In a TT race, the current leaderboard panel includes each rider’s starting interval times relative to yours. Then, in order to determine your position relative to the other riders you must mentally add their starting interval times relative to yours. This isn’t possible when there are many riders.
Suggestion -
Each rider’s leaderboard should show that rider’s position after accounting for the initial interval times of each of the other riders.
Example (current leaderboard method) -
Rider X starts 0:45 before me (his initial time interval relative to me). Then at time T1 the leaderboard panel might show -
Rider X -0:45
Me -----
Since this time interval is the same as our initial time interval, it shows that I had just maintained my position relative to rider X (neither gained nor lost time).
Now at time T2 the leaderboard panel might show -
Rider X -0:21
Me -----
A mental calculation shows that I have gained 0:24 on rider X (i.e., adding rider X’s leaderboard at T2 to his initial time interval: -0:21 + 0:45 = +0:24). If our relative positions would then remain unchanged until the end of the race, then I would finish 0:24 ahead of rider X.
This works OK if there is only one other rider. However, what about when there are multiple riders? Then at time T2 the leaderboard panel might instead show -
Rider Y -2:43 [+2:00]
Rider V -0:58 [-0:15]
Rider X -0:21 [+0:45]
Me -----
Rider W +0:34 [-0:30]
Rider Z +0:55 [-1:15]
The initial starting intervals in [ ] are shown here for reference but are not shown on the leaderboard. Positive values indicate starting before me; negative values indicate starting after me.
Just looking at the leaderboard it would appear that I am ahead of riders Z and W and behind riders X, V, and Y. However, this doesn’t account for the initial start time intervals of each rider.
In this case with multiple riders, it would be impossible to figure out my actual position in the race since I wouldn’t necessarily have known (or even remembered) the initial intervals of each of these riders. Even if I had known and remembered, trying to do the mental math mid-race would be impossible.
Example continues (with suggested leaderboard method) -
Each rider’s leaderboard should show that rider’s position after accounting for the initial interval times of each of the other riders.
For the above example at T2, MY revised leaderboard would add the initial interval times. Note the new ordering of the riders (e.g., V has now replaced Y at the top of the leaderboard)..
Rider V -1:13 [= -0:58 + (-0:15)]
Rider Y -0:43 [= -2:43 + 2:00]
Rider Z -0:20 [= +0:55 + (-1:15)]
Me -----
Rider W +0:04 [= +0:34 + (-0:30)]
Rider X +0:24 [= -0:21 + 0:45]
Now I can easily see that I am ahead of riders X and W by 0:24 and 0:04 respectively whereas I am behind riders Z, Y, and V by 0:20, 0:43, and 1:13 respectively. This shows that with some effort I might be able to catch rider Z (0:20 ahead) but that I should be concerned about rider W (0:04 behind). These insights aren’t available with the current leaderboard design.
The above leaderboard would only be for me. Each of the other riders would have their own leaderboard output depending on the initial interval times of the other riders.
Don C.