[Baynative]

I'm becoming a nit picker, I guess; but that bike change Nibali went through was as messed up as could be. The team car pulled up and stopped, but didn't even have his bike ready in position. The mechanic was even on the other side of the car. Then after they finally made the change Nibali was holding two water bottles that he mounted on the new bike.

it seems a simple plan would have been to pull the team car a kilo or two ahead and stop to take the bike down, load the water bottles and just let him hop off and on when he got there.

All this for a stiffer bike to ride for 40 miles before going back to the loose machine for the final cobble sections. It seems a bit obsessive to me. But hey, I'm sitting at my desk and they are in the grand tour.

[Eric Roelfsema]

Team cars are not allowed to go ahead of the riders of the team unless there is one in the breakaway. For example with today’s breakaway, only Europcar, Cofidis and the other team are allowed to be allowed to be ahead of the peloton. All the other team cars are behind the peloton.