The dutch team was completely overpowered (1-4 best odds to win the race) so everyone knew it was their duty to keep the breakaway in check and I assume that - without radios - half the Peleton just assumed they knew what was up and didnt bother to go to their team car to check for themselves. I wonder if the other half - the riders who were aware that Kieserhofer was still out there, ahead of the two other breakaway riders - lowkey deliberately kept them in the dark because they didn't want them to get gold. At least Longo Borghini, who won bronze, seemed quite amused in the post race interview.
Anyway, uncertainty how many riders are still ahead (especially with bigger breakaway groups, but that wasnt the case yesterday) happen even with race radios, just this Giro d'Italia Bernal won a stage with an hectic uphill ending where he didn't celebrate as a winner because he thought there were still some from the breakaway ahead. But here we had Kieserhofer in front solo for 40km+, no excuses at all for the Dutch team not be able to communicate that information.
And just today, big Dutch medal favorite in mountainbiking, Matthieu Van der Poul crashed because he didn't know that a ramp had been removed after their test runs. Everyone and the Dutch manager knew, but he didn't, so the communication shambles continue
. Looks like
@KirkDuyt favorite sport, field hockey, has to get them some gold medals.
.