Top Banana: Tour de France 2018 stage 7 – An empty field

Top Banana: Tour de France 2018 stage 7 – An empty field

We watched it, so you didn’t have to. Stage 7 of the Tour de France took the race 231km due east from Fougères to Chartres and contained barely a moment of racing interest. But at least Normandy looked pretty in the sunshine

Racing Top Banana

“These are the times that try men’s souls.”

The words of Thomas Paine, published in 1776 during the American revolution, were intended to inspire, to rally patriots seeking to wrench themselves free from the tyrannical grip of King George. Paine could as easily have been describing the spectatorial experience of the first week of the Tour de France. 

The longest stage of the Tour de France was never going to be a thriller, and they’re called ‘transition days’ for a reason, so expectations were suitably managed. Still, it was hard not to find the sight of yet another Wanty–Groupe Gobert rider hoiking himself off the front of the peloton, the moment Christian Prudhomme’s car sped away, rather deflating.

We were granted a brief reprieve when Thomas Degand was chased down by a small group containing a few proper teams, the Belgian national champion Yves Lampaert amongst them, but that didn’t last long. Before we knew it, Yoann Offredo was back out front on his own, and it was déjà vu all over again. Offredo was reeled in at about the 90km mark and that was that. 

On Friday the 13th, with all the requisite respect to Lawson Craddock, if anyone was unlucky today it was the guy obliged to find a needle-sized Top Banana in this 231-kilometre haystack of tedium. Less a bike race, “you could be forgiven for thinking this was a bike ride through northern France,” observed ITV’s Ned Boulting. 

(Speaking of whom, chapeau to our colleagues in the commentary boxes for  successfully staying awake at the mic.)

It wasn’t Wanty’s fault. We have admitted our fondness for the Belgian wildcards before, and they at least give it a go. We can’t blame the peloton -which arrived in Chartres almost 20 minutes behind the slowest schedule –  for seizing the opportunity to take it easy, either.

No, ultimate responsibility lies with the race organisers. It’s time ASO did something – anything – to inspire an iota of interest in the (non-)events of stages like this one. More and bigger time bonuses, perhaps; a breakaway jersey has been mooted; maybe rig the riders up so we can hear them playing “I spy”.

But that’s for another year and we must return to consider today’s Top Banana. The rules say it can’t go to Greg Van Avermaet for stealing a few bonus seconds and extending his race lead, or Dylan Groenewegen, for breaking the Sagan-Gaviria sprint duopoly. 

We have therefore taken the unprecedented decision to award today’s Top Banana to… an empty field. 

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 

Stage 1 – Yoann Offredo

Stage 2 – Lawson Craddock

Stage 3 – Tejay van Garderen

Stage 4 – Guillaume van Keirsbulck
Stage 5 – Toms Skujins

Stage 6 – Antwan Tolhoek

The post Top Banana: Tour de France 2018 stage 7 – An empty field appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

Racing Top Banana

READ MORE

Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

Tadej Pogačar to Paris-Roubaix 2025 – Legendary or laughable?

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider has teased his participation on social media, but is it legitimate possibility?

Leer más
James Knox at the British Road Championships

‘Credit should go to Lefevere for working the market’ - James Knox on Soudal–Quick-Step’s evolution from the cobbles to Tour de France contenders

Now in his sixth year with the Belgian squad, the British rider discusses what has changed following the arrival and performances of Remco Evenepoel

Leer más
Portrait of Lukas Nerurkar

‘An altitude camp at the age of seven’ – Lukas Nerurkar on the power of doing things differently

The British rider had a unique upbringing, spending his early childhood in Ethiopia and learning from his marathon runner father – he tells Rouleur about...

Leer más
Women's UAE Tour

Women’s UAE Tour 2025: Who will win the four-stage race in the Middle East?

The third edition of the Women's WorldTour race will begin on Thursday, February, 6 2025 

Leer más
Rob Stannard

Robert Stannard: Lost, fined, and fighting for redemption

The Australian rider speaks to Rouleur about his turbulent past 18 months 

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