Re: Re:
It's not a complicated situation. If the leader doesn't stay gapped, none of them win. The only reason for any of the leaders not to pull and instead look at each other was an unjustified complete confidence that Teuns was dead and that therefore the only relevant opponents were in the group. That was an extremely rash decision to make once, given Teuns clearly demonstrated form and the already demonstrated strength of Van Gaarderen. Making that decision two stages in a row was beyond rash and right into idiot territory. He'd already shown them what would happen one day earlier!
I agree with you that it's easy to slate riders for getting a judgment call wrong, but "the yellow jersey is behind and I need him to stay there" is a pretty basic tactical issue.
Valv.Piti said:Its too easy to armchair QB it. You could see they were on the limit when they got away and those situations are always hard in a race, its not as easy as you make it out to be.Zinoviev Letter said:Teuns won that race for two reasons: (1) Tejay. (2) his chief opponents stopping and looking at each other after they'd dropped him in BOTH of the last two stages.
The rest of them got what they deserved. They were stronger than the leader. They dropped the leader. They stopped riding and let the leader back. Then they did the same again the next day. Doing it the first time was bad enough but failing to learn and doing the same again the next day was just disgraceful stupidity.
It's not a complicated situation. If the leader doesn't stay gapped, none of them win. The only reason for any of the leaders not to pull and instead look at each other was an unjustified complete confidence that Teuns was dead and that therefore the only relevant opponents were in the group. That was an extremely rash decision to make once, given Teuns clearly demonstrated form and the already demonstrated strength of Van Gaarderen. Making that decision two stages in a row was beyond rash and right into idiot territory. He'd already shown them what would happen one day earlier!
I agree with you that it's easy to slate riders for getting a judgment call wrong, but "the yellow jersey is behind and I need him to stay there" is a pretty basic tactical issue.