Originally Posted by
Bacciagalupe
Normally in a sprint, there's a fair amount of jostling. But unless you have a clear path, you're supposed to hold your line. If you're a lead-out, you're supposed to pull off to the side quickly, otherwise you could cause a crash, get run over, and/or get relegated.
E.g. a few years ago, Renshaw was leading out for Cavendish. In the process, he head-butted Julian Dean multiple times, and after pulling off swung far to the left to try and shut the door on Farrar -- and basically pushed Farrar dangerously close to the barriers. That got Renshaw thrown out of the Tour altogether.
The only way to really get someone off your wheel in a sprint is to out-sprint them.
Check again... Greipel was all the way to the left, Sagan was all the way to the right. Sagan was on someone's wheel and came around.
Bolding mine.
Or do what the Op was refering to, not have the actual sprinter be last in hte line. Have a teammate behind him.
At the least that means anyone passing has to come from 1 bike length further back. If the teammate backs off at just the right time it opens a gap. (back off too early and then the wheel opens up, but even there it means a burst of energy was used ot catch the wheel.)