No, no, I did get that. I was only saying that back then pro's were very conservative when it came to new stuff. Some really kept on using cages and straps (and DT shifters) for quite a long time after "automatic" pedals and brifters were introduced.Sorry, I wasn't very clear. Shimano featured both downtube shifters and the combined units in the catalogue of this year. I'm more a fan of the downtube shifters
I found the first brifters aesthetically a step back. It took shimano ages to introduce "aero levers" (with hidden cables) and when they finally had a decent looking cockpit, they introduced those "clotheslines".