Originally Posted by
Eric S.
Note that I said "day before Paris".
Highly unusually, that individual time trial took place on the last day of the race and finished in Paris.
About the OP's "tt bikes make no sense," wind tunnel tests combined with power data have shown that the previous ultra-low TT positions resulted in slower rides than could be achieved with less-extreme positions. Evidently, the use of small frames with TT bar risers results in the best all-around efficiency.