There are many possible reasons why in certain races the pace is higher, climbing times are better. But since it seems to happen in almost every race now, it's hard to blame the circumstances. At this point it really seems obvious, something has changed, and not for the better.
Some questions I'm asking myself: Does this apply to the peloton in general, or is it just the cream? Since more riders than usual seem to find it hard to simply hang on, nobody really wants to get into break-aways anymore, is that due to super-strong teams against smaller teams, or is it also an effect?
Will there be a serious effort to unmask things (haha in these times), or will there be a thinking that cycling cannot afford this and everything will be hidden as best as possible?