time trial tactics

Today was the penultimate stage of the Tour, a time trial. Time trials are races against the clock, so there is none of the aerodynamic advantage that drives the tactics of a road stage. Meanwhile, because tomorrow the sprinters' teams will have no reason to save energy by letting breakaways succeed, and because all the potential breakaway riders know this, tomorrow's stage will almost certainly be a procession to Paris, ending in a mass sprint. So there's no need for riders to save energy today; the usual strategy does not apply. So it would seem that today's stage is a pure test of strength, with the rider who has come through the mountains with the most juice left inevitably coming out on top.

( In reality, it's not so simple. )