I just saw the last 5km. I would say
a/ Contador looked very good. Comfortable, strong and confident, I get flashbacks of 2009 AC. I think he could have pulled ahead sometimes but held back, maybe for tactical reasons. I agree, it was really pointless to burn all that energy on day 2. or to prove a point. I see he is now mostly out of the saddle, reminds me of Horner at the Vuelta last year. I know AC rides out of the saddle a lot but he seems to be generating much more power and for long periods sort of like 2009.
b/ Froome pulled for all 5km?? Why waste energy? Chase after folks who were not rivals? He wanted to prove a point. Froome's approach is the "bully" approach. He will clubber you mentally with physical power. The funny thing we know about bullies is that they crumble when someone stands up to them. He did not know what to do when AC stuck to his wheel. I would like to know Froome's wheel and cassette diameter, how is he generating so much power with so much cadence on a hill?
Froome reminds me of him at 2012 Vuelta, he burned out after a while. The impact from TDF 2013 (the excuse we thought). He thinks he is Capt. Superman and rides with what appears very little tactical sense. Oh, Capt Superman does not believe he needs a team to win, so Porte not showing up means little to him. He probably feels he does not need Wiggins to win.
I wondered how AC would win against Froome. Now I know. Stand up to him and he will crumble mentally. Thats it, just speak to him wheel to wheel, man to man, eyeball to eyeball. The mind games is the key game to win, forget the bike stuff, thats secondary. Any world class champion in any world sport will tell you that.