TDF: Where is the finish line ?

in the finish line photo at
http://www.letour.fr/2006/TDF/LIVE/us/900/index.html
(http://tinyurl.com/mywke)

where is the finish line ?? Isn't finish line like a single line ? if
so, why is Tom bonnen (101) given 4th place while he is so far to the
right ??

Also, i am a novice when it comes to photography - is there a reason why
the spokes in the wheels look that way ?

+ravi

Ravi wrote:

in the finish line photo at
http://www.letour.fr/2006/TDF/LIVE/us/900/index.html
(http://tinyurl.com/mywke)

where is the finish line ?? Isn't finish line like a single line ? if
so, why is Tom bonnen (101) given 4th place while he is so far to the
right ??

Also, i am a novice when it comes to photography - is there a reason why
the spokes in the wheels look that way ?

Everything in the image is at the finish line. A photofinish camera at
the finish line records what is passing a narrow slit on film that is
moving at the expected speed of the objects recorded. (I suppose it's
all electronic now, not real moving film, but that's still how I think
of it.) Thus the picture does not show the position of four cyclists at
one instant in time, it shows from left to right what was intersecting
the plane of the finish line during a time interval. Boonen hasn't been
given fourth place because it looks like he will probably arrive
fourth. The image shows him to be the fourth to cross the line.

That explains fhe odd appearence of the spokes. As long as all the
parts of the bicycle and rider are moving together at substantially the
speed the film moves, the photofinish image looks a lot like a still
image of a complete bicycle and rider at one instant in time. However,
the rotation of the wheels causes the spokes to move at different
speeds from the frame and rider, so they look distorted. If one of the
cyclists were moving much slower than the others, he and his bicycle
would look elongated, since there would be more time than for the
others between his front wheel touching the line and his rear wheel
passing it.

--
Paul Turner