How important was the team yesterday?

[Onno]

I stayed away from all news outlets and friends and the phone yesterday so I could watch tivoed coverage last night. Like everyone else, I was stunned and amazed. Unfortunately, OLN's coverage began well after the first crucial break, and they showed only tiny snippets of that action. (Perhaps the most exciting moment in cycling history and they can't give us a few more minutes of coverage? WUWT?) Reading accounts of the early part of the stage, it seems that Floyd sent the team to the front early to set a blistering pace. How crucial was this to his victory? How long did they last? Who fell off the pace they set? How many were with Floyd when he went off solo?