Originally Posted by
CliffordK
The "Escort" was likely the SAG Wagon, Spares, assistance, etc.
It can't let the slow riders out of sight. But, yes, it is an odd choice to use it as a draft vehicle, not as a follow vehicle creating a buffer.
My guess is it started out as a follow vehicle creating a buffer, but then the slower riders decided to get behind it when they encountered the reported strong head-wind. That decision was a fatal mistake. If the car + bikes were in fact in the right-hand lane rather than the shoulder, I can see how this could have happened without the truck driver doing anything worse than failing to register a car going 15 to 20 mph on a 75 mph highway.