It makes little sense, he may have calculated, to appoint a fresh face as prime minister now, only for that face to be covered in mud in a couple of months' time.
The story of the next couple of years in Tory politics will be defined, in part, by how he and the prime minister - who may appear together today to celebrate the Games - learn to live together.
Just a couple of weeks later, with the episode rushed through the production line to take pride of place of prime time TV, I cannot believe what I see of me - just a fleeting blur behind a wheelchair.