Top Banana: Tour de France stage 1 – Greg Van Avermaet

Top Banana: Tour de France stage 1 – Greg Van Avermaet

Hey, hey, GvA, what the heck did you do today? Smart racing from the Olympic champion bags a jersey

Greg Van Avermaet Racing Top Banana Top Banana 2019 Tour de France Tour de France 2019

First break of the 2019 race. Wanty-Group Gobert, check. Cofidis, check. Katusha-Alpecin, check. All present and correct. So far, so Le Tour.


But hang on. Who’s this jumping away as soon as the flag is dropped? Greg Van Avermaet, CCC’s team leader, is not supposed to be tearing off up the road when there’s three weeks of blood and thunder yet to be endured. What the heck is he playing at?


Nabbing a jersey as an hors d’oeuvres, that’s what. The Olympic champion is one of the smartest cookies out there when it comes to one-day racing, and no mug when it comes to the Tour either. A stage win in the next week or two is highly likely, but in the meantime, the mountains classification will do very nicely, thank you very much.


The Belgian looked right at home on the cobbles of the Muur, making short work of his three companions, before taking second behind his countryman Xandro Meurisse on the Bosberg.


Job done and polka dot jersey secured, GvA sat up and rejoined the bunch. We’ve the distinct impression he’ll be putting the cat amongst the pigeons a couple more times before we reach Paris. Keep them peeled on Greg – he’s a top banana.

 


The Rouleur Top Banana goes to an unsung hero of each stage of the Tour de France – not the winner, not the yellow jersey – but a rider whose efforts deserve recognition

 
 

The post Top Banana: Tour de France stage 1 – Greg Van Avermaet appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Greg Van Avermaet Racing Top Banana Top Banana 2019 Tour de France Tour de France 2019

READ MORE

Liv AlUla Jayco

The future is purple: behind the scenes at Liv AlUla Jayco

Liv AlUla Jayco, Australia’s only top-division women’s team, are ready to take on the world. Rouleur gets in the team car at their home race and discovers why...

Leer más
Mark Donovan

From WorldTour rejection to Giro d'Italia stage hunting: Mark Donovan is back at cycling's top table

The Q36.5 rider has had a near-three-year hiatus from cycling's Grand Tours, but now riding better than ever he's once again looking to be in...

Leer más
Mads Pedersen

Mads Pedersen is at the peak of his powers

A second stage win and a return to the maglia rosa is a fitting reward for a rider in some of his best ever form

Leer más
Giro d'Italia 2025 stage four preview: A fast finish in Lecce

Giro d'Italia 2025 stage four preview: A fast finish in Lecce

A chance for the pure sprinters to take a stage win as the Giro resumes in Italy's heel

Leer más
The Dilemma: Should Primož Roglič give away the Giro d'Italia pink jersey?

The Dilemma: Should Primož Roglič give away the Giro d'Italia pink jersey?

The Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe rider will next be able to take time on his rivals during stage seven's mountain-top finish and stage nine's gravel. Does he...

Leer más
La Reina: Demi Vollering is exactly where she belongs

La Reina: Demi Vollering is exactly where she belongs

The Dutchwoman’s victory in La Vuelta España Femenina is a product of exemplary teamwork from FDJ-Suez

Leer más

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE