from the fate that befalls those with too many leaders. When Klodi went down, only the other dropped Astana , then later Savo were spared to save him.  Not what you do if he's really a protected rider and especially one with a weak ass that he just fell off on.  One rider, even a Savo, is not enough.

Conversely, when Vino flops, they still spared Klodi and Kash from the fray that systematically shredded their team until Vino was left alone to draft his team car and generally work like a dog for 20 or so minutes.  Again divided priorities.  

Why did Kash not go back, was he there to police Klodi or help him? Are Astana  going to have everyone work for Kash now?  I don't think so.  Cover your ass, sure(no pun intended).  But only one guy can win the race.  Pick one and stay with him.  

USPS/Disco, love them or leave them, they knew who they were working for.  Now would Johan have had a different reaction than the Astana-borg today?  I don't know, maybe not.  But what I saw today reminded me more than a little of the keystone-kop antics of the T-Mob of old (2004).

The TdF is too hard to hesitate for a second, there is no way to sort out leadership on the road.  That devours too much energy that needs to be devoted to the man that can win.

From here on out it is going to be one like donkey kong.  The GC contenders smell blood and they are going to drill the next 3 days.  They team with the best focus to keeping their leader from having to work any more than a minimum will emerge as the dominant team of the race and the most likely to deliver their GC guy to Paris first.