Originally posted by Rich Clark
That information is mind-boggling. I had a hard time believing the story about the broken chainstay, but I was wrong. And apparently it's not just true, but also may have limited Lance's ability to shift during that incredible attack and sustained high-cadence climb. Yet he still won it going away.
i think one other reason that lance didn't shift gears is because the lever was broken. if you watch the eurosport.com stage 15 video, you'll see that the right lever is obviously broken in the fall, and it dangles around when he powers away.
so that's probably why he didn't attempt shifting gears, which was probably a good thing ultimately.