Stage 15 to Verbier featured a high mountain top finish. These stages are often decisive because of the large time gaps that can result as riders struggle up the steep slopes.

The tension built up throughout the stage until, with a breakaway group splintering on the steep roads up to Verbier, the main contenders reached the foot of the climb, at which point the Saxo Bank domestiques buried themselves in order to set a pace high enough to break everyone except, they hoped, their team captain Andy Schleck.

Everyone was right at their limit except for Alberto Contador who took off on his own. Andy Schleck tried to follow but couldn’t keep up and the others kept their heads down and wondered how much time they’d end up losing to Contador.

It was at this crucial point, almost 5 hours into the stage, with only a few minutes remaining, that SBS cut to a long (3+ minutes) commercial break. Six, seven commercials rolled by, with coffee cups being hurled at living room walls across Australia.

Viewers never saw how well Contador rode. Or the desperate attempts by Cadel Evans and Carlos Sastre to claw back precious seconds. And so viewers missed what will likely be the pivotal moment in the three week Tour de France.

And it’s not as if it was an accident. SBS had done the same thing on an earlier stage in similar circumstances. Take a look at the comments at tdf.sbs.com.au. Viewers are absolutely ropeable.