Relating to team tactics, part of the whole idea of a strong team is to be able to dictate what will happen, when it will happen, how it will happen. Then the team leader/s can prepare accordingly.
Riders like Cadel were handicapped in that they could never dictate what would happen when. Instead they had to wait it out, be prepared all the time. This is a difficult way of racing.
At the beginning of the last race I did a guy who lapped the field in 6 laps a few weeks prior took off. About five guys were prepared for it. I was not one of them. I was dying and I had no idea when it would ease. As it turned out it eased after half a mile (one lap). Afterwards the guy said that he felt lazy and he didn't want to keep going. His unexpected attack really threw me for a loop though and I ended up moving up much more than normal to try and keep tabs on things. I ended up bridging to a break I felt was threatening, blew up, and got dropped. I don't think my race would have been much better but my attitude changed quickly when I got worried the race would explode like it did the week before.
If you have a very strong team then you can go into a stage knowing that the first bit will be hard. Or not. Or that the second climb will be hard. Or not. Or that the flat bit up to the fourth climb will be hard. Or not. And prepare accordingly. If you know you're going to attack from the gun then you'll change what you eat, how you dress, perhaps what wheels you stick on the bike. Etc etc.
Another thing about climbing at slow speeds is wind. When it's windy and you're climbing and you don't know how the other guys are going then it's very demoralizing. If you chase everyone sits on and they can counter and gain time. So you wait. This isn't conducive towards protecting an overall position. If you have a teammate with you then you can say "Hey, keep the break within a minute, okay?" And then you look around and when you think it's good you attack and get clear. Cadel never had that opportunity.
The strongest rider at the end of the Tour won. Cadel was not him. But on a different team, with better support, I think Cadel would have a much better chance of being that strongest rider.
cdr