I take your point - im just trying to say that it’s easy to say they should have covered but hard to do when you are on the rivet!
I just watched the action again. There were three attacks in succession at the top of the Oude Kwaremont - first Colbrelli put in a dig, then Stybar attacked and drew out a royal group of Sagan, Kwiatkowski and Nibali. They sat up when it was apparent that the selection was wrong, then Nibali put in a dig again. The elite riders (Kwiatkowski, Sagan and Van Avermaet were the first three position in the bunch, with Terpstra fourth) looked at each other to assess whether it was worth chasing down a joker, and by that time Terpstra had clipped off. Then the group was strung out and Tiesj Benoot and others tried to jump across but weren’t strong enough. For some reasons Van Marcke was at the back of the group - I think he had a mechanical. If any rider could and should have followed that move it was Van Marcke - but he is cursed I think.
Nibali is one of the best climbers in the world and couldn’t go with Terpstra. If they’d pulled him back on the flat, Stybar, Gilbert or Lampaert would have gone on the next climb.
I take your point - im just trying to say that it’s easy to say they should have covered but hard to do when you are on the rivet!
I just watched the action again. There were three attacks in succession at the top of the Oude Kwaremont - first Colbrelli put in a dig, then Stybar attacked and drew out a royal group of Sagan, Kwiatkowski and Nibali. They sat up when it was apparent that the selection was wrong, then Nibali put in a dig again. The elite riders (Kwiatkowski, Sagan and Van Avermaet were the first three position in the bunch, with Terpstra fourth) looked at each other to assess whether it was worth chasing down a joker, and by that time Terpstra had clipped off. Then the group was strung out and Tiesj Benoot and others tried to jump across but weren’t strong enough. For some reasons Van Marcke was at the back of the group - I think he had a mechanical. If any rider could and should have followed that move it was Van Marcke - but he is cursed I think.