Originally Posted by
beng1
What I was wondering, was could it be possible that more time is made up going downhill that is lost going uphill, and could more time be gained riding with the wind for a distance than is lost riding against it?
No.
But TTs are done in competition against others. There are conditions (wind, hills) where even though everyone is slower, you might lose less than they do. At least, that's what you're aiming for.