I've thought about this concept for years now ... and here's my thoughts (and it picks up on this weekend festival style idea):
Duration: 4-5 days (1 stage per day)
Goal: To accumulate points as a team of about 6 runners
Each stage has three points categories up for grabs:
- GC (general classification = total accumulated time)
- Sprints (these would typically be held at the start of each stage over 400m to a mile but also you could have some intermediary or closing sections of stages where you are timed for that segment alone, not first across the line like Le Tour)
- Mountains (again, this is scored based on time taken to get from the bottom of the hill to the top, not first to the top like Le Tour)
Points would be allocated across the three categories and the main prize would be given to the winning team of six runners.
The sprinters and mountain runners have to finish the entire course, but they can basically jog the non-timed sections.
Each stage would be around 10-16k (6-10 miles) so the sprinters aren't too nailed from the distances and so the GC guys/girls can bounce back okay.
Thoughts?