly as he could.

The abuse is by the 40 or 50 riders who calculated that instead of making a serious effort to stay within the time limit and avoid elimination, they'd form a big bus and take it relatively easy, knowing that the referees wouldn't eliminate everyone.

They need to change the rules in some way. Quite how, I'm not sure.

Absurd as it may sound, perhaps the best way to ensure that everyone gets within the time limit is some form of weighted lottery for elimination. That would ensure that everyone made damned sure that they tried to get within the time limit.

I'll explain in a bit, between horse races.

Done more thinking.

My idea would resolve the problem we've seen today, but create others (namely domestiques risking taking one for the team and being chucked out).

why bother with a time limit at all? its not like some joe bloggs is just going to turn up at the tour de france and 'give it a go' and end up 3 days behind everyone else.