This competition is decided by totaling the time each team takes on the daily stages.
The race was scheduled to be run over 10 daily stages without rest days.
Such an interplay is a supreme maneuver that cannot be performed on the daily human stage.
At the finish of each daily flat stage, the time reduction for the first three is 20, 12 and 8 seconds.
"I don't want to talk now about the time trial," he said after this 15th of 21 daily stages.
We have set out below the planned daily stages as a guide only.
Those days are over, as much a part of the past as the entertainment the Tour used to provide after a daily stage.
Points are awarded for completing daily stages in certain time periods.
Usually with the top order decided, the overall leaders do not try to win the final daily stage.
Following this route the mountain can be climbed in two daily stages.