[BaBaStooey]

I'm a little confused. Isn't Popo doing better on GC than Hincapie? Why would the peloton let Popo get away and not George?

[green iguana]

I think it was some of the other guys that were in the break and not George.

[commish]

They pulled that group mainly because Cunega and Rasmussen were in it. Not that they were huge threats to the GC, but both are good climbers, and Rasmussen IS a threat to the KOTM, and there were KOTM points out there today.

[Ready4Freddy]

It's not just who is in the escape, it's also when/where the escape is taking place. As the others have said, there's more than just the GC at stake here, but also, a breakaway with ~40-50km to go is a lot less threatening than one with 120km to go. Especially when there were 2 remaining Cat 4's to come, an excellent place to mount an attack.

After the 2 Cat 4s are done, it's pretty much a given that any breakaway can be easily caught on the remaining flats to the finish.

Why would the peloton let Popo get away and not George?