Tour Missing a Rabit?

[Frog Hair]

What a..."strange?" tour? Or have I just gotton too used to see one guy steal the show too early every year?
My theory on the rise and collapse of so many riders has been the absense of a clear man to attack. A "missing rabit" for the dogs to chase. So you've got a strategic mess for planning which riders to burn and when. With no marked rider to set the cues and team to drive the theme pace, we see a mix of results.
Or is LeMond right...this is how a tour with no drugs works? Ups and downs, riders have strong days and bad days?
Any input on that?

[GoJavs]

...Or is LeMond right...this is how a tour with no drugs works? Ups and downs, riders have strong days and bad days?
Any input on that?

Well, go back and look at LeMond's tour wins - particularly 1989. This is how tours used to be and IMHO they used to be a lot more fun. Without a dominator (Merckx, Indurain, Armstrong) everyone feels entitled to an opportunity to attack....clean or not.... :)

[Ginger]

Yeah...perhaps the strategists who did ok with a regular leader on the tour aren't so good with an open field? For 5 years the game has been a certain way.

It would be interesting to take a little survey and see just when the team strategists raced. If they raced in the tour. If they raced in a tour that was open, or one that had a returning winner going for another win.