> Biggest gainers by position :
>      +109   José Luis Rubiera
>      +107   Stéphane Goubert
>       +96   Luca Mazzanti
>       +92   Marco Fertonani
>       +86   David Arroyo
>       +80   Michael Boogerd
>       +80   Alexander Vinokourov
>       +79   Ricardo Serrano
>       +78   Serguei Yakovlev
>       +78   Alessandro Spezialetti

> Biggest losers by position :
>      -131   Sven Krauss
>      -128   Loyd Mondory
>      -110   Sébastien Chavanel
>      -107   Luciano Pagliarini
>      -105   Robbie McEwen
>      -101   Bernhard Eisel
>       -95   Maximiliano Richeze
>       -91   Franck Renier
>       -87   Gabriele Balducci
>       -86   Alexei Markov
>       -85   Alexandre Pichot

> Biggest gainers by time :
>     +0:46   Riccardo Riccò
>     +0:40   Alexander Vinokourov
>     +0:38   Andreas Klöden
>     +0:34   Thomas Dekker
>     +0:34   Stéphane Goubert
>     +0:34   Stefano Garzelli
>     +0:34   Stefan Schumacher
>     +0:34   Staf Scheirlinckx
>     +0:34   Serguei Yakovlev
>     +0:34   Rinaldo Nocentini

> Biggest losers by time :
>    -14:43   Dario Andriotto
>    -14:43   Gabriele Balducci
>    -14:43   Giuseppe Muraglia
>    -12:42   Andreas Klier
>    -12:42   Arnaud Gerard
>    -12:42   Bram De Groot
>    -12:42   Erki Pütsep
>    -12:42   Fabian Cancellara
>    -12:42   Loyd Mondory
>    -12:42   Paride Grillo
>    -12:42   Tyler Hamilton

> Favourites by position :
>      +109   José Luis Rubiera
>       +86   David Arroyo
>       +80   Michael Boogerd
>       +80   Alexander Vinokourov
>       +40   Leonardo Piepoli
>       +39   Jens Voigt
>       +29   Ivan Basso
>       +28   Stefano Garzelli
>       +27   Andreas Klöden
>       +17   Dario Cioni
>        +4   Tyler Hamilton
>        +3   Fabian Cancellara
>        -8   Laurent Brochard
>       -15   Paolo Bettini
>       -21   Unai Etxebarria
>       -45   Serguei Ivanov
>       -64   Peter Wrolich

> Favourites by time :
>     +0:40   Alexander Vinokourov
>     +0:38   Andreas Klöden
>     +0:34   Stefano Garzelli
>     +0:34   Michael Boogerd
>     +0:34   José Luis Rubiera
>     +0:34   Jens Voigt
>     +0:34   David Arroyo
>     +0:27   Laurent Brochard
>     +0:18   Dario Cioni
>     -1:33   Paolo Bettini
>     -3:58   Leonardo Piepoli
>     -6:18   Serguei Ivanov
>     -6:18   Ivan Basso
>     -7:37   Peter Wrolich
>    -12:42   Tyler Hamilton
>    -12:42   Fabian Cancellara

> Top 3 and favourites standings :
>         1  Alexandr Arekeev                           15.07.50
>         2  Riccardo Riccò                                 0.21
>         3  Oscar Freire                                   0.27
>         4  Alexander Vinokourov                           0.27
>         5  Andreas Klöden                                 0.29
>         .....
>         9  Stefano Garzelli                               0.33
>         .....
>        13  Jens Voigt                                     0.33
>         .....
>        21  Michael Boogerd                                0.33
>         .....
>        23  David Arroyo                                   0.33
>         .....
>        27  José Luis Rubiera                              0.33
>        28  Laurent Brochard                               0.40
>         .....
>        33  Dario Cioni                                    0.49
>         .....
>        44  Unai Etxebarria                                1.07
>         .....
>        78  Paolo Bettini                                  2.40
>         .....
>        99  Leonardo Piepoli                               5.05
>         .....
>       103  Serguei Ivanov                                 7.25
>         .....
>       108  Ivan Basso                                     7.25
>         .....
>       118  Peter Wrolich                                  8.44
>         .....
>       161  Fabian Cancellara                             36.07
>       162  Tyler Hamilton                                38.54

>> Top 3 and favourites standings :
>>         1  Alexandr Arekeev                           15.07.50
>>         2  Riccardo Riccò                                 0.21
>>         3  Oscar Freire                                   0.27
>>         4  Alexander Vinokourov                           0.27
>>         5  Andreas Klöden                                 0.29

> Bob, is there any mechanism for gracefully dropping someone from your
> favorites (aka favourites) list?  It seems to me if you "oughta be a
> contenda" and you're 40 minutes back after three stages, that it's
> embarrassing for everyone involved.  Show a little mercy, big guy!

> Maybe after a certain point you could substitute an anagram for the
> person's name.  Like Tyler Hamilton becomes Little Harmony.  Or better
> yet, Tolerantly Him.  Even keeps the same initials.  Think about it.

> R

>> Bob Martin wrote:
>>> Changes in stage 3 compared to stage 2

>>> Top 3 and favourites standings :
>>>         1  Alexandr Arekeev                           15.07.50
>>>         2  Riccardo Riccò                                 0.21
>>>         3  Oscar Freire                                   0.27
>>>         4  Alexander Vinokourov                           0.27
>>>         5  Andreas Klöden                                 0.29

>> Bob, is there any mechanism for gracefully dropping someone from your
>> favorites (aka favourites) list?  It seems to me if you "oughta be a
>> contenda" and you're 40 minutes back after three stages, that it's
>> embarrassing for everyone involved.  Show a little mercy, big guy!

>> Maybe after a certain point you could substitute an anagram for the
>> person's name.  Like Tyler Hamilton becomes Little Harmony.  Or better
>> yet, Tolerantly Him.  Even keeps the same initials.  Think about it.

>> R

>Is "favourites" riders likely to win, or just riders people like?
>-mike

> It's the riders that most people here seem to take an interest in -
> whether they are doing well or badly.  I've never liked the term
> "favourites" but can't think of a better name.  I don't usually
> include the sprinters because the summary is all about the overall and
> to sprinters a stage race is just a series of one-dayers!

> I'm always open to suggestions though.