"Bring them back" Grand Tour tactics

[grellboy]

Was reading in a tdf book the other day. A gc rider was concerned that some fellow contenders were getting too far ahead on a mountain stage, so he sent two teammates up to catch them up then "Bring them back" to the peloton. How does this tactic actually work? Surely the escapees could just go past the riders and carry on regardless couldn't they? Or is it literally a case of catch up your target, pull out in front of them then slow down to slow those behind you?

 

[GlenBen]

Im not actually sure, but I would imagine if they caught up and just sat on his wheel offering no time on the front it would be pretty demoralising. Or do time on the front but ruin his pace either too fast or too slow.

Then theyre also there to drop back and help help the gc rider bridge the gap if needed.

 

[Killiekevin]

I think @GlenBen has it right, mainly about sitting on their wheel but also sitting in front too and slowing the pace and rhythm of the leaders and generally being disruptive.

 

[mjr]

Also if the GC contender's teammates catch the break and then take it easier, the original non-GC escapees might figure there's now less point continuing because they'll get beaten for the stage win by two teammates doing the old two-step in the finale. That's why they send two teammates rather than one, if they can.

 

[oldroadman]

This applies in any race. A strong team gets a couple of riders across to the break and they simply sit on. The peloton eventually will chase them down because the strong team are almost certain to get the win and the good sprinters don't often go in long breaks. If the break is not caught, in a stage race all the intermediate time and point bonuses are swept up and denied to opponents, and at the finish any time bonuses are used up by the break, hence the leader has an easier ride in and lets the sprint trains do their thing for minor places which have no effect overall. In a one day race it's a bit different, and anyone up the road with a minute or two in the last 30km will be chase targets for the sprinter's teams. So it changes things if one team has, say two from five, because they can sit on and deliver at the finish if the chase does not make it. End result in all cases is advantage to the smartest team, which may not necessarily be the one with the strongest legs, but the best tactical sense!