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Tour de France 2020 | Stage 11 (Châtelaillon-Plage - Poitiers, 167.5 km)

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Question for the more knowledgeable sprinting types... So, it's pretty clear Ewan's tactic is to always sit on Bennett's wheel, follow his sprint and them spring out from behind him.. He's done it in every head to head so far and will likely do it again today... Can't DQS do anything to combat this? Like leaving a team mate on Bennet's wheel to make it more difficult fir ewan to follow?

There are at least a couple of things.

One is to have the last lead out guy ride a line, after he peels off, that forces Ewan out of a straight shot at the finish line.
You saw Moerkoev doing it yesterday, ensuring the squeezed Ewan after his lead out, to interrupt him ramping up his sprint in a straight line.
It probably gave Bennett the extra centimetres he needed for the win.

Another is to put a teammate on Bennett's wheel, who can open a slight gap just before Bennett kicks, forcing Ewan to move into the wind with a much larger gap to bridge.
It also increases the likelihood that Ewan gets boxed in by other sprinters, simply by being a bike length further back.
This is very difficult though, as few has the power and technique to fight off other sprinters (who all want Bennett's wheel in the last k), while knowing exactly when to ease up.
 
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